Historic Trails & Blue Ridge Mountains — Self-Launched
14 days · Washington DC to the Blue Ridge Mountains & Appalachia
Cosmos charges £2,600
No-markup version: ~£1,578 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Cosmos' retired 14-day coach loop from Washington DC through Gettysburg, Shenandoah, the New River Gorge, Kentucky bluegrass country, the Great Smoky Mountains, Asheville, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Monticello and Colonial Williamsburg. You swap the 40-seat motorcoach for Amtrak, regional buses, a cheap rental car or two, and your own two feet — keeping the same battlefields, mountain roads and historic towns while paying hostel/guesthouse rates and visiting sites at your own pace. Two big caveats to plan around: the Appalachians are car country (a shared rental is the single best money-saver here), and the America the Beautiful annual pass (£65) covers nearly every national park and historic site on this route. The original coach tour is currently retired and shows no live departure price; the figure used below is an approximate historical published rate for this 14-day Cosmos coach product and should be treated as an estimate only.
Day-by-day
Arrive Washington DC
Washington DC
Land at IAD or DCA and take the Metro (Silver/Blue/Yellow line, ~£3–5) or the DC Circulator bus to a hostel in the Dupont Circle or NoMa area — DC's hostel and budget-hotel stock is decent and well connected. Pick up a SmarTrip card at the station (£2 card + load £15). Spend the evening walking the free National Mall at dusk: the Washington Monument and the lit-up Lincoln Memorial are best after dark and cost nothing. Grab dinner from a food truck or a Chinatown noodle counter (£10–14).
🚌Metro from airport ~£4
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Dupont Circle / NoMa area (~£38/night)
- →Metro from airport to hostel
- →Self-guided National Mall evening walk
- →SmarTrip card setup
Washington DC highlights, then train to Gettysburg
Washington DC → Gettysburg, PA
Do the Cosmos city tour yourself: the Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Ford's Theatre (free timed entry — book the Ford's Theatre museum ticket online ahead, ~£3 donation-based) are all within a 2-mile walk. In the afternoon take Amtrak's Capitol Limited or a Greyhound/Megabus from DC Union Station to Gettysburg (roughly 2–3 hours with a change in Harrisburg or Frederick; ~£20–30). Check into a Gettysburg hostel or motel, then walk the town's free self-guided historic walking route.
🚌Amtrak/Greyhound DC → Gettysburg ~£25
🛏Gettysburg hostel or budget motel (~£45/night)
- →Lincoln Memorial
- →Vietnam Veterans Memorial
- →Ford's Theatre (book free timed ticket online)
- →Self-guided Gettysburg town walk
Gettysburg Battlefield, Harpers Ferry & into the Shenandoah
Gettysburg → Harpers Ferry → Front Royal
Rent a car in Gettysburg for the next five days — this is the stretch where public transport simply doesn't work, and a shared compact car (~£35–45/day plus fuel) beats any tour coach on flexibility and cost. Drive the 24-mile Gettysburg National Military Park auto tour (free; park at the Museum & Visitor Center, ~£12 parking, buy the £9 self-guided audio tour app instead of a guide). Then 1 hour south to Harpers Ferry National Historic Park (£10 entry, or use your America the Beautiful pass) and walk the Lower Town. Continue 1 hour to Front Royal at the north entrance of Shenandoah National Park and overnight in a budget motel.
🚌Rental car pickup + fuel ~£30 pp share
🛏Budget motel in Front Royal, VA (~£50/night, shared)
- →Gettysburg Battlefield self-drive auto tour
- →Harpers Ferry Lower Town walk
- →Shenandoah north entrance
Skyline Drive & the Blue Ridge
Shenandoah National Park → Beckley, WV
Drive Skyline Drive's 105 miles through Shenandoah (£22 park entry or America the Beautiful pass — worth buying today at £65/year, it covers Monticello-area sites, Great Smoky and more). Stop at Mary's Rock and Stony Man trailheads for short 1–2 hour hikes with Blue Ridge views. Exit at Rockfish Gap and push 3.5 hours west on I-64 to the New River Gorge area, overnighting in Beckley, WV (budget chains ~£45).
