First-time visitors to Gatlinburg are usually overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of sights, smells and sounds that seem to come from everywhere around you within the few blocks of this tiny Tennessee town.
Known as “the Gateway to the Smokies,” Gatlinburg seems to have it all – a thriving tourist community with loads of fun stuff to do, it is also a haven for nature lovers who travel here to appreciate the sweeping mountain vistas as well as for adventure-seekers who enjoy vigorous hikes in the nearby wilderness.
Robbie and I often say the downtown section of Gatlinburg, known as “the Parkway,” has the vibe of one giant carnival – with vendors selling fair food and shops overflowing with Smoky Mountain souvenirs. You will be lured by the mingling smells of pizza, pretzels and cheesesteaks, then tempted by displays of fudge, caramel apples and cotton candy.
There are attractions of all kinds (some more well-maintained than others), from putt-putt golf to rides to museums – Gatlinburg is all about having fun. And we’re all about fun.
But the quirky fair atmosphere isn’t all that Gatlinburg has to offer.
If you have the chance to visit anytime from November through February, you can experience Gatlinburg’s “Winterfest.” The magic of the Christmas season lasts a long time here, with the main roads through Gatlinburg and her sister city, Pigeon Forge, decked out in light displays featuring over 5 million lights. Snowman statues populate the sidewalks and Christmas tunes fill the air along the Parkway. Definitely puts you in the holiday spirit!
We always make an effort to stay within walking distance of the downtown area in each city we visit, but in Gatlinburg it is easy to drive everywhere, in case you want to rent one of the many cabins that seem to be everywhere in the woods surrounding Gatlinburg.
There are several parking garages and lots available downtown for $10 a day. For a $2 day pass, you can ride the trolley system that runs around Gatlinburg, and some routes also go to certain attractions in nearby Pigeon Forge. But there is plenty to do if you opt to stay in town. Here are a few of the highlights of our trip:
EAT + DRINK GATLINBURG
- The first thing you will notice about Gatlinburg and the surrounding areas are the number of pancake houses. They love them some pancakes, y’all. The long lines outside all of them proved it. And although I personally wanted to eat at each and every pancake house I saw, Robbie was less enthused, so because I had to choose (cruel!), we opted for Flapjacks Pancake Cabin. And what a delicious choice! The pancakes were huge and fluffy, the bacon was crisp, and there was a lot of food for the price. Highly recommended!
- At Crawdaddy’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar, we enjoyed a basket of fried alligator bites and okra, before tackling a seafood platter fit for a king! There was way too much food for the two of us, but it was all very tasty. We sat on the 2nd floor veranda overlooking the Parkway and enjoyed the sight of falling snow while we ate.
- Calhoun’s is known for its “world-famous” barbecue, so we settled on this location for dinner one night. The basket of hot rolls and cornbread was a welcome sight, as we were hungry after our busy day. We shared a barbecue trio plate with sides, and everything was delicious. Our table was next to a crackling fire, which was most welcome on such a chilly weekend!
- Behind Calhoun’s sits the Smoky Mountain Brewery, which serves American favorites with a selection of their own craft beer. We opted for the Philly cheesesteak and the Thunder burger with the spinach dip as an appetizer. Everything was very tasty!
- I don’t often post a bad review about a restaurant, usually opting to simply not mention the location at all. So, I hesitate to include our experience at Best Italian Café and Pizzeria in this post, but I figure I can’t write solely about positive experiences, as that isn’t reflective of real life. The food itself was fine, no complaints there, but the service…not so much. We paid at the register and were told to take our number and sit at a table. So we did. And we waited. And waited. Finally, a person brought us a pizza and set it on the table without a word. That’s all. We had no cups. No drinks. No plates. No napkins. No nothing. There were no servers. After another lengthy wait, we finally flagged down a table runner and were informed at that point that we were expected to get our own paper products from the server’s stand. Which would have been helpful to know from the beginning. By that point our pizza was cold. It was a very frustrating experience, and we will probably not be returning. Next time we crave pizza, we will try one of the carnival-like food stands on the Parkway.
- We enjoyed brunch one morning at Ruby Sunshine, a New Orleans-inspired café with a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. You may miss it when walking by, it’s on the second-floor of a building and looks a bit like a nightclub from the outside. But inside is completely family-friendly, if not waistline-friendly. We stuffed ourselves with Salmon Eggs Benedict and Banana Fosters Pancakes.
