South · United States
Tennessee
Music cities, mountain trails and world-famous Southern soul.
Discover Tennessee
Tennessee hits every road-trip note — Nashville's Honky Tonks and songwriter bars, Memphis's blues clubs and barbecue pits, the Great Smoky Mountains' misty ridgelines, and small towns that still stage live bluegrass on front porches. From Graceland to the Grand Ole Opry, the Ocoee River to the Obed, it's a state shaped by sound, smoke and scenery.
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Tennessee in motion
Recommended Drives
Suggested itineraries
15 days · Nashville loop
Bourbon, Bluegrass & Horse Country
Route: Nashville → Tullahoma → Pigeon Forge → Lexington → Versailles → Cincinnati → Indianapolis → Louisville → Owensboro → Nashville
A DriveAmerica-curated fly-drive through the heart of bourbon and bluegrass country — Nashville's honky-tonks and Ryman Auditorium, Tennessee whiskey at Jack Daniel's and George Dickel, Dollywood and the Smokies in Pigeon Forge, thoroughbred farms and Keeneland racecourse in Lexington, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail (Wild Turkey, Buffalo Trace, Woodford Reserve, Jim Beam and Maker's Mark), Cincinnati's riverfront, Indianapolis's craft distillery scene, Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby Museum in Louisville and the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in Owensboro. Offered by our DriveAmerica partner ATI.
- •Day 1 — Nashville: Ryman Auditorium, bluegrass venues & Nelson's Green Brier Distillery
- •Day 2 — Nashville to Tullahoma: Jack Daniel's in Lynchburg, Miss Mary Bobo's, Short Springs waterfalls & George Dickel at Cascade Hollow
- •Day 3 — Tullahoma to Pigeon Forge: WDVX Blue Plate Special in Knoxville & Dollywood in the foothills of the Smokies
- •Day 4 — Pigeon Forge to Lexington: Daniel Boone National Forest & the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame in Mount Vernon
- •Days 5–7 — Lexington: Darley at Jonabell, Keeneland racecourse, Blue Door Smokehouse BBQ & Claiborne Farm
- •Day 8 — Lexington to Versailles: WinStar Farm, Lane's End, Wild Turkey, Buffalo Trace, Woodford Reserve & Ashford Stud
- •Day 9 — Versailles to Cincinnati: the Purple People Bridge, Newport riverfront & New Riff Distilling
- •Day 10 — Cincinnati to Indianapolis: 12.05 Distillery, West Fork Whiskey, Hotel Tango & dinner at Bluebeard
- •Day 11 — Indianapolis to Louisville: Churchill Downs, the Kentucky Derby Museum, Stitzel-Weller (Bulleit) & Doc Crow's on Whiskey Row
- •Day 12 — Louisville to Owensboro: Jim Beam American Stillhouse, Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History & Maker's Mark in Loretto
- •Day 13 — Owensboro: Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum and O.Z. Tyler Distillery
- •Day 14 — Owensboro back to Nashville via Rosine and the Bill Monroe Museum, home of the 'father of bluegrass'
- •Day 15 — Nashville: return car at BNA for departure
13 days · Atlanta loop
Rock 'n' Roll, Rockets & Elvis
Route: Atlanta → Birmingham → Memphis → Tupelo → Muscle Shoals → Nashville → Lynchburg → Huntsville → Atlanta
A Deep South music pilgrimage tracing the birthplaces of the blues, soul, country and rock 'n' roll — Graceland, Sun Studio, Beale Street, Tupelo's Elvis birthplace, Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, the Grand Ole Opry, the Jack Daniel's Distillery and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.
- •Birmingham — four downtown entertainment districts, James Beard-winning kitchens & the Vulcan statue
- •Memphis — Graceland, Sun Studio, Stax Museum, Gibson Guitar Factory & Beale Street blues
- •Tupelo, MS — Elvis Presley Birthplace, the 'Elvis at 13' statue & his childhood church
- •Muscle Shoals — Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, W.C. Handy's birthplace & the Alabama Music Hall of Fame
- •Nashville — Music Row, RCA Studio B, Country Music Hall of Fame, the Bluebird Cafe & Grand Ole Opry
- •Lynchburg, TN — Jack Daniel's Distillery, the oldest registered distillery in the USA
- •Huntsville — the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, world's largest space museum, plus The Orion amphitheater
- •Atlanta — Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, Atlanta History Center & Fairlie-Poplar
10 days
The Classic Tennessee Loop
Route: A circular drive taking in Tennessee's iconic landscapes, gateway towns, and signature stays.
Our most-requested itinerary for first-time visitors to Tennessee — a balance of headline sights and quiet, off-grid retreats.
