KAYAK - Gatlinburg, Tennessee Travel Guide

Gatlinburg Travel

Popular Tennessee (TN) Destinations

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Gatlinburg Airports

Gatlinburg Vacations

For centuries, Native Americans and later Cherokee hunters traversed the footpath known as the Indian Gap Trail to the forests and the Smokies, which connected to the Great Indian Warpath through Little Pigeon River and from there to Gatlinburg amount other places. In the late 1800s the area enjoyed a booming logging industry. Today, Gatlinburg has much to offer visitors with its crowning glory the Great Smokey Mountains and National Park and the Gatlinburg Sky Lift, both of which afford visitors breathtaking vistas and unforgettable outdoor adventures. Also of interest is the Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, the Mystery Mansion of Gatlinburg, and Dollywood, which is located in nearby Pigeon Forge, all of which offer visitors a great time and wonderful memories to take home.

Popular Gatlinburg Hotels

River Terrace Resort and Convention Center
240 River Road

Sidney James Mountain Lodge
610 Historic Nature Trail

Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort
915 Westgate Resort Road

Microtel Inn And Suites Gatlinburg
211 Historic Nature Trail

The Park Vista - a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Gatlinburg
705 Cherokee Orchard Road

River Edge Motor Lodge Gatlinburg
655 River Road

View more Gatlinburg hotel info »«

Top rated attractions in Gatlinburg

1.	Great Smokey Mountains National Park Great Smokey Mountains National Park is a five-hundred-thousand-acre popular National Park that stretches over parts of Tennessee and North Carolina and is home to an International Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site featuring over four thousand species of plants and eight hundred miles of hiking trails. Popular activities include hiking, swimming, fishing, bicycling, scenic drives, and picnicking, along with various camping sites that are available in areas throughout the park. « hide
2.	Casa Loma Casa Loma is one of the rare castles in Canada, being such a relatively young country. As far as castles go, Casa Loma is a young structure, built in 1911 by Sir Henry Pellatt, a well-known Toronto financier. The castle took three years to build and cost $3.5 million at the time. Today, the castle is a popular tourist attraction with its elegant suites, secret passages and towers. In the summer months, the beautiful five-acre estate gardens offer a lovely spot to enjoy the Toronto sunshine « hide
3.	Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies provides an awesome educational experience featuring a world-class aquarium with over 1.4 million gallons of water and over ten thousand exotic sea creatures, along with thrilling hourly dive shows, and touch pools where visitors can touch horseshoe crabs, and stingrays. Guests can also travel through the world’s longest underwater tunnel to see the World’s greatest shark exhibit. Unique gifts and keepsakes can be purchased at the Cargo Hold Gift Shop. « hide
4.	CN Tower An absolute must-see sight in Toronto is the world famous CN Tower. Built in 1976, the CN Tower, at 1815 feet, is one of the world’s tallest structure, the tallest in the Americas, and the view from the four different lookout levels can’t be beat. The Skypod, which is the world’s highest public observation deck, is 1465 feet above ground. On the ground floor, be sure to visit the marketplace before you leave and grab your mini replica of the tower or any of the assorted mementos. « hide
5.	Toronto Islands Beautiful beaches and island parks surround Toronto. A perfect spot to spend a relaxing day is the Toronto Islands, where one will find a boardwalk, tennis courts, amusement park, picnic areas and restaurants. One of the most popular destinations on the islands is Centre Island, a great spot for families to spend the day. Centreville Amusement Park keeps children amused for hours with its rides, petting zoo, water slide and mini golf course. To get to the Toronto Islands, visitors can access one of the Toronto Ferries for a quick 15-minute trip from the Mainland Ferry Terminal. « hide
6.	Hockey Hall of Fame The Hall of Fame will keep hockey fans entertained for hours, as it contains the largest collection of hockey memorabilia in the world, not to mention, it’s home to the famous Lord Stanley Cup. They can even try their luck at some of the interactive games as they dream of what it would be like to play in the NHL. The most famous names in hockey cannot only be found adorned in the displays at the Hall of Fame, but many have been known to visit in person. « hide
7.	Canada's Wonderland Canada’s version of Disneyland would be Canada’s Wonderland, without Mickey Mouse of course! This is a must see for families, especially the adventurous ones who enjoy thrilling rollercoaster rides, water rides to cool off on hot summer days, tamer attractions for the youngest members of the family and live shows with entertaining characters the kids will love. There are also tons of dining choices and don’t forget to stop by any of the shopping venues for toys, candies, swimsuits or souvenirs. « hide
8.	Kensington Market Locals often spend their free time browsing the shops of Kensington Market and doing some quality people watching! Cultural diversity is very evident in this area, located just outside of Chinatown, where you will find some of the most unique thrift stores, fruit stands, pubs and vintage furniture shops in the city. If you’re fortunate enough, you may be able to take in the once-a-month Sunday festival where the multicultural community celebrates the diversity of the area. « hide
9.	Best seat in the house Want to watch a major league baseball game in the best seat in the house, and not pay for the Toronto skydome? Call the Hardrock Toronto Skydome Café to book the café for a game, and your group can watch the entire Toronto Blue Jays game from the café, while enjoying the ever-famous Hardrock food and drink menu! This is not something for everyone, but if you have a big group of sports fans, this is definitely a must-do in Toronto. « hide
10.	Cottage Country On any given summer weekend, you’ll see a steady stream of traffic heading out of the city. Where is everyone going? The best-kept secret in Canada is cottage country. Two hours north of Toronto, one can find the most beautiful northern lakes, surrounded by dense forest. In the midst, are virtually thousands of cabins, owned and often rented out by Torontonians. One of the most well known areas is Wasaga Beach, the world’s longest fresh-water beach where locals and visitors enjoy swimming, boating, fishing and relaxing! « hide
11.	The Mystery Mansion of Gatlinburg For those who enjoy the tingle and excitement of Halloween, the Mystery Mansion of Gatlinburg is the most exciting and the scariest attraction located in Gatlinburg. Tourists will have a great time as they experience the horror and terror of this turn-of-the-century haunted house that features secret passageways, a dark, damp dungeon, spooks, and goblins. « hide
12.	Fannie Farkle's For those who just cannot get enough of video games, Fannie Farkle’s is a great family arcade that offers a wide variety of some of your favorite old arcade games like Centipede and Pac-Man, as well as the very latest in video games and redemption machines with lots of prizes available. Happy gamers can munch on delicious sausages and corn dogs while they play, as well as check their email. « hide
13.	Smokey Mountain Stables Smokey Mountain Stables is one of the few horse riding stables that is located inside the Great Smokey Mountains National Park and features one hour, two hour, and half day guided horseback rides through the scenic National Park. Special horses for children are also available. « hide
14.	Sweet Fanny Adams Theater and Music Hall Sweet Fanny Adams Theater and Music Hall is the number one theatrical attraction in the city. Open in 1977, this theater is an established National Historical Treasure of Gatlinburg and features a variety of live, outrageous, professional, and original musical comedies, which are performed at the theater with shows that begin at 8 pm. For information on specific shows, times and ticket prices, call or go online. « hide
15.	Gatlinburg Sky Lift Gatlinburg Sky Lift has been serving families for over forty years offering a double chairlift ride to the top of Crockett Mountain to see the unforgettable views of the Smokies. The lift glides over the Little Pigeon River before climbing up to an elevation of eighteen hundred feet. « hide
16.	Dollywood Dollywood theme park is co-owned by Dolly Parton featuring roller coasters and kiddie rides, like Timber Tower, Blazing Fury, The Scrambler, Mountain Slidewinder, Dizzy Disk, Dollywood Express, The Thunderhead, Veggie Tales Sideshow Spin, Daredevil Falls, Tennessee Tornado, and Smokey Mountain Christmas, as well as craft shops, restaurants, and snack stalls, making it enjoyable for the whole family. On occasion, visitors can even catch a live performance by the co-owner and top country music star, Dolly Parton. « hide
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Top rated restaurants in Gatlinburg

