Tennessee
5
Day Itinerary •
USA
Five days in Tennessee lets you explore the full extraordinary depth of America's music and mountain state, from Nashville's legendary honky-tonks and the Ryman Auditorium to the extraordinary Great Smoky Mountains, the birthplace of rock and roll at Sun Studio in Memphis, the extraordinary Cumberland Plateau and the finest whiskey distilleries in America. This route covers the complete Tennessee experience. The extraordinary Lower Broadway and Country Music Hall of Fame of Nashville, the finest hiking in the eastern United States in the Smokies, the extraordinary blues heritage of Memphis and Beale Street, the Jack Daniel's distillery in Lynchburg and the extraordinary Big South Fork river gorge.
Best Time To Visit
April to June or October for fall foliage
Getting There
Fly into Nashville (BNA) or Memphis (MEM)
Getting Around
Rental car essential throughout the state
Budget Per Day
Approx $110 to $180 per person per day
Difficulity
Easy to moderate, some hiking
DAY 1
NASHVILLE
MORNING
RYMAN AUDITORIUM AND THE COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME
The Ryman Auditorium is the most extraordinary music venue in America, its 1892 Gothic Revival tabernacle the original home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974. The extraordinary backstage tour through dressing rooms where Hank Williams, Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline performed is unmissable. The Country Music Hall of Fame three blocks away contains the finest collection of country music artifacts in existence. Ryman entry approx $25, Hall of Fame approx $30. Drive: 10 min walk
MIDDAY
LOWER BROADWAY AND THE HONKY-TONK HIGHWAY
Lower Broadway is the most extraordinary street in Nashville, its three-block strip of neon-lit honky-tonk bars playing live country music from 10am to 3am every day. Tootsie's Orchid Lounge where Kris Kristofferson and Roger Miller wrote songs while tending bar, Robert's Western World and the Stage are the finest. The rooftop bars give extraordinary views over the Cumberland River. Live music free with a drink. Energy extraordinary at any hour. Drive: 15 min walk
AFTERNOON
12SOUTH AND EAST NASHVILLE, THE FINEST FOOD NEIGHBORHOODS
12SOUTH AND EAST NASHVILLE, THE FINEST FOOD NEIGHBORHOODS 1.5 hours Nashville's food scene is the most extraordinary in the American South, its extraordinary James Beard-nominated restaurants, hot chicken pioneers and meat-and-three lunch counters giving a culinary culture unlike any other American city. The 12South corridor with its boutique shops, the Gulch craft brewery district and East Nashville's extraordinary independent restaurant scene are all unmissable. The views of the downtown skyline from the Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge are extraordinary. Free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Station Inn in the Gulch is the finest bluegrass listening room in Nashville, its no-frills venue hosting the finest flatpicking and string bands in America every night. Standing room only for the best acts. Cover charge from $10. The most extraordinary hidden music experience in a city overflowing with extraordinary music.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Biscuit Love, Nashville The most celebrated biscuit restaurant in Nashville. Extraordinary bonuts, local jams and strong Tennessee coffee. | Lunch: Arnold's Country Kitchen, Nashville The finest meat-and-three in Tennessee since 1983. Extraordinary roast beef, cornbread and sweet tea. | Dinner: The Catbird Seat, Nashville The finest tasting menu in Nashville. Book months ahead. Extraordinary local ingredients and cocktail pairings.
DAY 2
GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS
MORNING
CLINGMANS DOME AND THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL SUMMIT
Clingmans Dome at 6,644 feet is the highest point in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the highest point on the Appalachian Trail, its extraordinary 360-degree observation tower view over layers of blue-green ridges one of the most extraordinary mountain panoramas in the eastern United States. Arrive before 8am to experience the summit in near-solitude before the day visitors arrive. Park entry free. Dome road closed December to March. Drive: 30 min drive
MIDDAY
ALUM CAVE TRAIL, THE FINEST HIKE IN THE TENNESSEE SMOKIES
The Alum Cave Trail is the most extraordinary day hike on the Tennessee side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, its extraordinary 4.4-mile round trip through old-growth hemlock forest past Arch Rock, the extraordinary Alum Cave Bluffs overhanging the trail and the finest views of Mount LeConte in the park. The Alum Cave Bluffs sheltered Cherokee and Civil War-era saltpeter miners in their extraordinary concave arch of black shale. Free. Drive: 20 min drive
AFTERNOON
CADES COVE AND THE ROARING FORK MOTOR NATURE TRAIL
Cades Cove is the most extraordinary valley in the Tennessee Smokies, its 11-mile loop road past 19th-century homesteads, grist mills and churches giving the finest wildlife viewing in Tennessee. The extraordinary Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is a one-way road through old-growth forest past extraordinary waterfalls and historic cabins entirely different in character from Cades Cove. Both are the finest drives in the park. Entry free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Hen Wallow Falls trail in the Cosby section of Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the finest uncrowded waterfall hike in the park, its extraordinary 4.4-mile round trip to a 90-foot cascade through old-growth forest entirely unknown to visitors who focus on the crowded Newfound Gap corridor. Entry free. Almost entirely locals only.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Old Mill, Pigeon Forge The finest Southern breakfast near the Smokies. Extraordinary stone-ground grits and local biscuits. | Lunch: Puckett's Grocery, Gatlinburg Outstanding mountain lunch. Tennessee pulled pork, smoked brisket and local moonshine BBQ sauce. | Dinner: The Peddler Steakhouse, Gatlinburg The most legendary steakhouse in the Smokies since 1976. Extraordinary local beef and salad bar.
