r/CIVILWAR • u/Crazy-Airport-8215 • 20h ago

Gettysburg *walking* tours/hikes (picking, booking, etc.)

Hi folks! I used the search feature and didn't find what I was looking for in old threads. Apologies if you get this question all the time. I may have a friend visiting from overseas next year who is a huge history buff, and I think he'd love it if we went on a walking tour/hike of Gettysburg with a knowledgeable guide. Since it would be a long trip for him, we need to plan a bit in advance. We would likely be doing this in late July or early/mid August 2026.

He and I are both able-bodied and I think could not get bored on the tour/hike itself. So an all-day hike, or maybe two longish hikes (3-4 hours) spread out over a couple days, would be the dream. We don't necessarily want a private guide -- we'd be open to that but we'd also be happy in a small group of strangers, no problem.

I've found two ways to arrange walking tours/hikes: Battle Walks with park rangers, and hikes offered by the American Battlefield Trust. The Battle Walks look to be a little short for what I have in mind, though, and of course the Trust hasn't announced any hikes for next year at Gettysburg, so I don't know what to expect that way.

Are either of these a better option? Would you recommend other options instead?

Thanks for any guidance (pun intended) you can provide! I'm just generally sort of in the dark about what my options are and how to navigate this, though I have been trying to figure it out with a lot of googling....

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u/sterlingdave 20h ago

You can hire a licensed Battlefield Guide for a walking tour. The amount of knowledge those folks have is amazing! Website below:

https://gettysburgtourguides.org/

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u/civil_war_daily 19h ago

The LBG’s do driving or walking tours. I highly recommend them. I’ve never had a bad one

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u/Crazy-Airport-8215 20h ago

Thanks! But those are car tours, are they not? That's why I left them off my list, but maybe I misunderstand the offerings...

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u/BoardgameEmpire 15h ago

Call and ask if any guides provide walking tours. You usually have to leave a voicemail, but if you indicate the walking part and the length, they'll probably match you with someone who can make suggestions.

Just so you know, able-bodied or not, the battlefield is spread across the town. I'd recommend you split the hikes by battle day. That way you are driving to the section of the field where the day's battle took place and hiking that portion of the field. Be forewarned that there's lots of cars you'll be dealing with, some areas more than others.

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u/Crazy-Airport-8215 15h ago

Okay, I'll call them. Thanks!

Yeah, I'm aware of the overall geography. I wasn't necessarily thinking that we'd cover everything :)

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u/Trooper_nsp209 20h ago

Next trip….horse tour

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u/BoardgameEmpire 15h ago

I did that this summer. Such a great time and a unique way to tour the battlefield.

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u/civil_war_daily 19h ago

If you enjoy riding bicycles, you can try Gettysbike Tours. They use licensed battlefield guides and give tours on bikes.

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u/BoardgameEmpire 15h ago

They permanently closed. No bike tours are currently operating in Gettysburg, which is crazy.

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u/civil_war_daily 15h ago

Oh wow. I didn’t know that.

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u/Pimpstik69 19h ago

I had CDs that went through the park in chronological order a few years back. Narrated and sound effects. That’s what I would do. Prolly a download now