Gettysburg Battlefield Self-Guided Driving Tour

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2 to 4 hours (approx.)

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Overview

This narrated, self-guided tour of the Battle of Gettysburg brings to life the most important battle of the Civil War! Here, Union forces staged a nearly impossible defense against Confederate attackers and won! Drive in the footsteps of Civil War soldiers, re-live the battle strategies of the key Gettysburg generals, and embark on an adventure that brings this historic three-day battle to life. This tour allows you to explore Gettysburg’s history with maximum flexibility, safety, and value.

Purchase one tour per car, not per person. Everyone listens together!

After booking, check your email to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action, enter your unique password, and access your tour. These steps require good internet/Wi-Fi access. From there, follow the audio instructions and the route.

Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.

This isn't an entrance ticket. Check opening hours before your visit.

What's Included

Engaging storytelling: Uncover unique tales and thrilling history for a memorable journey!
Perfect narrator: nothing can beat listening to a great voice. Proven with tons of rave reviews!
Offline maps: no signal, no problem! Works perfectly without cellular or wifi.
Comprehensive route and stops: See it all, miss nothing, leave no stone unturned!
Go at your own pace: Start anytime, pause anywhere, enjoy breaks for snacks and photos freely!
Hands-free: audio stories play on their own based on your location. Easy to use!
Great value: purchase per car, not per person. More affordable than bus or guided tours!
Easy-to-use app: download Action’s Tour Guide App onto your phone

Attraction passes, entry tickets, or reservations

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Meeting Location

Meeting point

Steinwehr Avenue
Gettysburg, PA 17325, USA

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Detailed check-in instructions, including the exact address, are provided with your booking confirmation.

End point

Taneytown Road
Gettysburg, PA 17325, USA

Visit Little Round Top virtually with our tour! Despite ongoing construction, you can still experience the historic site through narrations and pictures of the famous battle that occurred there. Don't miss out on this significant location's fascinating stories and sights.

Options & Pricing

Opening Hours • Daily | 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

What To Expect

Gettysburg Heritage Center

A visit to the Gettysburg Battlefield is not complete without stopping at the Gettysburg Heritage Center Museum.The tour begins at either the Heritage Center or the National Park Visitor Center. If you’re not at either location yet, head over now. From there, we’ll follow the official Auto Tour route.Note: This 20+ mile long tour covers the essentials of the Gettysburg Battlefield in 2-4 hours.Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Gettysburg Auto Tour Stop 1

As we continue driving, dawn breaks on the first day of battle. At McPherson's Ridge, Union and Confederate armies clash and generals on both sides order their regiments into place. We'll be able to imagine the movements of the battle as we look out over the ridge.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

The Railroad Cut

Our drive takes us over the Railway Cut, where we'll explore the different battle strategies of the generals on both sides of the fight. This was the unlikely site of a major skirmish during the first day. We'll continue forward, diving into the backstories of some of the key battlefield players.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

The Eternal Light Peace Memorial

As we drive, we'll pass the first of many memorials at Gettysburg - the Eternal Light Peace Memorial. This memorial commemorates the reunification of the United States. Maine granite forms the base, while Alabama limestone forms the pillar -- a symbolic unification of north and south.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Oak Ridge Observation Tower

We'll continue driving along the Gettysburg Auto Road. Our next stop is at the Oak Ridge Observation Tower. Here we'll be able to jump back to that first day of battle -- but by now, it's the afternoon. We'll "join" the fight as Union soldiers try to keep the Confederacy at bay. The top of this tower is a great place to get panoramic views of the historic fields that once saw so much violence and bloodshed.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

11th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment Monument

We'll continue driving, following the progress of the first day of battle as we follow the Gettysburg Battlefield Auto Road. Though we'll pass several more memorials, one in particular stands out: the 11th Pennsylvania Infantry Monument. There’s a dog sculpted on the other side of the statue’s base. That’s Battlefield Sallie! She served as a mascot of the 11th Pennsylvania Infantry, and accompanied these Union soldiers for most of the Civil War. We'll drive past Sallie and learn a little about the importance of drummers and military music during the war.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Seminary Ridge Museum and Education Center (Pass By)

Our journey continues along the Gettysburg Auto Road as evening descends on the first day of battle. Union soldiers have paid heavily and lost ground. Is there any hope of success? We'll explore the various plans and strategies the generals come up with as they bunker down after the first day.

North Carolina Memorial

Our drive takes us past the North Carolina Memorial and Virginia Monument.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Gettysburg Auto Tour Stop 5

We'll continue driving along the Gettysburg Battlefield Auto Road. The infamous Pickett's Charge on Day 3 began at this stop, but we'll save that story for a little later on the tour. Instead, we'll now enter the second day of battle. Troops on both sides have begun to organize and mobilize. Whose strategy will finally succeed?

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Longstreet Observation Tower

Our drive takes us past the Longstreet Observation Tower, which offers a great vantage point over the second day's battlefield.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Eisenhower National Historic Site

Here we can take an optional detour off of the Gettysburg Auto Road to visit the Eisenhower National Historic Site, which overlooks the battlefield. President Eisenhower often stayed here.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Warfield Ridge

We're back on the Gettysburg Road, following the activities of Day 2 of the battle. Confederate troops assemble here, ready to attack one of the strategic Union outposts. Specially trained Union marksmen are in a position to defend. The stage is set...

