Our family has been going to the Smoky Mountains for vacation for two decades now, and we just got back from our 2018 trip! Since this place is so near and dear to our hearts, I thought I would make a dedicated page for this destination on our website. I plan to update it with each visit to help you plan your own visit with up-to-date recommendations, coupons, discount info, and itinerary inspiration!
First things first – check out my IN-DEPTH 7 day Smoky Mountain family vacation itinerary below. It includes a menu/eat-out schedule for each day! Then, scroll on down for my best recommendations on where to stay, eat, shop, and what to do!
Here’s a map of ALL the places that I mention in this Smoky Mountain Vacation Itinerary!
7-Day Smoky Mountain Family Vacation Itinerary + Menu
Day 1 | Monday
- Cabin check-in
- Unpack/settle in
- Cabin Dinner
- Ham Sliders
- Kale Salad
- Blueberry Cobbler (made the day before)
- Family game night (these are our favorites!)
- Settlers of Catan
- Ticket to Ride
- Jackbox TV Games – we LOVE Quiplash and Fibbage and would recommend Jackbox Party Pack 2 or 3
- Hot tubbin’
Day 2 | Tuesday
- Cabin Breakfast
- Hike Laurel Falls Trail at Smoky Mountain National Park
- Picnic Lunch | Picnic Areas
- Dinner at The Local Goat
Day 3 | Wednesday
- Cabin Breakfast
- Cinnamon Biscuits
- Country Ham
- Fresh Fruit
- Cabin Lunch
- BLT sandwich bar
- Fresh Fruit
- Late afternoon/evening at Dollywood
- Dinner at Dollywood – we recommend the turkey legs, pork rinds, kettle chip nachos, and the cinnamon bread from The Grist Mill!
Day 4 | Thursday
- Cabin Breakfast
- Yogurt, Granola, and Fruit Parfaits
- Early morning/afternoon at Dolly Splash Country
- Picnic Lunch at Dolly Splash
- Chicken Salad and Pimento Cheese Sandwiches (can buy pre-made too!)
- Hummus and Chips/Veggies
- Pecan Butter and Peach Jam Crumble Bars (made ahead and frozen)
- Cabin Dinner
- Grilled Burgers with all the fixin’s!
- Late evening coasters at Dollywood
Day 5 | Friday
- Cabin Brunch
- Overnight French Toast
- Turkey and Veggie Sausage
- Shopping/Activities at The Island
- Catfish Dinner at Huck Finn’s Catfish
- Alpine Coaster at Goats on the Roof
Day 6 | Saturday
- Cabin Breakfast
- Kodiak Cakes
- Bacon + Eggs
- Tubing at Smoky Mountain River Rat
- Lunch at Burgermaster
- Cabin Dinner
- Ice cream at The Creamery at The Old Mill
Day 7 | Sunday
- Cabin Brunch
- Waffle Bar (frozen waffles, nut butter, fresh fruit, maple syrup, crumbled bacon)
- Shopping at Tanger Outlets
- Dinner at Best Italian in Gatlinburg
- Downtown Gatlinburg shopping and exploration
- Dessert at The Chocolate Monkey
Accommodations in Pigeon Forge + Gatlinburg
Cabin Rentals – Good for week-long visits!
- Cabins for You – we have rented here several times and know the owners – very nice!
- Mountain Laurel Chalets – we rented from here in 2016 and it has been our favorite cabin thus far!
Cedar Point Cabin from Mountain Laurel Chalets in Gatlinburg, TN
Hotels
- Clarion Inn – where we like to stay for a short visit
- Dollywood DreamMore Resort – we have yet to stay here, but keep hearing it is amazing. I hope to someday!
Activities + Attractions
Hiking
- Little Greenbrier Trail – this trail is super quiet and serene. It connects to Laurel Falls and makes for a good hike that will take 4+ hours.
- Laurel Falls Trail – our favorite “family hike.” It is paved, fairly easy to hike, and less than 3 miles.
- The Sinks – a good place off the parkway to see rapids and waterfalls. You can cliff jump here but I personally wouldn’t do it!
