Great Smoky Mountains & Cades Cove Self-Guided Driving 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.
After booking, check your email/text to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action while connected to WiFi or mobile data. Enter the password, download the tour, and enjoy it offline. Follow the audio instructions and route from the designated starting point.
New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.
This isn't an entrance ticket. Check opening hours before your visit.
What's Included
- Support is available via chat, email, or phone if you need help.
- Planning tools, route maps, scenic stops, and area previews included.
- Private tour experience for your family, in your own car.
- Lifetime access: use the tour anytime and keep it for future trips.
- Works offline with GPS route guidance and automatic audio stories.
- One purchase covers everyone in your car, not per person.
- Flexible tour: start, stop, and pause anytime during your trip.
- Access your tour in our separate audio tour app after booking.
- Hidden gems and local stories included along the route.
- Just bring your car and phone; the app guides your tour.
- No live guide. Entrance fees, parking, food, and car rental are separate.
Meeting Location
This activity ends back at the meeting point.
What To Expect
Book Online
Safe & secure Easy breezy Hassle‑free
Oconaluftee Visitor Center (pass by)
Mingus Mill (pass by)
Quiet Walkways (pass by)
Rockefeller Memorial (pass by)
Newfound Gap Road (pass by)
Alum Cave Trail (pass by)
Morton Overlook (pass by)
Carlos Campbell Overlook (pass by)
Chimney Tops Trail (pass by)
Kuwohi (pass by)
Sugarlands Visitors Center (pass by)
Cataract Falls (pass by)
Ripley's Believe It or Not! Gatlinburg (pass by)
Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail (pass by)
Rainbow Falls Trail (pass by)
Grotto Falls Trail (pass by)
Baskins Creek Falls (pass by)
Ephraim Bales Cabin (pass by)
Alfred Reagan Tub Mill (pass by)
Ely's Mill (pass by)
Gatlinburg
2 hours Admission Ticket Free
Cades Cove Methodist Church (pass by)
Cades Cove Missionary Baptist Church (pass by)
Elijah Oliver Cabin (pass by)
Abrams Falls Trail
1 hour Admission Ticket Free
Cades Cove Historical Grist Mill (pass by)
Tipton Road
2 hours Admission Ticket Free
Carter Shields Cabin (pass by)
Additional Info
- Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Check current road, trail, weather, and facility conditions before your visit, as temporary closures may affect the tour route.
- Closed/inaccessible site: Laurel Falls Trail (including related sections of the Sugarlands Mountain Trail).
- A valid parking tag is required for vehicles parked for longer than 15 minutes anywhere within the park. Parking tags are available online and at designated locations inside and near the park.
- There are no gas stations inside the park, so fill your tank before entering.
- Cell service is extremely limited. Download the audio tour and any required maps before arriving.
- Cades Cove Loop Road is closed to motor vehicles all day every Wednesday from May 6 through September 30, 2026, giving cyclists and pedestrians exclusive access to the road.
- Easy to use: GPS-triggered audio plays automatically along the route for a hands-free experience.
- Private tour: Explore in your own vehicle without crowded buses or large tour groups.
- At your own pace: Start anytime and pause for hikes, picnics, photos, or scenic stops.
- Works offline: Once downloaded, the tour works using GPS without Wi-Fi or cellular service.
- Good value: One purchase covers everyone in your vehicle, not each person separately.
- More ways to save: Choose a single tour, a nearby bundle, or access to 200+ tours.
- Download in advance: Download the Tour Guide app by Action and tour while connected to Wi-Fi or a strong cellular signal.
- Follow the route: Begin at the suggested starting point or join anywhere along the route shown in the app.
- Lifetime access: Preview the tour before your trip and revisit the stories, photos, and details afterward.
- Supported devices: iPhone with iOS 15+, Android with version 9+, or a GPS-enabled iPad/tablet with cellular capability.
- The app’s audio will play through your car’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto display, while the app’s map will display on your phone. You can connect your phone to the car via Bluetooth to listen to the commentary through the car stereo.
Frequently Asked Questions (7)
Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Great Smoky Mountains & Cades Cove Self-Guided Driving Tours?
Cancellation Policy
Still have questions?
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Activity code: C-267535P18
Traveler Photos
Reviews
Average 4.49 out of 5 stars based on 108 traveler reviews collected by Cool Shore Excursions and partner sites such as Cool Destinations and TripAdvisor
Additional Info
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Frequently Asked Questions (7)
The answers provided below were previously given in response to questions from Cool Shore Excursions customers.
