9 days in Gatlinburg, North Carolina & West Virginia Itinerary

A top destination for a holiday in nature, North Carolina provides a seemingly endless variety of outdoor activities, including hiking, mountain climbing, and skiing. While the state's rural regions offer a taste of traditional Appalachian music and culture, its increasingly diverse big cities feature modern skyscrapers, renowned museums, and historical neighborhoods perfect for sightseeing tours. The coastal region, famous for its year-round temperate climate, attracts millions of annual visitors, making North Carolina the sixth most-visited state in the country. Though it's hard to find a quiet time of year in coastal North Carolina, the state's inland areas retain many secluded corners where you can experience the laid-back Old South atmosphere.

Located entirely within the Appalachian Mountain region, the aptly nicknamed "Mountain State" represents the highest state east of the Mississippi River with an average elevation of about 460 m (1,500 ft) above sea level. With an official motto of "Mountaineers are always free," West Virginia is home to a fiercely independent people, proud of their state's rich natural resources, physical beauty, and traditional culture. The state is often overlooked by tourists, and its major attractions retain an off-the-beaten-path character and exemplify a laid-back pace of life. West Virginians like to describe their part of the country as both wild and wonderful, a claim you can easily test on a holiday here by filling your itinerary with exploration of the state's green mountains, white-water rivers, and historical small towns.