- Picnic Areas – we love to plan a picnic whenever we do a short hike.
Hiking the Laurel Falls trail.
Tubing
- Smoky Mountain River Rat – our newest favorite activity in the Smokies! Just $15 for adults to tube two separate river courses, and you can tube each one as many times as you like. It’s perfect for kids (they have tubes for ages 2 and up and can tether them to a parent’s tube) and they are also dog-friendly! Save $2 off ticket price for booking online!
Zip-Lining
- Smoky Mountain Ziplines – this is our go-to place if people from our group want to zip-line. Save $15 off the ticket when you book online!
Go-Karts
- Adventure Raceway – we have been riding go-karts here for a decade now and it is our family’s favorite track! Get a free ticket for every two tickets purchased with this coupon.
Mountain Coasters
- Goats on the Roof – we did the mountain coaster for the first time this year and everyone LOVED it! It will be a tradition from here on out, I’m sure! You can save $2 off the $15 ticket when you reserve online, and then ride a second time for just $5!
- Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster – another good mountain coaster option that has really cool lights at night!
Shopping
- Tanger Outlets – we love the Aerie, JCrew, Gap, and Old Navy outlets here!
- The Old Mill – beautiful handmade pottery and woodworks.
- The Village – fun candles, food souvenirs, coffee, magnets, and toys.
- The Island – they’ve got a little bit of everything here!
Shows
- Smoky Mountain Opry – we currently have a family friend singing in this show, so it was fun to finally check it out for the first time this year! It’s a great option if you love music and theater!
Experiences
- The Escape Game – we did this back in 2016 and had a blast! I recommend to keep your group size under 5 people so each person gets a chance to help solve the puzzles!
- Ripley’s Aquarium – a great option if you do not want to do Dollywood or have little kids. The combo packs they sell with other shows and museums are a really great value.
The Escape Game at The Island
Dollywood/Dolly Splash Country
We visit every time we are in the Smokies and it is one of our favorite theme parks! Our first time to visit Splash Country was this year, and we were SO impressed! It’s such a clean park and the water slides are amazing! Here are tips for visiting below:
- Buy a 2-park, 1 Day pass after 3 pm at the ticket offices. You’ll be able to come back for free the next day. We ride rides at Dollywood in the evening on the first day, then come back early the next day and do Splash Country.
- On the evening of the 2nd day, we come back and ride the roller coasters until the park closes because there is hardly any wait late at night!
Dining + Desserts
- Huck Finn’s Catfish | Pigeon Forge – we love the family-style sides that come with each meal.
- Pawpaw’s Catfish Kitchen | Townsend – amazing catfish and good Cajun food as well!
- Elvira’s | Townsend – crepes and pancakes!
- Burgermaster Townsend – great burgers, hot dogs, and soft serve. Located right next to the Smoky Mountain River Rat, so it’s awesome for when you finish tubing!
- The Local Goat | Pigeon Forge – great variety and a good local, farm-to-table option
- Best Italian | Gatlinburg – we come for the garlic knots and the HUGE NY-style pizzas! Two pizzas will feed our family of 10!
- Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant + The Apple Barn and Cider Mill | Pigeon Forge – fun dinner experience with delicious apple fritters and apple cider!
- The Chocolate Monkey | Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg – we are obsessed with anything covered in the caramel here. The caramel-covered Rice Krispy Treats are to die for. The ice cream is delicious, too!
- The Creamery at The Old Mill – amazing homemade ice cream and HUGE ice cream sundaes. High-quality, delicious ice cream at a great price!
- Krispy Kreme Pigeon Forge – you can’t beat hot donuts after a late night of riding go-karts! This is a family tradition we always look forward to!
Huck Finn’s Catfish
Have you ever vacationed in the Smokies? Is this somewhere you’d consider going one day? I’d love to hear about your experience or plans in the comments below! I’d also love to see your summer vacation memories, so be sure to upload a photo to Instagram or Twitter with the tag @sweetcayenne5 to be featured in my monthly newsletter!
You may also enjoy my Pigeon Forge + Gatlinburg Travel Diary or this post on Day Trips from Nashville: Mammoth Cave National Park!