amish tours of harmony

We got the cd in Lanesboro and drove to Preston for the start of the tour and ended in Harmony. We had to repeat the cd several times in order to follow the directions to each address. We wanted to follow the tour at our own pace which we did. We were lucky enough to see the Amish in the fields working with cutting hay and harvesting corn. We did not feel any pressure to buy anything and they were all very nice. We felt a little rushed to get the cd back by 5:00 p.m but was worth the $26 to rent it. The tour guide gave you additional information on the Amish life and what each family had to sell.

We took the CD tour and enjoyed every minute of it. It does basically have the same items at each stop, but make by different families. For instance, they have baskets at each home, but each backet is made by that homeowner, etc,. so each place is a bit different in that regard. And no home tours, these are personal homes, so I can understand they would not want strangers touring their home. I know I wouldn't! We went during haying season and was so interesting to see them use horse and a threshing machine to pull hay off the field. Then we were able to see them pull this ginormous pile of hay in the barn loft with horse and pulley system. I love the simple way of life, and for the most part they are self sustaining. Everything they do is organic, and they work for themselves, not some corporate giant, which gives a different meaning to life I'm sure. It is nice to take a step back in time and see a culture that is based on community once again, instead of mainly a self-serving one as we currently live in.

We took the self-guided CD tour. We started in Lanesboro and ended in Harmony. The tour directs you to different Amish farmsites that have goods for sale. Most of the farms have a sign that lists the types of goods and the CD also tells you what each farm is selling. The tour guide on the CD gave some background information and pointed out two school houses we drove past. It was very interesting and a really cool experience. I would like to have learned more background information and got to tour a home. It took us about 1.5 hours and we did skip a few of the farms. I'm glad we chose the CD tour so we could go at our own pace and saved some money. It was $28 with an additional $20 deposit you get back after you return the CD. I should also mention you are not allowed to take pictures.

Although the tourguide/driver did give us some information about the Amish way of life, this is basically a tour of 5 gift shops. We were expecting to see the inside of some homes and possibly tour a farm. Since the Amish want to maintain thier simple life, this was not part of the tour. We were able to see the portions of the outside buildings at several sites.The baskets, woodworks and home made food items at the stops were generally excellent quality and quite reasonable. Most of these shops were identified by signs on the roads and easily reached by car. The information the driver gave could be acquired with a bit of research on the web. One interesting item he pointed out was the small school houses in a couple of spots, which you probably would not recognize on your own. In general, if you are able to find your own way around, this is not a very good value. However, exploring the Amish way of life is very interesting and gives a reallly good idea of life in the 1800's. The area itself is well worth visiting. Also, the tourist office at Hwy. 52 and 139 is a great place to start.

Our guide took us to 5 Amish farms to shop. He was not Amish. Even though he had lived in the Harmony area for a long time and knew a lot of the Amish people, he knew little of their religion or how younger generations were living. He also told us personal stories about some Amish people in his community that was just gossip and not our business. The people we visited did not seem at all happy to see us and did not talk to us except to complete sales transactions.

Depending on the guide, the "in-car" Amish Tour is the way to go. We've had really great guides (a retired Air Force officer) and a so-so guide who belittled the Amish away from their faces. In any case, this is a way of life so far removed from our own that is boggles the mind.

We took the self drive cd tour. Glad we did as we could stop at any of the homes or pass one by that did not sound like something we would be interested in buying. Just for information the tour directs you to homes of the Amish that have goods they have made for sale like furniture, jellies, baskets etc. The cd did give some background information on the Amish lifestyle that was interesting. The tour took us about 1 1/2 hours and we did not stop at all the homes.

This tour company is the best one in the area. Knowledgeable guides, oldest tour company in fillmore county and wonderful Amish contacts.

Two friends and myself toured guided by Ken who drove my car through the roads of the Amish Countryside. His story of the Amish taught us the ways of their lifestyle from birth, marriage, death and described the "Old Order" of the Amish. The tour took us to the homes of Amish where goods were sold- sorghum, Maple syrup, quilts, custom furniture, canned goods, baskets and other things. The furniture and quilts were beautifully hand crafted . This was also time we met the Amish welcomed us with warmth and kindness. For me, the delight children playing, running and building. On the country side it is common to see carriages pulled by horses in buggies. Ken began the tour that the Amish are Christian and their simplified life is to glorify God.

My husband and I have visited Harmony several times over the years, and in the past, always made a 'private tour' reservation through one of the Gift Shops in downtown Harmony. We were always thrilled as it was very convenient - the tour was more tailored to our interests, etc., and our Guides (each and every time) were super knowledgeable, friendly, and had long-held ties to the community and knew the Amish families on a first-name basis.This time, we traveled to Harmony with our daughter, her husband and their 10-month old daughter. It had been about 5 years since we had last visited, and the Gift Shop had either gone out of business or was sold or something. I checked online and found Amish Tours of Harmony and since we didn't have room in the vehicle for a 'private tour' we opted for a 'group tour' in one of the vans. Selfishly, I was hoping that since it was during the weekday, and the first day of the MN State Fair, that not many others would be on the tour with us. Turns out, the van was filled! Our driver was wonderful, knowledgeable and friendly. Our fellow passengers were lively, funny and just plain nice.We stopped at four Amish families, and also heard a lot of local history as we traveled back roads. The AC in the van was a little lacking, so it did get a bit warm, but other than that, it was a great trip. Took a little over 3 hours. We were pleasantly surprised and will continue to use Amish Tours of Harmony again in the future.

