Appalachian Mountains Tours & Trips
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Table of contents
- The best Appalachian Mountains tour packages
- What people love about Appalachian Mountains Tours
- Travel Appalachian Mountains your way
- Best tour companies for Appalachian Mountains tours
- Appalachian Mountains tours for every group
- Top Appalachian Mountains travel itineraries to fit your plans
- Demographics
- Best time to visit Appalachian Mountains
- Contact our Appalachian Mountains travel experts
- What our customers ask about Appalachian Mountains Tours & Trips
The best Appalachian Mountains tour packages
Compiled by
MelissaAppalachian Mountains travel expert at TourRadar
Paddle and Hike Adventure
1 Review by TourRadar travelers“We had such a great time. Highly recommend!”
Jane, traveled in April
The 6.6-mile climb to Shuckstack fire tower via Lost Cove Trail winds through Appalachian forests with 2,260-foot elevation gain. Camping spots on Fontana Lake islands offer stunning views of surrounding peaks.
Duration 3 days Destinations Asheville, Great Smoky Mountains National Park Age Range 12 to 80 year olds Operator Wildland Trekking From
- US$1,155
Presidential Peaks and the Appalachian Trail
3 Reviews by TourRadar travelers“The trip was well organized and we could not have asked for a better guide. We learned so much from him.”
Lou, traveled in August
The Presidential Range challenge culminates at Mount Washington (6,288 ft) along America's oldest maintained footpath. White Mountains' diverse ecosystems surround AMC Highland Center and BACKPACKER Magazine-rated backcountry huts.
Duration 4 days Destinations Bretton Woods, White Mountains National Forest Age Range 12 to 80 year olds Operator Wildland Trekking From
- US$2,010
New England's Fall Foliage (Classic, 8 Days)
9 Reviews by TourRadar travelers“The accommodations, transportation, food, and sites were excellent. The tour/trip was so more than I expected!”
LEONA, traveled in October
Autumn paints the Appalachians in brilliant colors along Crawford Notch and White Mountains drives. Loon Mountain Resort's gondola rises to panoramic mountain views, while Diana's Baths waterfalls and Bretton Woods provide stunning Mount Washington vistas.
Duration 8 days Destinations Boston, Stockbridge, Williamstown, Woodstock, Stowe, Montpelier, Franconia Notch State Park, White Mountains National Forest, North Conway, Bretton WoodsSee all destinations Age Range up to 99 year olds Operator Insight Vacations From $4,675
10% Off- US$4,208You save $467
The historic Appalachian Trail at Stony Man connects to Mountain Farm Museum's preserved structures and rich Cherokee heritage at Oconaluftee Village. Scenic drives along Blue Ridge Parkway link multiple mountain viewpoints including Newfound Gap.
Duration 10 days Destinations Washington DC, Shenandoah National Park, New River Gorge National Park, Asheville, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg, Nashville Age Range up to 99 year olds Operator Insight Vacations From $4,595
12% Off- US$4,044You save $551
Mountain entertainment at Dollywood pairs with wildlife viewing at Ober Gatlinburg in the Smoky Mountains. Native black bears roam freely, while mountain cable cars provide sweeping panoramic views.
Duration 8 days Destinations Nashville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Chattanooga, Muscle Shoals Age Range 10 to 99 year olds Operator Travelling Time From
12% Off- US$2,128
What people love about Appalachian Mountains Tours
- New England's Fall Foliage (Classic, 8 Days)
Great tour guide and other personnel. Most hotels adequate to very good, especially the Trapp Lodge. Food adequate for the most part. Overall, a very nice trip and the colors were fantastic!
- Memphis, Mountains & Music City
Had a great time with everyone on this tour. Dollywood was definately a highlight fir us. Great company throughout and loads of laughs. Don't hesitate to book a Travelling Time Tour...they will look after everything for you.
- High Peaks and Old Growth Forests of the Smokies
We had a Great time! Amanda was an amazing guide, our food was delicious. She was so informative about the flora and fauna and made the trip really fun. We were also lucky that there were only 2 of us and our guide Amanda so it was like having a private tour.
Travel Appalachian Mountains your way
The Appalachian Trail delivers serious multi-day hiking with a smart mix of tough climbs and comfortable breaks. The 4-day Presidential Peaks trek in the White Mountains takes you up Mount Washington and across Monroe, Eisenhower and finally Franklin peaks, with mountain huts for overnight stays. Down in the Great Smokies, you'll combine hiking with paddling - starting with a kayak across Fontana Lake to remote camps before tackling steep trails up to spots like the old Shuckstack fire tower on the AT. Our travelers tell us the guides read the group perfectly, knowing exactly when to push and when to ease off - though you'll want to be ready for some serious climbing, with elevation gains hitting 3,800 feet in a day. The mountain huts strike that sweet spot between wilderness experience and basic comfort, and guests love swapping trail stories over shared meals after a full day of hiking.