1.	Best Italian Café and Pizzeria Best Italian Café and Pizzeria serves up tasty Italian cuisine with menu items that include spaghetti, pizza, linguini in clam sauce, Fettuccini Alfredo, tenderloin tips Marsala, Veal Florentine, Shrimp Fettuccini, Chicken Florentine, Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo, and so much more. « hide	6.	Atrium Pancakes Atrium Pancakes was featured in the Taste of Home Magazine and is a simply wonderful café that features a beautiful waterfall and specializes in scrumptious Belgian waffles along with twenty-five varieties of pancakes, homemade soups, and large salads. « hide
2.	Hofbraühaus Restaurant & Cheese Cupboard Hofbraühaus Restaurant & Cheese Cupboard features an eclectic deli downstairs with domestic and imported cheeses, sausages, snacks, specialty chocolates, mustards, hot sauces, and other gourmet items. The upstairs resembles a small German pub that serves up hoagies, turkey sandwiches, pastrami, and bratwurst. « hide	7.	The Park Grill The Park Grill was featured in Southern Living Magazine and serves the flavor of the Smokies with a wide variety of Smoky Mountain specialties and traditional favorites including barbecue ribs, rainbow trout, moonshine chicken, and homemade desserts. « hide
3.	Legends by Max Legends by Max offers its guests delicious Italian entrees that are served with tasty homemade garlic bread sticks along with appetizers, breads, salads, soups, sandwiches, deserts, wine, and beer. « hide	8.	Peddler Restaurant & Lounge Peddler Restaurant & Lounge is a wonderful establishment and number one recommended restaurant in the city that overlooks a mountain stream and is located in the historic C. Earl Ogle cabin, which was home to one of the first pioneer families in Gatlinburg. Menu items include appetizers, salads, soups, chicken, seafood, desserts, coffees, and wonderful steaks cut to desired thicknesses and broiled over a charcoal fire. There is also an extensive wine list. « hide
4.	Log Cabin Pancake House Log Cabin Pancake House has been located in an old log building with inviting stone fireplaces since 1979, and features an extensive breakfast menu that is served all day long. Lunch and dinner buffets are populated with lots of country style dishes. « hide	9.	Calhoun’s Restaurant Calhoun’s Restaurant serves up its house specialty of barbecue ribs along with other menu items that includes grilled chicken and steak, fresh mountain trout, homemade soup, fresh cut salads, and specialty sandwiches along with a good selection of handcrafted beer. Seating is available in a glass enclosed area on the Parkway and there is also a full service bar. « hide
5.	Pancake Pantry Pancake Pantry first opened its doors back in 1960, and was the first pancake house in the state of Tennessee. Now a Gatlinburg Tradition, menu items include delicious pancakes and breakfast items that are served all day, along with gourmet sandwiches, soups, and sandwiches. « hide	10.	Smokey Mountain Brewery and Restaurant Smokey Mountain Brewery & Restaurant is a unique restaurant with a lodge atmosphere and an extensive menu that includes fresh mountain micro brewed beer, fresh baked breads, calzones, pizzas, subs, sandwiches, stromboli, along with chicken, ribs, steaks, and trout that are roasted on a wood fired stove and served on a hot skillet. Live entertainment and karaoke is also provided every evening. « hide

