Travel Photography

How to Spend a Day in Chattanooga

August 21, 2025

When Jess and I moved to the USA, one of many issues I used to be most enthusiastic about was the chance to discover extra of this enormous nation at our leisure. There is a lot to see and do throughout all of the states, and we now have the time and alternative to just do that.

One of the areas now we have visited lately is town of Chattanooga, Tennessee. It’s just a few hours’ drive from the place we dwell, making Chattanooga a simple 1- or 2-day journey. Jess had visited earlier than, however as a baby, so didn’t have a lot reminiscence of it aside from seeing an underground waterfall.

Before we visited, we reached out to our e-newsletter subscribers for tips about what to see and the place to eat. Many Chattanooga locals acquired again to us and gave us some superior options.

So, with out additional ado, let me current our information to spending a day in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This isn’t going to be a deep dive into all the things town has to supply (which is lots, by the way in which, there’s even a museum of International Towing and Recovery).

However, if you happen to’re visiting town for a brief break, as we have been, it will cowl the must-see spots and highlights of Chattanooga. We’ll additionally provide our suggestions of the place to remain, and tips about getting round. Hopefully, all the things you have to plan your individual fast getaway to Chattanooga.

Let’s get began!

1 Day Chattanooga Itinerary

One day in Chattanooga received’t allow you to see all the things town has to supply, however you’ll be capable to see lots of the highlights. As all the time, be happy to regulate this itinerary primarily based by yourself private preferences and pursuits!

We additionally advocate checking opening hours and pricing on the official web site earlier than setting out, as points of interest can shut or change working hours for varied causes. For points of interest with tickets, a few of these can be cheaper if bought upfront.

Breakfast: 9am

If your resort or lodging doesn’t provide breakfast, otherwise you would merely desire to have breakfast on the town someplace, now we have two choices for you. These can be Frothy Monkey, within the Choo Choo District, or The Daily Ration within the Northshore a part of city.

Both provide an amazing collection of southern breakfast choices, with objects similar to Shrimp and Grits and Fried Chicken and Waffles. Naturally they each even have an excellent espresso choice to begin your day proper.

Explore Downtown Chattanooga: 10am

After breakfast, we’d counsel getting down to discover town’s downtown. With restricted time in your arms you received’t have time to go to all of the downtown points of interest, however it’s best to be capable to embody no less than one in your go to. Of course, if you’re extra within the downtown points of interest than a number of the different areas we propose afterward within the day then you definately would possibly contemplate switching a downtown attraction with one among our later choices. You may additionally simply spend all day simply exploring the points of interest within the downtown!

In phrases of downtown points of interest, there are a lot to select from. Some of the primary sights we propose testing can be the Tennessee Aquarium, the Hunter Museum of American Art or the Creative Discovery Museum. That final one can be an amazing possibility if you happen to’re visiting Chattanooga with youngsters.

Once you’re carried out exploring the downtown, it’s time to move out of city for the points of interest on Lookout Mountain.

Lookout Mountain Attractions: from 12pm

Lookout Mountain is a mountain ridge a couple of miles southwest of the Chattanooga metropolis middle. It is residence to a few of Chattanooga’s hottest points of interest, in addition to strolling trails and viewpoints providing glorious views of the encompassing panorama. There are additionally plenty of locations to remain on the mountain itself.

Much of Lookout Mountain is taken up by the Lookout Mountain Battlefield, which types part of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park. This was the situation of main occasions in the course of the American Civil War, and people fascinated by navy historical past could need to go to the Point Park location for info on these occasions.

Point Park is a paid attraction, you may see extra right here. We didn’t embody it on our itinerary, however be happy to incorporate it if you happen to just like the sound of it fairly than one among our different choices!

The remainder of the Lookout Mountain Battlefield space is free to go to and it’s residence to round 30 miles of trails. So if you wish to simply discover nature and do some mountain climbing, that’s definitely an possibility. Just discover a parking spot, select a path, and get going. There’s an excellent path map on the National Parks web site right here.

