Chattanooga in a day
A one-day plan for Chattanooga: Lookout Mountain and Ruby Falls, the cave waterfall inside the mountain. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 1 days
Chattanooga in 1 day
Day 1
Lookout Mountain
Long ridge above the city with Civil War battlefield sites, Point Park viewpoints, Ruby Falls, Rock City and wide views of the valley.
Ruby Falls
Underground waterfall of 145 feet inside Lookout Mountain, reached by an elevator and a guided walk through lit caverns.
Watch: Chattanooga in 7 days
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
When to go to Chattanooga
Spring and autumn are the best seasons, with mild temperatures and fall colour on Lookout Mountain from mid-October. Summer is hot and humid, so plan outdoor sights for the morning, and winters are mild with occasional frost. Big events like the Chattanooga Marathon draw crowds in March.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Chattanooga on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Chattanooga on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Chattanooga on GetYourGuide
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for United States from Airalo
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Chattanooga
- Lookout Mountain and Ruby Falls are on the same mountain a few minutes apart, so they combine well in one day.
- Ruby Falls is reached by an elevator and a guided walk through a cave; tickets for set entry times fill up in busy seasons, so book ahead.
- Lookout Mountain rises above the city and the Tennessee River; allow time for the drive up and for the viewpoints along the way.
- Ruby Falls is a cave and stays cool inside all year; bring a light jacket in summer and shoes with good grip for the wet floor.
- A car is the easiest way to reach the mountain and the cave from downtown Chattanooga.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Lookout Mountain: Walker Kinsler, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ruby Falls: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