🚌Car fuel & park pass ~£25 pp share
🛏Budget motel, Beckley WV (~£45/night)
- →Skyline Drive scenic drive
- →Stony Man / Mary's Rock short hikes
- →New River Gorge area overnight
New River Gorge Bridge & on to Lexington, KY
Beckley → Lexington, KY
Walk the New River Gorge Bridge overlook and, if you're up for it, the Bridge Walk catwalk tour (book direct, ~£55) or the free Long Point and Endless Wall trails instead. Then drive 4 hours west to Lexington, KY — bluegrass horse country. Check into a Lexington hostel or budget motel and eat cheap at a local BBQ or burgoo joint (£12).
🚌Fuel ~£18 pp share
🛏Lexington budget motel/hostel (~£48/night)
- →New River Gorge Bridge overlook
- →Long Point Trail hike
- →Drive to Lexington
Kentucky Horse Park & Bourbon Country
Lexington, KY
Morning at the Kentucky Horse Park (£24 self-guided, open Wed–Sun most of the year — check dates). Afternoon: skip a pricy guided distillery tour and instead drive the free Woodford Reserve / Buffalo Trace area — Buffalo Trace's basic tour is free (book online well ahead) and Woodford Reserve is ~£16 with tasting. Return to Lexington for a walk round the charming (and free) Gratz Park and a cheap dinner on Jefferson Street.
🚌Local driving & fuel ~£12
🛏Lexington budget motel/hostel (~£48/night)
- →Kentucky Horse Park self-guided
- →Buffalo Trace distillery tour (free, book ahead)
- →Woodford Reserve tasting
Lincoln's Birthplace & the Museum of Appalachia
Lexington → Gatlinburg, TN
Drive 1.5 hours to Sinking Spring Farm for the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park (free) and the small Lincoln Museum in Hodgenville (£5). Then continue south 2 hours to the Museum of Appalachia in Norris, TN (£15, a superb folk-history stop the coach tour also made time for). Finish with a 1 hour drive into Gatlinburg for the night — expect tacky but fun, and motels are cheap midweek (~£50).
🚌Fuel ~£16 pp share
🛏Gatlinburg budget motel (~£50/night)
- →Abraham Lincoln Birthplace NHP (free)
- →Lincoln Museum Hodgenville
- →Museum of Appalachia
Great Smoky Mountains — Newfound Gap Road & Cades Cove
Gatlinburg, TN
Full day in Great Smoky Mountains National Park: drive Newfound Gap Road over the ridge to Clingmans Dome (short steep walk, free), then loop the Cades Cove 11-mile one-way drive for wildlife and log cabins — both free. Return to Gatlinburg; if you want the Dollywood fix, tickets are ~£70 booked online in advance, otherwise use the evening for the free Gatlinburg Trail along the river.
🚌Fuel & park entry free ~£8
🛏Gatlinburg budget motel (~£50/night)
- →Newfound Gap Road drive
- →Clingmans Dome walk
- →Cades Cove loop
- →Optional: Dollywood
Over the Smokies to Asheville & Biltmore
Gatlinburg → Asheville, NC
Drive Newfound Gap Road east into North Carolina and down to Asheville (2 hours). Afternoon at the Biltmore Estate — buy the self-guided house-and-gardens ticket online in advance (~£65–80 depending on season; the tour's included visit was self-guided too). Evening in Asheville's South Slope breweries, where a tasting flight is £8–10. Drop the rental car here if you're switching to bus/train, or keep it for the Parkway.
