Start by downloading the Action Tour Guide app, which will function as your personal tour guide, audio tour, and map. Purchase one tour per car, not per person. Everyone listens together! Note: This 72+ mile-long tour covers the essentials of the Great Smoky and Cades Cove Bundle in 4-5 hours.
Explore the Great Smoky Mountains at your own pace with a self-guided and self-driving tour. Hike to Alum Cave, enjoy a panoramic view from Charles Overlook and discover Cades Coves from the comfort of your own car.
Drive to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center to start your journey. After exploring the Visitor Center, head past the Mingus Mill, a remnant of a once-thriving town.
As you drive to Beech Flats Quiet Walkway, hear accounts of the Cherokee people who once lived here. Learn about their legends and their struggle to hold onto their land. Once you arrive, enjoy a meditative stroll through nature.
Hop back into your car and head to Charles Webb Overlook, which offers a panoramic view of the park. Once you’ve snapped some stunning photos, continue toward Clingman’s Dome, the highest peak in the Smokies, for more unparalleled views of the mountains.
Continue to the trail for Alum Cave, one of the most popular hikes in the park. If you wish, take the moderate 4.4-mile roundtrip trail for beautiful panoramas and fascinating rock formations. After your hike, drive to Chimney Tops Overlook, offering more stunning mountain views.
Next, enjoy an easy wilderness walk at Balsam Point. As you continue past yet another incredible vista and another secluded walkway, hear little-known park history.
Jump back in your car and drive towards Gatlinburg, stopping on the way to check out the pristine Cataract Falls. In Gatlinburg, pass the famous Ripley’s Believe It or Not. Drive past Ogle Place, an old-timey homestead dating back to the 1800s, before arriving at Rainbow Falls.
Continue your drive past several more waterfalls and the historic cabins of Ephraim Bales and Reagan Tub, offering a fascinating glimpse into the past. Finally, finish your Great Smoky National Park tour with a visit to the old Ely’s Mill, which is still in operation today.
Start the second part of your combination tour, discovering Cades Coves, just west of Gatlinburg. From there, continue west toward the scenic loop.
The first landmark on your route is John Oliver Place, once home to some of the first homesteaders to make a living here. After that, pass 3 churches dating back to the 1800s and uncover the devastating impact of the Civil War on this community.
Drive to Elijah Oliver Place, a beautifully preserved homestead offering an authentic look at early pioneer life. If you wish to stretch your legs, hike to Abrams Falls, a secluded, powerful waterfall.
Next, drive to Tipton Place. Finally, reach the Carter Shields Cabin, another idyllic homestead from a bygone era. Finish your tour at the start of the loop as you hear about the last family to call the cove home.
Recommended: Purchase one tour per car. Everyone can listen at the same time.
After booking, you can check your email before downloading the Action Tour Guide app, enter your unique password, and access your tour. The preceding steps require good internet/wifi access. Follow the audio instructions and the route from there.
New, extra validity — now, it’s yours for an entire year! Use multiple times over multiple trips
This is not an entrance ticket to attractions along the route. Check opening hours before your visit.
Tours Included In This Bundle:
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park Self-Driving Tour
- Cades Cove Sightseeing Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour
Benefits Over Live Guides and Group Tours:
- This is a flexible and self-led tour that uses location-sensing technology as you drive.
- The tour features in-depth audio narration that plays as you drive.
- You can purchase just one tour for the entire car and use it as many times as you wish.
- The audio tour is valid for one year after download, and you can use it as often as you want within that time.
- Once downloaded, the tour works completely offline, and you can tour your way by choosing when to start, stop, fast-forward, or rewind.
- If you need any help, you can always reach out to a real person via call, chat, or email.
ADDITIONAL NOTE: Between May and September, Cyclists and pedestrians have exclusive usage of the Cades Cove Loop Road every Wednesday. No other vehicles are allowed during this time.
