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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Hershey
Hershey, Pennsylvania
Stay 1–2 nights: one full day for Hersheypark, half a day for Chocolate World and The Hershey Story. Skip the car only if you stay on a resort shuttle.
Hershey is a company village in Derry Township, about 10 miles east of Harrisburg, built around the chocolate factory Milton S. Hershey founded. Almost everything a visitor wants sits within a 3 km strip along Chocolate Avenue and Park Boulevard: the theme park, the free Chocolate World tour, a museum, gardens, a zoo and an arena. It is a 1–2 night stop inside a longer Harrisburg-area or Pennsylvania trip, not a destination on its own.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Hershey, Pennsylvania
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat and queues), late Dec–Feb (park closed or limited)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $90–140 excl. bed · Mid $150–240 excl. bed · High $260+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $3–6 |
| Diner or food-court meal | $12–20 |
| Sit-down dinner, main course | $20–40 |
| Draught beer at a brewery or bar | $7–10 |
| Rideshare, Hershey to Harrisburg | $25–45 |
| Hershey's Chocolate World tour | Free |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $10–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- MDT · Harrisburg International Airport
- In Middletown, about 15 min by car from Hershey; Hershey resort guests can arrange a paid pickup.
- PHL · Philadelphia International Airport
- About 2 h by car; Amtrak from Philadelphia to Harrisburg, then 15 min by car.
Typical fares
- MDT airport → Hershey, taxi or rideshare
- about $35–55, about 15 min (check)
- Hersheypark parking, one day
- about $25 (check)
- Amtrak Philadelphia → Harrisburg
- about $30–50, about 1 h 45 min (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
A car is the practical default: sights are spread over about 3 km (1.9 mi) and buses are thin. Many hotels run shuttles to Hersheypark and Chocolate World — confirm times before booking. Taxis and rideshare work but supply thins after the park closes. From Harrisburg take US-322 east; from I-81 use exit 77 and PA-39 south.A car is the practical default: sights are spread over about 1.9 mi (3 km) and buses are thin. Many hotels run shuttles to Hersheypark and Chocolate World — confirm times before booking. Taxis and rideshare work but supply thins after the park closes. From Harrisburg take US-322 east; from I-81 use exit 77 and PA-39 south.
See and do
Known for
- Hersheypark
- Hershey's Chocolate World
- The Hershey Story museum
- Hershey Gardens and ZooAmerica
- Hershey Bears ice hockey at Giant Center
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Harrisburg | US-322 west by car, or a hotel shuttle/taxi | About 25–35 min |
| Hummelstown | PA-39 or Chocolate Avenue by car | About 15 min |
| Mechanicsburg | I-81 south by car | About 40 min |
| Carlisle | I-81 south by car | About 50 min |
| Lancaster and Amish country | PA-283 east by car, or train via Harrisburg | 1.25–1.75 h |
| Gettysburg | US-15 south by car | About 1.5 h |
Sleep
- Chocolate Avenue strip (in-town)
- Walkable to Chocolate World, The Hershey Story and the outlets; 10–20 min walk to the park entrance.
- Hershey resort hotels (Hotel Hershey, Hershey Lodge)
- On-site pools, spa and shuttle service; highest rates and the easiest car-free stay.
- Hummelstown and PA-743 corridor
- Chain hotels 5–10 min by car; cheaper in summer and near the outlets and campground.
- Harrisburg
- Cheaper beds and Amtrak, 15–20 min by car each way; only worth it if you have a car.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the park entrance? | Where is the park entrance? |
| One adult ticket, please | One adult ticket, please |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Is there a shuttle to my hotel? | Is there a shuttle to my hotel? |
| How much is parking? | How much is parking? |
| Where is the nearest pharmacy? | Where is the nearest pharmacy? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Hersheypark opening days change by season and it closes for part of winter: check the official calendar before booking.
- Hersheypark parking is paid and lots fill on summer weekends: arrive before opening.
- Summer heat and humidity plus long outdoor queues: water and shade breaks matter.
- Prices are quoted before Pennsylvania sales tax; restaurant bills expect 18–22% tip.
- Hershey is an unincorporated village inside Derry Township — some addresses read Hummelstown or Hershey.
Hershey is a low-crime resort village; the real risks are summer heat in park queues, traffic on PA-39 and PA-743 after closing, and unlit stretches if you walk back to a hotel at night.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Hershey yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Hersheypark
- Hershey's Chocolate World
- The Hershey Story museum
- Hershey Gardens and ZooAmerica
- Hershey Bears ice hockey at Giant Center
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Hersheypark: www.hersheypark.com
- Hershey's Chocolate World: www.hersheys.com/chocolateworld
- The Hershey Story museum: www.hersheystory.org
- Hershey Gardens: www.hersheygardens.org/
- Harrisburg International Airport (MDT): www.flyhia.com/
- Derry Township: www.derrytownship.org/
- Wikivoyage: Hershey, revision 5330771 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5330771
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
HersheyHershey, Pennsylvania
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
No embassies in Hershey; national embassies are in Washington, DC, with consulates in Philadelphia and New York.
US emergency number is 911 everywhere; 18–22% tipping is expected at sit-down restaurants.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/hershey). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.