Guided Adventure and Exploration

Take a journey on city tour in a nostalgic vintage tour bus. The captivating red and green colored trolley and wood lined interior provide an inviting environment to take in the city sights and sounds while you listen to your local guides descriptions of the city of Chattanooga.

Trolley tours can be anywhere from 75 minutes to up to 4 hours in length depending on the tour option you elect. You’ll come away with intimate details on the stories, history, and maybe a few tall tales that have come to make Chattanooga what it is today.

You can also do your own private tour with advanced planning.

Boasting a 4.9 Google Review, this guided adventure is a fan favorite for people of all ages.

Chattanooga was grounds for prominent civil war battles, with cemeteries of the time still operating. The Trail of Tears, which the city played a large role in, added another tragedy passage to its complex history. Hauntings and paranormal are still rumored to this day from murders and events that occurred generations ago.

Those facts can only mean one thing, epic ghost tours. Okay maybe there’s more than one conclusion to draw but you get the point. With this storied history comes some fun ghost tours etched in fact and folklore and one of the more popular businesses running these adventures is Chattanooga Ghost Tours.

Not only can you do a walking ghost tour, but they also offer ghost hunting options for some added excitement for the brave.

At the time of last update they have a Murder and Mayhem Haunted History walking tour, UTC + Cemetery Ghost Hunt, and a Walking + Hunt Combo tour for those who want the best of both worlds.

The tours are designed for all ages. The walking ghost tours are rain or shine so be prepared with an appropriate jacket for any inclement weather conditions.

Tour available can be found on the Chattanooga Ghost Tours website.

Searching for outdoor activities in Chattanooga? How about Kayaking? How about Kayaking to watch up to 100,000 gray bats exit their cave for a nightly insect hunt?

If don’t have a deep rooted bat phobia (chiroptophobia), and you are a seeker of outdoor novelty this could be your chance to create some lasting memories.

If you’re in Chattanooga between March - October you can book this one of a kind tour. Their online reviews go on about what a fun experience this is, currently boasting a 5.0 star rating.

Keep your eyes open for other wildlife you might get lucky to see on the paddle such as bald eagles, deer, river otter, and osprey.

No previous kayaking experience for you or a group member? The 3 mile route is considered easy, and your guides will provide instructions. Anyone having difficulty can ask to be towed.

Still worried about your lack of Kayaking experience? Maybe this review from Mimi Maxwell can offer some relief ”… Katie was our guide and she was wonderful. Our group had 2 who had never been in a kayak before and she was very patient and helpful.”

Bring up to 20 people on your tour to share the adventure with your loved ones (or loved ones in the making, for the newly dating).

Some additional details:

• Tour season: Ongoing from March to early October
• Tour time: Tours run about 2 hours and start around 7:30pm
• Meeting Location: Maple View Recreation Area, Mapleview Rd, South Pittsburg, TN 37380
• What to bring: Rain jacket weather dependent, a pre-filled up water bottle
• Individual ticket price: $75 (but subject to change)

Learn more about these tours and book yours on the Chattanooga Guided Adventures website.

Bonus Idea: If you end up loving the bat cav tour, or you don’t happen to be in town in the right months, this same company runs a Sandhill Crane viewing tour from November through Februrary where you can view thousands of seasonal cranes on Hiwassee Island on the Tennessee River. Learn about the once endangered species comeback and why they make a stop in our area on their migration.

Learn about this pivotal battle in the Civil War, which might still be an understatement. The battle of Chickamauga was a turning point in the war and the second most deadly battle next to Gettysburg. They have both guided and self guided tour options for you to explore and learn in this US National Park.

We have a dedicated guide to the Civil War in Chattanooga for those with a larger interest in the topic.

Tour times are subject to change depending on guide availability, but typically group tours run on Saturdays and Sundays at 10AM and 2PM and tend to last about 90 minutes.