Filter by:
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.
- Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (EST).
- Support is available via chat, email, or phone if you need help.
- Planning tools, route maps, scenic stops, and area previews included.
- Private tour experience for your family, in your own car.
- Lifetime access: use the tour anytime and keep it for future trips.
- Works offline with GPS route guidance and automatic audio stories.
- One purchase covers everyone in your car, not per person.
- Flexible tour: start, stop, and pause anytime during your trip.
- Access your tour in our separate audio tour app after booking.
- Hidden gems and local stories included along the route.
- Just bring your car and phone; the app guides your tour.
- No live guide. Entrance fees, parking, food, and car rental are separate.
There is no minimum age for this tour, so bring your wee one along for an adventure..
Apr 2025If a date or time is not listed on the calendar, it’s sold out or unavailable for another reason. Support cannot assist further if a date or time is not on the calendar.
If you find a date and time that works for you, book it NOW because things always sell out at this time of year.
Apr 2025Accessibility information for the Great Smoky Mountains & Cades Cove Self-Guided Driving Tours is as follows:
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Detailed check-in instructions – including meeting point address, Google map, and parking information – for Great Smoky Mountains & Cades Cove Self-Guided Driving Tours will be included in your confirmation email from Cool Shore Excursions. Please be sure to double and triple check your email address is correct at checkout so this important email makes its way to you!
Mar 2024Once your refund is processed, it usually shows on your card statement within 5–10 business days. The exact timing depends on your bank or card issuer.
Want it sooner? When you cancel, choose Receive a refund to my wallet instead. The credit is in your Wallet straight away and is applied automatically at checkout on your next booking when you’re signed in with the same email. You can see your balance any time in My Wallet.
If you paid part of your booking with Wallet credit, that part always goes back to your Wallet. Trip protection isn’t refundable.
Oct 2026What's Included
- Support is available via chat, email, or phone if you need help.
- Planning tools, route maps, scenic stops, and area previews included.
- Private tour experience for your family, in your own car.
- Lifetime access: use the tour anytime and keep it for future trips.
- Works offline with GPS route guidance and automatic audio stories.
- One purchase covers everyone in your car, not per person.
- Flexible tour: start, stop, and pause anytime during your trip.
- Access your tour in our separate audio tour app after booking.
- Hidden gems and local stories included along the route.
- Just bring your car and phone; the app guides your tour.
- No live guide. Entrance fees, parking, food, and car rental are separate.
Additional Info
- Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Check current road, trail, weather, and facility conditions before your visit, as temporary closures may affect the tour route.
- Closed/inaccessible site: Laurel Falls Trail (including related sections of the Sugarlands Mountain Trail).
- A valid parking tag is required for vehicles parked for longer than 15 minutes anywhere within the park. Parking tags are available online and at designated locations inside and near the park.
- There are no gas stations inside the park, so fill your tank before entering.
- Cell service is extremely limited. Download the audio tour and any required maps before arriving.
- Cades Cove Loop Road is closed to motor vehicles all day every Wednesday from May 6 through September 30, 2026, giving cyclists and pedestrians exclusive access to the road.
- Easy to use: GPS-triggered audio plays automatically along the route for a hands-free experience.
- Private tour: Explore in your own vehicle without crowded buses or large tour groups.
- At your own pace: Start anytime and pause for hikes, picnics, photos, or scenic stops.
- Works offline: Once downloaded, the tour works using GPS without Wi-Fi or cellular service.
- Good value: One purchase covers everyone in your vehicle, not each person separately.
- More ways to save: Choose a single tour, a nearby bundle, or access to 200+ tours.
- Download in advance: Download the Tour Guide app by Action and tour while connected to Wi-Fi or a strong cellular signal.
- Follow the route: Begin at the suggested starting point or join anywhere along the route shown in the app.
- Lifetime access: Preview the tour before your trip and revisit the stories, photos, and details afterward.
- Supported devices: iPhone with iOS 15+, Android with version 9+, or a GPS-enabled iPad/tablet with cellular capability.
- The app’s audio will play through your car’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto display, while the app’s map will display on your phone. You can connect your phone to the car via Bluetooth to listen to the commentary through the car stereo.
