When Jess and I moved to the USA, one of many issues I used to be most enthusiastic about was the chance to discover extra of this big nation at our leisure. There’s a lot to see and do throughout all of the states, and we now have the time and alternative to do exactly that.
One of many areas we now have visited not too long ago is the town of Chattanooga, Tennessee. It’s just a few hours’ drive from the place we stay, making Chattanooga a simple 1- or 2-day journey. Jess had visited earlier than, however as a toddler, so didn’t have a lot reminiscence of it aside from seeing an underground waterfall.
Earlier than we visited, we reached out to our publication subscribers for tips about what to see and the place to eat. Many Chattanooga locals acquired again to us and gave us some superior strategies.
So, with out additional ado, let me current our information to spending a day in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This isn’t going to be a deep dive into all the things the town has to supply (which is quite a bit, by the way in which, there’s even a museum of Worldwide Towing and Restoration).
Nonetheless, for those who’re visiting the town for a brief break, as we had been, it will cowl the must-see spots and highlights of Chattanooga. We’ll additionally supply our suggestions of the place to remain, and tips about getting round. Hopefully, all the things you might want to plan your individual fast getaway to Chattanooga.
Let’s get began!
1 Day Chattanooga Itinerary
Sooner or later in Chattanooga gained’t allow you to see all the things the town has to supply, however you’ll have the ability to see most of the highlights. As all the time, be at liberty to regulate this itinerary primarily based by yourself private preferences and pursuits!
We additionally advocate checking opening hours and pricing on the official web site earlier than setting out, as points of interest can shut or change working hours for numerous causes. For points of interest with tickets, a few of these can be cheaper if bought prematurely.
Breakfast: 9am
In case you’re lodge or lodging doesn’t supply breakfast, otherwise you would merely desire to have breakfast on the town someplace, we now have two choices for you. These can be Frothy Monkey, within the Choo Choo District, or The Each day Ration within the Northshore a part of city.
Each supply an important collection of southern breakfast choices, with gadgets resembling Shrimp and Grits and Fried Hen and Waffles. Naturally they each even have espresso choice to begin your day proper.
Discover Downtown Chattanooga: 10am
After breakfast, we’d counsel getting down to discover the town’s downtown. With restricted time in your palms you gained’t have time to go to all of the downtown points of interest, however it’s best to have the ability to embrace no less than one in your go to. After all, if you’re extra within the downtown points of interest than a few of the different areas we advise in a while within the day you then may take into account switching a downtown attraction with one among our later choices. You could possibly additionally simply spend all day simply exploring the points of interest within the downtown!
When it comes to downtown points of interest, there are a lot to select from. Among the major sights we advise trying out can be the Tennessee Aquarium, the Hunter Museum of American Artwork or the Artistic Discovery Museum. That final one can be an important possibility for those who’re visiting Chattanooga with youngsters.
When you’re finished exploring the downtown, it’s time to move out of city for the points of interest on Lookout Mountain.
Lookout Mountain Sights: from 12pm
Lookout Mountain is a mountain ridge just a few miles southwest of the Chattanooga metropolis heart. It’s house to a few of Chattanooga’s hottest points of interest, in addition to strolling trails and viewpoints providing wonderful views of the encompassing panorama. There are additionally quite a lot of locations to remain on the mountain itself.
A lot of Lookout Mountain is taken up by the Lookout Mountain Battlefield, which varieties part of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga Nationwide Navy Park. This was the placement of main occasions in the course of the American Civil Warfare, and people eager about navy historical past could need to go to the Level Park location for data on these occasions.
Level Park is a paid attraction, you may see extra right here. We didn’t embrace it on our itinerary, however be at liberty to incorporate it for those who just like the sound of it fairly than one among our different choices!
The remainder of the Lookout Mountain Battlefield space is free to go to and it’s house to round 30 miles of trails. So if you wish to simply discover nature and do some climbing, that’s actually an possibility. Simply discover a parking spot, select a path, and get going. There’s path map on the Nationwide Parks website right here.
Introduction to Lookout Mountain apart, let’s dive into the points of interest that we advocate you go to in your first journey to Lookout Mountain. These are paid, however we predict they’re undoubtedly price it.