DAY 3
KNOXVILLE AND THE CUMBERLAND PLATEAU
MORNING
KNOXVILLE MARKET SQUARE AND THE OLD CITY
Knoxville is the most underrated city in Tennessee, its extraordinary Market Square of independent restaurants, craft breweries and live music venues giving a vibrant downtown entirely different in character from Nashville. The extraordinary Tennessee Theatre, the finest movie palace in the state, and the extraordinary Old City historic district with its converted warehouse galleries are unmissable. The Sunsphere from the 1982 World's Fair gives the finest view over the city. Free to explore. Drive: 1.5 hour drive
MIDDAY
BIG SOUTH FORK NATIONAL RIVER AND RECREATION AREA
The Big South Fork National River is the most extraordinary river gorge in Tennessee, its extraordinary sandstone cliffs rising 300 feet above the clear Cumberland River through a wilderness of rock arches, waterfalls and old-growth forest entirely unknown to most visitors. The extraordinary Blue Heron ghost town, an abandoned coal mining community accessible by an extraordinary scenic railroad, and the Angel Falls rapids are unmissable. Entry free. Drive: 1 hour drive
AFTERNOON
RUGBY, TENNESSEE, THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY VICTORIAN COLONY IN AMERICA
Rugby, Tennessee is the most extraordinary historic village in the state, a utopian colony founded by British author Thomas Hughes in 1880 for younger sons of the English gentry. Its extraordinary collection of 17 original Victorian buildings in a forest clearing, including the finest intact small-town library in the South, are entirely preserved. The colony failed but the buildings survived. Entry to historic district approx $10. Extraordinary.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Obed Wild and Scenic River near Wartburg is the finest hidden whitewater and hiking destination on the Cumberland Plateau, its extraordinary sandstone gorges of the Clear Creek and Daddy's Creek entirely unknown to visitors outside Tennessee. The Lilly Bluff overlook trail gives the most extraordinary view of the gorge. Entry free.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: OliBea, Knoxville The finest breakfast in Knoxville. Extraordinary local eggs, Tennessee country ham and strong coffee. | Lunch: Stock and Barrel, Knoxville Outstanding Tennessee burgers and craft beer on Market Square. The finest pub lunch in Knoxville. | Dinner: The Old Mill Restaurant, Pigeon Forge Outstanding Southern dinner with stone-ground grits, local trout and Tennessee country ham.