Introduction to Lookout Mountain apart, let’s dive into the points of interest that we advocate you go to in your first journey to Lookout Mountain. These are paid, however we expect they’re undoubtedly value it.

Incline Railway: 12pm

The first cease we advocate in your Lookout Mountain journey is the Incline Railway. Built in 1895, this mile lengthy railway will whisk you to the higher a part of the mountain. Whilst the higher station of the incline railway isn’t technically on the highest level of Lookout Mountain (that honor belongs to High Point, a manner additional south), it’s nonetheless fairly excessive up on the mountain, and you’re going to get nice views of town.

There’s a viewing platform on the higher station, and the trip on this historic railway is properly well worth the admission value.

The trip takes round 10 minutes every manner, and also you’ll need to spend a while on the prime having fun with the view, so we’d counsel planning to spend round 45 minutes to an hour visiting the Incline Railway.

If you’re hungry, there are additionally a couple of eating choices across the decrease station. It’s additionally right here the place you’ll discover the following cease on our itinerary, residence to a tasty deal with which can preserve you going along with your Chattanooga sightseeing journey!

You can guide tickets for the Incline Railway right here. There’s a car parking zone on web site, which has a small payment for parking. Note that pets will not be allowed on the railway.

Ice Cream at Clumpies: 1pm

Clumpies Ice Cream was extremely beneficial as a Chattanooga native favourite to attempt from our readers, and we’re so glad that we took them up on that suggestion.

Founded in Chattanooga in 1999, Clumpies give attention to handmade ice cream made with recent components in small batches. As of the time of writing, it’s accessible in three areas. There’s one within the Northshore space, one by the Chattanooga Choo Choo, and, conveniently for this itinerary, one proper by the bottom of the Incline Railway.

They have an enormous vary of scrumptious flavors to select from, and we extremely advocate stopping off to do this traditional dish out.

Ruby Falls: 1.30pm

As I discussed at first of this information, Jess visited Chattanooga when she was younger, and the one factor she actually remembers from that go to was that her household had a memento from Ruby Falls. So clearly we needed to return to refresh her reminiscence of what she noticed, and so I may see what it’s all about.

Ruby Falls has been one of the vital fashionable sights in Chattanooga because it opened to the general public in 1930. The fundamental attraction is the 90ft excessive waterfall, named Ruby Falls, which is definitely discovered over 1,000ft underground. An underground waterfall is unquestionably a neat attraction!

The Ruby Falls expertise works as follows. You join a tour time, which is finest if booked upfront on their web site right here. All visits are by guided tour, with tour group sizes ranging as much as round 30 folks. At the tour time you’re taking an elevator down 260ft into the mountain, after which your information will lead you alongside a path to the waterfall. There’s additionally a video close to the beginning of the tour the place you’ll study concerning the historical past of how the attraction was developed, which is fairly fascinating.

The path is just below a mile spherical journey, and there are many fascinating cave formations to see on the way in which, which your information will level out. The path is simple to observe and pretty even, though this being a cave there are in fact low factors, outcrops and a few steps to navigate. There are additionally instances when you’ll have to let one other group going the opposite manner move.

Of course, the spotlight of the journey is the waterfall, which is fairly spectacular. It cascades down round 90ft, and the chamber it’s in is a lot giant sufficient for the group. It’s additionally illuminated with totally different colours and there’s music as properly.

For us the complete underground expertise lasted round an hour, with the time on the falls lasting round 8 to 10 minutes. This was loads of time to get all of the pictures we wished and likewise to only get pleasure from watching the water.

Now, you may be questioning if visiting Ruby Falls is value it. We personally loved it, however it’s clearly a reasonably busy attraction the place you need to observe a set path and itinerary.

I believe a whole lot of how good your expertise can be will come all the way down to your information. The teams will not be enormous, however with 30 or so folks stretched alongside a slender pathway, it would be best to attempt to be close to the entrance of your group to listen to all the things your information has to say as you go. There are factors the place your group will cease and the information will discuss to you all, however there are additionally factors of curiosity alongside the way in which which you’ll miss if you happen to’re close to the again of the group.

