The Perfect Lancaster, PA Weekend Itinerary (2 Days in Amish Country)
By Best of Lancaster
Two days is the sweet spot for a first Lancaster County trip — enough for the Amish farmland heart of the county and the trains, markets, and downtown dining. The catch is sequencing: most Amish-owned businesses close on Sundays, so a weekend trip has to front-load Amish Country on Saturday. Here's the schedule that works.
Friday Evening: Arrive and Eat Downtown
Check in, then head to downtown Lancaster for dinner — this is the county's modern dining scene, and it's open late. The Horse Inn (seasonal menus in a restored 1800s barn) and LUCA (handmade pasta, county produce) are the two reservations worth making a week ahead. See the full downtown Lancaster restaurant rankings.
For lodging, the move is a boutique downtown base or a farmland inn — both covered in our where-to-stay guide. The downtown pick:
Saturday Morning: Markets and Farmland
Start at Central Market (open Saturdays 6am–2pm) — coffee, a sticky bun, and the oldest farmers market in America. Then drive 15 minutes east on Route 340 into Amish farmland for a small-group cultural tour. This one consistently earns its reputation:
Follow it with a buggy ride from Aaron & Jessica's at Plain & Fancy Farm — Amish-owned, and the longer back-roads route is worth it.
Saturday Afternoon: Shop Route 340, Feast Family-Style
Work your way through Kitchen Kettle Village in Intercourse (free jam samples) and The Old Country Store for handmade quilts. Then commit to the meal you came for: a Pennsylvania Dutch feast at Good N Plenty or Miller's Smorgasbord. Arrive hungry; leave the pie table victorious.
Sunday: Trains, Rides, or Balloons
Amish-owned businesses rest on Sunday, but the county's other headliners don't. Pick your Sunday:
- Trains: the Strasburg Rail Road steam ride plus the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania across the road.
- Kids: a full day at Dutch Wonderland — see our family guide.
- Romance: a sunrise hot air balloon flight over the farmland, champagne included — the county's single most spectacular experience:
Cap the weekend with lunch back in downtown Lancaster before the drive home.
If You Have a Third Day
Add Lititz (chocolate, pretzels, one of America's coolest small towns — guide here), a Sight & Sound Theatre show (plan it here), or October's foliage drives from the fall guide. The master list of options is our 25 best things to do in Lancaster.
Book Your Saturday Experiences
The weekend's anchor experiences sell out in summer and October — reserve before you arrive.