Incline Railway: 12pm
The primary cease we advocate in your Lookout Mountain journey is the Incline Railway. In-built 1895, this mile lengthy railway will whisk you to the higher a part of the mountain. While the higher station of the incline railway isn’t technically on the highest level of Lookout Mountain (that honor belongs to Excessive Level, a manner additional south), it’s nonetheless fairly excessive up on the mountain, and you’ll get nice views of the town.
There’s a viewing platform on the higher station, and the experience on this historic railway is properly definitely worth the admission worth.
The experience takes round 10 minutes every manner, and also you’ll need to spend a while on the high having fun with the view, so we’d counsel planning to spend round 45 minutes to an hour visiting the Incline Railway.
In case you’re hungry, there are additionally just a few eating choices across the decrease station. It’s additionally right here the place you’ll discover the subsequent cease on our itinerary, house to a tasty deal with which is able to maintain you going together with your Chattanooga sightseeing journey!
You’ll be able to guide tickets for the Incline Railway right here. There’s a car parking zone on website, which has a small charge for parking. Observe that pets usually are not allowed on the railway.
Ice Cream at Clumpies: 1pm
Clumpies Ice Cream was extremely beneficial as a Chattanooga native favourite to attempt from our readers, and we’re so glad that we took them up on that suggestion.
Based in Chattanooga in 1999, Clumpies deal with handmade ice cream made with recent elements in small batches. As of the time of writing, it’s obtainable in three areas. There’s one within the Northshore space, one by the Chattanooga Choo Choo, and, conveniently for this itinerary, one proper by the bottom of the Incline Railway.
They’ve an enormous vary of scrumptious flavors to select from, and we extremely advocate stopping off to do this basic dish out.
Ruby Falls: 1.30pm
As I discussed in the beginning of this information, Jess visited Chattanooga when she was younger, and the one factor she actually remembers from that go to was that her household had a memento from Ruby Falls. So clearly we needed to return to refresh her reminiscence of what she noticed, and so I might see what it’s all about.
Ruby Falls has been some of the well-liked sights in Chattanooga because it opened to the general public in 1930. The principle attraction is the 90ft excessive waterfall, named Ruby Falls, which is definitely discovered over 1,000ft underground. An underground waterfall is unquestionably a neat attraction!
The Ruby Falls expertise works as follows. You join a tour time, which is finest if booked prematurely on their web site right here. All visits are by guided tour, with tour group sizes ranging as much as round 30 folks. On the tour time you’re taking an elevator down 260ft into the mountain, after which your information will lead you alongside a path to the waterfall. There’s additionally a video close to the beginning of the tour the place you’ll study in regards to the historical past of how the attraction was developed, which is fairly fascinating.
The path is just below a mile spherical journey, and there are many fascinating cave formations to see on the way in which, which your information will level out. The path is straightforward to comply with and pretty even, though this being a cave there are after all low factors, outcrops and a few steps to navigate. There are additionally occasions when you’ll have to let one other group going the opposite manner cross.
After all, the spotlight of the journey is the waterfall, which is fairly spectacular. It cascades down round 90ft, and the chamber it’s in is a lot massive sufficient for the group. It’s additionally illuminated with completely different colours and there’s music as properly.
For us the whole underground expertise lasted round an hour, with the time on the falls lasting round 8 to 10 minutes. This was loads of time to get all of the images we wished and in addition to only get pleasure from watching the water.
Now, you is likely to be questioning if visiting Ruby Falls is price it. We personally loved it, however it’s clearly a reasonably busy attraction the place you must comply with a set path and itinerary.
I believe quite a lot of how good your expertise can be will come all the way down to your information. The teams usually are not big, however with 30 or so folks stretched alongside a slender pathway, you’ll want to attempt to be close to the entrance of your group to listen to all the things your information has to say as you go. There are factors the place your group will cease and the information will speak to you all, however there are additionally factors of curiosity alongside the way in which which you will miss for those who’re close to the again of the group.
