How to Spend a Day in Chattanooga - Finding the Universe

When Jess and I moved to the USA, one of the things I was most excited about was the opportunity to explore more of this huge country at our leisure. There is so much to see and do across all the states, and we now have the time and opportunity to do just that.

One of the locations we have visited recently is the city of Chattanooga, Tennessee. It’s only a few hours’ drive from where we live, making Chattanooga an easy 1- or 2-day trip. Jess had visited before, but as a child, so didn’t have much memory of it other than seeing an underground waterfall.

Before we visited, we reached out to our newsletter subscribers for tips on what to see and where to eat. Many Chattanooga locals got back to us and gave us some awesome suggestions.

So, without further ado, let me present our guide to spending a day in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This isn’t going to be a deep dive into everything the city has to offer (which is a lot, by the way, there’s even a museum of International Towing and Recovery).

However, if you’re visiting the city for a short break, as we were, this will cover the must-see spots and highlights of Chattanooga. We’ll also offer our recommendations of where to stay, and tips on getting around. Hopefully, everything you need to plan your own quick getaway to Chattanooga.

Let’s get started!

Table of Contents:

1 Day Chattanooga Itinerary

One day in Chattanooga won’t let you see everything the city has to offer, but you’ll be able to see many of the highlights. As always, feel free to adjust this itinerary based on your own personal preferences and interests!

We also recommend checking opening hours and pricing on the official website before setting out, as attractions can close or change operating hours for various reasons. For attractions with tickets, some of these will be cheaper if purchased in advance.

Breakfast: 9am

If your hotel or accommodation doesn’t offer breakfast, or you would simply prefer to have breakfast in town somewhere, we have two options for you. These would be Frothy Monkey, in the Choo Choo District, or The Daily Ration in the Northshore part of town.

Both offer a great selection of southern breakfast options, with items such as Shrimp and Grits and Fried Chicken and Waffles. Naturally they both also have a good coffee selection to start your day right.

Explore Downtown Chattanooga: 10am

After breakfast, we’d suggest setting out to explore the city’s downtown. With limited time on your hands you won’t have time to visit all the downtown attractions, but you should be able to include at least one in your visit. Of course, if you are more interested in the downtown attractions than some of the other locations we suggest later on in the day then you might consider switching a downtown attraction with one of our later options. You could also easily spend all day just exploring the attractions in the downtown!

In terms of downtown attractions, there are plenty to choose from. Some of the main sights we suggest checking out would be the Tennessee Aquarium, the Hunter Museum of American Art or the Creative Discovery Museum. That last one would be a great option if you’re visiting Chattanooga with kids.

Once you’re done exploring the downtown, it’s time to head out of town for the attractions on Lookout Mountain.

Lookout Mountain Attractions: from 12pm

Lookout Mountain is a mountain ridge a few miles southwest of the Chattanooga city center. It is home to some of Chattanooga’s most popular attractions, as well as walking trails and viewpoints offering excellent views of the surrounding landscape. There are also a number of places to stay on the mountain itself.

Much of Lookout Mountain is taken up by the Lookout Mountain Battlefield, which forms a part of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park. This was the location of major events during the American Civil War, and those interested in military history may want to visit the Point Park location for information on those events.

Point Park is a paid attraction, you can see more here. We didn’t include it on our itinerary, but feel free to include it if you like the sound of it rather than one of our other options!

The rest of the Lookout Mountain Battlefield area is free to visit and it is home to around 30 miles of trails. So if you want to just explore nature and do some hiking, that is certainly an option. Just find a parking spot, choose a trail, and get going. There’s a good trail map on the National Parks site here.

Introduction to Lookout Mountain aside, let’s dive into the attractions that we recommend you visit on your first trip to Lookout Mountain. These are paid, but we think they are definitely worth it.

Incline Railway: 12pm

The first stop we recommend on your Lookout Mountain adventure is the Incline Railway. Built in 1895, this mile long railway will whisk you to the upper part of the mountain. Whilst the upper station of the incline railway isn’t technically at the highest point of Lookout Mountain (that honor belongs to High Point, a way further south), it is still pretty high up on the mountain, and you will get great views of the city.

There’s a viewing platform at the upper station, and the ride on this historic railway is well worth the admission price.

The ride takes around 10 minutes each way, and you’ll want to spend some time at the top enjoying the view, so we’d suggest planning to spend around 45 minutes to an hour visiting the Incline Railway.

If you’re hungry, there are also a few dining options around the lower station. It’s also here where you’ll find the next stop on our itinerary, home to a tasty treat which will keep you going with your Chattanooga sightseeing adventure!

