Premium Amish Country Tour including Amish Farm and House

Lancaster’s Amish country makes the most sense when you see both the countryside and the homes that explain it. This tour gives you a 90-minute ride through rural backroads, two farm stops, a schoolhouse, animals, and a guided look inside an 1805 farmhouse.

I like the way the tour handles transportation, since you can sit back while your driver-guide points out homes, farms, schools, horse-drawn buggies, and fieldwork. I also like the mix of guided and self-guided time. The main drawback is that the farmhouse tour can feel crowded and long if you are standing in a packed room, especially when it takes place after the bus ride.

Key points at a glance

• An 1805 farmhouse adds context: Learn about Amish clothing, religion, home life, kitchen tools, and household decoration inside a former Amish home now used as a museum.
• The minibus reaches rural backroads: The 25-mile route shows Amish farms, schools, homes, fields, and daily travel by buggy or scooter.
• You get three different experiences: The guided bus trip, self-guided farm visit, and guided farmhouse tour each offer a different view of Amish life.
• Guides make a big difference: Cindy, Debbie, Charlie, Lisa, Mark, and Craig have all been praised for clear explanations, patience, and a good sense of humor.
• Handmade shopping is part of the visit: Depending on the route and day, you may stop at places selling quilts, leather goods, food, pretzels, cheese, or other local products.
• The price is fair for the time included: At $38.95 per person, the package offers about two to three hours of transport, admission, and guided interpretation.

What the Premium Amish Country Tour actually includes

The experience begins at The Amish Farm and House, at 2395 Covered Bridge Drive in Lancaster. It ends at the same place, which keeps the day simple if you are driving or using nearby transportation.

The package has three parts. First comes the countryside trip by air-conditioned minibus. Then you have time to explore a 15-acre farm on your own. The final piece is a guided tour through the 1805 farmhouse.

The order can vary. The farmhouse tour may happen before or after the bus ride, so it is worth asking at arrival when your house tour is scheduled. This matters because the farmhouse portion is done with a guide and group, while the farm grounds let you walk at your own pace.

The maximum group size is 84 people, though the bus portion divides the group among vehicles. That is not a small private tour, but the format keeps you moving between several sites without having to find rural roads or wait for local buses.

The 90-minute minibus ride through Amish country

The bus trip is the heart of the outing. Over roughly 25 miles, your guide takes you along roads that are difficult to cover on your own. From the window, you may see Amish homes, one-room schools, working farms, horse and buggies, children on scooters, and people working in the fields.

The scenery changes with the season. A visit from May through September gives you the best chance of seeing active growing fields, while other seasons offer a quieter look at the farms. The tour does not promise a staged scene, and that is part of its value. You are seeing working countryside rather than a recreated village.

Your driver-guide provides the meaning behind what passes outside the window. The subjects include farming methods, weddings, family customs, clothing, religion, education, and the way Amish communities respond to the modern world.

The guides are one of the strongest parts of the experience. Cindy has been praised for making the subject personal and easy to follow. Debbie, also identified as Debi, is known for answering questions and adding background details. Charlie has a friendly, humorous style, while Lisa has been singled out for explaining traditions and less familiar stories. Your guide will vary, but the experience clearly depends on getting someone who enjoys questions.

Bring your questions with you. The bus is a better place to ask about the differences between Amish and Mennonite life, how schools work, why clothing styles matter, and how businesses operate. The supplied information does not promise a fixed script at every stop, so the exact conversation can change with your guide and group.

Two farm stops and the chance to shop locally

The bus portion includes two stops at Amish farms. These are not simply photo breaks. You may meet people connected with the farms and buy goods made by local craftspeople.

The stops can vary. Examples include a general store with ice cream and pretzels, a goat farm and tannery, a leather shop, or a quilt shop. Other products mentioned include homemade cheese, skin-care items, and handmade souvenirs. The guide may ask what sort of Amish business the group would like to see, though you should not expect every possible stop on every departure.

This is a useful part of the tour if you want to buy something with a direct connection to the area. It also gives you a more grounded view of Amish work than a gift shop alone. At the same time, shopping is optional, and the stops are not designed as long retail sessions.

The tour does not include milking cows or feeding goats. If you are looking for hands-on farm activities, this is the wrong expectation. You are mainly observing, listening, walking briefly, and deciding if you want to purchase local goods.

There is an important Sunday limitation. The bus still travels through Amish country, but the stops at Amish stores or farms do not take place on Sundays. If meeting local sellers or shopping is important to you, choose another day.

Walking the 15-acre farm and schoolhouse

Back at The Amish Farm and House, the self-guided portion gives you a chance to slow down. You can walk through the farm grounds, visit the Amish schoolhouse, see farm animals, and browse the gift shop.

I like this part because it breaks up the seated time on the bus. You are not pushed through every room with a guide. Instead, you can spend more time with the animals, look around the schoolhouse, or browse handmade items at a pace that suits you.

The grounds are described as well kept and peaceful. Depending on the season, you may also find a corn maze. The setting has a rustic feel, but remember that it is a visitor attraction rather than a current Amish family home.

The self-guided visit is listed as about 30 minutes, though the property offers enough to see that your pace may vary. Families can use this section to reset between the two guided portions. Children may find the animals and outdoor space more engaging than the house lecture, while adults may prefer the schoolhouse and displays.

Food planning deserves a little thought. The grounds and stops may offer items such as pretzels, ice cream, or homemade food products, but a full meal is not part of the package. Ask at the front desk or gift shop for nearby food suggestions if you need lunch before or after the tour.

Inside the 1805 farmhouse

The premium ticket includes a separate 30-minute guided house tour. The farmhouse dates from 1805 and was once occupied by an Amish family. It is now a museum, so no Amish family lives there today.

