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Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Cades Cove Self-Driving Bundle Tours

Overview
Purchase only one tour per vehicle, not per person. Everyone listens together!

Get the full Smoky Mountain experience with this ultimate bundle tour! Explore these picturesque mountains, uncover the rich history of the Cherokee and early settlers, and find out why this is the most-visited national park in the entire country. You’ll discover beautiful overlooks, hiking trails, and waterfalls on one tour, then dive into the pioneer and Civil War history of Cades Cove with the next! If you don’t want to miss a thing, this is the deal for you.

Within 30 min, we'll send you two things: a unique password and the app. Download the app onto your phone and enter the password. Then download the tour inside. When you arrive, go to the designated starting location to start the tour. Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience.

No expiration — The tour comes with lifetime validity!

This isn't an entrance ticket. Check pandemic rules and opening hours before your visit.
City: Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Mon 23 Dec
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You can choose the date already on the booking website
Starting at $16.99
Mon 23 Dec
Starting at $16.99
Make a reservation
What's Included
Offline use: No cell signal or wifi required. Offline GPS Map & route. Stop-to-stop direction.
Private tour in your/rental car: No group. Take breaks for photos/ snacks/hikes. Go at your own pace
Don’t miss a thing: Full itinerary, travel tips, professionally narrated hidden stories, video, text
Flexible schedule: Use any day, any time. Travel over multiple days or on next trip. Never expires.
Good value: Buy just one per car. Don’t pay for each person. Save money compared to a bus tour.
App on your phone: A link to download the Action Guide app. Password for your tours. Preview at home
Easy to use: Stories play automatically by GPS. Hands-free. Get HELP all day: Call, Chat or Email.
Additional Info
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • How it works: Once you book a tour, you’ll get a text/email with instructions. Download the app (while in good wifi/signal) and use your unique password to access your tours. To begin touring, go to the Starting Point and launch the app. The audio starts automatically. Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience. Please note that no one will meet you at the starting point.
  • Good value(Driving): Purchase only one tour for the entire vehicle instead of taking the bus and paying for each person. You will see a significant saving. Connect your phone to car speakers by a wire or bluetooth. Enjoy the tour by listening together as you drive.
  • Flexible Schedule: Once the app/tour is on your phone, you can use it any day and at any time. You can use it over multiple days. And, also use it on your next trip here. This tour never expires.
  • Preview the tour: You can use it before the trip at home (highly recommended), use it during the trip, and use it after you come back.
  • Don't miss a thing: You will get everything with the app - a complete itinerary, travel tips, professionally narrated audio stories, story script, images, videos, deep dives, hidden gems, exciting locations, recommendations for hikes, adventure, activities, treks, and stop-by-stop direction.
  • Private tour: You can use it in your car or rental car. No worries about groups or crowds. Start the tour app on your phone. And it will direct you step by step. You can stop for as many breaks as you like. Take a break for Instagram photos, and take a break for lunch/snacks. Go on a hike. The tour will wait for you and start when you start again. You can even do the tour over multiple days. Go at your own pace.
  • Easy to use: The stories play themselves as soon as the GPS is activated. It requires no use of your hands at all. You can get HELP by calling, chatting, or emailing any time of the day.
  • Offline: There is no need for a cell signal or Wi-Fi while touring. App’s GPS map works offline.
  • Expiration/go again: The tour will last for the rest of your life on your phone. It is available for use on any day of your next trip.
  • Use pictures for a photo book: Create a photo book using clean (no crowd) app images of each spot to make a memorable trip. All the photos and the correct sequence is ready in the app for you to use.
  • Social media: Share clean (no crowd) images with friends/family.
  • This 72+mile-long tour covers the essentials of Great Smoky and Cades Cove Bundle in 2-4 hours.
  • Face masks required for travellers in public areas
What To Expect
1
Oconaluftee Visitor Center
Your drive through the beautiful, majestic Smoky Mountains begins at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. Get ready to explore the Smokies and discover why this is the most visited National Park in the country!
2
Mingus Mill
As you drive, you'll have the option to take a detour to the Mingus Mill, an 1886 grist mill which, believe it or not, is still fully functional! If you're here on weekends, you can even see the mill operators grind corn just like they did back in the 1800s.
3
Quiet Walkways
Your first major stop is the Beech Flats Quiet Walkway, a perfect spot for anyone who wants to soak up the natural beauty of the mountains without having to hike an arduous trail.
4
Rockefeller Memorial
Up next is the Rockefeller Memorial, where you'll learn more about Rockefeller's importance to the park! This memorial was dedicated by President Theodore Roosevelt himself.
5
Newfound Gap Road