You can book tickets for the Incline Railway here. There’s a parking lot on site, which has a small fee for parking. Note that pets are not allowed on the railway.

Ice Cream at Clumpies: 1pm

Clumpies Ice Cream was highly recommended as a Chattanooga local favorite to try from our readers, and we are so glad that we took them up on that recommendation.

Founded in Chattanooga in 1999, Clumpies focus on handmade ice cream made with fresh ingredients in small batches. As of the time of writing, it’s available in three locations. There’s one in the Northshore area, one by the Chattanooga Choo Choo, and, conveniently for this itinerary, one right by the base of the Incline Railway.

They have a huge range of delicious flavors to choose from, and we highly recommend stopping off to try this classic dish out.

Ruby Falls: 1.30pm

As I mentioned at the start of this guide, Jess visited Chattanooga when she was young, and the only thing she really remembers from that visit was that her family had a souvenir from Ruby Falls. So obviously we had to return to refresh her memory of what she saw, and so I could see what it’s all about.

Ruby Falls has been one of the most popular sights in Chattanooga since it opened to the public in 1930. The main attraction is the 90ft high waterfall, named Ruby Falls, which is actually found over 1,000ft underground. An underground waterfall is definitely a neat attraction!

The Ruby Falls experience works as follows. You sign up for a tour time, which is best if booked in advance on their website here. All visits are by guided tour, with tour group sizes ranging up to around 30 people. At the tour time you take an elevator down 260ft into the mountain, after which your guide will lead you along a trail to the waterfall. There’s also a video near the start of the tour where you’ll learn about the history of how the attraction was developed, which is pretty interesting.

The trail is just under a mile round trip, and there are lots of interesting cave formations to see on the way, which your guide will point out. The trail is easy to follow and fairly even, although this being a cave there are of course low points, outcrops and some steps to navigate. There are also times when you will have to let another group going the other way pass.

Of course, the highlight of the trip is the waterfall, which is pretty impressive. It cascades down around 90ft, and the chamber it is in is plenty large enough for the group. It’s also illuminated with different colors and there’s music as well.

For us the entire underground experience lasted around an hour, with the time at the falls lasting around 8 to 10 minutes. This was plenty of time to get all the photos we wanted and also to just enjoy watching the water.

Now, you might be wondering if visiting Ruby Falls is worth it. We personally enjoyed it, but it is obviously a fairly busy attraction where you have to follow a set path and itinerary.

I think a lot of how good your experience will be will come down to your guide. The groups are not huge, but with 30 or so people stretched along a narrow pathway, you will want to try to be near the front of your group to hear everything your guide has to say as you go. There are points where your group will stop and the guide will talk to you all, but there are also points of interest along the way which you may miss if you’re near the back of the group.

Our guide was ok, but we have read reviews where people found the guides to be very entertaining and verbose, which wasn’t the case with our guide. Still, we did enjoy the experience overall, which was pretty unique. It also has historic attraction interest – we always love to visit attractions that have been drawing a crowd for decades, as it feels like we’re following in the footsteps of many other travelers.

That said, if you prefer to have a bit more time to explore at your leisure, are claustrophobic, or if the sound of an underground waterfall doesn’t float your boat, then that’s totally fine!

Book your tickets on the official Ruby Falls website here. Parking at Ruby Falls is free.

Rock City / Lookout Mountain: 4pm

The other popular paid attraction on Lookout Mountain we recommend visiting is Rock City, which is actually just across the state line in Georgia. This has also been a popular attraction in Chattanooga for many years, opening way back in 1932.

It became popular due to a marketing campaign which involve painting the slogan “See Rock City” on the roofs and walls of barns across the US. By 1969, over 900 barns had been decorated across 19 states, and it is safe to say that this got the word out about the attraction fairly comprehensively.

Today, Rock City offers a similar experience to that which visitors would have found back in the day, although it has of course evolved a little over time. The main attraction though are the walking trails, which wend their way around the gorgeous rock formations, leading you to spectacular viewpoints.

From one of these viewpoints it is said that you can see seven states, although you will need a very clear day to achieve that. Still, the view is spectacular, regardless of the number of states you actually see.

We really enjoyed visiting Rock City, it was our favorite attraction on top of Lookout Mountain. It’s really neat to be able to wander around and under all the rocks, and there really is a lot of detail to see, from underground dioramas to a waterfall to swing bridges to those aforementioned views. It really feels like of a lot of love and attention went into creating this attraction, with the same family running it today who originally created it.