Explore a wide diversity of coach / bus tours through Appalachian Mountains. We have 9 adventures that vary from 8 days to 12 days. With the greatest number of departures in October, this is also the most popular time of the year.
Our most popular New England tours blend fall colors with real local experiences. You'll walk parts of the Franconian Ridge on the Appalachian Trail and take in Silver Cascade Waterfall along the way. Our guests love staying at the Von Trapp family lodge, where the Bierhall serves authentic Austrian lagers. The food experiences really make these trips special - you'll taste Ben & Jerry's ice cream and visit maple syrup farms for their unique 'sugar on snow' served with donuts and also pickles. These tours work so well because they mix guided walks through red and orange forests with stops at working dairy farms and covered bridges in small Vermont villages.
Select from our extensive range of 37 fully guided tours to enjoy a worry-free experience through Appalachian Mountains with our expert guides leading the way.
Best tour companies for Appalachian Mountains tours
Appalachian Mountains tours for every type of group
Who are you traveling with?
Group
39 tours in Appalachian MountainsExplore a wide diversity of group tours through Appalachian Mountains. We have 39 adventures that vary from 3 days to 14 days. With the greatest number of departures in September, this is also the most popular time of the year.
Small Group
17 tours in Appalachian MountainsThe small group format lets us go deeper into both nature and mountain culture. By keeping numbers low, we can adapt quickly on trails and access spots that bigger groups can't. You'll explore local treasures like the Oconaluftee Indian Village with cultural guides, walk behind the water at Grotto Falls and go underground in Mammoth Cave National Park's complex cave system. Our travelers particularly value having guides who can adjust the pace and focus - whether you're hiking Stony Man Trail in Shenandoah or learning about regional history at the Museum of Appalachia. Each day mixes outdoor activity with cultural insights; you might spend the morning climbing Looking Glass Rock, then end your day with real bluegrass music and also traditional mountain cooking.
Top Appalachian Mountains travel itineraries to fit your plans
The Dancing Bear Cabins near the Smokies anchor our popular 3-day Appalachian tours, combining proper hiking with comfortable places to rest. Daily guided walks cover 7-8 miles with climbs between 1,140-1,640 feet - just enough to get your heart going without overdoing it. You'll walk classic sections of the Appalachian Trail out to Charlies Bunion, explore old settler homes at Mountain Farm Museum and follow trails to several waterfalls. The path to Grotto Falls is particularly cool since it actually leads behind the falling water. For something different, we've got tours mixing kayaking on Fontana Lake with forest walks, while our Shining Rock trips head into more rugged terrain where you'll camp near distinctive white quartzite outcrops.
TourRadar recommends visiting:
Crawford Notch, White Mountains National Forest
Our 10-day Eastern USA park tours really dig into what makes the Appalachians special. Setting off from DC, we wind through Shenandoah's valleys, over the Blue Ridge Mountains and deep into the Smokies. The route covers select portions of the 2,178-mile Appalachian Trail and includes stops at places like Harpers Ferry and also the impressive New River Gorge Bridge, which spans 876 feet above the water. We've balanced outdoor activity with cultural experiences - you might spend your morning hiking Stony Man Trail, then wrap up the day tasting local wines at places like Veritas Vineyards as the sun sets over the mountains. The walking varies nicely from easy waterfall paths to more challenging summit climbs.
Demographics
The White Mountains really work for solo travelers, especially with those sociable mountain huts where you'll chat with other hikers over dinner after your day on the trails. The Presidential Range route combines proper hiking - you're looking at 4-6 miles daily with good climbs - with natural opportunities to connect. Reaching Mount Monroe at 5,372 feet alongside others creates quick friendships. Over in the Smokies, our solo guests click well with the small-group backpacking format; everyone bonds while trekking past ancient forests and waterfalls like the 90-foot Hen Wallow Falls before setting up camp in choice backcountry locations.
Our lodge-based Smoky Mountain tours hit just the right notes for couples. Days are spent on solid hikes - including that rewarding 8-mile trail out to Charlies Bunion - before returning to comfortable spots like Dancing Bear Cabins. It's that mix of active days and relaxed evenings that couples love; push yourself on the trails then unwind together with good food and wine. The Fontana Lake paddle-and-hike combos work brilliantly for pairs too. You can mix kayaking with hikes to spots like the Shuckstack fire tower, and also take it at your own pace between swimming, hiking and camp relaxation.