- The Pancake Pantry is one of those places you just have to eat at because it is an iconic location. Established in 1960, this is the first pancake house established in Gatlinburg, and its popularity speaks to how good the food is. Hungry patrons are often lined up on both sides of the front door
Obviously there is no way I would be able to list all of the places to eat that Gatlinburg has to offer, but these are the few that we were able to sample in the few days we were there. I already have a list of new places to try when we go back! If y’all haven’t been able to tell by now, food is at the top of our list when it comes to enjoying a visit to a new city. 😀
EXPLORE GATLINBURG
- There is a whole weekend’s worth of tourist attractions just on the main drag of Gatlinburg’s Parkway – all crammed together on both sides of the street like a carnival row. You can be amazed at the oddities on display at Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!, enjoy a large collection of famous cars from movies and TV shows at the Hollywood Star Cars Museum, and have the daylights scared out of you at the Mysterious Mansion. You can get a 360-degree view of the town and the Smoky Mountains from 400 feet up in the air on the Gatlinburg Space Needle. And this is only a few of the activities available right on the main parkway.
- We rode the skylift to Ober Gatlinburg for an impressive panoramic view of the town and surrounding mountains. The Skylift is a Gatlinburg tradition and has been in operation since 1954. You ride to the top of Crockett Mountain and enjoy the views from 1,800 feet above. You can then cross the longest suspension pedestrian bridge in North America at 680 feet. At the midpoint of the bridge, you can view the forest floor through 15 feet of glass panels that stand 140 feet above the valley. The views of the Smoky Mountains and downtown Gatlinburg are unparalleled and photo opportunities abound. The experience was made even more magical for us since the entire venue was decorated with thousands of colorful Christmas lights. We had to return to the top after dark just to see them in all their glory! You can also enjoy browsing the gift shop, getting drinks from the bar or snacks from the café before heading back down the mountainside.
- Just a short walk from the Parkway is Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, a 85,000-square-foot attraction that has been voted best aquarium in America in travel magazines. In fact, there are so many things to see and do here that you may not be able to fit everything in during one visit. Some of the cool exhibits include the Shark Lagoon, where an underwater tunnel brings you up-close-and-personal with these beautiful creatures, and the Touch-A-Ray Bay, where you can touch live stingrays as they swim past you. The Gallery of the Seas and the Penguin Playhouse are just a few of the many popular exhibits you can experience at Gatlinburg’s aquarium.
- Anakeesta is Gatlinburg’s newest attration, a mountain-top theme park offering impressive mountain views, adventurous treks along bouncy rope bridges that connect to treehouses, and seasonal garden with idyllic photo opportunities. We opted to skip this attraction during this trip and visit it when we return in the spring so we can enjoy it in the warm weather.
- We explored the spooky history of the town with Ghost & Haunt Tours of Gatlinburg and enjoyed an evening of local folklore and legends of haunted locations. We were even able to use ghost-hunting equipment including EMF readers and spirit boxes to capture evidence of ghostly activity. Whether or not you are a believer in the afterlife, you will enjoy this unique experience.
- Gatlinburg is the most popular gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most-visited national park in America. The park is open all year long, except for a few secondary roads that are closed during the winter due to snow and ice. Whether you are an avid hiker or just love to drive and look at natural beauty, the park has a huge selection of trails, roads and overlooks to provide visitors with a nature experience unlike any other. The 360-degree panorama view from Clingman’s Dome Tower is a popular spot for thousands of visitors each year.
SHOP GATLINBURG
- The Village is a collection of stores that feels like a storybook European town. It is centered around a fountain with “streets” of shops whimsically designed with cottage-like facades and carved wooden signage. You can browse for anything from clothing and jewelry to hiking gear and candles. The photo opportunities alone are worth a visit.
- I am not a fan of beer, but I love hard cider, and I discovered the best brand I’ve tried so far at Tennessee Cider Company. Stop by their downtown location and sample their fruity flavors. My all-time favorite was the seasonal Caramel Apple, although the Blueberry is a close second.
- A visit to the Ole Smoky Candy Kitchen is a must – the smell alone is worth the trip. It will take all of your willpower to leave without buying a pound of fudge in every flavor. I may or may not be speaking from experience.
- Make sure you sample the variety of flavors from the Gatlinburg location of Byrd’s Cookie Company. So much crunchy goodness! You won’t be able to resist taking a bag or two or six home with you – my personal favs are the Scottish Oatmeal and Key Lime.
- What is a trip to Tennessee without tasting a little authentic moonshine? There are several moonshine distilleries in and around Gatlinburg – one of our favorites was Ole Smoky Moonshine Distillery For a small fee, you can taste a selection of their best moonshine flavors and your tasting fee is then applied toward your purchase. Our favorite flavor was Bourbon Ball – a moonshine cream creation that tasted like dessert.
We really enjoy the fun carnival-vibe of Gatlinburg as well as the natural beauty of the surrounding mountains. You really get the best of both worlds! I’m hoping to put together a Wanderlands Gatlinburg travel guide to help you plan your next trip!
P.S. We stayed at the historic Gatlinburg Inn so that we could be in the heart of downtown. You can read all about our hotel stay here!
For more details about all that Gatlinburg has to offer, visit the official site here for more information. You just might fall in love with the place.
Have you ever visited Gatlinburg, Tennessee? Tell me about your experience in the comments!
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