We’ve put your visit to Rock City later in the day so it’s a bit cooler, which is especially important if you’re visiting Chattanooga in the summer months. However, it’s a year-round destination, with themes throughout the year, including an Irish festival in March, and lights for Christmas.

For this one we definitely recommend booking online in advance. Prices vary depending on the time slot you choose and the day you visit, and it is usually cheaper to book in advance online rather than buy tickets in person.

See more and book your tickets on the official Rock City website here. We’d suggest around 90 minutes to 2 hours for this attraction. Parking is free.

Dinner: 6pm

After all that exploration, you’re bound to be hungry by now. So it might be time to head for some food!

There’s a huge range of dining options to choose from in Chattanooga, from fast casual through to upscale experiences. You’ll also find a range of cuisines to choose from, running the gamut from BBQ, hearty southern fare, through to world flavors.

There are definitely too many options to list, but some options to consider include Barque for excellent BBQ, St. John’s Restaurant for upscale dining, Elsie’s Daughter for a bistro dining experience, Champy’s for amazing fried chicken and the Bridgeman Chophouse for steaks and seafood.

As well as dining options, Chattanooga has some great spots to drink. Whether you’re planning on watching the sunset with a cocktail (head to the rooftop Whiskey Thief) or want to visit a local brewery like Oddstory or Hutton & Smith, Chattanooga is bound to have something to sate your thirst. For mocktails, check out Sleepyhead Main+Dodds which has a permanent alcohol-free cocktail menu.

Sunset: Lookout Mountain or Walnut Street Bridge

To round off your day in Chattanooga, we think you might want to enjoy watching the sunset. Although if you’d prefer to relax or skip it and head to a bar, that’s totally fine too!

Still, if you do decide to see the sunset, there are some good options.

First, if you’re downtown, then we recommend heading out onto Walnut Street Bridge for a nice view of the sunset over the river. Dating from 1890, this pedestrian only bridge is an iconic landmark in the city and an excellent place from where to enjoy the sunset.

If you’d prefer to watch the sunset from nature, or are still up on Lookout Mountain when the sun is setting, then the other location you might consider is the aptly named Sunset Rock. This is found on the west side of the mountain, and from here you can get a great view across the surrounding landscape from an elevated location.

There is a small free parking lot just near the trailhead, and it’s only about 200 yards from the parking location to the viewpoint. Just be aware that the parking lot only has nine spots and can fill up.

Depending on the time of year you visit, sunset will be at varying times. You can use this website to check when sunset will be during your visit, but it varies from around 5.30pm in mid-winter, through to 9pm in the summer.

So if you want to see the sunset, you might need to plan your dinner time around that depending on when you are visiting.

Of course, there are lots of other places you can watch the sunset from. I saw a lovely sunset from just outside our hotel in the Choo Choo district for example!

That wraps up our guide to what to do in a day in Chattanooga! Let’s now look at some practical tips to help you plan your visit.

How to Get to Chattanooga

You have a few options for getting to Chattanooga.

First, Chattanooga has an airport, code CHA, which is served by a number of American carriers and offers direct flights to many cities, including major airport hubs like Atlanta, Dallas and Charlotte. So whether you are visiting Chattanooga from the USA or overseas, you should be able to fly here relatively easily.

You can also drive to Chattanooga of course, which is how we usually visit. It’s around 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 can see, there are plenty of other interesting cities within easy driving distance, meaning you could easily include Chattanooga on a road trip of the US south.

In terms of bus and train, Chattanooga is unfortunately not on the passenger rail network in the USA, with the nearest major Amtrak stations being Birmingham and Atlanta.

As of 2023, Chattanooga no longer has a Greyhound stop in the city either. The nearest Greyhound stop is currently in Wildwood, GA, which is about 10 miles southwest of the city center.

How to Get Around Chattanooga

You have a few options for getting around Chattanooga.

First, if you are staying downtown, then many of the downtown attractions will be within easy walking distance. Chattanooga is a nice city to walk around and we can definitely recommend taking a stroll around.

There is also a public transit system managed by the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority, or CARTA. This includes a bus network which covers most of Chattanooga, including the Incline Railway. However, this doesn’t include other Lookout Mountain locations like Rock City or Ruby Falls.

CARTA also run the free downtown shuttle service, which is a free electric shuttle which runs between the Choo Choo district and downtown. This has been in operation since 1992, and is particularly handy if you’re staying in the Choo Choo district, as we did on one of our visits to Chattanooga. We took the bus right to the Aquarium, which was really convenient.