The National Park Service has put together a guided tour that includes eight different points of interest. Drive or walk it, the grounds are beautiful, well maintained, and home to a lot of wildlife.

To access the tour download the National Park Service app on your mobile device search for the Chickamauga Battlefield.

Frankly, it’s not the most user friendly app in the store. If you have trouble, the people at the visitors center can be very helpful, and they’ll also provide you with a park map.

Private Tour Option: Robert Carter, an author and historian offers private tours of the park, learn more on his website.

Not sure if you’ve heard the news but Chattanooga has a great outdoor scene.

If you’re not exactly sure which trails and parks you want to explore on your visit (or days off work for our local readers), we suggest looking into guided hikes provided by Experience Chattanooga.

Nearing 200 5 star reviews, chances are it will be time well spent. They variety of options for exploration, but a few cherry picked ones include:

Idea for Families: Their Alpacas, Mountains and Coffee option offers an opportunity to feed alpaca’s and grab a coffee after your morning hike at Rosie Mae’s Alpaca Farm. You’ll be picked up in the morning and all is concluded by lunchtime.

They have more offerings on their website, check it out to book your tour and get more information.

All tours are private and run by two lifelong Chattanoogans. A bonus included in your tour booking is professional photography throughout the trip, and you might like to know they donate a portion of their proceeds to the parks and communities in the area.

Fresh air, city and mountain views, your favorite beverage or two, and some light exercise make for a heck of an afternoon on the Trolley Pub.

Bring your own elixir of choice and get out to explore the city in unique fashion.

While out getting your thirst fixers, make sure you download music in advance, the company operates on the Bring Your Own Playlist model. You can connect to their bluetooth speakers and play your groups favorite songs.

Your tour guide will point out interesting historic and modern day relevant landmarks as you drink, pedal, listen, and sightsee.

If you’re worried about pedaling for two hours straight, we can offer some peace of mind. Along the way you’ll take a multiple breaks stopping at some of Chattanooga’s best bars and restaurants.

The pub is a popular group activity can fit up to fourteen people if you opt for a private tour, check out their website for scheduling.

Group tour pricing ranges between $300-375 at the time of our last update.

Another option is to get individual tickets for their Mixer Tour, where you and a group of like minded party bikers will explore the city my pedaling together. At the time of last update these tickets cost in the range of ~$25-30.

Trolley Pub events are rain or shine so be sure to check the forecast and bring appropriate clothing.

The Mixer Tours are for adults 21+ and for private tours the minimum age for passengers is 15. You may need to call a babysitter for a couple of hours for this one.

One of Chattanooga’s most popular date-night options or a place to bring family for dinner when they’re in town is the Southern Belle.

Forget waterfront restaurant, take the water on the road with you as this historic paddle wheel riverboat leaves port traveling the Tennessee River for a scenic fun-filled evening.

The southern charm of the vessel will transport you in time to the early 19th century. When these vessels weren’t used for transportation, they were luxury cruises only available to the wealthy class. The Southern Belle is a modern sightseeing tribute that moment in time.

The Southern Belle company offers many touring options that vary in length. One of the more popular is the Sunset Cruise which is a 1.5 hour river ride that includes live music, a moon pie, optional food and drink updates. This event is recommended for ages 3+.

Some of their other cruising options include a Whiskey Tasting Tour, Wine Tasting Tour, a romantic Sip and Sail event, amongst many other options for your party.

Check their website for more listings and availability.

Finding the right places to eat in any city can be an overwhelming task, why not leave it to a professional through Chatt Taste.

They provide private tours, events, and at the time of writing three distinct group tours for varied Chattanooga culinary experiences:

More offerings and detailed information on the restaurants and individual tour details are available on their website linked below as they are subject to periodic change.

This is another tour company with a 5 star review set. Previous foodies rave about their experiences with the various hosts and call out their knowledge and friendliness.

If you’re thinking about signing up for one, and you can do so here