How To Spend 1 Day in Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Planning on spending a day in Gatlinburg? This one-day itinerary covers the best things to do, how to get there and where to stay!

I actually fell a bit in love with Gatlinburg – there’s honestly nowhere else I’ve been quite like it. Known as one of the main gateways to the Smoky Mountains, the town mixes scenic nature with a lively town centre. With plenty to do for all ages, it’s a great stop-off on a Smoky Mountains road trip – which is exactly what we did.

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1 Day in Gatlinburg: Itinerary

Breakfast: Crockett’s Breakfast Camp

The cinnamon buns were a WHOLE WORLD of amazing. These are no standard English sized buns – Gatlinburg does ’em at least three times the size. Served with loads of sticky caramel and cream on top. I’m not even the biggest cinnamon fan usually, but quite like it in buns – and these ones were truly epic.

I ordered The Black Bear Camp Skillet with all the trimmings. Pecan smoked bacon, cured ham, sausage and two fried eggs, served with biscuits and grits. Oh, and a side of pancakes. Absolutely amazing (I’d recommend sharing!)

Morning: Take a hike and/or check out the shops

Gatlinburg’s location in the Great Smoky Mountains makes it a great base for getting into the great outdoors, and there are some easy and moderate hikes that can be completed in just a couple of hours on your day in Gatlinburg!

• Cataract Falls Trail is a mile long, easy hike, perfect for those travelling with children.
• The Laurel Falls Trail [closed for maintenence in 2025] is 10-15mins drive outside Gatlinburg, an easy route that takes just over an hour.
• If you want to spend more time on a more challenging hike, the Rainbow Falls Trail takes between 3-4 hours.

An alternative option is to rent an e-bike to explore the town and surrounding areas!

On our day in Gatlinburg, we were meant to take a walk through the gorgeous Great Smoky Mountains, but ridiculous high winds put a stop to that. Instead, we headed into town early to do some shopping. If you’re not a hiker, or the weather isn’t playing ball, Gatlinburg is a great place to explore quirky shops and boutiques!

Gatlinburg’s Shopping Village is pretty different to any other shopping village I’ve encountered. It’s cosy, centred around a courtyard with a fountain and passages stretching off it. The shops range from hiking gear and candles to hot sauce and fine art, and even if you’re not in the buying business, they’re really fun to look around.

My favourite was, obviously, the Ole Smoky Candy Kitchen. Packed with sweet treats, I managed to resist buying twenty boxes of fudge and a cuddly monkey. Just.

Lunch: Pizza at Mellow Mushroom

Fill up on the best pizza in Gatlinburg at Mellow Mushroom! Choose from more than three dozen toppings, with veggie and vegan options available. They also offer burgers, if that’s more your vibe.

If you don’t fancy a slice, here are some more great places to have lunch in Gatlinburg:

• Wild Plum Tearoom: quaint and cosy spot serving brunch and lunch dishes in a relaxing atmosphere.
• New Orleans Sandwich Company: authentic cajun and creole dishes including filled po’boys
• J.O.E and Pop’s Sub Shoppe: budget friendly sandwiches

Afternoon: Explore Gatlinburg’s Attractions

For your afternoon activities, choose one of Gatlinburg’s various attractions. Many are open well into the evening, so if you miss anything, you can head back later!

Gatlinburg Space Needle

Gatlinburg’s Space Needle is a 407ft tall observation tower, with an open observation deck offering panoramic views of the Great Smoky Mountains. Ride the glass elevator to the top, and zoom in on the surrounding landmarks using telescopes on the deck.

Admission Fee: $15.95 (adults & children 12+); $24.99 (children aged 4-11)
Opening Times: Opening days and times vary by season, so check the website for updated opening hours

Anakeesta

One of Gatlinburg’s newer attractions, Anakeesta offers thrilling treetop adventures with panoramic views of the Great Smoky Mountains. Ride a scenic chairlift to the park, and discover high ropes courses, a charming botanical garden, mountain coasters and ziplines.

Admission Fee: $36.99 (adults & children 12+); $9.95 (children aged 4-11)
Opening Times: Mon-Thu – 10am-midnight; Fri 9am-1am; Sat & Sun 9am-2am

Hollywood Star Cars Museum

Explore the cars of the stars with this automotive exhibit, featuring cars from movies across the ages. See vehicles used in Transformers and Fast and Furious, and take a photo with the original 1966 Batmobile.

