Overview
Available languages
4 hours
Mobile ticket
Autumn color in the Smokies changes by elevation, weather, and timing. Fall Color Quest is designed to follow the best color of the day, whether that means glowing streamside forests, colorful hardwood coves, quiet trails, or higher-elevation views.
With an experienced guide, guests can enjoy fall foliage without guessing where to go or fighting only the most crowded roadside stops. This seasonal guided hike blends autumn scenery with natural history, forest ecology, and local insight into one of the most beautiful times of year in the Smokies.
Transportation is included with this tour. Pick up from a downtown Gatlinburg hotel or the Sugarlands Visitors Center
Best for: Fall visitors, photographers, couples, families, leaf peepers, and guests who want help finding peak Smoky Mountain color.
Duration: 3-4 Hours | Difficulty: Easy to Moderate | Mileage: Variable | Elevation Change: Variable | Ages: 6+
Meeting Location: Gatlinburg Hotel Pick up or Sugarlands Visitors Center
Additional Info
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Please note that, while we do our best to follow the itinerary listed, we may need to pivot due to road closures or events outside of our control. We require a minimum of 2 people to operate this tour. We operate rain or shine.
What To Expect
Sugarlands Visitors Center
Meet your guide at the Sugarland's Visitors Center for your hiking tour to experience the wonders of a Smoky Mountain Fall!
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Experience the wonders of a Smoky Mountain Fall! Where we go during the tour will depend on where the best Fall color is at the time of your tour. Fall color starts in the high elevations and moves down the mountain. At the beginning of the Fall color season, we will go to places up high. This could include Kuwohi, Newfound Gap, etc. Mid season, we will seek out a mid elevation hike and at the end of the Fall color season, we will hike at low elevations
Options
Fall Color Quest: Smoky Mountain Fall Foliage Hike
Pickup included
What‘s Included
Snacks
All Fees and Taxes
Air-conditioned vehicle
Professional Guide
Bring 32 oz. of water
Gratuity for your guide.
Rain Gear - We have emergency ponchos on hand if needed.
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
16 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
An Unforgettable Experience with the Best Guide!
SurendarG R,Oct 21, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Luci provided the best tour experience we've ever had! She is a wonderful, caring, and incredibly knowledgeable guide whose passion for the Smoky Mountains is contagious. With her excellent communication skills, she gave us fascinating insights into the history, culture, and ecology of the region. She went above and beyond to ensure we saw the very best of the Smokies, making the tour a truly memorable adventure. Luci is an absolute gem—priceless and the key to an unforgettable trip. Book with her; you won't regret it!
Beautiful mountains and nice van for the ride.
pamhN7078PX,Oct 14, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00It was well organized and our guide Samantha was great. She was very knowledgeable and talked us through the whole trip. Answered all the questions we had for her.
Guide Skipped Kuwohi and Clingmans Dome Trail giving traffic excuse
sahanaphysics21,Oct 14, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00Overall, the experience was average, as our tour guide, Samantha from 'A Walk in the Woods' company, did not take us to any of the most popular spots that were advertised on TripAdvisor. She deliberately skipped Kuwohi, Clingmans Dome Trail, saying, "traffic is horrible around this time of the day". Everyone on the trip was present at the pickup spot on time. If we were asked for an early pickup, we would have done that. We were not aware of the traffic and missed the most visited and most desired spot at the Smoky. It was disappointing.
Mountain scenery
ZARINA H,Oct 14, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Comfortable van, not a bus. Small group, better than a large group. Friendly knowledgeable guide; easy to hear her and others in group. Just adults in our group. May not be best choice for kids.
Fun tour!
Lisa B,Oct 7, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Well, I stepped out of my comfort zone for this tour based on the activity level. It was very beautiful. Our guide was great. The other people who were on the tour with us were very fun to be with.
Fall tour
beth,Oct 6, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00Learning about the history of the park was fascinating. Also enjoyed the bear information. Kelly, our guide, was sensitive about our age. She was well informed on the plant life.
Professionally managed company with excellent guides in a beautiful place!
AnjJ345,Oct 3, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We booked 3 tours in 3 days, from easy to moderate, and were not disappointed. This company is super professional, enthusiastic, responsive, friendly, informative, fun. We arrived just days after Hurricane Helene devastated parts of eastern TN and western NC and AWITW was all over it. They continually tracked the condition of roads and trails throughout the region and proactively emailed to change one of our itineraries because of flooding. They are focused on keeping you safe. We really enjoyed our two guides, Kels and Deb, and learned so much from them. Great Smoky Mountain National Park is large and very heavily traveled. Though millions go there yearly, only a fraction of the those hike, resulting in a huge number of cars trying to drive and park. Hiring these guys takes all the hassle out of it. Highly recommended!
Great hike!
rtaftmilby12457,Nov 6, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The trail guide was very friendly, and knowledgeable about the trail, the trees and the geology. He was very patient, took time to explain history and science regarding the venue.
Buyers beware! Read completely before booking!
Yakkundi,Oct 16, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
2.00This tour is not what we expected. We both needed to drive in our own car following the guide! 230 dollars for this was a real waste of money.You really don’t need a guide to drive to Clingman’s dome. Our guide was a young lady , was really nice. It was too late to cancel the trip.
Great way to learn how the Great Smoky Mountains became a National park
Family P,Oct 14, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We took this tour with Ken on October 8 & had a great time. After meeting at the Sugarlands Visitors Center we made a short drive to the trailhead & then started our walk along the Little River. Ken was extremely knowledgeable about the trail & the park so we learnt a lot. Granted we could have done the hike on our own, but we wouldn’t have known the park history at all. Well worth doing to learn how the Great Smoky Mountains became a National park.
Related Experiences
Operated by A Walk in the Woods