
Hike the Appalachian Trail through the Great Smoky Mountains
- United States
- 3 nights
Tackle the highest section of one of the world's great long distance trails through a classic American national park
What's Included?
- Maximum group size: 6Join small n’ sociable groups of like-minded, active and outdoorsy people – designed to be solo-friendly
From…excluding flights
Highlights
Hike a spectacular section of the historic Appalachian Trail and pass its highest point beneath Clingmans Dome
Hike through old growth forests and experience backcountry camping in one of America's most picturesque national parks
Keep an eye out for black bears, salamanders, coyotes, deer, bobcats and elk while on the trail
Itinerary
Day 1
Welcome to Tennessee!
Hiking2-3 hours · 2miWild campingTwin tentLunch and dinner includedShow Day 1 detailHide detail
Your host will meet you at Knoxville Mcghee Tyson Airport and whisk you straight off to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The afternoon will be spent enjoying a hike around the wooded trails in the National Park, before setting up your tent. In the evening, you'll enjoy getting to know the group around the campfire and your guides will brief you on tomorrow's big hike.
Day 2
Head out into the backcountry on the Appalachian Trail
Hiking7-8 hours · 6miWild campingTwin tentAll meals includedShow Day 2 detailHide detail
Today you'll follow the historic Appalachian Trail along the border of Tennessee and North Carolina, taking in the misty blue vistas of 'The Smokies'. After an amazing day of hiking you'll arrive at your backcountry campsite ready to cook a well earned dinner around the campfire before another night sleeping out in the wild.
Day 3
Continue along the Appalachian Trail
Hiking7-8hrs · 6miGlampingTwin or triple shareAll meals includedShow Day 3 detailHide detail
Today you'll continue along the Appalachian Trail with the backdrop of the Great Smoky Mountains for company again, eventually making your way out of the backcountry. The evening will be spent back in the lush, wooded area at your luxury glaming spot. You've earned it!
Day 4
One last hike before heading back to Knoxville
Breakfast and lunch includedShow Day 4 detailHide detail
Today you can either have a leisurely morning at the camp spot or, if you still have life left in your legs, you can squeeze one last hike in before it's time to head back to Knoxville for your departing flight.
Practical Stuff
Getting There
- Nearest airport
- McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS)
- Pick up
- McGhee Tyson Airport, Knoxville (TYS)
12pm on Day 1 - Drop off
- McGhee Tyson Airport, Knoxville (TYS)
16:00 on Day 4
What is and isn't Included?
What's included
Expert naturalist guides with wilderness first responder training.
2 nights backcountry wild camping, and 1 night in luxury safari style tents
Enjoy tasty food throughout with all your meals included
Transfers to and from Knoxville Mcghee Tyson Airport, and everything in between
We'll provide all the group equipment you need for your backcountry camping including tents, sleeping mats and cooking items.
All national park entry fees, backcountry camping fees and permits
What's not included
Where You'll Stay
Private room upgrades are not available on this trip due to the nature of the accommodation.

Luxury Glamping in Great Smoky Mountains
Optional Extras
Accommodation Alternatives
- Optional Private Tent & Glamping Upgrade
- …/per person
- Optional Private Tent Upgrade
- …/per person
Equipment / Kit Hire
- Sleeping Bag Hire
- …/per person
Upgrades
For solo travellers looking for their own space, an optional private tent just for the backcounty camping (nights 1 and 2) can be requested. Or you can also request a solo tent and your own Glamping Safari tent for all three nights of the trip.
See Optional Extras for prices. Please request this at the time of booking (this is subject to availability).
To request any extras, message your host via your Much Better Adventures account once you have booked your trip.
All extras must be paid before your trip starts.
Ratings & Reviews
This trip is brand new!
So new, in fact, that it's not got any reviews yet. But rest assured, it's been designed with the same care, quality and attention to detail as all of our highly rated adventures.
Before You Travel
What to Pack

Know before you go! Some stuff we'll provide, other things you'll need to bring.
FAQs
How much should I tip?
Tips are not included in the trip cost. The amount to tip is entirely at your discretion but there is an expectation to tip in the USA; your guides will rely on tips for a considerable portion of their income.
We suggest to budget for 10%-20% of the trip cost as a guideline.
Of course, you are free to tip more or less, and the amount should be reflective of your perception of service and quality - a tip is not compulsory and should only be given when you receive excellent service.
What do I do about drinking water?
There is drinking water available at your glamping site on the final night.
You will be expected to carry extra water and there are water sources near most campsites where we can resupply. Guides will bring filters for the group. You just need to bring reusable water bottles to fill up throughout.
Can I book on my own?
Sure can! Over 70% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.
Who is running the trip?
Our team of Adventure Hunters co-create exclusive adventures which are run by highly vetted, specialist hosts. The trip is run by our trusted host partner in the destination. We only work with independent, local, in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. Read more information about the local teams we partner with. You’ll be introduced to the host straight after making a booking via the Much Better Adventures platform.
What is the official travel advice?
Much Better Adventures refer to the UK Government’s official travel advice when designing trips and monitoring trip operations. We recommend that all customers review the practical information available on the UK Government’s FCDO website, where you can find up-to-date advice by searching for your destination(s).
If you are based in the United States, you can also check the latest travel advisories from the U.S. Department of State.
For customers joining from other international locations, we recommend checking the official travel advice issued by your country of residence, as guidance may vary.
What vaccinations do I need?
We recommend checking out the country-specific information and also talking to a travel nurse.
How are the trips priced?
We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates daily, so prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.
If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.
Why are your adventures only for adults?
All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. You must be over 18 to join one of our trips.
Who else will be on my trip?
You're always in good company on one of our adventures.
Our trips typically consist of a mix of solo travelers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.
Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves, and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way.
It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.
Don't just take our word for it:
- 95% of people rate the group dynamics on our trips 5/5
- 90% of people recommend joining a trip to make new friends
- 75% of people have met people on our trips that they would now consider friends
See here for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.
What's the carbon footprint for this trip?
We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre program, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity.
What's the number?
It works out on average at 54kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, guides, staff and office operations.
The only thing it doesn’t include right now is flights and travel to the destination. We do make an overall estimate across all our customers separately, but as we don’t book flights, have customers from all corners of the world, and no way of reliably knowing their travel plans, we simply can’t include an individual number in the figure on display here. We’ve got a goal to fix that, so that when you book, there is a way to measure and mitigate the carbon emitted by your flight too.
But what does the number mean?
Yep, hard to picture eh? To give you an idea:
- Driving 1000 miles/1609km would be approximately 281kg of CO2 in an average car (or 140.5kg per person, if there were two of you in it).
- A return economy class flight between London and New York would be approximately 1619kg (1.66 tonnes) per person.
- 10 trees in a temperate forest are estimated to remove approximately 250kg of CO2 from the air in a period of 5-10 years.
What are we doing about it?
Our trips are relatively low-carbon by design, and we're working with all our hosts to develop long term carbon reduction plans. We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity, ensuring the protection of the reserve and its wildlife.
Want to know more?
Amazingly, no international travel company has ever publicly published their carbon measurements before, as far as we know. We believe that must change, quickly. So we’re openly sharing the method we used in the hope that other companies will be able to more easily follow suit and build on what we've done so far. You'll find it all here.
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