Admission Fee: $17.99 (adults & children 13+); $9.99 (children aged 6-12)
Opening Times: 9am-10pm

Ripley’s Mountain Coaster

Ride a classic alpine coaster in the Great Smokies!

Admission Fee: $24.99 (or book your ticket via GetYourGuide for $17)
Opening Times: 10am-10pm (11pm on Fri & Sat)

Mysterious Mansion

Because being terrified isn’t just for Halloween! This Victorian-style haunted house is open year-round, with secret passages, scare actors and thrilling surprises.

Admission Fee: $25
Opening Times: Mon-Thu 3-9pm; Fri-Sun 12-9pm. Opening hours may change by season so check the website before you go

Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community

An eight mile loop of shops and galleries, Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community is the largest independent artisan organisation in the USA. With hands-on workshops and over 80 artists and craftspeople on the loop, it’s the perfect way to delve into Appalachia’s thriving creative scene.

Dinner: Smoky Mountain Trout House

For dinner, try out the freshest local fish dishes at local family-owned restaurant, Smoky Mountain Trout House. On my visit, I ordered the grilled trout with broccoli.

The food at Smoky Mountain Trout House really feels like it’s been lovingly made, from the unusual sounding but delicious blueberry salad dressing, to the crisp-skinned, super fresh trout. Despite being terrified I’d have no room after all the day’s consumption, this went down very quickly!

More dinner restaurants in Gatlinburg:

• The Peddler: Traditional steakhouse serving upmarket meat dishes
• Red Oak Bistro: Mediterranean small plates restaurant
• Loco Burro: Mexican cantina with vegetarian and vegan options available
• Ole Red: Offers Americana/pub grub style food, including a vegan burger

Evening: Visit a moonshine distillery

Gatlinburg is home to multiple moonshine distilleries. In the traditional sense, moonshine usually refers to a high-proof liquor, often made illegally.

Thankfully, the distilleries in Gatlinburg are perfectly legal and regulated, making up high-proof distilled spirits from corn mash. At the Ole Smokey Distillery, we managed to see moonshine in various stages of the making process, and learnt a bit about how the stuff is concocted.

The tour also included a tasting, where we were taken through a moonshine menu featuring peach, fruit punch and ‘Snow Cream’ liquor.

During our day in Gatlinburg, we hit up Sugarlands Distillery, for a second tour and tasting. The distillery itself had a really cool, steampunk industrial vibe with big copper machinery. The tours are definitely both worth doing if you’re interested, as they were quite different and talked about their brewing methods in very different ways.

Another great option for your evening in Gatlinburg is to dive into its spooky history, on a Ghosts of The Smokies Most Haunted Tour. Hear tales of historic hauntings, witchcraft and mysterious disappearances, and keep an eye out for any paranormal activity while you’re on the tour…

One Day in Gatlinburg: Travel Guide

How to get to Gatlinburg

Gatlinburg is around an hour’s drive from Knoxville; around two hours from Asheville, and around 3.5hrs from Nashville.

How long do you need in Gatlinburg?

One day is enough time to hit the highlights of Gatlinburg, which makes it a great road trip stop on your way through the Great Smoky Mountains.

If you’re planning on taking some longer hikes and exploring the Smokies further, you could also use Gatlinburg as a base for a few nights.

Where to stay in Gatlinburg: Gatlinburg Inn

If you’re spending the day in Gatlinburg, why not make the most of your trip by spending the night?

For two nights, we made ourselves at home in the Gatlinburg Inn, and I found the whole vibe of the place completely charming.

The inn had a rustic feel, with rocking chairs on the porch, lots of exposed wood and brickwork and a cosy lobby. The bedrooms were spacious and almost ‘log cabin’ like, with double doors leading onto a private balcony. Our twin room had two comfortable double beds, and all the standard mod cons you’d expect from a hotel. Overall? It was definitely cute. Totally the kind of place I enjoy staying – clean and functional, but with real character too.

More places to stay in Gatlinburg:

Gatlinburg Mountain Inn ($$) – a cosy motel-style accommodation in a peaceful spot on the outskirts of town.
Baymont by Wyndham Gatlinburg On The River ($$$) – riverside accommodation with balconies
Historic Rocky Waters Inn ($$$$) – cosy and intimate luxury adults only hotel.