Our information was okay, however we now have learn opinions the place folks discovered the guides to be very entertaining and verbose, which wasn’t the case with our information. Nonetheless, we did benefit from the expertise total, which was fairly distinctive. It additionally has historic attraction curiosity – we all the time love to go to points of interest which were drawing a crowd for many years, because it looks like we’re following within the footsteps of many different vacationers.
That stated, for those who desire to have a bit extra time to discover at your leisure, are claustrophobic, or if the sound of an underground waterfall doesn’t float your boat, then that’s completely effective!
E book your tickets on the official Ruby Falls web site right here. Parking at Ruby Falls is free.
Rock Metropolis / Lookout Mountain: 4pm
The opposite well-liked paid attraction on Lookout Mountain we advocate visiting is Rock Metropolis, which is definitely simply throughout the state line in Georgia. This has additionally been a preferred attraction in Chattanooga for a few years, opening manner again in 1932.
It grew to become well-liked attributable to a advertising marketing campaign which contain portray the slogan “See Rock Metropolis” on the roofs and partitions of barns throughout the US. By 1969, over 900 barns had been embellished throughout 19 states, and it’s protected to say that this acquired the phrase out in regards to the attraction pretty comprehensively.
In the present day, Rock Metropolis gives an identical expertise to that which guests would have discovered again within the day, though it has after all developed a little bit over time. The principle attraction although are the strolling trails, which wend their manner across the attractive rock formations, main you to spectacular viewpoints.
From one among these viewpoints it’s stated which you could see seven states, though you’ll need a really clear day to attain that. Nonetheless, the view is spectacular, whatever the variety of states you really see.
We actually loved visiting Rock Metropolis, it was our favourite attraction on high of Lookout Mountain. It’s actually neat to have the ability to wander round and beneath all of the rocks, and there actually is quite a lot of element to see, from underground dioramas to a waterfall to swing bridges to these aforementioned views. It actually looks like of quite a lot of love and a focus went into creating this attraction, with the identical household operating it at the moment who initially created it.
We’ve put your go to to Rock Metropolis later within the day so it’s a bit cooler, which is very vital for those who’re visiting Chattanooga in the summertime months. Nonetheless, it’s a year-round vacation spot, with themes all year long, together with an Irish pageant in March, and lights for Christmas.
For this one we undoubtedly advocate reserving on-line prematurely. Costs range relying on the time slot you select and the day you go to, and it’s often cheaper to guide prematurely on-line fairly than purchase tickets in particular person.
See extra and guide your tickets on the official Rock Metropolis web site right here. We’d counsel round 90 minutes to 2 hours for this attraction. Parking is free.
Dinner: 6pm
In any case that exploration, you’re certain to be hungry by now. So it is likely to be time to move for some meals!
There’s an enormous vary of eating choices to select from in Chattanooga, from quick informal by way of to upscale experiences. You’ll additionally discover a vary of cuisines to select from, operating the gamut from BBQ, hearty southern fare, by way of to world flavors.
There are undoubtedly too many choices to listing, however some choices to think about embrace Barque for wonderful BBQ, St. John’s Restaurant for upscale eating, Elsie’s Daughter for a bistro eating expertise, Champy’s for superb fried hen and the Bridgeman Chophouse for steaks and seafood.
In addition to eating choices, Chattanooga has some nice spots to drink. Whether or not you’re planning on watching the sundown with a cocktail (head to the rooftop Whiskey Thief) or need to go to a neighborhood brewery like Oddstory or Hutton & Smith, Chattanooga is certain to have one thing to sate your thirst. For mocktails, try Sleepyhead Important+Dodds which has a everlasting alcohol-free cocktail menu.
Sundown: Lookout Mountain or Walnut Avenue Bridge
To spherical off your day in Chattanooga, we predict you may need to get pleasure from watching the sundown. Though for those who’d desire to chill out or skip it and head to a bar, that’s completely effective too!
Nonetheless, for those who do determine to see the sundown, there are some good choices.
First, for those who’re downtown, then we advocate heading out onto Walnut Avenue Bridge for a pleasant view of the sundown over the river. Courting from 1890, this pedestrian solely bridge is an iconic landmark within the metropolis and a very good place from the place to benefit from the sundown.
