Autumn in the Smokies

8 DAY TOUR |  OCTOBER 18 – 25, 2026

Spend time immersed in the legendary Appalachian foothills. Celebrate autumn at Dollywood’s Harvest Festival and experience the world of Kentucky’s Bluegrass heritage.

$1,999

Per Person/Double Occupancy

$2,499

Single Occupancy

Book by January 31, 2026 and save $25 pp!

Final payment due July 31, 2026.

This Tour Includes

7 NIGHTS
Hotel accommodations

15 MEALS
Breakfast (B) daily; 3 lunches (L); 3 dinners (D); 2 Drury Dinner (DD)

SIGHTSEEING & ACTIVITIES
Guided sightseeing with your Tour Director as outlined in the day-by-day itinerary; visits, admissions and special features are shown in bold.

ROUNDTRIP TRANSPORTATION
Deluxe motorcoach transportation roundtrip from Brainerd with pickups enroute. Contact us for departure points.

PROFESSIONAL TOUR DIRECTOR
Full time throughout the trip

Tour Highlights

  • Bush’s Bean Visitors Center
  • Country Tonite Show
  • The Comedy Barn Show
  • Gatlinburg Shopping
  • Anakeesta Gondola Ride
  • Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Feud
  • Patty Waszak Show
  • Dollywood Harvest Festival
  • Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame

 

EARN $35 IN PTS PERKS UPON COMPLETION!

Daily Itinerary

Breakfast (B) | Lunch (L) | Dinner (D) | Drury Dinners (DD)

Day 1

BRAINERD – ALSIP, IL

Depart Brainerd with pickups enroute and travel to Alsip, Illinois for our overnight.

Day 2

ALSIP, IL – BEREA, KY

Travel through Indiana into Kentucky. Overnight in Berea with an included dinner at Historic Boone Tavern. (B D)

Day 3

BEREA, KY – PIGEON FORGE

Head to Tennessee where we’ll visit the Bush’s Bean Visitors Center. Then it’s on to the Pigeon Forge area for our three night stay. Later today we’ll enjoy two fun shows—The Country Tonite Show and The Comedy Barn. (B L DD)

Day 4

GATLINBURG

Explore the mountain resort town of Gatlinburg where shops and galleries are filled with handcrafts from local mountain artists. Travel high above Gatlinburg on the Anakeesta Gondolas for breathtaking views of the Great Smoky Mountains. You’ll also get time to explore this quaint town. Tonight, enjoy the Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Feud. (B L D)

Day 5

PIGEON FORGE

This morning you’ll enjoy the fabulous Patty Waszak Show before we head over to Dollywood for the rest of the day to enjoy their annual Dollywood Harvest Festival! Soak in mountain majesty as the hills come alive with vivid color and the smells of apple and pumpkin treats waft through the streets. After the sun sets, you’ll be wrapped in a whimsical warming glow as the park transforms into an enchanting display of illuminated carved pumpkins and shimmering pumpkin icons. (B)

Day 6

PIGEON FORGE – EVANSVILLE

Today we head through Tennessee to Kentucky and on to the Bluegrass capital of America—Owensboro! Experience the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame near the homeplace of Bill Monroe, the Father of Bluegrass. We travel a short distance to Evansville, IN for the night. (B DD)

Day 7

EVANSVILLE – JANESVILLE

We journey across Illinois to Janesville, Wisconsin for our final night together. (B D)

 

Day 8

JANESVILLE – BRAINERD

Travel to Brainerd today with an included farewell lunch. (B L)

What our "travelers" have to say...

Thank you for all you do for your clients!

You both are such fun, giving, caring and patient!

- Bootsie and Jack

You make our PTS tours so fun!

You have shown us so many outstanding places. We appreciate both you and Tam for all the work you put into them.

- Regina & Jeff

"Thanks for the great bus trip!"

My first time on a bus. Had a very good time and saw lots of great things. You're a very good tour guy. Liked your sense of humor. Met some very nice people. Really enjoyed Elvis. Hope to take another trip in the future. Thanks again.

- Lois

"I look forward to all my tours with PTS!"

Thank you for taking good care of me and the other travelers on the Mexican Cruise. From the time we left Brainerd until our return, you were always there for us.

- Linda

"It is a treat to have real travel pros like yourself worry about the details."

Though still "virtual rookies", Joyce and I want to thank you for welcoming us into the caring arms of both yourself and all the many friends of the Tour who travel with you regularly.

- Larry and Joyce

"It was a delightful smorgasbord of variety, interest, new experiences and fun."

What a wonderful trip! We appreciate your thoughtfulness and hard work bringing it all together. The pace was great and we loved all the "must sees" we took off our list.

- Dan and Marlene

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