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Cades Cove Sightseeing Bus Tour from Pigeon Forge

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Overview

Available languages

English

Mobile ticket

Take a trip into historic Cade's Cove. Once known as Cates Cove, named after the wife of a Cherokee Chief who had taken a Christian name after converting to Christianity. Chief Abram also adopted a Christian name and now has a waterfall in Cades Cove named after him. Learn this and more on a 5 hour bus tour of the famous Cades Cove. If this area of the Great Smoky Mountains was its own national park it would be the 2nd most visited park in the United Sates.

Additional Info

Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What To Expect

1

Cades Cove

Cade's Cove is a broad, verdant valley surrounded by mountains and is one of the most popular destinations in the Great Smoky Mountains. It offers some of the best opportunities for wildlife viewing in the park. Large numbers of white-tailed deer are frequently seen, and sightings of black bear, coyote, ground hog, turkey, raccoon, skunk, and other animals are possible but never guaranteed. On this amazing and breathtaking tour you will learn a lot about this once thriving community and its people. Learn its history straight from the horses mouth with video commentary from those who lived here and/or their descendants. You will be guided by an East Tennessee local who is very knowledgeable about the mountains of East Tennessee. Your guide not only welcomes questions, he/she suggests it. The more you ask the better your experience will be. Come join us on a bus ride though the amazing and wonderful Cade's Cove. This tour begins at the Shops of Pigeon Forge. From here we head through scenic Wears Valley and Townsend. Once we arrive at the start of the loop you will be offered a chance for a restroom break. Once the loop begins get your camera ready because wildlife can be around any corner. If you spot it let your guide know and he/she will attempt to pull over to get good photos when possible. The valley has a rich history. For hundreds of years Cherokee Indians hunted in Cade's Cove but archaeologists have found no evidence of major settlements. The first Europeans settled in the cove sometime around 1818. By 1830 the population of the area had already swelled to 271. Cade's Cove offers the widest variety of historic buildings of any area in the national park. Scattered along the loop road are three churches, a working grist mill, barns, log houses, and many other faithfully restored eighteenth and nineteenth century structures. Pick up the booklet available at the entrance to the loop road for information about the buildings you'll see in the cove and the people who lived here. We often try to make stops at some of the more popular buildings but this will be based on parking availability at the time. This area has lots of photo opportunities and exploration inside some very old and historic structures including one of the last working grist mills. After a 45 minute break at the half way point we continue our journey around the loop until we reach the end where you are offered another restroom break before we head back to Pigeon Forge to end the tour.

Admission Not Applicable
2

Wears Valley Village

Head into Wears Valley

Admission Not Applicable

What‘s Included

Headsets to hear the guide clearly

Driver/guide

Air-conditioned vehicle

Live commentary on board

Gratuities

Hotel pickup and drop-off

Options

Cades Cove Sightseeing Bus Tour from Pigeon Forge

Reviews

4.47

57 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

43
6
3
2
3
  • Lovely scenery, terrible tour guide / driver

    elainebF292KZ,May 5, 2026

    - Review from Tripadvisor

    1.00

    My three friends and I were really looking forward to this trip to Cades Cove. One had been there before and highly recommended it. The scenery was lovely, it was nice to see some wildlife and historic buildings, and tour might have been great, except for the driver/ tour guide. The driver did not introduce himself, (I wonder why not), and rarely left his seat, so we were on our own with opening the van door to get in and out. (At one point, the door was actually stuck.) This was not a bus. There were six of us on this tour, and luckily there was a gentleman and his wife on the tour, and the man opened the door for us. I can’t speak for that couple, but the rest of us are over 60 years old. I am not certain whether we were supposed to have about an hour for shopping after the tour. Plus, we made an unscheduled stop, before our drop off, so he could buy himself some coffee, which he could have done while we were shopping. When all six of us went to get back into the vehicle a little ahead of time, at one of the tour stops, the driver was asleep. We did not receive headsets, and the live commentary was not always about the tour, or particularly funny. There was very little tour information given and some of it was actually inaccurate, as one of my friends actually worked for parks and knew the rules. I think there was possibly more information in the what to expect tour information, than we actually heard. We were given inappropriate personal information, e.g., about his Mister Softee truck, drinking and drugs, plus some unkind remarks about people. I won’t say everything he told us to keep this PG rated. He also continued to invite us to his Moonshine tour later in the day. I fell to the ground getting out of the van, and he said something like “you can’t take kids anywhere”, and did not seem at all concerned or ask how I was. My friends were as disappointed as I was. I paid for two tickets and would like a full refund.