7 days
Tennessee Hidden Corners
Route: Lesser-known back roads, working ranches, and locally-owned inns across Tennessee.
Designed with our regional partners for travellers who have already seen the postcards and want the unfiltered version.
19 days · Chicago to New Orleans
Get Your Vibe On I-65
Route: Chicago → Indianapolis → Louisville → Nashville → Florence/Muscle Shoals → Huntsville → Birmingham → Montgomery → Orange Beach/Gulf Shores → Mobile → New Orleans
End-to-end on Interstate 65 from the Great Lakes to the Gulf — Chicago's skyline, Indy's Motor Speedway, Louisville bourbon, Nashville's Music City, the legendary Muscle Shoals studios, Huntsville's Space & Rocket Center, Birmingham's Civil Rights heritage, Montgomery's history, the white-sand Alabama Gulf Coast, historic Mobile and a New Orleans finale.
- •Chicago — Millennium Park, the Bean, Navy Pier & Magnificent Mile
- •Indianapolis — Motor Speedway, Eiteljorg Museum & the Cultural Trail
- •Louisville — Kentucky Derby Museum, Bourbon Trail, Muhammad Ali's home & Louisville Slugger Museum
- •Nashville — Ryman Auditorium, Country Music Hall of Fame, Grand Ole Opry & Printer's Alley
- •Florence/Muscle Shoals — Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, Alabama Music Hall of Fame, W.C. Handy's birthplace & Frank Lloyd Wright's Rosenbaum House
- •Huntsville — U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Botanical Garden, Burritt on the Mountain & The Orion amphitheater
- •Birmingham — Civil Rights District, Vulcan statue, Barber motorcycle museum & James Beard kitchens
- •Montgomery — Civil Rights Memorial Center, Rosa Parks Museum, Hank Williams Museum & State Capitol
- •Orange Beach & Gulf Shores — Gulf State Park, sugar-white beaches, Fort Morgan & The Wharf
- •Mobile — birthplace of Mardi Gras, USS Alabama Battleship, Bellingrath Gardens & Dauphin Island
- •New Orleans — French Quarter, Creole cuisine, jazz & riverboats on the Mississippi
13 days · Atlanta to Orlando
Rhythms of the South
Route: Atlanta → Nashville → Memphis → Vicksburg → Natchez → Baton Rouge → New Orleans → Pensacola → Tallahassee → St. Augustine → Orlando
A Deep South music and history self-drive from the cradle of country and blues to the white-sand Gulf coast and Florida's theme-park capital — Jack Daniel's, the Grand Ole Opry, Beale Street, Graceland, Vicksburg's Civil War battlefields, the French Quarter and the oldest city in America.
- •Atlanta — Fairlie-Poplar, the African American Panoramic Experience, Grant Park & the Atlanta History Center
- •Chattanooga & Lynchburg — the Choo Choo train and the Jack Daniel's Distillery en route to Nashville
- •Nashville — Grand Ole Opry, Country Music Hall of Fame & the Tennessee State Museum
- •Memphis — Beale Street blues bars, Graceland, Sun Studio, the Memphis Belle & Mud Island
- •Vicksburg — Vicksburg National Military Park, 1,300+ Civil War monuments & the national cemetery
- •Natchez & Baton Rouge — antebellum mansions and the heart of the old South
- •New Orleans — French Quarter, Bourbon Street, Creole cuisine & a Mississippi steamboat cruise
- •Pensacola — Seville Historic District & the white-sand beaches of Santa Rosa Island
- •Tallahassee — antebellum architecture, the Capitol & the Emerald Coast en route
- •St. Augustine — the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the USA
- •Orlando — Disney, Universal & a Downtown Orlando finale before flying home
8 days · escorted · New Orleans to Atlanta
Guided Tour: Rhythms of the South
Route: New Orleans → Baton Rouge → Natchez → Memphis → Nashville → Chattanooga → Atlanta
An ATI-escorted small-group tour through the Deep South with a professional Tour Director — jazz and beignets in New Orleans, an antebellum mansion in Natchez along the historic Natchez Trace Parkway, Beale Street in Memphis, the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and the Chattanooga Choo Choo en route to Atlanta.