In case you’d desire to observe the sundown from nature, or are nonetheless up on Lookout Mountain when the solar is setting, then the opposite location you may take into account is the aptly named Sundown Rock. That is discovered on the west facet of the mountain, and from right here you will get an important view throughout the encompassing panorama from an elevated location.
There’s a small free car parking zone simply close to the trailhead, and it’s solely about 200 yards from the parking location to the perspective. Simply remember that the car parking zone solely has 9 spots and may replenish.
Relying on the time of 12 months you go to, sundown can be at various occasions. You should use this web site to examine when sundown can be throughout your go to, nevertheless it varies from round 5.30pm in mid-winter, by way of to 9pm in the summertime.
So if you wish to see the sundown, you may have to plan your time for dinner round that relying on when you’re visiting.
After all, there are many different locations you may watch the sundown from. I noticed a stunning sundown from simply exterior our lodge within the Choo Choo district for instance!
That wraps up our information to what to do in a day in Chattanooga! Let’s now have a look at some sensible ideas that can assist you plan your go to.
Tips on how to Get to Chattanooga
You will have just a few choices for attending to Chattanooga.
First, Chattanooga has an airport, code CHA, which is served by quite a lot of American carriers and gives direct flights to many cities, together with main airport hubs like Atlanta, Dallas and Charlotte. So whether or not you’re visiting Chattanooga from the USA or abroad, it’s best to have the ability to fly right here comparatively simply.
You may also drive to Chattanooga after all, which is how we often go to. It’s round 2 hours drive northwest of Atlanta, Georgia; 2 hours’ drive southwest of Knoxville, Tennessee; two hours’ drive southeast of Nashville, Tennessee; or 2 hours’ drive northeast of Birmingham, Alabama.
As you may see, there are many different fascinating cities inside straightforward driving distance, that means you would simply embrace Chattanooga on a street journey of the US south.
When it comes to bus and prepare, Chattanooga is sadly not on the passenger rail community within the USA, with the closest main Amtrak stations being Birmingham and Atlanta.
As of 2023, Chattanooga not has a Greyhound cease within the metropolis both. The closest Greyhound cease is presently in Wildwood, GA, which is about 10 miles southwest of the town heart.
Tips on how to Get Round Chattanooga
You will have just a few choices for getting round Chattanooga.
First, if you’re staying downtown, then most of the downtown points of interest can be inside straightforward strolling distance. Chattanooga is a pleasant metropolis to stroll round and we will undoubtedly advocate taking a stroll round.
There’s additionally a public transit system managed by the Chattanooga Space Regional Transportation Authority, or CARTA. This features a bus community which covers most of Chattanooga, together with the Incline Railway. Nonetheless, this doesn’t embrace different Lookout Mountain areas like Rock Metropolis or Ruby Falls.
CARTA additionally run the free downtown shuttle service, which is a free electrical shuttle which runs between the Choo Choo district and downtown. This has been in operation since 1992, and is especially helpful for those who’re staying within the Choo Choo district, as we did on one among our visits to Chattanooga. We took the bus proper to the Aquarium, which was actually handy.
Experience sharing can be an possibility in Chattanooga, however do remember that many experience sharing platforms have restrictions on working in a special state, particularly round choosing up folks. This might be a problem for someplace like Rock Metropolis, which is in Georgia. So, you may have the ability to get a experience share to Rock Metropolis for instance, however then not have the ability to discover one to take you again!
For the sights exterior of Chattanooga, notably these on Lookout Mountain, the best technique to get round goes to be to drive your self. This gives you probably the most flexibility in your go to. There’s usually loads of parking, which is both free or pretty low price.
The place to Keep in Chattanooga
Chattanooga has numerous choices for lodging, starting from extra finances pleasant choices by way of to high-end and boutique resorts.
We’d advocate first deciding the place you need to keep. We’d advocate selecting both downtown, the Choo Choo district (which provides you quick access to downtown with the free shuttle), or simply exterior of city on the chain resorts you often discover round interstate exits.