Ride sharing is also an option in Chattanooga, but do be aware that many ride sharing platforms have restrictions on operating in a different state, especially around picking up people. This would be an issue for somewhere like Rock City, which is in Georgia. So, you might be able to get a ride share to Rock City for example, but then not be able to find one to take you back!

For the sights outside of Chattanooga, particularly those on Lookout Mountain, the easiest way to get around is going to be to drive yourself. This will give you the most flexibility for your visit. There is normally plenty of parking, which is either free or fairly low cost.

Where to Stay in Chattanooga

Chattanooga has lots of options for accommodation, ranging from more budget friendly options through to high-end and boutique hotels.

We’d recommend first deciding where you want to stay. We’d recommend choosing either downtown, the Choo Choo district (which gives you easy access to downtown with the free shuttle), or just outside of town at the chain hotels you usually find around interstate exits.

There are pros and cons to both options. With the downtown hotels, you get the advantage of being in the heart of the action, and you will be able to walk to many attractions. There are also some really nice unique accommodation options. The downside would be that these hotels tend to be more expensive, and parking usually carries a fee, which you’ll have to factor into your budget.

The Choo Choo district can be a good option as well, it’s a historic district with good dining and accommodation options, and you can easily reach the downtown area via the free electric shuttle bus. But hotels will still be on the pricier side with an additional fee for parking in most cases.

Finally, you can opt to stay at one of the many chain hotels near the Interstate exits. These normally come with benefits like free parking and some also include a free breakfast, all at a more wallet friendly price. The downside is that you’ll likely have to drive a bit more, but as many attractions require a car anyway, this likely won’t be a big deal.

If you do decide to stay a little out of town, we’d suggest the hotels off I-24 around exit 174 or exit 175 would be your best option. There are also options around exit 178, which are closer to downtown, but tend to receive more mixed reviews.

We always suggest reading recent reviews prior to booking any hotel as things can change.

Here are some options to consider for your visit. These are ordered approximately by price, but of course price can vary so we always recommend checking and comparing prices for your dates to get the best deal.

Downtown Chattanooga / Choo Choo Hotel Recommendations:

Hotel Bo Days Inn – This is a well-reviewed option offering good value in the downtown area. Rooms have tea/coffee making facilities, and meals are available. Parking is available on-site for a reasonable fee.
Residence Inn Chattanooga Downtown – if you want to be right in the heart of downtown Chattanooga but at a more value-oriented price point, this Residence Inn is a great option. It’s just across from the Aquarium and within an easy walk of the majority of downtown sights. Breakfast is included, on-site parking is available for a fee.
The Read House Hotel – this luxury historic hotel in downtown Chattanooga offers 1920s style with modern day amenities. Expect wood clad walls, checkered floors and dramatic chandeliers, alongside modern day comforts like A/C, on-site parking (for a fee) and two excellent restaurants. One to consider if you’re after a traditional upscale hotel experience.
The Hotel Chalet at The Choo Choo – We stayed here on one of our visits to Chattanooga and really enjoyed it. It’s found in the Choo Choo district, home of the former railway station. The hotel has a pool and on-site parking, an excellent on-site restaurant, and is within walking distance of a number of bars and eateries. Uniquely, you can opt to stay in a converted railway carriage, which is pretty neat, but note that some reviewers noted these can be a little noisy.
The Dwell Hotel – This is a lovely luxury boutique hotel which dates from 1909. It only has 16 rooms and regularly books out, so you’ll want to book well in advance for this one. Each room is individually designed with a retro feel. There’s a full-service bar and a light continental breakfast is available. Parking is available nearby for a fee.

Outside Chattanooga Recommendations

These hotels are found a little outside of town on the major interstate exits. You can sometimes save by being out of town, with the convenience of free parking. Many also have breakfast included.

Howard Johnson by Wyndham Chattanooga Lookout Mountain – this is a budget friendly option at the base of Lookout Mountain offering free parking and an inclusive breakfast
Days Inn by Wyndham Chattanooga Lookout Mountain West – another good value option near Lookout Mountain, this has an indoor pool as well as free parking and breakfast. Rooms also have a microwave and refrigerator.
Comfort Inn Chattanooga Downtown Southside – the name is a little misleading as this is a couple of miles from downtown. However, it puts you conveniently between downtown and the Lookout Mountain attractions, so might be a good option. Breakfast is included and there’s free parking on site. This hotel tends to get the best reviews of the options on this freeway exit.

You can see many more options for accommodation across a range of price points on booking.com here, including hotels and apartment rentals.