Planning a Gettysburg day journey and questioning what to do past the well-known battlefields?
Whereas historical past is in every single place right here, the city presents a lot extra.
Suppose cozy taverns, boutique outlets, wine tastings, and even spooky ghost excursions.
After visiting Gettysburg, I’ve put collectively this someday itinerary that will help you expertise the very best mixture of historical past, meals, and enjoyable with out feeling rushed.
On this information, you’ll uncover the best way to:
- Stroll by the historic downtown for procuring and wine tastings
- Attempt themed experiences like escape rooms and ghost excursions
- Dine in atmospheric taverns that make you are feeling a part of the previous
Whether or not you’re a historical past buff or simply in search of a novel getaway, this Gettysburg itinerary reveals you the best way to benefit from your day.

Gettysburg Day Journey Itinerary
On a current highway journey to New York, JP and I made a decision to take a day to cease by Gettysburg.
I didn’t know a lot about it aside from the battlefield earlier than we visited, however this place has actually every little thing that we love in a vacation spot:
Historic eating, wine tasting, self guided driving excursions, escape rooms, and historic downtowns.
To summarize the itinerary, you’ll spend the morning in downtown Gettysburg exploring the outlets, wine tasting, and eating at a basic diner.
Then, you’ll spend the afternoon exploring the battlefields, cemeteries, and somewhat recognized nationwide historic website within the space.
You’ll finish the day with dinner in a historic tavern, an 1863 themed escape room, and a ghost tour by downtown.

Morning: Downtown Gettysburg
You’ll need to begin your day within the historic downtown Gettysburg.
You’ll be able to park just about wherever and simply stroll round.
It’s only some blocks in every route, all centered round a fountain sq..
Downtown Gettysburg Outlets
Gettysburg has quite a lot of outlets from themed souvenirs, to yr spherical Christmas outlets, and novelty shops.
Once we journey, we at all times get one memento – a Christmas decoration.
It serves two functions:
- We get a memento that may final endlessly that represents the place we visited.
- We don’t have to purchase random Christmas ornaments to embellish our tree.

Wine Tasting at Adams County Vineyard
One of many downtown outlets is the Adams County Vineyard tasting room.
They provide whites, reds, and specialty wines (that are largely fruit wines).
We choose extra conventional type wines, so I tasted some whites and JP tasted some reds.
We at all times take dwelling bottles of our favorites from all of the wineries we go to and this one had a number of.
When you love candy whites, I extremely advocate the Moscato or the Tears of Gettysburg: “our hallmark wine since 1988 is a easy union of Vidal, Seyval, and Niagara.
When you love candy reds, I extremely advocate the Rusty’s Crimson: a fruity and lightweight mix of Steuben and Harmony with nice, tender notes of berries and honey.
My sister has a canine named Rusty, so we bought that one to share along with her.
When you love dry reds, I extremely advocate the Turning Level or Harvest Mix: “notes of pinecone, eucalyptus, and Macadamia nuts from the oak, adopted by aromas of crimson berries, crimson plum, and cherries.
In addition they have wine sorbet flights within the tasting room!

Lunch at Lincoln Diner
Lincoln Diner is a basic, retro diner with reasonably priced costs and specials.
It’s been round for over 60 years and so they serve breakfast all day lengthy.

We shared a pair totally different entrees together with:
Lincoln’s Particular – philly steak sub served with french fries
Open Face Roast Turkey Sandwich with onion rings

Afternoon: Battlefields and Historic Websites
After lunch, it’s time to go out to the battlefields.
The easiest way to go to is by downloading a self-guided audio driving tour.
It syncs to your GPS to let you know the place to go and mechanically performs the corresponding audio story.
It’s like having your personal private tour information whereas additionally with the ability to go at your personal tempo.
This tour will take you to the battlefields, the cemetery the place Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Deal with, and the Eisenhower Nationwide Historic Website.

Gettysburg Historic Battlefields Self Guided Audio Driving Tour
The tour begins on the Gettysburg Heritage Middle, which is downtown, then takes you out to the battlefield.
A number of the stops embody monuments, memorials, commentary towers, and the well-known Satan’s Den.

Eisenhower Nationwide Historic Website
It’s value stopping right here for about quarter-hour or so to stroll the grounds.
This was Eisenhower’s farm and weekend getaway spot he used as president to get away from DC and likewise host quite a lot of world leaders.
The property is gorgeous, particularly in Spring and Summer season.

Gettysburg Nationwide Cemetery
The final cease of the audio driving tour is the cemetery the place Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Deal with.
There’s a enormous monument right here of the precise spot the place the speech was given.

Night: Historic Eating and Leisure
After spending a number of hours driving across the battlefields and climbing up commentary towers, you’ll be good and prepared for dinner and a enjoyable night.
Gettysburg is understood for being haunted, so a ghost tour is a should.
Dinner at Historic 1776 Dobbin Home Tavern
The Dobbin Home Tavern is Gettysburg’s oldest dwelling and so they serve a colonial menu.
Make reservations prematurely for the Alexander Dobbin eating room, which is a candlelit, high quality eating sort of expertise.

Dinner begins with complimentary bread service which incorporates dinner rolls, cornbread muffins, and raisin and fruit bread.

They’ve their very own native model of Dr G’s 161st Gettysburg Sarsaparilla.

If it’s good to heat up, I like to recommend the Dobbin’s Espresso with Amaretto.

As an appetizer, we began with the King’s Onion Soup, which is like French Onion Soup, however with beef ideas added in.

For dinner, we shared a Filet Mignon with inexperienced beans.

We added on the 4 oz Lump Crab Cake as a dinner accompaniment.

It additionally got here with a pleasant facet salad with all the everyday toppings like tomato, onion, carrots, and cucumber.

On the finish of the meal we bought somewhat chocolate sq..

1863 Escape Room
Only a couple blocks down the road is 1863 Escape Room.
We did a room known as Insurgent Recon the place the mission is that we’re union spies looking for out when & the place the confederates are going to assault.
We escaped with about quarter-hour to spare, however we thought we had been behind the entire time!
I like doing native escape rooms which are themed to the realm and that is undoubtedly among the finest ones.

Ghosts of Gettysburg Final Useless of Night time Haunted Ghost Tour
The ultimate exercise you’ll need to do when you’re here’s a late evening ghost tour.
We’ve been doing ghost excursions with US Ghost Adventures everywhere in the nation and so they have an important Gettysburg tour.
It takes place downtown, so that you’ll already be within the space you probably have dinner at Dobbin Home Tavern or do the 1863 escape room.
Simply outdoors of city is Hampton Inn Gettysburg.
We love staying at Hampton Inns as a result of they’re reasonably priced and clear, however in addition they supply free parking and free breakfast.
Click on Right here To Guide Your Hampton Inn Gettysburg Keep In the present day!
Conclusion: Gettysburg Day Journey Itinerary
When you observe this Gettysburg day journey itinerary you’ll get to expertise the very best that Gettysburg has to supply.
You’ll get an important mixture of historical past, wine tasting, high quality eating, nationwide park service websites, and enjoyable leisure.
When you love Gettysburg, you’ll additionally love our itineraries for the Flight 93 9/11 Memorial only a couple hours west and Philadelphia only a couple hours east.