DAY 4
LYNCHBURG AND FRANKLIN
MORNING
JACK DANIEL'S DISTILLERY, THE MOST FAMOUS WHISKEY IN THE WORLD
The Jack Daniel's Distillery in Lynchburg is the most extraordinary American whiskey distillery in the world, the oldest registered distillery in the United States operating since 1866 in Moore County, which remains a dry county to this day. The extraordinary cave spring where the limestone-filtered water that gives Jack Daniel's its character originates, the charcoal mellowing vats and the barrel warehouse tasting of single barrel whiskey are all unmissable. Tour free, tasting approx $15. Drive: 30 min drive
MIDDAY
LYNCHBURG AND THE EXTRAORDINARY SMALL TOWN SQUARE
Lynchburg is the most extraordinary small Southern courthouse square in Tennessee, its extraordinary Victorian storefronts, the Miss Mary Bobo's Boarding House lunch tradition and the Jack Daniel's barrel house aging in the surrounding hills giving an experience of Middle Tennessee entirely unchanged from the 19th century. The extraordinary Barrel House BBQ uses actual Jack Daniel's barrels in the smoker. The town square is free to explore. Drive: 45 min drive
AFTERNOON
FRANKLIN AND THE CIVIL WAR BATTLEFIELD
Franklin is the most extraordinary Civil War town in Tennessee, its extraordinary downtown of antebellum houses and the Carter House, the finest Civil War site in the state, preserving the scene of the Battle of Franklin on November 30, 1864, one of the most devastating single-day battles of the entire war. The extraordinary Carnton Plantation, a Confederate field hospital where the bodies of four generals lay on the porch, is unmissable. Entry approx $15.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Natchez Trace Parkway runs 444 miles from Nashville to Natchez, Mississippi, following an ancient trail used by Native Americans, Kaintuck boatmen and Andrew Jackson. The Tennessee section north of Nashville is the most extraordinary stretch, its extraordinary double-arch bridge at milepost 438 the finest concrete arch bridge in America. Free. Almost entirely unknown to visitors.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Dot's Eat Place, Lynchburg area The finest country breakfast in Middle Tennessee. Local ham, biscuits and red-eye gravy. | Lunch: Miss Mary Bobo's Boarding House, Lynchburg The most legendary family-style Southern lunch in Tennessee. Book weeks ahead. Extraordinary. | Dinner: Puckett's, Franklin Outstanding Tennessee BBQ and live country music in the finest restaurant in Franklin.
DAY 5
MEMPHIS
MORNING
SUN STUDIO, WHERE ROCK AND ROLL WAS BORN
Sun Studio at 706 Union Avenue is the most extraordinary recording studio in the world, the tiny room where Sam Phillips recorded Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison and Howlin' Wolf between 1950 and 1959. The extraordinary guided tour of the original studio with its original equipment and the extraordinary microphone that Elvis used on his first session are unmissable. The recordings playing in the room are the same ones that changed the world. Entry approx $15. Drive: 20 min walk
MIDDAY
BEALE STREET AND THE SOUL OF AMERICAN MUSIC
Beale Street is the most extraordinary blues heritage street in America, its concentration of live music clubs, juke joints and barbecue joints giving a raw experience of the music that defined American culture. The W.C. Handy Park, the Stax Museum of American Soul Music nearby and the extraordinary B.B. King's Blues Club are all unmissable. Live blues on Beale Street from noon every day. The Stax Museum is the finest music museum in America. Entry approx $13. Drive: 15 min walk
AFTERNOON
NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM, THE MOST IMPORTANT MUSEUM IN TENNESSEE
The National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel is the most important museum in Tennessee, built around the exact site where Dr Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated on April 4, 1968. The extraordinary exhibits tracing the entire history of the American civil rights movement, the preserved Room 306 and the view across the courtyard to the boarding house window are profoundly moving. The most important historical site in Tennessee. Entry approx $20.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis is the finest Victorian garden cemetery in the American South, its extraordinary 80 acres of rolling terrain containing the graves of 75,000 Memphians including Civil War soldiers, yellow fever victims and the extraordinary Memphis Music Walk of Fame honoring local legends. Self-guided tours free. The most extraordinary hidden gem in Memphis.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Brother Juniper's, Memphis The finest breakfast in Memphis. Extraordinary French toast, local eggs and strong Memphis coffee. | Lunch: Central BBQ, Memphis The most celebrated barbecue in Memphis. Extraordinary dry-rub ribs and pulled pork since 2002. | Dinner: Chez Philippe, The Peabody The finest dinner in Memphis in the most extraordinary hotel in the South. Local cuisine and wine list.
Where To Stay
Nashville, Night 1 Graduate Nashville or 21c Museum Hotel, steps from Lower Broadway. Approx $130 to $250. Gatlinburg or Bryson City, Nights 2 to 3 Buckberry Lodge or LeConte Lodge inside the park. Approx $120 to $200. Memphis, Nights 4 to 5 The Peabody Hotel is the most extraordinary hotel in Tennessee. Approx $150 to $280.
Top Tips
1. Nashville's Lower Broadway at 10am on a weekday before crowds arrive is the most extraordinary honky-tonk experience.
2. Prince's Hot Chicken is the original. Order medium unless you have extraordinary heat tolerance.
3. Jack Daniel's distillery tour is free but book ahead. The barrel warehouse tasting is the finest experience.
4. Clingmans Dome at sunrise gives the most extraordinary 360-degree view in the Appalachians. Get there early.
5. Sun Studio guided tour at 2pm is the most extraordinary music history experience in America. Book ahead.
6. The Station Inn in Nashville's Gulch is the finest bluegrass listening room in America. Cover from $10.
Total Budget
$110 to $180/day