Philadelphia from New York: A Drive Through Amish Country

Who hasn't fantasized about a movie-worthy road trip across the United States? Let me help you make that dream real with a road trip itinerary from New York to Philadelphia, stopping at the main Amish communities in Pennsylvania.

This is the perfect adventure, a trip that links two of the most important cities in the United States and also takes you out to explore a rural region full of charming little towns where the locals live a life that stopped in time.

To pull off this road trip, the first step is to book your rental car through a reliable search engine, and as early as possible if you're traveling in high season! Search ahead of time and you'll find cars for every budget and group size.

And don't worry! Along with the itinerary details, I'll also give you tips for renting the right car and all the information you need to drive in the United States.

New York to Philadelphia road trip itinerary

🗽 The starting point is New York (obviously, otherwise we wouldn't be NewYorkando 🤣).

🔔 The first stop is Philadelphia, a city where you can gorge yourself on historic sites and museums.

👨‍🌾 Then you'll head into the heart of Amish Country, where you'll visit 3 of its most emblematic towns: Lancaster, Bird-in-Hand, and Intercourse.

And from there you'll be ready to head back to New York.

🛣️ The total distance of the full route is about 521 kilometers.

🚘 Total driving time is around 6 hours (at an average speed of 90 kilometers per hour).

To that you'll need to add the hours you spend in Philadelphia, in the Amish Country towns, and at other necessary stops to fill up on gas, grab a bite along the way, or hit the restroom.

In my case I spent about 8 hours visiting the attractions (it was a 14-hour round trip in total), but honestly I was left wanting more.

If you can swing it, how about staying at a cozy inn in Amish country or spending the night in Philadelphia so you have another day to explore the city?

But let's get right to the recommendations for each stop on this day trip to Philadelphia from New York:

1. From New York to Philadelphia

The distance between New York and Philadelphia is only 150 kilometers.

Driving from midtown Manhattan to downtown Philadelphia takes about two hours, or a little less if traffic is kind to you.

Once in Philadelphia, get ready to dive into American history. For starters, this is where the Declaration of Independence was signed and where the Liberty Bell, a symbol of the nation, lives.

As you walk through Philadelphia's historic district, you'll be on the same streets Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson walked centuries ago. But Philadelphia is much more than its history.

It's also a lively college town (home to the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University), it has one of the most important art museums in the world, and it's packed with pop culture references.

If you're a movie buff, you'll remember this is the city of Rocky Balboa, the famous boxer played by Sylvester Stallone.

That film left such a mark on the city that the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art are known as «The Rocky Steps«.

Philadelphia is also the hometown of M. Night Shyamalan. Had you noticed that several of Shyamalan's biggest hits were shot in Philadelphia?

Rewatch The Sixth Sense (1999), Unbreakable (2000), Split (2016), or Glass (2019) and you'll see.

By the way, Rocky and the Shyamalan films I mentioned make a great warm-up for your trip to Philadelphia from New York (and while I'm at it, let me recommend this list of movies filmed in New York to watch before you travel 🍿).

To plan your time in Benjamin Franklin's city well, read the article I put together on the top attractions in Philadelphia. With that clear, you can decide how many hours of your trip to give the city before heading on to Amish country.

Best places to eat in Philadelphia

You'll probably hit lunchtime in Philadelphia, so here are two recommendations to choose from:

1. You can try the famous Philly cheesesteak, the sandwich the city invented.
2. At Reading Terminal Market you'll find all the products and specialties of the Amish lands, sold by the farmers and artisans themselves.

But if you can hold out a little longer, I'd suggest waiting for the next stop, right in the middle of Amish Country.

Tips for parking in Philadelphia

Finding parking in Philadelphia can be tricky and expensive, especially in the historic district.

The best tip is to use the SpotHero app, available on the App Store and Google Play. It lets you reserve parking spots in advance and find the cheapest options.

SpotHero doesn't just work in Philadelphia, it covers more than 300 cities across the United States, so it'll be a great companion if you plan to keep exploring the country by car.

2. From Philadelphia to Lancaster

After visiting Philadelphia, it's time to get back in the car and head to Amish Country. The first stop is Lancaster, the region's main town.

The distance between Philadelphia and Lancaster is only 120 kilometers.

Estimated time on the road is 1 hour and 20 minutes, probably more because you'll want to pull over in several spots along the way for spectacular photos. You'll see!

Lancaster is the best-known spot in Amish Country and where I'd suggest spending the most time.

There are places there dedicated to learning about daily Amish life. Plus, the drive from Philadelphia is gorgeous, and you'll enjoy Pennsylvania's rural landscapes the whole way.

It's like traveling back in time. With every kilometer you'll leave modern life a little further behind as you move into the territory of communities that chose to disconnect from technology.

What is Amish Country?

Pennsylvania's Amish Country is the name given to the region home to the largest Amish and Mennonite communities in the United States.