Gatlinburg Insider tips

1.	Be careful crossing the street Visitors to Gatlinburg should be aware that both the streets and the sidewalks in this city are virtually always crowded, and although most of the crosswalks give pedestrians the right-of-way, motorists are often distracted by the sites and can easy run down pedestrians as they cross the busy streets. So please don’t be a vapid, unaware tourist while out walking around. Stop and look both ways before crossing the street. Don’t assume that a car is going to automatically stop for you even though you are in a crosswalk and have the right-of-way. Don’t ruin a wonderful vacation by becoming a statistic. Please use caution at all times when crossing the street. « hide
2.	"Thar be bears in them hills!" Visitors should also be wary of the of the local bear population. Although they have become extremely accustomed to humans, they are still wild animals. Basically, a bear is going to be looking for food when they approach, but it is not a good idea to feed them. Please don’t, don’t, don’t try to get up close and personal with a bear. If it becomes spooked or angry or even aggravated thinking there is more food, a bear can easily severely injure or even kill a human. When out in the National Park or even driving or walking in secluded areas, be on the alert for bears and avoid them at all costs. Bears can be very dangerous creatures! « hide
3.	Neighborhoods to avoid Like most North American cities, Toronto has its share of neglected inner city areas that are best to avoid, particularly after dark. An area called Etobicoke is home to some of these neglected communities including the area of Rexdale. It has been suggested that deflating real estate values in the area have resulted in increased poverty and crime. Residential areas are not well maintained. The boundaries for Rexdale are the Humber River to the east and Highway 427 to the west, Steeles Avenue the north and Highway 401 to the south. While most areas of North York are reputable, there is one notable exception. An infamous local area known as Jane-Finch has a reputation of high crime, violence and drug use. It is called Jane-Finch because of its proximity to Jane Street and Finch Avenue. The community is said to be one of the most ethnically diverse in the city, with well over 100 different nationalities and languages spoken. It also reportedly has the largest percentage of low-income earners and single parent homes in the city. It is recommended that this area be avoided, particularly after dark. « hide

Gatlinburg nightlife

1.	Laff Trax Laff Trax is the Smokies premier comedy club, offering the very finest in live stand-up comedy performances. Some of the nation’s top stand-up comedians also stop by on occasion to make special guest appearances. « hide
2.	The Docks The Docks is a little bit of everything: a nightclub, a lounge, a bar and a pub. By day, the Docks attracts visitors interested in lounging around the spectacular pool that overlooks the lake with attractions like beach volleyball, mini golf, 13 outdoor pool tables, a 40 foot outdoor climbing wall, a high speed shooting range and year round soccer. By night, the Docks is a social hub, with outdoor concerts and one of the wildest nightclubs in the city. « hide
3.	Mink Nightclub & Lounge Looking for something sizzling and sexy? Check out the Mink Nightclub & Lounge, particularly on Sexy in the City Saturdays. Said to have one of the best roof top patios in the city, dress codes are in effect at Mink, where music may be anything from top 40, hip hop, old school, R n B or latino on any given night. « hide

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