Gatlinburg Convention & Visitors Bureau

Official Gatlinburg tourism office, gateway to the Smoky Mountains

The Gatlinburg Convention & Visitors Bureau is the official tourism promotion entity for Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The city presents itself as the gateway community to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in the United States, with three entrances located within the municipality itself. According to the office's data, around 14 million visitors enter the park each year, and the town, with about 4,000 residents, has been welcoming those visitors for more than seven decades.

Lodging in Gatlinburg and its surroundings

Lodging options include mountainside chalets and cabins, modern condos, downtown hotels and motels, bed & breakfasts, lodges and campgrounds nearby. The office groups these options into hotels, cabins and chalets, and campgrounds, and offers a free vacation guide with listings of lodging, restaurants, shops and attractions, as well as mileage charts and alternate routes.

Things to do: nature, crafts and city life

Tourism activity revolves around several main areas. Hiking and outdoor activities occupy a central place, with miles of trails in the mountains accessible from downtown. The city also promotes its craft heritage through the Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community, an eight-mile loop with more than one hundred shops of artisans and independent artists, presented as the largest concentration of independent artisans in North America. In the urban area, the downtown Parkway concentrates restaurants, shops and attractions, while the riverwalk along the Little Pigeon River offers a quieter route with gazebos and benches. The dining and nightlife offering ranges from family cooking to filet mignon, with establishments such as Cliff Top Bar & Grill at Anakeesta or Ole Red Gatlinburg, with country inspiration.

Events and seasonal calendar

The office maintains a calendar of events throughout the year, with parades, craft fairs, concerts, food festivals and seasonal celebrations. Among the dates included in the calendar are the Gatlinburg Harvest Festival (September 23 to November 1, 2026), Gatlinburg Winter Magic (November 5, 2026 to February 15, 2027), Oktoberfest at Ober Mountain (October 2 to November 1, 2026), Fright Nights at Ripley's Haunted Adventure (October 2 to 31, 2026), Smoky Mountain Sunrise at Gatlinburg SkyPark (October 3 to 31, 2026), the Gatlinburg Farmers Market (September 26 to October 17, 2026), the Veterans Day Celebration at the Gatlinburg Convention Center (November 11) and activities such as rafting, an adaptive hiking program or an Ole Red concert with Tayler Holder.

Resources for planning your visit

The office offers practical tools for organizing your trip: a free official vacation guide, a newsletter, a Gatlinburg mobile app, webcams to see the city in real time and a podcast. It also publishes safety tips for coexisting with black bears, common in the area due to the proximity of the national park, and recommends using the free trolley to get around town. The Gatlinburg blog gathers content on lodging, hiking trails, restaurants, haunted places and seasonal activities.

Structure and institutional services

The Gatlinburg Convention & Visitors Bureau also handles the organization of meetings, groups and weddings, and maintains ties with the local Chamber of Commerce. Its headquarters is located at 811 East Parkway, P.O. Box 527, Gatlinburg, TN 37738.

Location and contact

811 East Parkway, P.O. Box 527, Gatlinburg, TN 37738 · Phone: (865) 436-4178 · Email: info@gatlinburg.com · Hours: Monday - Sunday 9AM - 5PM