Gettysburg, Pennsylvania is best known for its role in the Civil War, where the Battle of Gettysburg took place in 1863. This was the bloodiest battle in the war and was a turning point for the Union. Today, the Gettysburg National Military Park occupies about 6,000 acres in and around the town.

My husband Mike is a big history buff, so while we were on a trip to Baltimore for a friend’s wedding in July, we added about a day and a half to the trip to visit Gettysburg. I thought this was a great amount of time to see Gettysburg, and it was a quick 1.5 hour drive from Baltimore.

Day One

Gettysburg National Military Park Visitor Center, Museum, and Bookstore

I would recommend starting your visit at the National Park Visitor Center if you need a refresher on the Civil War and Battle of Gettysburg. If you’d like to visit the museum, you’ll need to purchase tickets (mention if you are an AAA member for a small discount!). We chose to visit the museum, cyclorama, and film. 

They had us start by viewing the film, which overviews the battle and its place in the Civil War. Next, you’ll get to view the cyclorama, which is a huge 360 degree painting that shows viewers Pickett’s Charge. Last, you will walk through the museum, which is massive. It holds over 22,000 artifacts and interactive displays. I would allow two to three hours here for an average visit, but you could easily spend half a day if you are super into it!

Check into Gettysburg lodging

We had booked a room at the Olinger House Bed and Breakfast in Gettysburg. Our host greeted us when we arrived and showed us to our room, the Olinger Suite. As we climbed the stairs, we all noticed that it got progressively hotter. It was a very hot day and the AC appeared to not be working. The host said he was going to call an HVAC contractor to come look at it. Our room and the house were very cute! The host told us his family owns O’Rorkes, an Irish restaurant nearby. He gave us a coupon for a discounted meal. 

Dinner at O’Rorkes

We walked about 10 minutes through the adorable town to get to O’Rorkes. We were seated immediately inside. The outside patio looked cute, but it was just way too hot that day to be outside. I got the bangers and mash and Mike got the crab dip chicken. Both were amazing!

Ice cream at Mr. G’s

On our walk back, we stopped at Mr. G’s for ice cream. It was delicious and they had a nice outdoor space to enjoy it in. 

When we returned back to our B&B, it was getting late and the AC still had not been fixed. We talked to the host and he said he was going to install individual window AC units in each of the upstairs rooms. Knowing how long that would take, we decided to book another place to stay for the night. He was very understanding and returned our money. I would absolutely stay here if I returned to Gettysburg! 

There were limited options for available hotels in town since it was bike week. We chose the Inn at Cemetery Hill, which is located right next to O’Rorkes. We were very happy to get into our air conditioned room! The bikes were very loud when we first arrived, but quieted down shortly after since the restaurants and bars all close by 10pm. We had a nice sleep there.

Day Two

Horseback Tour with National Riding Stables

The next morning, we had the hotel’s continental breakfast before heading to a horseback tour with National Riding Stables. Our two-hour tour started at 8am, and they asked us to check in at 7:30am. When we arrived, they told us the other group who was planning to go with us had canceled, and it would be a private tour!

Before we got on our horses, we learned a little about the company. They rescue abused and neglected horses and turn them into trail or companion horses for retirement!

The woman who owns the stables is a licensed battlefield guide, which means she is authorized by the National Park Service to give paid tours of the park. Licensed battlefield guides go through a rigorous testing and licensing process, so you know they are legit! She said that the park service did not allow her to give the tour from horseback, so she drove from stop to stop and met us to give us the tour overview. We had a separate guide that we rode our horses with. 

I thought the tour was a great introduction to the battlefield. With only a limited amount of time with the tour guide, we couldn’t get too in depth, but it was perfect for me. I really enjoyed riding horses across the same fields where cavalry once rode during the battle of Gettysburg.

Lunch at the Dobbin House Tavern 

After our tour ended, we went back to check out of our hotel and grab our stuff. Then we headed to lunch at the super popular Dobbin House Tavern. The Dobbin House is a historic landmark. Built in 1776, it is the oldest remaining building within Gettysburg’s town limits. Today, it serves as a restaurant and museum. 

They have two restaurant options: a fine dining option only open in the evening, and a more casual Springhouse Tavern. Since we were there for lunch, the Springhouse Tavern was our only option, but it was everything I could’ve asked for!

I had read to get there before they open at 11am, as they get really busy and do not take reservations for the tavern. We arrived a few minutes before 11 and put our name down with the hostess. They have a nice gift shop right by the restaurant, so we spent our time waiting while shopping. They opened the tavern at 11 and started calling out names. I was glad we were one of the first groups who got to enter, as the tavern felt so quaint and authentic. The staff wear period-appropriate colonial costumes to match the setting. 

We ordered the onion soup, Caesar salad, and steak sandwich to share. The onion soup was probably the best I’ve ever had and I wished I had gotten my own! The salad and sandwich were also fantastic. I highly recommend a visit here.

Private Tour with a Licensed Battlefield Guide

I am turning this section over to my husband Mike since he was passionate about this tour and did all the research.

Hi guys! Melissa’s husband, Mike here. After 4 years of traveling together, she finally entrusted me to write a blurb for her blog. Here’s to hoping I don’t ruin my big chance!

I had previously been to Gettysburg as a 10-12ish year old, and didn’t understand a lot of what I saw and how to interpret what I saw at that time. Knowing we wanted to make the most of our limited time here, we ultimately decided to go with a licensed battlefield guide for a private tour of the battlefield. I cannot recommend this option enough. They will tailor your tour to exactly what you want to see, focusing on specific days, battlefield locations, or even an overarching tour if you are looking to see it all. They drive your car for you so that you are free to look around, take pictures at any stop, and provide their thoughts and opinions while simultaneously providing the facts about everything that happened there. We thought the price of $35 per hour for a private tour was very reasonable.

I didn’t know this even existed until I stumbled across a Gettysburg podcast hosted by Jim Hessler and Eric Lindblade. I greatly enjoyed listening to them, so I followed up by reading a couple of Jim’s books. When it was time to schedule our visit, I requested Jim specifically (there are dozens and dozens of guides and I have no doubt all of them would be great, but I really enjoyed the podcast and his books so definitely wanted to go with Jim). These people are incredibly knowledgeable about what happened on those three July days in 1863 and beyond. The exam requirements to become a licensed battlefield guide is extremely challenging. I can’t recommend exploring this tour enough.

Since we were on a relative time crunch, we opted to see as much of the battlefield as possible. Jim did a great job of simultaneously speaking at a high level for Melissa but also engaging in detailed discussions of smaller, niche parts of the battle and its participants with a bigger history guy like myself. We spent a little over three hours with him, but I could have spent much longer and am hoping to make it back to look at a couple places in particular for a little longer. I am sure there are plenty of other good ways to do Gettysburg battlefield tours. In my opinion, this is clearly the best choice.

Pro tip: Make sure to book this early if you are visiting in the summer, especially if you have a specific guide you want!