Family vacations are probably the first thing that come to mind when you think of the Smokies – probably not a bachelorette party. But Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, are home to dozens of bars, attractions, shops, shows, restaurants, and opportunities for outdoor fun – all perfect for a bachelorette bash in the Smokies.
If your group loves to stay active, spend some time in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Want to pamper the bride-to-be? Fill the weekend with massages, shopping, and winery tours. Feel like letting loose a bit? Check out the bars and live music in downtown Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. Love laid-back days with a little bit of everything? Spend the afternoon at The Island, take a drive through Cades Cove, or pick a cabin with tons of amenities and spend time hanging out in your cabin rental!
No matter what kind of bachelorette trip you’re planning – laid-back weekend, a big night out, or a day of luxurious pampering – you’ll find what you want in the Smokies! Read on for some great ideas for your Gatlinburg bachelorette party and have a blast before the big day.
Sipping the Smokies
Whiskey, moonshine, local wine…sip your way through the Smokies with local wineries, new distilleries, and fun bars in downtown Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. The bachelorette will appreciate tasting what the Smokies has to offer, and you can choose a bottle of local wine or moonshine to take back to the cabin for a fun girls’ night in!
The Rocky Top Wine Trail is made up of 5 wineries and a local distillery within 12 miles in the Great Smoky Mountains. Each location offers free wine tastings 7 days a week, and Mountain Valley Winery, Sugarland Cellars, and Hillside Winery offer free tours of the wine cellars and tank rooms from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Rent a limo and spend the day touring and tasting (or visit a few each day), with gifts after the third and last stops (pick up a passport before you start). Along the trail, you’ll find 70+ wine varieties to sample and lots of options for bottles for the bride-to-be.
- Hillside Winery | Sevierville
- Apple Barn Winery | Sevierville
- Mountain Valley Winery | Pigeon Forge
- Mill Bridge Winery | Pigeon Forge
- Doc Collier Moonshine Distillery | Gatlinburg
- Sugarland Cellars | Gatlinburg
Views for Days
If a laid-back day of seeing the best views in the Smokies sounds perfect for your bachelorette party, you’ll have plenty of options. Load up in the car and take a driving tour of Cades Cove, where you’ll see fields of wildflowers, peaceful streams, historic buildings, and maybe even a black bear or two! Or you can head to Pigeon Forge for an up-high tour with Scenic Helicopter Tours. A helicopter tour high above the trees would be a great surprise for the bachelorette! Want a quick view before you get back to playing? Try a ride on the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel at The Island in Pigeon Forge or ride the glass elevator to the top of the Gatlinburg Space Needle!
Pamper the Bride-to-Be
What better way to celebrate the bachelorette than by pampering her for a weekend with the bridesmaids? There are plenty of ways to do that in the Smokies, from shopping to spa treatments. You can book an in-cabin massage and enjoy some of that local wine you picked up on your wine tour or climb into the hot tub and relax afterward! There are also several spas in the area, where you can pamper the bachelorette with mani-pedis, a blowout, facials, or a makeover before heading into town for a night out.
And of course, be sure to do some shopping with the bride tribe while you’re in the area! The Tanger Outlets in Sevierville have deals on perfect bachelorette gifts at Banana Republic Factory Store, LOFT outlet, Fossil, Coach, and more! Gatlinburg has unique stores along the Parkway and in The Village, and The Island in Pigeon Forge is perfect for boutique shops, jewelry, and a bite to eat.
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
When you’ve primped, shopped ‘til you dropped, and sipped on the local drinks of the Smokies, it’s time to have some fun on your girls’ trip. The attractions in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are for more than kids, with plenty to do on a girls’ weekend. A few perfect picks for a bachelorette weekend include:
Bachelorette Party Ideas
- Zipline tours at Smoky Mountain Ziplines
- Breaking out at The Escape Game
- Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies
- Ride the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel
- Go ice skating (and grab a German beer) at Ober Gatlinburg
- Get spooked at Ripley’s Haunted Adventure
- Ride roller coasters at Dollywood
- Hit the dance floor on a night downtown
- Pose with celebrities at the Hollywood Wax Museum
- Play mini golf and laser tag (take your pick on the Parkway)
- Take an old-time photo – the perfect memento of the weekend
- Go horseback riding through the Smoky Mountains
- Plan a customized day with Smoky Mountain Guides