Our information was okay, however now we have learn critiques the place folks discovered the guides to be very entertaining and verbose, which wasn’t the case with our information. Still, we did benefit from the expertise general, which was fairly distinctive. It additionally has historic attraction curiosity – we all the time love to go to points of interest which have been drawing a crowd for many years, because it looks like we’re following within the footsteps of many different vacationers.

That mentioned, if you happen to desire to have a bit extra time to discover at your leisure, are claustrophobic, or if the sound of an underground waterfall doesn’t float your boat, then that’s completely high quality!

Book your tickets on the official Ruby Falls web site right here. Parking at Ruby Falls is free.

Rock City / Lookout Mountain: 4pm

The different fashionable paid attraction on Lookout Mountain we advocate visiting is Rock City, which is definitely simply throughout the state line in Georgia. This has additionally been a well-liked attraction in Chattanooga for a few years, opening manner again in 1932.

It grew to become fashionable as a consequence of a advertising marketing campaign which contain portray the slogan “See Rock City” on the roofs and partitions of barns throughout the US. By 1969, over 900 barns had been embellished throughout 19 states, and it’s protected to say that this acquired the phrase out concerning the attraction pretty comprehensively.

Today, Rock City gives the same expertise to that which guests would have discovered again within the day, though it has in fact advanced just a little over time. The fundamental attraction although are the strolling trails, which wend their manner across the attractive rock formations, main you to spectacular viewpoints.

From one among these viewpoints it’s mentioned you could see seven states, though you have to a really clear day to realize that. Still, the view is spectacular, whatever the variety of states you truly see.

We actually loved visiting Rock City, it was our favourite attraction on prime of Lookout Mountain. It’s actually neat to have the ability to wander round and below all of the rocks, and there actually is a whole lot of element to see, from underground dioramas to a waterfall to swing bridges to these aforementioned views. It actually looks like of a whole lot of love and a spotlight went into creating this attraction, with the identical household operating it immediately who initially created it.

We’ve put your go to to Rock City later within the day so it’s a bit cooler, which is very vital if you happen to’re visiting Chattanooga in the summertime months. However, it’s a year-round vacation spot, with themes all year long, together with an Irish pageant in March, and lights for Christmas.

For this one we undoubtedly advocate reserving on-line upfront. Prices differ relying on the time slot you select and the day you go to, and it’s often cheaper to guide upfront on-line fairly than purchase tickets in individual.

See extra and guide your tickets on the official Rock City web site right here. We’d counsel round 90 minutes to 2 hours for this attraction. Parking is free.

Dinner: 6pm

After all that exploration, you’re sure to be hungry by now. So it may be time to move for some meals!

There’s an enormous vary of eating choices to select from in Chattanooga, from quick informal by way of to upscale experiences. You’ll additionally discover a vary of cuisines to select from, operating the gamut from BBQ, hearty southern fare, by way of to world flavors.

There are undoubtedly too many choices to listing, however some choices to think about embody Barque for glorious BBQ, St. John’s Restaurant for upscale eating, Elsie’s Daughter for a bistro eating expertise, Champy’s for wonderful fried rooster and the Bridgeman Chophouse for steaks and seafood.

As properly as eating choices, Chattanooga has some nice spots to drink. Whether you’re planning on watching the sundown with a cocktail (head to the rooftop Whiskey Thief) or need to go to an area brewery like Oddstory or Hutton & Smith, Chattanooga is sure to have one thing to sate your thirst. For mocktails, take a look at Sleepyhead Main+Dodds which has a everlasting alcohol-free cocktail menu.

Sunset: Lookout Mountain or Walnut Street Bridge

To spherical off your day in Chattanooga, we expect you would possibly need to get pleasure from watching the sundown. Although if you happen to’d desire to loosen up or skip it and head to a bar, that’s completely high quality too!

Still, if you happen to do determine to see the sundown, there are some good choices.

First, if you happen to’re downtown, then we advocate heading out onto Walnut Street Bridge for a pleasant view of the sundown over the river. Dating from 1890, this pedestrian solely bridge is an iconic landmark within the metropolis and a very good place from the place to benefit from the sundown.

