North Georgia Mountains

Length of Trip

To experience the various destinations, we’ve written this itinerary over 7 full days, with air travel on the 1st and 7th day. However, depending on your interest, availability, and flight options, you could easily increase or reduce the trip by 1-2 days by skipping one of the parks, or adding time for some longer hikes.

Travel Season

The middle of summer can be a bit too hot to enjoy some of the outdoor activities in this trip. Then again, the middle of winter can be a bit too cold. Depending on your preferences, this trip can be done at any time of year, but spring and fall are likely the most enjoyable.

   Jan     Feb     Mar     Apr     May     Jun     Jul     Aug     Sep     Oct     Nov     Dec   

Key:     best months       okay months     not advised

Tip: Helen hosts Oktoberfest festivities throughout early fall, and paired with foliage this is many locals' favorite time to be in the North Georgia mountains.

Most nights on this trip involve lodging in 3-star hotels. Sometimes lodging in or adjacent to national parks may have fewer amenities, but is still the right choice based on location, as well as historic appeal. 

If you would prefer more luxurious lodging, let us know and we can present additional options along with the price difference. If you would prefer to save some money, let us know and we can discuss less expensive options as well. If you are interested in camping, there are campgrounds convenient to some, but not all, of the locations. Talk to our team about camping options in lieu of hotels when making your reservation. This will reduce cost significantly, but also may not always be available as park service campgrounds in particular often fill up quickly. (Note that Wandersaurus does not provide or facilitate rental of camping equipment.)

The recommended hikes throughout this trip are mostly of the 2-4 mile variety and can be completed by a reasonably fit person without much specific training. No more than 8 miles of hiking are listed on any individual day. Suggestions for longer trails can also be found in the detailed itinerary for those looking for increased challenge or to see a bit more of any particular park.

Kids: You know your kids better than we do. A 5-year-old with enthusiasm for the outdoors and some hiking experience would not find any of these overly challenging. A 15-year-old with an “indoor cat” personality might struggle. That said, many trails are not stroller-friendly. A couple of individual trails will have notes of caution for kids in your detailed daily itinerary.

None of the distances involved are particularly far, but the miles are often on mountain roads. Fortunately, many of those roads are scenic. The major drive times are as follows:

• ATL to Chattanooga: 2 ½ hours

• Chattanooga to Helen via Amicalola Falls: 2 ½ hours

• Helen to Atlanta: 1 ½ hours

Most of the mountain days will still involve 1-2 hours round-trip, getting to and from trailheads.

Other Logistics

There are no unique logistical challenges associated with this trip.

By Air

This itinerary is designed around a starting point of ATL Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. It is the busiest airport in the country and, as Delta's worldwide hub, readily accessible from nearly anywhere. We recommend flying in and out of ATL. A morning arrival is ideal to allow for Day 1 activities, but if flight times don’t work we can make changes to activity and/or lodging plans to accommodate.

By Car

Travelers from nearby states may find it more affordable to drive their own vehicle to Georgia rather than fly and rent a car.

• Charlotte NC and Nashville TN are both within 4 hours of Atlanta.

• Jacksonville FL, Raleigh NC, and Memphis TN are 5-6 hours away.

• Travelers only interested in the mountain parks on the trip (and not Atlanta) may be even closer to Chattanooga or Helen, if approaching from the north.

If you’ll be driving to Georgia let us know the details and we can adjust the start and end points of the itinerary to save mileage where possible.

Some features of this trip may have seasonal variation, so all package prices are presented as estimated ranges. Contact us for a more precise price estimate for your preferred travel dates. Pricing does NOT include airfare.

Couples / Two Travelers

This trip was originally designed for parties of 2 people, sharing a room. The expected total price for all included items is $2,200 - $2,500.

Families

Groups of 3-6 people can enjoy this trip as well, with costs variable depending on room-sharing preferences. Contact us for details.

Solo

Unfortunately for solo travelers, the majority of the costs are overnight accommodations which do not reduce for individuals, so a solo traveler would only save around $200 off of the couples' price.

Larger Groups

While details of this trip were not designed with larger groups in mind, the itinerary would still be functional. Contact us to discuss!

Payment Policies

• Payments must be made by credit card. Specific restrictions may exist for certain lodging or activity vendors. 

• 20% deposit due at time of reservation

• Balance due 90 days before trip start date (If booking within 90 days of trip, full balance due at time of reservation)

• Some portion of deposit may be nonrefundable, as some excursions or activity fees (which will have been booked upon confirmation) are nonrefundable. Accommodations and transportation will generally be reserved as refundable.

• Fully refundable until 60 days before trip start, less $100 admin fee and any nonrefundable excursions

• 50% refundable until 14 days before trip start

• If cancelling within 14 days of trip start, no refunds are given

Included In Your Package Price

• Bespoke itinerary - tailored as needed to suit your particular requirements

• Overnight accommodations for all nights

• Rental car

• Maps of all driving routes

• Trail maps and trail descriptions for all recommended hikes

• Restaurant recommendations, at a range of price points, highlighting vegetarian and kid-friendly options

• “America the Beautiful” federal lands pass (grants access to all National Park Service facilities on the trip)

• Tickets to all museums included in trip plan

• Fees for any guided tours mentioned in trip plan

• Expert advice and local information, including packing suggestions

• Updated information on any changing conditions delivered in the weeks before your trip

• Carbon offset credits for the mileage driven along the main route of the itinerary

• Full support during your trip from the Wandersaurus Travel team (9:00 am until 9:00 pm Eastern Time)

Not Included

• Travel to and from your starting/ending points

• Gasoline, parking, and/or any other ground transportation expenses unless specified

• Meals unless specified

• Additional guided tours or excursions beyond those specified

• Tips/gratuities for any guides

• Travel insurance. Note: we recommend purchasing travel insurance via a certified insurance agency