🚌Fuel ~£12; Biltmore entry ~£70
🛏Asheville hostel or budget motel (~£50/night)
- →Newfound Gap Road east
- →Biltmore Estate self-guided house & gardens
- →Asheville South Slope breweries
Blue Ridge Parkway & Mount Airy
Asheville → Mount Airy → Lexington, VA
Drive the Blue Ridge Parkway north — the highest, most scenic stretch — stopping at Craggy Gardens and Linville Falls (free). Detour into Mount Airy, NC, the real-life 'Mayberry', for the free Main Street stroll past Floyd's City Barber Shop and Walker's Soda Fountain (a milkshake costs ~£5). Continue via Mabry Mill and Natural Bridge (Natural Bridge entry ~£8; the Mabry Mill stop is free). Overnight in Lexington, VA — different Lexington, don't get confused.
🚌Fuel ~£20 pp share
🛏Lexington, VA budget motel (~£48/night)
- →Blue Ridge Parkway drive
- →Craggy Gardens & Linville Falls
- →Mount Airy Main Street
- →Mabry Mill & Natural Bridge
Monticello & Richmond
Lexington, VA → Charlottesville → Williamsburg
Drive to Monticello for a self-guided grounds and house tour (£30–35 booked direct; the guided house tour is included in the entry price). Then continue to Richmond for a self-guided walk of the Canal Walk, Capitol Square and Monument Avenue (all free) — this replaces the coach's orientation drive. Push on to Williamsburg for the night (~£50 motel) or, if you've dropped the car, use Amtrak's Crescent/Northeast Regional from Charlottesville to Williamsburg (~£25).
🚌Fuel or Amtrak ~£20
🛏Williamsburg budget motel (~£50/night)
- →Monticello self-guided visit
- →Richmond Canal Walk & Capitol Square
- →Drive/Amtrak to Williamsburg
Colonial Williamsburg
Williamsburg, VA
A full day at Colonial Williamsburg — buy the single-day ticket (~£40) which covers the Capitol, the House of Burgesses, the Governor's Palace and the trade shops; the street itself and many talks are free. Take in a free fife-and-drum marching display. Cheap dinner at a local pub on Merchant's Square (~£14).
🚌Local walk/bus ~£4
🛏Williamsburg budget motel (~£50/night)
- →Colonial Williamsburg ticket
- →House of Burgesses
- →Governor's Palace
- →Free fife & drum parade
Mount Vernon & back to Washington DC
Williamsburg → Mount Vernon → Washington DC
Drive north to Mount Vernon, George Washington's estate (£21 grounds and mansion timed entry, book online). Then on to DC, dropping the car at a downtown rental return. Evening: a self-guided illumination walk of the Lincoln Memorial, WWII Memorial and FDR Memorial (free) in place of the coach's optional farewell tour. Final hostel night in DC (~£38).
🚌Fuel, tolls & car return ~£22
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Washington DC (~£38/night)
- →Mount Vernon estate
- →Car return
- →Self-guided nighttime monuments walk
Depart Washington DC
Washington DC
Metro to IAD or DCA for your flight home. If you've built in an extra day, the Smithsonian museums (all free) and the National Archives (free) are the best-value way to fill it.
🚌Metro ~£4
🛏Departure day
- →Metro to airport
- →Optional Smithsonian museums
Self-launched vs. Cosmos
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Cosmos | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,578 | £2,600 |
| Duration | 14 days | 14 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,022 per person (39%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Cosmos-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,578
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Historic Trails & Blue Ridge Mountains — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,578 per person for 14 days in Washington DC to the Blue Ridge Mountains & Appalachia. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Cosmos?+
Yes — Cosmos charges around £2,600 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,578 — a saving of roughly £1,022 (39%) per person.
How long is the Washington DC to the Blue Ridge Mountains & Appalachia trip?+
This itinerary runs 14 days, covering 14 day-by-day stops through Washington DC to the Blue Ridge Mountains & Appalachia.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, road-trip, hiking trip through Washington DC to the Blue Ridge Mountains & Appalachia, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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