Chattanooga Tennessee is a must see up and coming city with so much to offer. Whether you’re planning your next great family trip or a spring break trip within driving distance save this ultimate travel guide Chattanooga TN so you know where to stay, eat, and play while visiting this fair city!

Lodging Options in Chattanooga

Chattanooga is a beautiful dynamic city that has so much to offer folks of any age. One of the keys to a successful vacation is to stay in the right place. This guide will help you choose which option is best for you and your budget!

Hotels

Bluff View Inn. The art district is the perfect spot to stay if you want to be in a nice tucked away area but steps from the Walnut Street Bridge and other attractions. The Bluff View Inn is a local gem and your rate includes a take-out breakfast and unlimited drip coffee from Rembrandts coffee house, free parking, and high speed internet.

Courtyard by Marriott Chattanooga Downtown. The Courtyard Marriot is where our friends who recommended Chattanooga stayed with their children, and it is a great centrally located reasonably priced hotel. They have a pool and free parking and wi-fi. They are located in the heart of downtown which will make it easy to access attractions like the Aquarium, Walnut Street Bridge, and Creative Discovery Museum.

Hilton Garden Inn Chattanooga Downtown. This Hilton downtown is centrally located and walking distance to everything you would want to see and it has a pool. It is right next to the Tennessee Aquarium, Creative Discovery Museum, and AT&T Ballpark. This option does not include breakfast or parking which is something to consider.

Hostels & Camping

The Crash Pad. This centrally located hostel is a great option for singles, couples, and even families. It is much cheaper than a lot of hotels and includes wifi, breakfast, and parking in the price. The Crash Pad is a funky clean boutique style hotel and makes Chattanooga much more accessible if you are operating on a tight budget.

Racoon Mountain Caverns and Campground. This awesome local campground has full service RV and camp sites, cabins, and amazing caverns and caves you can explore while you are staying there. They have a playground, sports, an outdoor pool, and offer panning and cave tours. This rustic feeling campground is only 15 minutes from downtown Chattanooga!

KOA Lookout Mountain/Chattanooga West KOA Holiday. If you have a camper, a tent, or are looking for a cabin rental, the Lookout Mountain KOA is tucked away on Lookout Mountain but is only 25 minutes to downtown Chattanooga. Their facilities are clean and well maintained and have a large pool, jumping pillow, playground, frisbee golf, hiking, ga ga ball, and gemstone panning.

Where to Eat in Chattanooga

There are so many amazing places to eat in Chattanooga Tennessee, check out my top picks for every meal!

Coffee and Breakfast

Niedlov’s Cafe & Bakery. This family owned bakery and cafe is the perfect place to get breakfast, brunch, or just grab a coffee. They make all their baked goods from scratch and you can taste it! Niedlov is one of the most popular bakery caffes in Chattanooga so make sure you go early. They are open Monday through Saturday and their hours vary based on the time of year. Check out more here.

Mean Mug Coffeehouse. If you are looking for a bohemian style coffee shop that is perfect for a great cup of coffee or a place to setup your remote work for the day try Mean Mug Coffeehouse. They have really fast internet and their mocha and Sophia breakfast sandwich were the best we had in Chattanooga. Click here to view their website.

Rembrandt’s Coffee House. When we visited the Art District, I discovered this European style coffee house. It sits right across from the Hunter Museum of Art in downtown Chattanooga and right by the base of the pedestrian Walnut Street Bridge. They have rich strong coffee and a beautiful courtyard shaded by large wisteria growing on trellises overhead. Check out their coffee and pastry offerings at their website by clicking here.

Lunch

Agave & Rye – Tacos. If you are craving epic delicious unique tacos, we visited a great place the situated along the river walk just down from the Aquarium.Visit their website to see their menu, click here.

Mellow Mushroom – Pizza. We were in downtown for lunch one day with our kids and decided to go for a crowd pleaser – pizza. We got the Great White and the House Special and they were both delicious and my boys gave raving reviews. Check out their menu here.

Dinner

Grab and Go, Informal

Edley’s Bar-B-Que. After we left the aquarium, we asked a local where to get some good BBQ in the city and Edley’s was their immediate recommendation. They feature meats smoked low and slow with Southern white oak and scratch made sides. My son loved their banana pudding and brisket. I had the smoked chicken cornbread and baked beans which were incredible. If you are looking for a fun place where you can carry out or your kids can play on the porch in their little playhouses while you can enjoy some delicious Tennessee style BBQ, Edley’s is your place! Check out all they have to offer on their website here.

Slack’s Burgers. It’s always a good time for a delicious juicy burger. On this trip my family tried out a local favorite Slack’s Burgers. They offer beef, lamb, turkey, veggie, and chicken burgers that you can customize with whatever toppings you want. They all come with crispy fries or truffle fries and you have to try their crispy Brussel sprouts. Slacks had an outdoor covered eating area when gave my kids some space to explore. Check out their website for their full menu!

Dine-In

STIR. If you are looking for refined southern cuisine and delicious fresh oysters, raw bar, and craft cocktails STIR is the place for you. My family dined there the first night we were in town and their shrimp and grits was out of this world! The feature some seasonal dishes and are located in a cool little area called Choo Choo Chattanooga that an old train station converted into a mixed-use courtyard packed with rail history. See STIR’s menu on their website here.