The multi-sport Appalachian trips really connect with young adults. That Nashville-to-Asheville route is especially popular, combining proper hiking with cool cultural stops at vinyl pressing plants, craft breweries and also live music venues. The Smokies sections involve solid 6-8 mile daily hikes with real elevation, balanced nicely with moonshine tastings and traditional music shows. New River Gorge pulls in younger groups too - you can walk across America's longest single arch bridge before hitting the trails. These trips work because they mix physical challenges with social time; groups naturally connect while hiking and during evenings out in mountain towns like Asheville.
Solo Travelers15 tours- Couples24 tours
- Seniors (50+)24 tours All tours for Seniors
Best time to visit Appalachian Mountains
- Summer 2025
Summer lets us tackle our most demanding hiking paths, especially in the White Mountains. The Presidential Peaks tours use every minute of the long summer daylight - you'll summit Mount Washington (if weather allows) and follow ridgelines connecting Mount Monroe at 5,372 feet to Mount Eisenhower at 4,780 feet and also several peaks between. Summer brings the mountain hut system to life; nothing beats waking up above treeline with alpine lakes spreading out below you. If you're after something more relaxed, try our paddle-and-hike combinations around Fontana Lake - you can mix forest walks with swimming and kayaking. The clear lake water feels perfect between hikes, and our guides have mapped out the best spots for creek-hopping, hammock breaks and also quiet forest moments.
- Fall / Autumn 2025
Fall brings out the true colors of the Appalachians, with red maples and golden birch trees painting the slopes. Our New England routes follow the Franconian Ridge and Kancamagus Scenic Byway, where forest paths wind through intense autumn colors. You'll get real local experiences too - tasting maple sugar on snow at family farms, sampling local ice cream and spending nights in historic mountain lodges. Down south, our Smoky Mountain autumn tours mix ridge walking with culture; you'll explore craft studios in Asheville's River Arts District and visit Cherokee heritage sites. The fall tours strike a nice balance - active days on mountain trails followed by evenings of regional cooking, mountain music and also comfortable lodge stays. Our travelers consistently highlight two quite different but equally solid tour companies. Insight Vacations runs well-organized trips - they're particularly good at handling the logistics and keeping everything smooth. While some groups did have itinerary adjustments, the overall service quality remained high and the guides managed changes professionally. For those looking at more active options, Wild Land Trekking comes up frequently in feedback for their skilled guides who know both the terrain and how to work with different hiking abilities. Sean gets mentioned specifically by name in several reviews for his patience and deep knowledge. There was one notable exception where a guide didn't quite match the group's pace and needs, but this seems to be an isolated case among otherwise positive experiences. Both companies clearly know their specialties - Insight excels at traditional touring while Wild Land Trekking shines in outdoor exploration. The key difference really comes down to travel style: Insight offers more structured, comfortable touring while Wild Land Trekking focuses on active, hands-on experiences in nature.
- popular 18 tours
- 16 tours
Contact our Appalachian Mountains travel experts
Aaron
Expert in Appalachian Mountains at TourRadar
Aaron is one of our seasoned Appalachian Mountains Travel Experts. Reach out to us to get all your questions about Appalachian Mountains tours answered!
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+1 844 311 8331What our customers ask about Appalachian Mountains Tours & Trips
What Makes the Appalachian Trail So Special?
The AT is pretty incredible - it stretches over 2,190 miles through 14 different states running from Springer Mountain in Georgia all the way up to Mount Katahdin in Maine. What's really cool is how the trail takes you through so many different landscapes and ecosystems. It's actually the oldest maintained footpath in the US and if you're looking to really immerse yourself in wilderness this is definitely the place to do it.
Where Can You Experience Traditional Appalachian Culture?
You'll want to check out Berea Kentucky which they call the Folk Arts and Crafts Capital - it's amazing for watching local artisans at work and talking with craftspeople about their traditional methods. The Museum of Appalachia in Tennessee is another must-visit spot where you can explore historical buildings and catch some authentic bluegrass music. One visitor told us they loved the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky with its fantastic history and beautiful grounds and had a blast at Dollywood too!
What Are Some Hidden Natural Gems Beyond the Main Parks?
There's so much more to explore beyond Smoky Mountains and Shenandoah. Linville Gorge in North Carolina's Pisgah National Forest has these challenging but rewarding hikes with incredible waterfall views. Over at Shining Rock Wilderness you'll find unique white quartzite formations and some amazing high-altitude vistas. Grandfather Mountain's really special too with its high-elevation swinging bridge and trails - the MacRae Peak trail takes you through wind-shaped spruce and fir forests with cables and ladders to help you reach the peak.
Which Scenic Routes Should You Take Instead of Highways?
The Blue Ridge Parkway is incredible - it winds for 469 miles through Virginia and North Carolina with slower speed limits that let you really take in those mountain views. You've got lots of places to stop and check out hiking trails or cultural sites along the way. Skyline Drive is another great option running 105 miles through Shenandoah National Park in Virginia - it's perfect for spotting wildlife and finding great hiking spots.