  • Terrible experience! Awful tourguide!

    Journey21452795595,Apr 27, 2026

    - Review from Tripadvisor

    1.00

    Our tour guide didn't know anything about Cade's Cove. We were promised " live commentary that goes beyond your typical guidebook. Learn about native wildlife as well as the cove's history and Cherokee heritage." We got NONE of that on our tour. He didn't introduce himself so I don't know his name but we were on the 8am tour on April 24, 2026. We asked when the first settlers arrived in Cades Cove. He didn't know. I believe his answer was the 1800s. We asked a couple of other questions too, which he couldn't answer. One of the ladies in my group fell when she was exiting the shuttle bus. He didn't get out of the bus to check on her nor did he ask if she was ok. He made a joke, "I guess your can't take kids anywhere these days". She is 71 years old. He didn't know any more about Cade's Cove than I do. I want a FULL refund of the $80 I spent on this tour. I've been to the cove many times. I went on the tour to learn the history of the area. Well, I didn't learn one thing! He did tell us about his ice cream truck. He even showed us a picture of it on his phone. He told us that he made lots of money selling ice cream to people who were eating CBD gummies, pregnant women and kids in the area. He told us a story about a woman pulling her shirt up just in time for someone to take her picture. At the end of the tour, he brought us to a retail area for us to shop. Are you kidding me? I didn't pay all of that money to take the tour to be dropped off for an hour at a retail store! He must get a kickback for dropping us off at that shop. Plus, I had been to that shop two days prior to the tour so I was bored senseless! At the end of the tour, he stopped at a gas station so he could get himself some coffee. He went in by himself, while we sat in the bus, bought his coffee and came back to the bus bragging that this huge cup of coffee only cost $2. I was VERY DISAPPOINTED in this tour. I want a FULL REFUND! You're welcome to call me if you'd like. My cell number is 504 554 4667. Erin Druhan

  • Great tour excellent guide

    Michael B,Sep 8, 2025

    - Review from Tripadvisor

    5.00

    The guide was amazing and nice. Scenery was breath taking. Great experience. Must do tour. Driver had other stops as well. Will do again.

  • Wonderful tour!

    kitchenwitch,Aug 24, 2025

    - Review from Tripadvisor

    5.00

    We had a wonderful morning on this tour. We learned a lot about the history of Cades Cove and saw some wildlife, including wild horses and a mama bear with her cubs. The van was comfortable and the driver, a lovely man whose name I wish I remembered, was sweet and funny. Highly recommended!

  • Great way to tour Smokey mountain

    Lawrence k,Aug 7, 2025

    - Review from Viator

    5.00

    Nice drive thru Smokey Mountains. Very relaxing way to tour the area we saw deer turkeys and a bear.

  • Do not recommend

    Flyer594680,Aug 7, 2025

    - Review from Tripadvisor

    1.00

    Do not recommend. The tour van was not air conditioned, headsets were not provided and was not what we would consider a tour with a guide. We had to pull up our our guide on a phone to get information.

  • Great!

    Perry F,May 17, 2025

    - Review from Viator

    5.00

    Our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. We had a very good time. The bus was comfortable and nice.

  • Bears were are you?

    Donna H,Aug 27, 2024

    - Review from Viator

    5.00

    Good tour guide with great advice . Enjoy the trip but wish we would have seen a bear. We will be back to try to see a bear

  • A worthwhile tour

    William E,May 11, 2023

    - Review from Tripadvisor

    5.00

    This tour combined site seeing, history and folklore. I highly recommend taking this tour, particularly if this is the first time to visit the park.

  • Wonderful, funny, with history of the area included. Highly recommend! Squirrel and Buford were great guides

    Mary I,Jul 15, 2021

    - Review from Tripadvisor

    5.00

    Buford & Squirrel were great guides. Bufords knowledge of history +great humor (w/his sidekick, Squirrel) made it a fun time! Highly recommend it!

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From US$79.99

4.47
(57 reviews)
  • Free cancellation
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