Amish Experience Visit-In-Person Tour

Overview

Many visitors to Lancaster seek out meaningful personal contact with the Amish community. Imagine visiting three Amish properties where our longstanding relationships allow you to become their guests during your stay. This exclusive tour is limited to 14 guests, and provides the rare opportunity to meet and talk to various Amish where they live and work. The three stops: Visit an Amish farm at milking time, go behind-the-scenes with an Amish craftsman, and then sit and chat with an Amish family right in their home.

City: Lancaster

Sun 17 Nov

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $65.33

Make a reservation

Sun 17 Nov

Starting at $65.33

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Local guide

Transportation between locations

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Transportation by 14-passenger bus is provided between locations of the tour
No children under the age of 6 allowed on this tour
Please dress respectfully
We ask that no photographs be taken of our Amish hosts
Please check in at the theater box office, east parking lot, at least 15 minutes before your tour
No pets allowed.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (400)

LuckyLin223

May 2017

I visited The Amish Experience with my daughter and three grandchildren, twin boys ages 7 & our granddaughter age 9. Being from Pennsylvania I thought I knew all there was to know about the Amish, boy was I wrong! Our 90 minute shuttle bus tour with Jim Reed was not only entertaining but also very informative. Jim brought his knowledge and personality to the tour. We enjoyed the tour of the school house and Amish home as well We were surprised though to find out the restaurant was Bar B Q not Pennsylvania Dutch. The grandkids learned about the lifestyle of the Amish and lived seeing the beautiful farms and countryside.

Response from Host

May 2017

Thank you for visiting, and for taking the time to write a review! Nice that hear you learned a lot and enjoyed having Jim as your guide. The restaurant on property is indeed a BBQ restaurant now, but they do have PA Dutch favorites on the menu as well for guests looking for a taste of Lancaster!

pokerpro05

Apr 2017

This review is for the VIP Tour only. I did not do the other activities sold by the Amish Experience, which seems to be a non-Amish company selling Amish tours. I was not really interested in films or tours of a mock schoolhouse, but the VIP (Visit In Person) tour seemed quite interesting, so I laid down the money for this most expensive option. I must say that it was money well spent, and this is a situation where you should "do it right" and select this best option if you're looking to "experience" Amish life. The VIP tour takes you to three Amish homes. First, you visit an Amish dairy. Second, you visit an Amish home where they make hand-crafted goods (might be wood, leather, or something else like that). The third stop involves a sit-down at an Amish home, where you get to ask candid questions about their lifestyle. You get a real look at Amish life. It's not as simple and backward as you probably imagine, but you learn about their society and what trappings of modern life they have allowed in their culture. You also get to see that no two Amish families are alike, and all seemingly live by different rules. What I liked about this tour is the fact that it's authentic. You're meeting real families in real homes. Nobody is putting on a show for you. You get to ask questions and get honest answers. There is a $5 discount code you can use (for each ticket) if you book online. Or at least it's there right now. My family of 2 adults and 2 children did this tour for $190 after taxes, which I felt was a fair price for what we got. The tour has no more than 14 people, so it's a small-group experience. A few tips: Don't do it on Sunday. Go to the bathroom in the restaurant/shop beforehand, because otherwise you're going to have to ask one of the Amish families to use the bathroom in their home. Feel free to bring a backpack or bag along, because that IS allowed. You CAN take pictures, but you are requested not to take pictures of the Amish people. Bring along some cash, as each family will have some goods for sale. If coming from Philadelphia or New Jersey, beware of possible traffic which can slow down your journey to the Lancaster area. I came within 9 minutes of missing the tour, and another family of 4 told me that they also came within a few minutes of missing it for the same reason. In addition, yet another family of 4 didn't make it (also presumably due to traffic). Allow extra time to get there if coming from out of the area! Finally, while the minimum age of this tour is 6, be aware that children under 13 may find the final hour (the Q&A session) to be boring. Adults (myself included) tended to find that to be the most interesting part, though.

Response from Host

Apr 2017

Thank you very much for your detailed review! Very glad to hear that you enjoyed the Visit-In-Person Tour, and the interaction with the Amish families. And thanks for mentioning things that people might be wondering about, like picture taking etiquette and warning people about the traffic. We tell people to definitely plan to arrive at least 15-20 minutes before the start of the tour so you don't miss it. Thanks again for visiting! We hope to see you the next time you are in Lancaster.

Ivan S

Apr 2017

We took visit-in-person (VIP) tour and combo (bus tour + theater experience + house and school) in the space of 2 days. Can be done in 1 day (taking combo in the morning and early afternoon and VIP in the evening), but you really need to be there by 10am. VIP tour was fun - we visited farm, woodwork and had a sit with an Amish family. All our hosts were extermly frindly and open-minded and were not afraid to answer even somewhat ignorant questions from tourists. Bus tour (takes about 2 hours) was a bit less informative - we mostly stayed in the bus, but was fun as well. Theater experience and house + school were quite informative and I would say are a must if you would not do a VIP.

Response from Host

Apr 2017

Dear Ivan, Thanks for visiting us for both the SuperSaver and VIP Tours! Very glad that you could come "along for the ride," and that it was a positive experience for you.