If you’d desire to observe the sundown from nature, or are nonetheless up on Lookout Mountain when the solar is setting, then the opposite location you would possibly contemplate is the aptly named Sunset Rock. This is discovered on the west facet of the mountain, and from right here you may get an amazing view throughout the encompassing panorama from an elevated location.

There is a small free car parking zone simply close to the trailhead, and it’s solely about 200 yards from the parking location to the point of view. Just remember that the car parking zone solely has 9 spots and may refill.

Depending on the time of yr you go to, sundown can be at various instances. You can use this web site to verify when sundown can be throughout your go to, but it surely varies from round 5.30pm in mid-winter, by way of to 9pm in the summertime.

So if you wish to see the sundown, you would possibly have to plan your time for dinner round that relying on if you end up visiting.

Of course, there are many different locations you may watch the sundown from. I noticed a beautiful sundown from simply outdoors our resort within the Choo Choo district for instance!

That wraps up our information to what to do in a day in Chattanooga! Let’s now take a look at some sensible ideas that can assist you plan your go to.

How to Get to Chattanooga

You have a couple of choices for attending to Chattanooga.

First, Chattanooga has an airport, code CHA, which is served by plenty of American carriers and gives direct flights to many cities, together with main airport hubs like Atlanta, Dallas and Charlotte. So whether or not you might be visiting Chattanooga from the USA or abroad, it’s best to be capable to fly right here comparatively simply.

You may drive to Chattanooga in fact, which is how we often go to. It’s round 2 hours drive northwest of Atlanta, Georgia; 2 hours’ drive southwest of Knoxville, Tennessee; two hours’ drive southeast of Nashville, Tennessee; or 2 hours’ drive northeast of Birmingham, Alabama.

As you may see, there are many different fascinating cities inside straightforward driving distance, that means you might simply embody Chattanooga on a street journey of the US south.

In phrases of bus and prepare, Chattanooga is sadly not on the passenger rail community within the USA, with the closest main Amtrak stations being Birmingham and Atlanta.

As of 2023, Chattanooga now not has a Greyhound cease within the metropolis both. The nearest Greyhound cease is at the moment in Wildwood, GA, which is about 10 miles southwest of town middle.

How to Get Around Chattanooga

You have a couple of choices for getting round Chattanooga.

First, if you’re staying downtown, then lots of the downtown points of interest can be inside straightforward strolling distance. Chattanooga is a pleasant metropolis to stroll round and we are able to undoubtedly advocate taking a stroll round.

There can also be a public transit system managed by the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority, or CARTA. This features a bus community which covers most of Chattanooga, together with the Incline Railway. However, this doesn’t embody different Lookout Mountain areas like Rock City or Ruby Falls.

CARTA additionally run the free downtown shuttle service, which is a free electrical shuttle which runs between the Choo Choo district and downtown. This has been in operation since 1992, and is especially useful if you happen to’re staying within the Choo Choo district, as we did on one among our visits to Chattanooga. We took the bus proper to the Aquarium, which was actually handy.

Ride sharing can also be an possibility in Chattanooga, however do remember that many trip sharing platforms have restrictions on working in a unique state, particularly round selecting up folks. This can be a problem for someplace like Rock City, which is in Georgia. So, you would possibly be capable to get a trip share to Rock City for instance, however then not be capable to discover one to take you again!

For the sights outdoors of Chattanooga, significantly these on Lookout Mountain, the best option to get round goes to be to drive your self. This will provide you with probably the most flexibility to your go to. There is often loads of parking, which is both free or pretty low price.

Where to Stay in Chattanooga

Chattanooga has plenty of choices for lodging, starting from extra price range pleasant choices by way of to high-end and boutique accommodations.

We’d advocate first deciding the place you need to keep. We’d advocate selecting both downtown, the Choo Choo district (which supplies you quick access to downtown with the free shuttle), or simply outdoors of city on the chain accommodations you often discover round interstate exits.

