Ruby Falls Tours: an Unforgettable Experience in Chattanooga

Ruby Falls tours are one of the most popular things to do in Chattanooga for a good reason.  Their tours combine science and history, with an epic waterfall as payoff. 

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Why take a Ruby Falls tour?

Ruby Falls in Chattanooga TN is one of the most popular things to do in the area due to its caves and waterfalls. What really sets Ruby Falls apart from the other caves in the area is its stunning waterfall that is over 90’ high. This makes the Ruby Falls waterfall the tallest underground waterfall open to the public in the US.  

The history of the accidental discovery of the cave and falls is just as much of the experience as the geology.  And, Ruby Falls tours are family friendly and perfect for all ages. 

Highlights of the Ruby Falls Cave Walk

Naturally, the waterfall is the highlight of this tour.  After walking .5 miles though the underground cave passageways, you open up into a massive cavern with the waterfall at the opposite end.  Once your group is inside, there is a light and sound show that accompanies the experience. 

Of course, there is a lot you’ll see en route to the falls.  You’ll learn all the basics of cave formations from their funny names to how they form over time.  

What to know before booking Ruby Falls tours

These tours are over 250 feet underground and run 1.5 – 2 hours. The passage can be quite narrow, and you often have two groups passing each other.  If you have any underlying issue with claustrophobia and small spaces, stay up top and enjoy the view instead. 

Ruby Falls Tours available 

Ruby Falls is open 7 days a week from 8am to 8pm. There are a variety of Ruby Falls cave tours available to suit any age or interest. 

Note: Not all tours are offered every day.  Check the ticket site for availability. 

Cave Walk to the Waterfall 

This is the standard tour which is suitable for all ages, and lasts around 90 minutes.  This tour is offered all day.

Adults Exclusive Cave Walk

This is the same tour length and content as the standard cave walk, but guests must be 15 or older.  It is also only offered on Friday mornings. 

Junior Caver tour

This tour is a family focused tour that also offers special badges and activity sheets for kids.  The Jr Caver Tour is 120 minutes long and only offered on certain days.

Gentle Walking Tour

This is an early morning, slow paced tour meant to accommodate people that need extra walking time.  These are offered twice a week, and the tour is only for ages 12 and older. 

Geology Tour (5 and up) & 

The geology tours are specialty small group tours with a deeper focus on the science of the caves.  These are offered once a week as early morning tours that last 120 minutes.  This is intended for ages 5 and up. 

History Tour (12 and up)

This is another weekly, early morning specialty tour.  This 120 minute tour however has a deeper focus on the history of the caves to learn more about Leo Lambert and his crew. 

Lantern tour

This 120 minute tour is explored only by lantern light.  These are Friday night tours for ages 10 and up. 

During the fall and Halloween season, a special “Ghost Walk Edition” of the Ruby Falls lantern tour is added to the schedule. 

What to wear on the tour

The cave and tunnels stay at a consistent temperature of around 60 degrees F year-round, regardless of the season.  While you do walk a mile, there is a lot of stopping and standing as well.  I recommend wearing a sweatshirt or lightweight jacket to combat the cool damp temperature. 

Don’t forget to wear appropriate shoes.  You’ll want to wear sneakers here both due to the temperature and uneven ground in some areas of the cave.  There may also be some wet patches that come with cave condensation.  I always travel with my favorite waterproof sneakers so I never have to worry if my shoes get wet. 

Accessibility

Although you do take an elevator down to the cave, the Ruby Falls tours are not accessible.  Due to the narrow passageways, which often have groups passing each other, there is not enough space to accommodate strollers, wheelchairs and other mobility devices in the cave.  

For any people or families with sensory issues, Ruby Falls does offer low sensory cave walks in small groups.  These must be pre-arranged 2 or more weeks ahead of time.  

Ruby Falls tour tickets

Buy your Ruby Falls tickets online, in advance.  This is especially recommended during the busy summer and fall seasons.  It is common for tours to sell out quickly. 

For any specialty tours, these should be reserved a few weeks in advance to ensure there are times available during your travel dates. 

Pricing

For the most part the 90 minute tours are the same price.  Whereas the 120 minute, or specialty tours have a higher ticket price.

• Cave Walk to the Waterfall & Adults Exclusive Cave Walk
  • Adults (12+): $30
  • Kids (0-3): free
  • Kids (4-12): $20
• Junior Caver tour:
  • All tickets: $30
• Gentle Walking Tour, Geology Tour & History Tour
  • All tickets: $41
• Lantern tours:
  • All tickets: $43

Additional Ruby Falls information 

There is more to see and do at Ruby Falls than just the cave tours.  Since Ruby Falls sits deep within Lookout Mountain, you can get excellent views of the valley and Tennessee River beneath the mountain.

There is of course a gift shop with all sorts of trinkets and souvenirs.  You’ll also find a pretty large cafe inside the main building.  Enjoy some food and drinks before or after your 1 mile trek below the surface. 

The adventure isn’t only in the cave.  Ruby Falls also has High Point ZIP Adventure, a zipline and adventure park.  This is open daily Memorial Day weekend – July, and weekends from August – November.  This experience is around an hour.  

Between the caves, restaurant and ziplines, you can really spend an entire afternoon at Ruby Falls. 

How to get to Ruby Falls

Ruby Falls sits on the edge of Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, which means you need a vehicle to get here.  It is just a short 10-15 minute ride from Downtown Chattanooga.   There is on site parking, including limited spots for EV charging, RVs and campers. 

If you don’t plan to have a car while visiting Chattanooga, you can get a rideshare for around $10 each way. 

Review of the Ruby Falls Cave Walk

I did the cave walk as a special late night group tour.  This was a longer 2+ hour tour that delved deep into both the history and geology.  Our guide Lucas was super engaged, and honestly would have let us stay down there for 3 hours, if they didn’t need to shut down for the night. 

I loved this tour being at the end of the day.  It means there are fewer people in the area in general, but also fewer groups coming and going.  There were other people at my conference that did the early morning tours, and they had a similar experience.  Being the first people in the cave means you have a little bit more time to enjoy it with just your group.  I recommend booking your tour either early in the morning, or at the end of the night if you can. 

Personally, I enjoyed this tour.  Yes, it is a bit more commercial and corporate than Raccoon Mountain, but seeing the giant underground waterfall is such a unique experience.

Alternate Chattanooga Cave Tours 

As mentioned above, Raccoon Mountain Caverns has the other cave tour in Chattanooga.  I did both the Raccoon Mountain Caverns tours and Ruby Falls tours.  These are two very different experiences, and you can go to both and appreciate what each one has to offer.

Read more about the different Raccoon Mountain Caverns tours below.

Other Chattanooga tours to check out

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