Private Tour
Cades Cove Sightseeing Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
Purchase only one tour per vehicle, not per person. Everyone listens together!
Discover gorgeous natural scenery and rich history at Cades Cove, one of the most popular destinations in the Smoky Mountains. This scenic loop packs a ton of sights into a small space. Check out sparkling waterfalls, lush hiking trails, and historic churches all in one place! Plus, learn the fascinating history behind this cove, including how the Civil War once threatened to tear it apart.
After booking, check your email/text to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action while connected to WiFi or mobile data. Enter the password, download the tour, and enjoy it offline. Follow the audio instructions and route from the designated starting point.
Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.
This isn't an entrance ticket. Check opening hours before your visit.
Additional Info
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
How To Access: After booking, you’ll get an email and text with setup instructions and password (search “audio tour” in emails and texts). • Download the separate tour app by Action • Enter the password sent by email and text. • MUST download the tour while in strong wifi/cellular. • Works offline after download.
How to start touring: Open Action’s separate audio tour guide app once onsite. • If there is just one tour, launch it. • If multiple tour versions exist, launch the one with your planned starting point and direction.
Go to the starting point No one will meet you at the start. This tour is self-guided Enter the first story’s point and the audio will begin automatically Follow the audio cues to the next story, which will also play automatically. Enjoy hands-free exploring. If you face audio issues, contact support. Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience.
Travel worry-free: Use the tour app anytime, on any day, and over multiple days. Start and pause the tour whenever you like, taking breaks and exploring side excursions at your own pace. Skip anything you don’t care about or explore bonus content for everything that interests you
Savings tips: Driving tours: purchase just one tour for everyone in the car
Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.
Audio Setup: Connect your phone to your car's stereo system using Bluetooth, USB, or AUX. For the best experience, consider using headphones for walking tours. Audio playback is compatible with Apple CarPlay, with navigation features coming soon. Support for Android Auto is also on the way.
For the best experience, please use an iPhone running iOS 15 or later, an Android device running version 9 or later, or an iPad/tablet with GPS and cellular connectivity, as these are recommended for navigation.
Cades Cove Loop Road is closed to vehicles every Wednesday from May to September for exclusive cyclist and pedestrian use, and Laurel Falls Trail will be closed starting January 6, 2025, for approximately 18 months due to rehabilitation work.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Easy-to-use app: download Action’s Tour Guide App onto your phone
Great value: purchase per car, not per person. More affordable than bus or guided tours!
Engaging storytelling: Uncover unique tales and thrilling history for a memorable journey!
Perfect narrator: nothing can beat listening to a great voice. Proven with tons of rave reviews!
Offline maps: no signal, no problem! Works perfectly without cellular or wifi.
Comprehensive route and stops: See it all, miss nothing, leave no stone unturned!
Go at your own pace: Start anytime, pause anywhere, enjoy breaks for snacks and photos freely!
Hands-free: audio stories play on their own based on your location. Easy to use!
Cades Cove Daily Tag
What To Expect
The first landmark you'll encounter is the John Oliver Place, a historic homestead dating back to the early 1800s.
Cades Cove Visitor Center
Your tour of Cades Cove begins near the Sugarlands Visitor Center. From here, you'll drive down a scenic route to reach the main attraction: Cades Cove Loop. Note: The tour is over 35+ miles long, with more than 40+ audio stories, and takes about 1-2 hours to complete. Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.
Options
Cades Cove Sightseeing Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour
Reviews
74 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Great value
Happiness37395954851,
Nov 7, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00great value for the cost! and being able to tour at our own pace in our car and keep our 3 dogs with us was wonderful! Easy to pay for on line.
Take your time
Rodney R,
Oct 21, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Take the time to get out at the stops. Well worth it. The cemeteries at the churches were very interesting.
Great addition to our drive!!!
Josue T,
Oct 20, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00It truly brings the experience to life! There are so many wonderful stories and facts! The information comes up at perfect points throughout the travel journey.
We loved it! Go to Cade’s Cove :)
WallyFaye W,
Oct 14, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00This is an incredible drive. It’s very slow going and that makes it even better. We saw a bear! He was happily eating sweet grass next to a stone bridge. Maybe 20 feet away from us as we drove by!
Audio tour a great addition to a Cades Cove trip
Navigator56050044287,
Oct 8, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This reasonably price audio tour enhanced our trip with great stories and advance notice of points of interest. It’s about an hour drive from the Sugarlands welcome center to the start of the Cades Cove loop. Lots of background info in the audio tour helped pass that time. The loop itself can take much longer than you expect since it’s one way and you will behind a long line of vehicles. We were in the loop at least 3 hours during this busy October season (plan accordingly and give yourself plenty of time). There are 2 crossroads in the loop that allow you a quicker exit if needed. Bathrooms are available at Sugarlands/ Caves Cove visitors center and the Grist mill stop in the loop. Traffic has been intense this first week of October and is often stop and go. It’s a beautiful park but there are large crowds and lines of traffic and difficulty parking almost everywhere
Great way to enrich your drive around Cades Cove
SuiteSuzi,
Sep 22, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Easy and informative tour guide. We've done the drive to and around cades cove before, and it's really great having a narrator for stops along the way, plus historical tidbits and natural wonders. Pls note the tour only works well in the direction provided. This one isn't made to drop in along the way. We especially enjoyed learning about stops like the sinks. It would be nice to have more info about all the buildings at the cades cove grist mill stop. Kind of a bonus walk and talk.
Cades Cove Self Driving tour
Steven R,
Sep 10, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The narrative was very informative along with the timing if the narratives. Would definitely recommend this fir anyone. Aldo a lot less expensive that the professional tours.
A self guided tour that exceeded my expectations.
williamdU1311MS,
Aug 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Great educational device providing interesting commentary of life in the past decades. Inspirational. Was not aware of the importance of religion knowing how many denominations lived in the same general area.
Great self-guided tour
earlymathabby,
Jul 26, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Everything worked very well! It was easy to download the app and follow. the instructions. We had a great self-guided tour and the stories were so helpful. It would not have been as enjoyable without this tour.
Waste of money
C9245OTtheresar,
Apr 27, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00The talking review of Cades Cove never worked. Once we enter the park there was no connection to listen. A waste of money!
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