There are execs and cons to each choices. With the downtown accommodations, you get the benefit of being within the coronary heart of the motion, and it is possible for you to to stroll to many points of interest. There are additionally some very nice distinctive lodging choices. The draw back can be that these accommodations are usually costlier, and parking often carries a payment, which you’ll should issue into your price range.

The Choo Choo district is usually a good possibility as properly, it’s a historic district with good eating and lodging choices, and you’ll simply attain the downtown space by way of the free electrical shuttle bus. But accommodations will nonetheless be on the pricier facet with an extra payment for parking generally.

Finally, you may choose to remain at one of many many chain accommodations close to the Interstate exits. These usually include advantages like free parking and a few additionally embody a free breakfast, all at a extra pockets pleasant value. The draw back is that you simply’ll probably should drive a bit extra, however as many points of interest require a automobile anyway, this probably received’t be an enormous deal.

If you do determine to remain just a little out of city, we’d counsel the accommodations off I-24 round exit 174 or exit 175 can be your best choice. There are additionally choices round exit 178, that are nearer to downtown, however are likely to obtain extra combined critiques.

We all the time counsel studying current critiques previous to reserving any resort as issues can change.

Here are some choices to think about to your go to. These are ordered roughly by value, however in fact value can differ so we all the time advocate checking and evaluating costs to your dates to get the perfect deal.

Downtown Chattanooga / Choo Choo Hotel Recommendations:

Hotel Bo Days Inn – This is a well-reviewed possibility providing good worth within the downtown space. Rooms have tea/espresso making services, and meals can be found. Parking is offered on-site for an inexpensive payment.
Residence Inn Chattanooga Downtown – if you wish to be proper within the coronary heart of downtown Chattanooga however at a extra value-oriented value level, this Residence Inn is a good possibility. It’s simply throughout from the Aquarium and inside a simple stroll of the vast majority of downtown sights. Breakfast is included, on-site parking is offered for a payment.
The Read House Hotel – this luxurious historic resort in downtown Chattanooga gives Nineteen Twenties model with modern-day facilities. Expect wooden clad partitions, checkered flooring and dramatic chandeliers, alongside modern-day comforts like A/C, on-site parking (for a payment) and two glorious eating places. One to think about if you happen to’re after a standard upscale resort expertise.
The Hotel Chalet at The Choo Choo – We stayed right here on one among our visits to Chattanooga and actually loved it. It’s discovered within the Choo Choo district, residence of the previous railway station. The resort has a pool and on-site parking, a superb on-site restaurant, and is inside strolling distance of plenty of bars and eateries. Uniquely, you may choose to remain in a transformed railway carriage, which is fairly neat, however notice that some reviewers famous these is usually a little noisy.
The Dwell Hotel – This is a beautiful luxurious boutique resort which dates from 1909. It solely has 16 rooms and frequently books out, so that you’ll need to guide properly upfront for this one. Each room is individually designed with a retro really feel. There’s a full-service bar and a light-weight continental breakfast is offered. Parking is offered close by for a payment.

Outside Chattanooga Recommendations

These accommodations are discovered just a little outdoors of city on the key interstate exits. You can generally save by being out of city, with the comfort of free parking. Many even have breakfast included.

Howard Johnson by Wyndham Chattanooga Lookout Mountain – it is a price range pleasant possibility on the base of Lookout Mountain providing free parking and an inclusive breakfast
Days Inn by Wyndham Chattanooga Lookout Mountain West – one other good worth possibility close to Lookout Mountain, this has an indoor pool in addition to free parking and breakfast. Rooms even have a microwave and fridge.
Comfort Inn Chattanooga Downtown Southside – the identify is just a little deceptive as it is a couple of miles from downtown. However, it places you conveniently between downtown and the Lookout Mountain points of interest, so may be an excellent possibility. Breakfast is included and there’s free parking on web site. This resort tends to get the perfect critiques of the choices on this freeway exit.

You can see many extra choices for lodging throughout a variety of value factors on reserving.com right here, together with accommodations and condominium leases.