From there, your drive continues to Newfound Gap, a stunning mountain pass with huge historical significance. Hear the story of how trappers, farmers, and merchants used to cross the Smokies, and how this gap changed all of that.
6
Alum Cave Trail
Next you'll pass the Alum Cave Trail, which takes hikers to the remains of an old salt mine packed with fascinating history.
7
Morton Overlook
After that, you'll reach Morton Overlook, hugely popular for its unbelievable sunsets.
8
Carlos Campbell Overlook
The next overlook on your route is Carlos Campbell Overlook, which serves up panoramic views of towering mountains and lush forests.
9
Chimney Tops Trail
Your route takes you next to Chimney Tops Overlook, where you'll hear all about wildfires in the Smokies and how they cause lasting damage to mountains like this one.
10
Clingmans Dome
Next up is the most accessible trail in the park: Sugarlands Valley Trail! This scenic trail can be accessed by wheelchair or stroller, and offers a great way to venture into the wilderness.
11
Sugarlands Visitors Center
The tour leads next to the Sugarlands Visitor Center, a perfect rest stop and the site of a few trailheads.
12
Cataract Falls
Your drive continues to Cataract Falls, a beautiful, secluded set of waterfalls tucked beneath a shaded canopy of beech trees.
13
Ripley's Believe It or Not! Gatlinburg
Our next stop is perfect for anyone amused by kitschy oddities. This funky museum displays everything from shrunken human heads to rare animal skeletons. We'll get the inside scoop on how it started as a simple one-panel comic strip and grew into a national phenomenon.
14
Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
Continue following the road to the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. This driving trail invites you to slow down and enjoy the forest and historic buildings of the area. It also features three of the park's most famous waterfalls!
15
Rainbow Falls Trail
Our route takes us next to the Rainbow Falls Trail, which leads to the park's most popular waterfall. Standing at 80 feet, Rainbow Falls is the tallest waterfall in the Smokies, but that's not all! When the sun hits it right, it glimmers like a rainbow--hence the name.
16
Grotto Falls Trail
Keep driving until you reach the Grotto Falls trail. While it's not quite as grand as Rainbow Falls, this secluded, less crowded waterfall is absolutely worth a visit. On your way, hear about a rare salamander you can only find right here!
17
Baskins Creek Falls
Our drive takes us next to the Baskin Creek Falls, a sparkling waterfall where we'll hear about the amusing, and slightly misguided history behind the name of these falls.
18
Ely's Mill
Next, our drive takes us to Ely's Mill, a historic mill on the outskirts of Gatlinburg which gives us another window into the lives of the early Appalachian settlers. Here, we'll learn about Andrew Ely, the bigshot lawyer who upended his entire life after his wife died, abandoned his law practice, and moved to Gatlinburg to start over and live a simpler life.
19
Gatlinburg
Finally, you'll arrive in the picturesque mountian town of Gatlinburg, where your tour will conclude.
Show 16 more stops
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Traveler Photos
Reviews (12)
Rick S
Nov 2022
Easy to follow instructions with great stories about that stop and some of the history about the area and some of the people
Response from Host
Nov 2022
Thank you so much for your feedback, Rick! I’m delighted that my tour of the Great Smoky Mountains and Cades Cove added to your learning and that you enjoyed it. I also have 100 other self-guided tours for other parks, scenic drives, cities, and historic sites in the US — hopefully, you’ll get the chance to try them next time! Also, just to remind you, the tour you bought is yours for a lifetime. So, you can listen to it at home or on your next visit.
nicolemarie322
Nov 2022
I learned a lot. The process was easy. Just make sure you download it prior to going. We made it there at the perfect time. It was beautiful weather was even nicer. I only wish the guide would have been on the screen in the car rather than my phone. It is an all day event if you take full advantage... If you love scenery this is the place and tour for you!
Response from Host
Nov 2022
Thank you so much for your feedback! We are working on being able to play on Apple Car Play and Android Auto and will have it available for our travelers as soon as possible. The Great Smoky Mountains offers a lot to its visitors, and we do our best to provide that all. I’m delighted that my tour of the Great Smoky Mountains added to your learning and that you enjoyed it. I also have 100 other self-guided tours for other parks, scenic drives, cities, and historic sites in the US — hopefully, you’ll get the chance to try them next time! Also, to remind you, the tour you bought is yours for a lifetime. So, you can listen to it at home or on your next visit.
Ann_S
Sep 2022
This guided drive program was great! It gave us plenty of advance notice if we wanted to make a stop, the history was great, and to be honest, his voice was very pleasant to listen to while driving. Both my husband and l agree this was a perfect way to enjoy our afternoon drive through Cade's Cove.
Response from Host
Sep 2022
Thanks so much for your feedback, Ann! I'm thrilled that my tour of the Great Smoky Mountains and Cades Cove added to your learning and that you and your husband enjoyed it. I also have 100 other self-guided tours for other parks, scenic drives, cities, and historic sites in the US — hopefully, you’ll get the chance to try them next time! Also, just to remind you, the tour you bought is yours for a lifetime. So, you can listen to it at home or on your next visit.

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