They're concentrated around Lancaster, the most important town in the area, which is why it's the first stop on this route from New York to Philadelphia.

Both are Anabaptist communities originally from Germany and Switzerland that emigrated to North America in the 17th century seeking religious freedom.

For generations they've managed to maintain their rural way of life, far from modern conveniences.

In particular, the Amish live without electricity or telephones, and they don't use any motorized vehicles.

Mennonites, on the other hand, are more open to progress. You'll tell them apart because they drive tractors and may even wear brand-name sneakers.

What's certain is that as you travel through Amish Country, you'll see both Amish and Mennonites driving horse-drawn buggies and dressed like Quakers (wide-brimmed hats, plain dresses for the women, black shirts and pants for the men).

Visiting the Amish Village

As you travel through the region, it's important to respect the people who live there and their way of life. For starters, they really don't like being photographed or filmed.

So what about the photos I've published here, you might ask? I took them at various interpretive centers like The Amish Village.

These are museums created by the communities themselves to teach us about their history, their life choices, and how they farm the land, raise animals, and live without depending on us.

They offer guided tours of their grounds, set up to show you Amish traditions and daily life inside their homes and farms.

The Amish Village is just one of dozens of Lancaster farms that let you see up close how this community lives and works. Whether here or at another farm/museum, it's something you have to do in Lancaster.

3. From Lancaster to Bird-in-Hand

Bird-in-Hand is a small, charming town just 16 kilometers from Lancaster. Ten minutes of driving and you're there.

It draws people looking to get away from the noise of the city and unwind in the quiet of the Pennsylvania countryside.

It's also known for its farmers market, where you can taste and buy artisan products like fresh-baked bread, pies, cheeses, cured meats, homemade jams, and just-picked organic vegetables.

If you're short on time, no worries, it's a stop along the way before reaching Intercourse, the last stop on this road trip from New York to Philadelphia and the most important Amish towns.

4. From Bird-in-Hand to Intercourse

The distance between Bird-in-Hand and Intercourse is only 5 kilometers, so once you're on the road you'll be there in 5 minutes.

Small as it is, Intercourse is one of the most visited towns in Amish Country. That's because it's packed with craft shops, local products, and restaurants where you can try classic Amish food.

It's important to bring cash, since plenty of places in Amish Country don't take credit cards.

Visit The Kitchen Kettle Village

To really get to know a culture, you have to try its food! For that, The Kitchen Kettle Village is the perfect spot.

There you can sample local products like cheeses, maple syrups, cured meats, and traditional sweets, plus buy crafts and nice souvenirs to take home (the fudge! I'd go back just for the fudge 🤤).

And with a full belly and a happy heart, you'll be ready to get back in the rental car and drive straight back to New York from Intercourse, Pennsylvania.

The distance between Intercourse and New York City is 230 kilometers. If road conditions are good, you'll be back in two and a half hours max.

Tips for the drive from New York to Philadelphia

🗺️ The first tip is to have a clear itinerary, and I hope this real route we drove ourselves in a rental car helps with that.

🛜 It's important to have a phone with internet access during the trip. That way you can use Google Maps or Waze and not get lost.

🛞 I recommend doing this trip driving yourself, so you can stop wherever you want. Along the way you'll have hundreds of chances to photograph the wide open Pennsylvania skies. It would be a shame not to be able to whenever the mood strikes.

🚙 You'll want to pick the right vehicle for the road trip. An SUV, for example, is best if you're traveling with friends or family.

🚜 The rural roads of Amish Country are narrow and not all of them are in great shape. That's why it matters to rent a vehicle in excellent condition (I recommend renting cars on Discovercars, a reliable search engine with lots of options).

🏁 Finally, it's important to read this information about renting cars in New York:

• Book your car online and in advance: online you'll find deals for weekend trips, for example, that are impossible to get once you're in the city.
• If you want to save a bit, how about renting the car in New Jersey? You'll save the time lost in traffic and avoid the pricey tolls to get out of New York City.
• To rent a car in New York, all they'll ask for is a valid driver's license from your country and a credit card.
• If you're under 25, the rental comes with a surcharge, so hand the wheel to the oldest one in the group.
• Most car rental companies charge extra for each additional driver. If you're going to share the wheel, say so, because if something happens and the designated driver wasn't behind the wheel, you'll have problems with the authorities.

From New York to Philadelphia: an unforgettable road trip

This road trip from New York to Philadelphia, with a detour to the most important towns in Amish Country, will be an experience you treasure for life.

It's a drive rich in history, unforgettable landscapes, and the chance to learn about a completely different culture that takes you back in time.

Remember that even though I've suggested a basic itinerary, the magic of a road trip is enjoying the journey as much as the destination.

The road will be full of chances to go beyond the plan.

And if you're left wanting more, check out other day trips near New York you can do in a day. Spoiler: Washington DC and Boston are two of them 😉.

Safe travels!