- •New Orleans — French Quarter, Bourbon Street, Mississippi paddlewheel & jazz
- •Baton Rouge — a brief tour of Louisiana's capital
- •Natchez Trace Parkway & Natchez — antebellum mansion visit & Mississippi River history
- •Memphis — Beale Street blues, Sun Records, Cotton Row & Graceland (optional)
- •Nashville — Grand Ole Opry, Ryman Auditorium, Music Row & honky-tonks
- •Chattanooga — the famous Choo Choo & redeveloped riverfront
- •Atlanta — Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola & the CNN Center
15 days · Nashville to New Orleans
Nashville to New Orleans
Route: Nashville → Florence/Muscle Shoals → Huntsville → Birmingham → Montgomery → Orange Beach/Gulf Shores → Mobile → New Orleans
A DriveAmerica-curated fly-drive from Music City to the Big Easy — Nashville's Ryman Auditorium and Nelson's Green Brier Distillery, the 'Hit Recording Capital of the World' in Muscle Shoals, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Birmingham's barbecue and civil rights heritage, historic Montgomery on the Alabama River, white-sand beaches in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, the Mardi Gras birthplace of Mobile and a French Quarter finale in New Orleans. Offered by our DriveAmerica partner ATI.
- •Day 1 — Nashville arrival: Ryman Auditorium and Nelson's Green Brier Distillery
- •Day 2 — Nashville: Country Music Hall of Fame, Grand Ole Opry and Printer's Alley
- •Day 3 — Florence/Muscle Shoals: Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, Alabama Music Hall of Fame and W.C. Handy's birthplace
- •Day 4 — Huntsville: U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Huntsville Botanical Garden and Burritt on the Mountain
- •Day 5 — Huntsville: North Alabama All-In-One attractions, Tiger Preserve and Jesse Owens Museum
- •Day 6 — Birmingham: CityWalk, Uptown, Five Points South and Avondale entertainment districts
- •Day 7 — Birmingham: Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, Birmingham Zoo, U.S. Civil Rights sites and Vulcan
- •Day 8 — Montgomery: Dexter Avenue, Hank Williams sites and the Alabama State Capitol
- •Day 9 — Montgomery: Civil Rights Memorial Center, Freedom Rides Museum, Rosa Parks Museum and Hank Williams Museum
- •Day 10 — Orange Beach/Gulf Shores: Gulf State Park, sugar-white beaches and Gulf of Mexico waters
- •Day 11 — Orange Beach/Gulf Shores: Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo, The Wharf Ferris Wheel and Fort Morgan
- •Day 12 — Mobile: Bienville Square, GulfQuest Maritime Museum and the History Museum of Mobile
- •Day 13 — Mobile: Bellingrath Gardens, USS Alabama Battleship, Dauphin Island and Bayou La Batre
- •Day 14 — New Orleans: French Quarter, Creole cuisine, riverboats and jazz
- •Day 15 — New Orleans departure: return car at MSY
Top Places To Visit
The unmissable Tennessee
Tennessee's capital city
Begin your journey amid the cultural heart of Tennessee.
A signature national or state park
Untouched landscapes that define the Tennessee experience.
A coastal or scenic byway
An unhurried drive past viewpoints, diners, and small towns.
An iconic small town
Local craftsmanship, regional cuisine, and Tennessee hospitality.
Simple Things To Do
Fun things to do in Tennessee
A quick-hit list of ideas for first-time visitors to Tennessee, inspired by Tennessee Vacation.
Hear live music on Broadway & Beale Street
Honky-tonk hop down Nashville's Lower Broadway, then cross to Memphis for Beale Street blues — two of the most famous music strips on earth, still packed with working bands every night.
Tour the Ryman Auditorium & Grand Ole Opry
The 'Mother Church of Country Music' in Nashville and its weekly live radio show — backstage tours, stained-glass stories and the circle of wood that launched a thousand careers.
Visit Graceland & Sun Studio in Memphis
Elvis's mansion, his jets and the Jungle Room, then the tiny studio where he, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis cut their first sides. Memphis music royalty in a single afternoon.
Drive through the Great Smoky Mountains
America's most-visited national park — misty ridges, black bears, Clingmans Dome and Cades Cove loop road. Autumn colour is electric; spring wildflowers carpet the valleys.
Raft the Ocoee River
America's favourite whitewater — Olympic-class rapids through a stunning gorge in the Cherokee National Forest, just an hour from Chattanooga.
Explore Chattanooga's riverfront
The Tennessee Aquarium, Walnut Street Bridge, Ruby Falls inside Lookout Mountain and the Incline Railway — a compact, walkable city that punches well above its weight.
See a show at The Caverns
An underground amphitheatre inside a limestone cave in Pelham — one of the most unique music venues in the country, with natural acoustics and fossil ceilings.
Visit Dollywood & Pigeon Forge
Dolly Parton's theme park in the foothills of the Smokies — rollercoasters, Southern gospel shows, Appalachian crafts and a working grist mill.
Walk Civil War & civil-rights history
Shiloh National Military Park, the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, and the Tennessee Civil Rights Trail across the state.
Eat Memphis BBQ & Nashville hot chicken
Dry-rub ribs at a Memphis smokehouse, then burn-your-lips Nashville hot chicken at Prince's or Hattie B's — Tennessee does Southern food with attitude.
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