The guide leads you from room to room, explaining Amish religion, history, clothing, and home life. You will see examples of boys’ and girls’ clothing, common interior decoration, and specialized kitchen appliances.

This is where the tour moves beyond pretty farmland. The farmhouse helps explain how daily routines, family roles, practical tools, and religious choices shaped life in an earlier period. It also gives you details that are hard to understand from a bus window, such as why clothing is presented in certain forms and how a household might function without the conveniences many people take for granted.

The main caution is crowding. The tour requires standing in rooms with other people, and one portion can feel too long if the group is large or if you have already spent much of the day on your feet. If you prefer a quieter visit, ask whether you can complete the farmhouse tour first. That order may help you enjoy the information before the bus ride and open-air farm walk.

Craig, one of the house guides praised in the supplied material, has been noted for handling questions and family situations with patience. Still, your guide will vary. The house tour is structured, so it is less flexible than the bus conversation.

What the guides add to the experience

This tour is not just a ride past farms. The interpretation makes the difference between a pleasant drive and a useful introduction to Amish life.

Guides such as Cindy, Debbie, Charlie, Lisa, and Mark have been praised for being friendly, clear, and willing to answer questions. One guide was reported to speak four languages, but the advertised language is English. Language guides are available only by special request, so contact the provider before booking if you need another language.

The strongest guides connect ordinary details to larger ideas. A buggy on the road becomes a chance to discuss transportation and community rules. A one-room schoolhouse opens a conversation about education. A farm product leads to questions about work, family businesses, and local commerce.

The quality may vary from guide to guide, as it does on any group tour. One weaker experience included complaints that the guide needed to know more and that the tour felt too short. That is worth keeping in mind, even though most of the feedback praises the guides strongly.

Is $38.95 good value?

At $38.95 per person, I consider this a solid value for a first visit to Lancaster’s Amish country. You receive transportation, a 90-minute guided countryside tour, two farm stops, admission to the 15-acre property, the schoolhouse and animals, and the 30-minute farmhouse tour.

A self-drive visit might cost less if you only want to see the countryside, but driving yourself does not provide the same commentary or access to stops chosen by the guide. Rural roads can also take more planning than expected, especially if you are unfamiliar with the area.

The package is also cheaper than many full-day excursions while still covering the main sights in roughly two to three hours. The tradeoff is that the experience gives you an overview rather than a long, slow visit with one Amish family or a hands-on farm day.

I see the best value for first-time visitors, families with mixed interests, and anyone who wants the basic cultural context without committing an entire day. If you already know Lancaster well, the bus route and farmhouse may feel familiar, though the guide and seasonal stops can change the experience.

Who should book this tour?

This outing suits you if you want a clear introduction to Amish life, prefer organized transportation, and enjoy asking questions. Families can divide their attention between animals, outdoor grounds, the schoolhouse, shopping, and the guided sections.

It also works well for couples and solo visitors who want more context than a scenic drive provides. The air-conditioned bus is comfortable, and most people can participate. Service animals are allowed.

You should think twice if you dislike group tours, standing indoors, or shopping stops. The tour is not a private look into a current Amish household. It uses a museum farmhouse and public farm attractions to explain the culture.

If mobility is a concern, an accessible bus is available, but you need to contact the provider after booking at [email protected]. The tour is advertised in English, with other language guides available only by special request.

Practical timing and planning tips

The experience is booked, on average, about 19 days ahead. That suggests you should reserve early if your Lancaster schedule is fixed, especially during popular travel periods.

Choose a day other than Sunday if you want the farm and store stops. For the most active agricultural views, May through September is the better window, though the tour operates as a countryside and cultural visit in other seasons too.

Wear comfortable shoes for the farm grounds, and allow flexibility around the house-tour order. If the farmhouse visit is scheduled after the bus, you may have less energy for standing. Ask about the timing when you arrive.

The tour offers free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start time. Changes or cancellations made less than 24 hours before departure are not accepted for a refund.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if you want a well-rounded Lancaster introduction in half a day. The strongest combination is the backroad ride, the guide’s explanations, and the chance to walk through a farm with a schoolhouse and animals.

The 1805 farmhouse is the best reason to choose the premium package over a simpler countryside ride. It gives you a physical setting for the customs discussed on the bus, although the indoor portion may feel crowded.

Skip it if you want a private, hands-on farm visit or a long meal-based day in Amish country. For most first-time visitors, though, $38.95 buys a practical mix of scenery, history, culture, and local shopping without requiring you to plan the rural route yourself.

FAQ

How long does the Premium Amish Country Tour last?

The full experience takes about two to three hours. The countryside minibus portion lasts about 90 minutes, the self-guided farm visit is listed at about 30 minutes, and the guided farmhouse tour lasts about 30 minutes.

Where does the tour begin and end?

The tour begins and ends at The Amish Farm and House, located at 2395 Covered Bridge Drive, Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17602.

Is the 1805 farmhouse tour included?

Yes. The Premium Package includes a 30-minute guided tour of the 1805 farmhouse, which is now a museum on the farm property.

What can I see on the farm portion?

The self-guided farm visit includes a 15-acre farm, an Amish schoolhouse, farm animals, and a gift shop with handmade Amish items. A corn maze may also be available depending on the season.

Are the Amish farm and store stops available on Sundays?

No. The tour does not stop at Amish stores or farms on Sundays. The countryside bus portion still operates, but the shopping and farm stops are not included that day.

Is the tour wheelchair accessible?

An accessible vehicle is available, but you must email [email protected] after booking if your party needs the handicap-accessible bus. Service animals are allowed.