Gettysburg Battlefield Horse-Drawn Carriage Tour with Licensed Guide

Gettysburg and the battle of July 1863

Gettysburg is a small market town in southern Pennsylvania where many country roads meet, and that is exactly why two great armies collided here on 1 July 1863. For three days the Union army of the North and the Confederate army of the South fought across the hills, ridges and farms around the town. The battle ended with the Southern army in retreat and is widely seen as the turning point of the American Civil War.

Today the fields are protected as Gettysburg National Military Park, one of the most visited historic sites in the United States. The landscape still looks much as it did in 1863, with orchards, wheat fields and wooden fences, which makes a Gettysburg battlefield tour so powerful: you see the ground through the eyes of the soldiers who stood on it. Is Gettysburg worth visiting? For anyone interested in history, it is unforgettable.

The southern battlefield by horse-drawn carriage

The carriage stables sit on Emmitsburg Road, the old route along which troops marched into the battle, and the ride begins right among the fields. Pulled by a team of horses and steered by an experienced driver, your carriage follows quiet farm lanes and park roads through the southern part of the battlefield, where some of the fiercest fighting of the second and third days took place. The exact route may vary with the season and ground conditions.

Moving at walking pace, the carriage gives you time to look around, take photos and ask questions. You see the long ridges where the armies faced each other, the rolling farmland in between and the rocky hills to the south that dominated the field. Many visitors find the gentle rhythm of the horses and the open air make this the most memorable way to experience Gettysburg.

Monuments, cannon lines and stone walls

Hundreds of monuments stand across the battlefield, placed by veterans and their states to mark where each regiment fought. Some are simple stone markers, others are tall granite columns topped with statues of soldiers, eagles or allegorical figures. Rows of cannons on their iron carriages show the positions of the artillery batteries, while old stone walls and split-rail fences recall the lines soldiers sheltered behind.

From the carriage, your guide points out how these monuments tell the story on the ground: where defenders held a ridge, where an attack began and where it was finally stopped. You also hear about the great Southern assault of the third day, when thousands of men advanced across open fields towards the Union centre on Cemetery Ridge, an attack whose failure decided the outcome of the battle.

Your licensed battlefield guide

Gettysburg is famous for its licensed battlefield guides, a tradition that goes back more than a century. To earn the licence, guides must pass demanding written and oral exams set by the national park, and many have studied the battle for decades. On this tour, your guide rides with the small group and shares the strategy, the personal stories of soldiers and civilians and the meaning of the battle for the country.

Because the group is limited to 10 guests, there is plenty of time for questions, whether you are a first-time visitor or already know the Civil War well. Guides adapt their explanations to the group, so children aged eight and over can follow the story too. Tips for the guide and the carriage driver are not included and are at your discretion.

Planning your visit to Gettysburg

Gettysburg is about an hour and a half by car from the US capital and from Baltimore, and about three hours from Philadelphia, which makes it a popular day trip. There is no entrance fee for the battlefield itself. After the carriage ride, many visitors continue to the national park visitor centre and museum, the Soldiers' National Cemetery, where a famous short address was delivered at its dedication in November 1863, and the historic town centre.

The best time to visit Gettysburg is spring and autumn, when temperatures are mild and the trees around the fields turn green or golden. Summer is busy, especially around the anniversary in early July, and can be hot and humid, so morning departures are pleasant. Winter is quiet and atmospheric, though some services run on reduced hours.