We had an educational, delightful, 3-hour tour on a comfortable bus with 12 others. Our driver, Ken, was the best! It was obvious that he loved the Amish people and they knew it as he called the children by name and asked about them. He told us about each family as we approached their place giving us information about the number of children, etc. He told us about the products they would be selling which helped a lot. We visited six Amish farms selling furniture to baked goods and one non-Amish goat farm selling handmade socks, sweaters, and scarves. The quality of everything we purchased was excellent! The baskets are very, very sturdy with the name of the person making it signed on the bottom. I bought one that Harvey H. had made on May 10, 2012 "on a sunny, windy day." Everything sewn like aprons, potholders, wall hangings, or quilts had been done by hand or created on a treadle machine. We bonded with the other toursists on the bus taking pictures and swapping purchases at the end of the tour.

The 21/2 hour tout took 3 hours, with stops at 4 Amish locations . The guide knew everyone ,gave excellent information on the Amish ways and specifics on some of the families, making the people very real to us

I did this tour for the first time about three years ago. I found it to be SO INTERESTING. We actually spent a lot of time chatting with the Amish kids. By the end of the tour however, we had some mixed feelings.So this past weekend we went back with our kids and did the tour again to show them this really neat and unique way of life. We did the tour where you rent a CD for $46. It's a self guided tour with TONS of information. They actually have you stop your car to listen to them talk about the way of life and the different families. You make 11 stops at 11 different homes with this tour. At the end, when you return your CD, you get $20 back leaving your total cost to be $26. There were many things for sale, rugs, baskets, candles, produce, furniture, and lots of baked goods. We didn't buy food because I was really skeptical of cleanliness in the food prep. I know that a lot of people do purchase the baked goods, but I just couldn't get the lack of monitoring out of my head. I did purchase baskets and candles. . .which on this tour. . .you'll see lots of baskets and candles. It seems as though there is nothing to differentiate what each family is selling. It's all the same thing in a different barn. We inquired about where they get the items they use to make the baskets and we were told by one of the Amish ladies that they purchase the reeds for basket weaving from a bulk wholesaler in New York and they get it from China. Found that odd. We also couldn't help but notice the amount of Handicapped individuals here. There seems to be a lot of mental issues and odd medical things. We actually stopped by the visitor center and asked about it. Apparently there's a LOT of inbreeding going on in the area and hence a ton of birth defects, handicaps, and mental issues. It's just so sad. I thought the tour was really interesting, but it just seemed so sad for me after the fact.

You can choose the type of tour you want to take:You can have the tour guide ride in your vehicle and give you a personal guided tour for around $25.00 a person. (the catch: you must have room for the guide in your vehicle) the guides are very informative, and most of them know the Amish on a personal level. They will also explain what is acceptable and what is considered rudeness in the eyes of the Amish. (You definately don't want to go on thier propery and insult and offend them)or...You can rent the cd and travel at your own pace for around $20.00 total cost. This is the way we decided to go due to lack of space for a tour guide. The cd was very informative. The directions were very easy to follow (you must have a working odometer) and It was nice being able to travel at your own pace. At the end of the cd there are answers to the most commonly asked questions, you may want to listen to that part of the cd before you even start the tour.The Amish are very religious christians and ask that you are respectful of their beliefs. The tours do not run on christian religious holidays no matter how small you may view the holiday to be (eg; accention Thursday, passover, good friday etc.) so look at your calendar before you hop into your car and go.On the tour you get to drive on the back roads, through the country visiting numerous Amish farms. The Amish are very friendly and like to talk about their ways of life and the hardships they indure. (Remember to be polite and treat them as though you are meeting your girlfriend/ boyfriend's grandmother for the first time)They have lots of products for sale on their farms like fresh eggs, jams, honey, fruits and vegetables, (you have to try the cashew crunch... scrumdiddalyumptious!) and hand made items like quilts and dolls. It is as though you took a step back in time and are visiting the days of little house on the praire with one room school houses and lives of disipline. You are likely to walk away with a new found respect for the Amish and fasination for their determination.It was an incredible experience, especially for those who are little house on the praire fans. (FYI: Burr Oak Iowa is less then 20 minutes from harmony Mn... Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum. Preston Harmony trail within 20 min from harmony.. fishing, camping, walking/ hiking trail. and Niagara Cave rated in top 10 caves in the nation is less than 10 minutes from harmony so there is lots to do for the whole family. Well worth the drive!)

Decided to take tour on spur of the moment. My wife and I were the only ones on the mid-week morning tour. Our guide was very informative and explained the delicate balance between the Amish allowing the tour and respect for their way of life. We visited four farms throughout the countryside and had the opportunity to purchase items at each. The items available for purchase ranged from bakery goods and quilts to furniture and handmade baskets. The baskets ranged in size from small post-it to storage chest size.Also on hte tour was the Lenora Church which retains its early structure with oil lamps for light and no other electricity.The tour guide kept us entertained and informed for the 2 1/2 hour tour.