Great Smoky Mountains National Park Self Driving Tour in Great Smoky Mountains National Park booking from $14.99

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Self Driving Tour

Overview

Recommended: Purchase one tour per car, not per person. Everyone listens together!

Explore Great Smoky Mountains National Park and discover why it’s the most visited National Park in the country! Tour these famous mountains while learning about Cherokee history and legends, Appalachian life, and much more. There’s no better way to see Clingman’s Dome, Cades Cove, or Rainbow Falls. Plus, enjoy a free bonus tour of Roaring Forks Motor Trail!

Here's how it works: Within 30 mins, we'll send you two things: a unique password and an app. Download the app onto your phone, enter the password, and download the tour. When you arrive, go to the first stop, launch the app, and follow the instructions! Stick to our recommended route and speed limit for the best experience.

No expiration — The tour comes with lifetime validity!

This is not an entrance ticket to attractions along the route. Check pandemic rules and opening hours before your visit.

City: Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Mon 23 Dec

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $14.99

Make a reservation

Mon 23 Dec

Starting at $14.99

Make a reservation

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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 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.
Devices supported include iPhones with iOS 13 & above, Android phones with version 9 & above and all cellular-enabled tablets & iPads.
Face masks required for travellers in public areas

What To Expect

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park straddles the border between North Carolina and Tennessee. The sprawling landscape encompasses lush forests and an abundance of wildflowers that bloom year-round. Streams, rivers, and waterfalls appear along hiking routes that include a segment of the Appalachian Trail. An observation tower tops Clingmans Dome, the highest peak, offering scenic views of the mist-covered mountains.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

Morton Overlook

After that, you'll reach Morton Overlook, hugely popular for its unbelievable sunsets.

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.

Carlos Campbell Overlook

The next overlook on your route is Carlos Campbell Overlook, which serves up panoramic views of towering mountains and lush forests.

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.

Sugarlands Visitors Center

The tour leads next to the Sugarlands Visitor Center, a perfect rest stop and the site of a few trailheads.

Sugarlands Valley Nature Trail

Next up is the most accessible trail in the park! Sugarlands Valley Trail can be accessed by wheelchair or stroller, and offers a great way to venture into the scenic wilderness. We'll also turn back the clock to get an in-depth look at the complicated history of this valley and the settlers who once lived here.

Cataract Falls

Your drive continues to Cataract Falls, a beautiful, secluded set of waterfalls tucked beneath a shaded canopy of beech trees.

Gatlinburg

Finally, you'll arrive in the picturesque mountian town of Gatlinburg, where your tour will conclude.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

Gatlinburg

Finally, we'll arrive in the mountian town of Gatlinburg, we'll hear how it all began with the unfortunate, ill-fated William Ogle, who built the town's very first cabin but never got to live there. Then we'll hear about how the town grew, the struggle that consumed it during the Civil War, and how it became what it is today. This is where our tour officially concludes.

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Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Self Driving Tour

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