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Little Round Top

Due to ongoing construction work, Little Round Top is currently inaccessible to visitors. However, you don’t have to miss out on this historic site's fascinating stories and sights. With our tour, you can still listen to the narrations and view the pictures of the battle that took place at Little Round Top. You will learn about the brave soldiers who fought and died there, the strategic importance of the hill, and the heroic actions that changed the war's course. Our tour will give you a vivid sense of what it was like to be at Little Round Top, even though you can’t see it in person.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Devil's Den (Pass By)

Here, Confederate sharpshooters set up positions among the volcanic rocks. From the safety of the rocky cover at Devil's Den, they’re able to pick off soldier after soldier on the Union side.

Gettysburg Auto Tour Stop 9

We continue driving along the Gettysburg Auto Road, passing the Wheat Fields. This area represented the second major skirmish site on Day 2. We'll find ourselves in the heat of battle, fighting alongside Union soldiers to defend against the Confederates. We'll also learn about the strange tale of Union soldier JJ Purman.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

The Peach Orchard

Our drives takes us past the Peach Orchard, where the battles of the second day continued. We'll start seeing which strategies were successful and which were not as we drive past.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

The Abraham Trostle Farm

We'll continue past the Trostle farm. When fighting broke out in Gettysburg, the Trostle family fled their home. They left so abruptly that dinner was still on the table!

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Gettysburg Auto Tour Stop 11

Our journey along the Gettysburg Battlefield Auto Road now takes us to Plum Run, where we catch up with the soldiers who just escaped the skirmish at the Peach Orchard.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

The George Weikert Farm

We'll continue towards the George Weikert Farm. Like the Trostles, the Weikert's hastily evacuated when the battle erupted. But they returned to a grislier scene -- their farm had been converted into a battlefield hospital. As we drive, we'll learn a little about military doctors and the effects of war.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

State of Pennsylvania Monument

Our path brings us to the Pennsylvania Memorial. This monument commemorates the nearly 35,000 Pennsylvanian soldiers who fought in this battle. While the stakes were high for everyone, they were particularly intense for these men of Pennsylvania: they weren’t fighting for an abstract idea, they were fighting for their very state.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Spangler's Spring

The Gettysburg Auto Road brings us deeper into the Gettysburg woods, where we'll come across Spangler's Spring. We'll dive into the significance of this small but mighty site and then continue forward to Culp's Hill Tower. Here, Union and Confederate soldiers clashed again, fighting for control of this strategic outpost. Luckily for the Union, they are able to defend the hill until evening finally descended.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

East Cemetery Hill

We continue the driving tour to East Cemetery Hill. Night has fallen across the battlefield, and ordinarily this would mean an end to the fighting. But the Confederate failure to fully capture Culp’s Hill bothers them, so they try a nighttime raid. This was the moment the Union came closest to losing. Through a mixture of perseverance, skill, and luck, the Union prevailed. Once we explore this historic site and understand what was at stake, we'll continue driving. Day 2 has come to a close; the third and final day of battle is ahead.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Gettysburg National Military Park

The Battle of Gettysburg, a pivotal moment in the American Civil War, marked a significant turning point as it concluded General Robert E. Lee's audacious second invasion of the North. Often described as the "High Water Mark of the Rebellion," this harrowing conflict stands out not only as the bloodiest battle of the Civil War but also as the source of inspiration for President Abraham Lincoln's iconic and immortal "Gettysburg Address," a speech that would resonate through history and remind the nation of its enduring commitment to liberty and unity.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Gettysburg Auto Tour Stop 15

The third day dawns, and the Union and Confederate troops prepare for a final, epic battle. This is the infamous Pickett's Charge by the Confederates. We'll stand at the top of the hill, looking down at the empty expanse of the final battlefield. As we follow the progress of this last charge, we'll take a look at the "high water mark" -- the spot that marks the farthest the Confederacy advanced up the hill, towards the Union defenses.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Gettysburg Auto Tour Stop 16

We'll follow the Gettysburg Battlefield Auto Road to the final stop: the National Cemetery. Here we visit and honor the graves of the fallen Union soldiers who defended their country and morals.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Lincoln's Gettysburg Address Memorial (Pass By)

This is also the site of President Abraham Lincoln's famed Gettysburg Address. Given the monumental nature of the battle, most people expected President Lincoln to deliver quite a lengthy speech. But Lincoln didn’t want to steal attention that he believed belonged to the Union soldiers who sacrificed their lives here. Our tour officially ends at this final, poignant stop.

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Additional Info

Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
How to access: Once you book a tour, you’ll get a confirmation email and text with instructions: • Download the separate tour app by Action • Enter the password • Download the tour MUST DO while in strong wifi/cellular Works offline after download
How to start touring: Open Action’s separate audio tour guide app once onsite. • If there is just one tour, launch it. • If multiple tour versions exist, launch the one with your planned starting point and direction.

Go to the starting point No one will meet you at the start. This tour is self-guided Enter the first story’s point and the audio will begin automatically Follow the audio cues to the next story, which will also play automatically. Enjoy hands-free exploring. If you face audio issues, contact support. Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience.
Travel worry-free: Use the tour app anytime, on any day, and over multiple days. Start and pause the tour whenever you like, taking breaks and exploring side excursions at your own pace. Skip anything you don’t care about or explore bonus content for everything that interests you
Savings tips: Driving tours: purchase just one tour for everyone in the car
Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Gettysburg Battlefield Self-Guided Driving Tour?

A: You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund. For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (EDT). Read more Apr 2025