There are professionals and cons to each choices. With the downtown resorts, you get the benefit of being within the coronary heart of the motion, and it is possible for you to to stroll to many points of interest. There are additionally some very nice distinctive lodging choices. The draw back can be that these resorts are usually costlier, and parking often carries a charge, which you’ll must issue into your finances.
The Choo Choo district generally is a good possibility as properly, it’s a historic district with good eating and lodging choices, and you’ll simply attain the downtown space through the free electrical shuttle bus. However resorts will nonetheless be on the pricier facet with a further charge for parking usually.
Lastly, you may decide to remain at one of many many chain resorts close to the Interstate exits. These usually include advantages like free parking and a few additionally embrace a free breakfast, all at a extra pockets pleasant worth. The draw back is that you simply’ll seemingly must drive a bit extra, however as many points of interest require a automotive anyway, this seemingly gained’t be a giant deal.
In case you do determine to remain a little bit out of city, we’d counsel the resorts off I-24 round exit 174 or exit 175 can be the best choice. There are additionally choices round exit 178, that are nearer to downtown, however are likely to obtain extra combined opinions.
We all the time counsel studying current opinions previous to reserving any lodge as issues can change.
Listed here are some choices to think about in your go to. These are ordered roughly by worth, however after all worth can range so we all the time advocate checking and evaluating costs in your dates to get one of the best deal.
Downtown Chattanooga / Choo Choo Resort Suggestions:
- Resort Bo Days Inn – This can be a well-reviewed possibility providing good worth within the downtown space. Rooms have tea/espresso making services, and meals can be found. Parking is obtainable on-site for an affordable charge.
- Residence Inn Chattanooga Downtown – if you wish to be proper within the coronary heart of downtown Chattanooga however at a extra value-oriented worth level, this Residence Inn is a superb possibility. It’s simply throughout from the Aquarium and inside a simple stroll of the vast majority of downtown sights. Breakfast is included, on-site parking is obtainable for a charge.
- The Learn Home Resort – this luxurious historic lodge in downtown Chattanooga gives Nineteen Twenties model with modern-day facilities. Anticipate wooden clad partitions, checkered flooring and dramatic chandeliers, alongside modern-day comforts like A/C, on-site parking (for a charge) and two wonderful eating places. One to think about for those who’re after a standard upscale lodge expertise.
- The Resort Chalet at The Choo Choo – We stayed right here on one among our visits to Chattanooga and actually loved it. It’s discovered within the Choo Choo district, house of the previous railway station. The lodge has a pool and on-site parking, a superb on-site restaurant, and is inside strolling distance of quite a lot of bars and eateries. Uniquely, you may decide to remain in a transformed railway carriage, which is fairly neat, however observe that some reviewers famous these generally is a little noisy.
- The Dwell Resort – This can be a pretty luxurious boutique lodge which dates from 1909. It solely has 16 rooms and frequently books out, so that you’ll need to guide properly prematurely for this one. Every room is individually designed with a retro really feel. There’s a full-service bar and a light-weight continental breakfast is obtainable. Parking is obtainable close by for a charge.
Outdoors Chattanooga Suggestions
These resorts are discovered a little bit exterior of city on the main interstate exits. You’ll be able to typically save by being out of city, with the comfort of free parking. Many even have breakfast included.
- Howard Johnson by Wyndham Chattanooga Lookout Mountain – it is a finances pleasant possibility providing free parking and an inclusive breakfast on the base of Lookout Mountain. Breakfast is included.
- Days Inn by Wyndham Chattanooga Lookout Mountain West – one other good worth possibility close to Lookout Mountain, this has an indoor pool in addition to free parking and breakfast. Rooms even have a microwave and fridge.
- Consolation Inn Chattanooga Downtown Southside – the title is a little bit deceptive as it is a couple of miles from downtown. Nonetheless, it places you conveniently between downtown and the Lookout Mountain points of interest, so is likely to be possibility. Breakfast is included and there’s free parking on website. This lodge tends to get one of the best opinions of the choices on this freeway exit.
You’ll be able to see many extra choices for lodging throughout a variety of worth factors on reserving.com right here, together with resorts and condominium leases.
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