Lancaster: What to See – 12 Must-See Places in Lancaster, PA
Wondering what to see in Lancaster, PA?
You’ve got two very different Lancasters to explore.
There’s downtown Lancaster, with historic streets, old markets, Pennsylvania Dutch food, and centuries of American history. Then, just outside the city, the landscape changes into Amish Country—rolling farmland, covered bridges, horse-drawn buggies, small villages, and roadside farm stands.
The best way to see Lancaster? Do both.
Here are 12 places and experiences you shouldn’t miss.
1. Lancaster Central Market
If you see only one thing in downtown Lancaster, make it Lancaster Central Market.
Established in 1730, it is the oldest continuously operated public market in the United States. Today, more than 60 vendors fill the historic market building with produce, meats, cheeses, baked goods, prepared foods, and Pennsylvania Dutch specialties.
Look for local favorites like shoofly pie, scrapple, chowchow, pretzels, and whoopie pies.
The market is currently open Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., so plan your downtown visit accordingly.
Want to explore the stories and food traditions surrounding the market?
Take WalknTours' Lancaster's Goot Essa Walking Tour, a self-guided audio walk through the heart of historic Lancaster.
2. Historic Downtown Lancaster
Don't make the mistake of driving straight through Lancaster on your way to Amish Country.
Downtown Lancaster is worth exploring on foot.
Lancaster is one of Pennsylvania's oldest cities and even served briefly as the nation's capital when the Continental Congress fled Philadelphia during the Revolutionary War.
Walk around Penn Square and the surrounding streets and you'll find historic architecture, local restaurants, shops, galleries, and reminders of the city's Pennsylvania Dutch heritage.
This is where the Goot Essa Walking Tour comes in handy. Instead of simply looking at old buildings, you'll hear the stories behind the streets as you walk.
3. Pennsylvania Dutch Food
Come to Lancaster hungry.
Pennsylvania Dutch cooking is one of the things that makes this part of Pennsylvania so distinctive.
Try shoofly pie, soft pretzels, apple butter, scrapple, chowchow, homemade jams, sausages, cheeses, and fresh baked goods.
And one quick clarification: "Pennsylvania Dutch" doesn't actually mean Dutch.
The term is connected to the German-speaking settlers who came to Pennsylvania beginning in the 17th and 18th centuries. Their food, language, farming traditions, and religious communities helped shape Lancaster County into what it is today.
4. Amish Country
Once you've explored downtown, get in the car.
The countryside east of Lancaster is home to one of the oldest and largest Amish communities in North America.
This isn't a historical reenactment. Amish families live and work here today, farming the land, running businesses, attending church, and traveling many local roads by horse and buggy.
The best way to experience the countryside is slowly and respectfully.
WalknTours' Pennsylvania Dutch Lancaster Country & Amish Country Audio Driving Tour lets you explore it in your own car while GPS-triggered stories play automatically along the route.
5. Intercourse, Pennsylvania
Yes, that's really its name.
Intercourse has become one of Lancaster County's most famous villages, partly because nearly everyone stops to take a picture of the sign.
But there's more here than the name.
The village is surrounded by Amish farmland and is a good place to shop for quilts, crafts, food, and locally made products.
It's also one of the stops on the WalknTours Amish Country driving tour.
6. Kitchen Kettle Village
While you're in Intercourse, stop at Kitchen Kettle Village.
The village has more than 40 shops featuring foods, crafts, gifts, quilts, and other locally made products.
It's touristy, sure—but it's also a fun and easy place to sample Lancaster County foods and pick up something to take home.
Give yourself some time to wander.
7. Bird-in-Hand
Next up: another Lancaster County town with an unforgettable name.
Bird-in-Hand sits right in the middle of Amish Country and makes a good stop for baked goods, markets, shops, and views of the surrounding countryside.
You'll also hear the story behind the town's unusual name on our Amish Country driving tour.
Keep your eyes on the road around here, too. Horse-drawn buggies are part of everyday transportation, so slow down and give them plenty of room.
8. Strasburg Rail Road
Lancaster isn't only Amish Country.
It's also serious railroad country.
The Strasburg Rail Road is one of the area's most popular attractions and operates historic steam trains through the Pennsylvania countryside.
If you've got kids—or you're the kind of adult who immediately turns into a kid when you see a steam locomotive—this is an easy addition to your Lancaster itinerary.
9. Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
Directly across from the Strasburg Rail Road is the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.
Inside you'll find an enormous collection of historic locomotives and railroad equipment chronicling Pennsylvania's role in America's railroad history.
Pair the museum with a Strasburg Rail Road ride and you can easily spend several hours here.
10. Lancaster County's Covered Bridges
Here's something you might not expect: Lancaster County is covered-bridge country.
Historic covered bridges still cross streams throughout the countryside, and finding them is half the fun.
Why cover a bridge in the first place?
The roof and wooden sides helped protect the structural timbers from rain, snow, and weather, allowing the bridges to last much longer than exposed wooden bridges.
You'll encounter covered bridges while exploring the countryside on the WalknTours Amish Country driving route.
11. Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery
Welcome to pretzel history.
Located in Lititz, Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery dates to 1861 and is recognized as America's first commercial pretzel bakery.
It's a perfect Lancaster County stop because it combines two things this region does extremely well: history and carbs.
Depending on the experience you choose, you may even get a chance to learn how to twist a pretzel.
12. Lititz
Finish your Lancaster County adventure in Lititz.
The town has a walkable historic center filled with shops, cafes, old buildings, and plenty of small-town Pennsylvania charm.
It's also the final destination on WalknTours' Lancaster Amish Country driving tour, making it a natural place to grab something to eat and wander around before calling it a day.
The Best Way to See Lancaster in One Day
If you only have one day in Lancaster, we'd split it in two.
Morning: Explore Downtown Lancaster
Start around Penn Square and Lancaster Central Market. Grab breakfast or a snack inside the market, then explore downtown on the Lancaster's Goot Essa Walking Tour.
The tour lets you walk at your own pace while discovering Lancaster's history, Pennsylvania Dutch culture, food traditions, and local stories.
Afternoon: Drive Through Amish Country
Then get in your car and head into the countryside with the Pennsylvania Dutch Lancaster Country & Amish Country Audio Driving Tour.
You'll explore places including Intercourse, Bird-in-Hand, Strasburg, Amish farmland, covered bridges, Kitchen Kettle Village, and Lititz—all without having to follow a tour bus.
The driving portion takes about 90 minutes without long stops, but we'd give yourself three to five hours if you want to get out, shop, eat, explore, or ride the Strasburg Rail Road.
So, What Should You See in Lancaster?
If it's your first trip, don't choose between Lancaster City and Amish Country.
See both.
Walk historic downtown Lancaster. Eat something you've never tried at Central Market. Drive past farms that have been worked for generations. Watch for horse-drawn buggies. Cross a covered bridge. Visit Intercourse just so you can tell everyone you did. Eat a pretzel in Lititz.
And most importantly, don't rush it.
Lancaster is one of those places where the journey between attractions is part of the attraction.
Explore Lancaster with WalknTours
Skip the tour group and explore Lancaster yourself.
Explore downtown Lancaster at your own pace with a self-guided GPS audio walking tour.
Drive through Lancaster County's Amish Country while discovering the stories behind its farms, villages, covered bridges, railroads, food, and Pennsylvania Dutch culture.
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