Flying Squirrel. While you can get carryout from Flying Squirrel it has a really cool funky ambiance that is light, airy, and fun. The menu at Flying Squirrel is hyper-local-focused so you will be getting lots of seasonal offerings and will be able to experience unique cuisine. Their menu changes with the season so check out their latest at their website here.

Dessert

The Ice Cream Show. Pick your base of vanilla or chocolate ice cream or yogurt and add chocolates, nuts, and fruits to jazz it up. This conveniently located ice cream shop is right at the base of the Walnut Street Bridge. It was my kid’s favorite, and I loved that we were able to walk right across the bridge while enjoying our dessert treat.

Downtown Dough. This delicious treat spot is right along the river right next to the aquarium in downtown. They serve edible cookie dough which is much easier to eat on a hot day without it melting all over your hands. They carry other delicious treats so there is something for everyone!

Best Activities in Chattanooga

Chattanooga has so much to offer every age group and interest. Whether you want to explore the rivers and oceans or watch a historic steam engine turn around on a turntable I have got you covered here with the best activities in Chattanooga.

Family Friendly

Creative Discovery Museum. We have been to a lot of Childrens Museums and the Creative Discovery Museum in Chattanooga is one of the best we have ever seen! You enter to see a large water play area with a huge indoor playground. They have rooms for music, toddlers, and upstairs there is a huge area dedicated to STEAM play. It has areas you can build and robots you can program and control. They have a treehouse on the rooftop deck that my boys loved! Check out their website to see what programs they have running, click here!

Tennessee Aquarium. The Aquarium in Chattanooga was the highlight of the trip for our family old and young. This aquarium is broken up into two buildings across a courtyard from each other. During the summer, they have running water between rocks for kids to cool off and play in the courtyard. One whole building of the aquarium is dedicated to Sea Life and is full of huge tanks including sharks, sea turtles, penguins, and thousands of varieties of fish. On the top floor you can even pet the sting rays and go in the butterfly pavilion. The other building is all freshwater fish and has a huge sturgeon fish touch tank and river otters. You don’t want to miss the opportunity to explore ridges to rivers. The Tennessee Aquarium is a very popular attraction, so I recommend you buy tickets online ahead of time. If you are travelling during the school year, I recommend you go in the afternoon since most school groups will go home after lunch. Get tickets and more information here.

Chattanooga Zoo at Warner Park. If you are visiting Tennessee with small children the Chattanooga Zoo at Warner Park is a nice little zoo that is totally stroller accessible and won’t overwhelm your little ones. They have a fun play area in the zoo and you can feed the giraffes! This zoo is part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Reciprocity Program so if you are a member at your local zoo you may get a discount!

Historical

Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. Many thanks to google for helping me find this hidden gem. This non-profit is run by railroad enthusiast who have a passion for restoring and preserving history. Your ticket will give you entry into the museum as well as a ride in a totally restored train. We rode on their historic steam engine, and it was like stepping back in time. You take a 20-minute train ride to the “Restoration Station” where you watch the steam engine get turned around on a real turn table. This was the highlight for me and my kids for sure. If you are a rail enthusiast or a history buff this place was made for you. Check out their website here.

Point Park and Battles of Chattanooga Museum. Point Park is a must-see military park with an unbelievable view of the city and a museum dedicated to the “Battle Above the Clouds” fought there during the Civil War in 1863. There are canons situated along the paved walkway and a large memorial. This piece of history is situated on Lookout Mountain beside Chattanooga, I highly recommend you check out this and Rock City Gardens at the same time since they are both on Lookout Mountain. Check out their website for more information here.

For Everyone

Ruby Falls. If you enjoy exploring caves and love waterfall hikes you will LOVE Ruby Falls. This very popular attraction just minutes from downtown gives you the opportunity to decent 260 feet into rock and tour a large underground cave with many different rock formations, the tour leads you through the cave to a 145-foot underground waterfall that was thundering when we visited. Advanced online ticket purchase is required but you can call and change your tour time if need be. Check out their website here.

Hunter Art Museum. The Hunter Art Museum is in the Art District of downtown Chattanooga situated beautifully on a cliff overlooking the Tennessee River right by the Walnut Street Bridge. This museum features American art from Colonial period to the present day. It also has an extensive sculpture garden in the courtyard. I would grab breakfast and a coffee at the Rembrandt Coffee House right around the corner and plan to tour the museum for about 2 hours. Check out their latest exhibits on their website here.

Rock City Gardens. If you are a fan of botanical gardens or rock gardens the Rock City Gardens is a place you could spend you whole day. The highlight of Rock City is a huge waterfall that you can come right up next to and cross over on a bridge. This breathtaking enchanted attraction is only 6 miles from downtown Chattanooga. There is a spot at Rock City that you view seven states on a clear day from the bluff at the same time. It’s a view you can’t capture with a camera and have to experience. Make sure you buy tickets ahead of time and I highly recommend you go there first thing in the morning to avoid any crowds. For more information check out their website here.

Choo Choo Chattanooga. Choo Choo Chattanooga is an old rail station converted into a hotel with restaurants on the bottom and a large courtyard with an arcade and train cars you can explore. It’s a great place to let your kids run off some energy or take in some train history. Click here for more information.

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