Tennessee is the Volunteer State, a land where Appalachian mountain mist meets Mississippi Delta soul. From the neon honky-tonks of Nashville and the legendary blues clubs of Beale Street to the ancient hollows of the Great Smoky Mountains and the white-water rivers of the Cherokee National Forest, Tennessee delivers an extraordinary range of experiences. Home to more live music per capita than almost any state, birthplace of country, blues, and rock-and-roll, and blessed with stunning natural landscapes, Tennessee is a destination that rewards every type of traveler.
Top day trips
Handpicked excursions within easy reach.
Jack Daniel's Distillery (Lynchburg)
This is the working distillery of America's oldest registered distillery, set in the dry county of Moore County, Lynchburg. The visit centers on the actual production process - the sugar maple charcoal mellowing that defines Tennessee whiskey as distinct from bourbon - rather than a museum about the brand. Because Moore County is dry, tastings happen in a separate licensed space and aren't part of every tour.
Highlights: The charcoal mellowing vats - the Lincoln County Process that filters new whiskey through sugar maple charcoal before barreling · Cave Spring - the limestone spring on the property that supplies the distillery's water and the reason the site was chosen · The rickhouses (barrel warehouses) - multi-story wooden barrel storage visible on the guided walking route · Miss Mary Bobo's Boarding House - a historic boarding house in town serving family-style Southern lunch, reservations needed
Franklin Civil War & Downtown (from Nashville)
Franklin's downtown is a well-preserved 19th-century town square built around the site of the 1864 Battle of Franklin, one of the bloodiest engagements of the Civil War. The Carter House still bears bullet damage from the fighting that swirled directly through its farmyard, and the town has worked to reclaim battlefield land that was built over in the 20th century. It works as an easy half-day trip that pairs history with a walkable shopping district.
Highlights: The Carter House - a farmhouse that stood at the center of the battle, its outbuildings still pocked with bullet holes · Carnton - a plantation home used as a Confederate field hospital, with a blood-stained floor preserved in an upstairs room · McGavock Confederate Cemetery - the largest private Confederate cemetery in the country, adjoining Carnton · Franklin's Main Street - a several-block strip of 19th-century storefronts now holding independent shops and restaurants
Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
Mammoth Cave is the longest known cave system in the world, with over 400 mapped miles of passages, and it's a straightforward day trip north from Nashville even though it sits over the state line in Kentucky. The park offers several different ranger-led tour routes through different sections of the cave, ranging from short, level walks to longer, more strenuous routes with tight passages. Tours sell out on busy days, so this is a trip that needs booking ahead rather than showing up and hoping.
Highlights: The Historic Tour route - passes through areas explored since the early 1800s, including large chambers used for tours since that era · Frozen Niagara - a formation-heavy section reached via a shorter, more accessible tour route with dramatic flowstone · The Green River - runs through the park above the cave system and is used for park boat tours and canoeing · The visitor center - where all cave tours depart from and where same-day tickets, when available, are sold
Chattanooga from Nashville (1-Day)
Chattanooga is a two-hour drive southeast and works as a single dense day of sightseeing built around the Tennessee River waterfront. The Tennessee Aquarium anchors downtown with two connected buildings covering river and ocean ecosystems, and Lookout Mountain rises just outside downtown with several separate attractions on its slopes. It's a trip that rewards picking two or three stops rather than trying to do everything the city offers in one day.
Highlights: Tennessee Aquarium - two buildings, one on freshwater river life and one on ocean life, connected by a plaza on the riverfront · Rock City Gardens - a garden and rock-formation walk atop Lookout Mountain, known for its cross-state overlook · Ruby Falls - an underground waterfall reached via elevator and a guided cave walk inside Lookout Mountain · The Walnut Street Walking Bridge - a pedestrian bridge over the Tennessee River connecting downtown to the North Shore neighborhood
Gatlinburg & Great Smoky Mountains (from Knoxville)
This trip pairs the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most-visited national park in the country, with Gatlinburg's dense strip of tourist attractions right at its entrance. The Sugarlands Visitor Center sits just inside the park boundary and is the starting point for most park orientation and trail information, while Gatlinburg itself is a separate, commercial town of shops, restaurants, and attractions. The short distance from Knoxville means the day can lean either toward hiking or toward the town, depending on preference.
Highlights: Sugarlands Visitor Center - the main park orientation point near Gatlinburg, with exhibits and ranger trail advice · Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail - a one-way loop road through old-growth forest and historic log cabins just outside Gatlinburg · Cades Cove - a valley loop road further into the park known for wildlife viewing and preserved 19th-century homesteads · Gatlinburg's Parkway - the main strip of shops, restaurants, and attractions like the Space Needle and Ripley's Aquarium
Nashville Escape: Fall Creek Falls State Park
Fall Creek Falls State Park, on the Cumberland Plateau, centers on the 256-foot Fall Creek Falls, one of the tallest waterfalls in the eastern United States. The park is large enough to spend a full day hiking multiple gorge and waterfall trails rather than just viewing one overlook. It's a nature-focused trip with limited food options inside the park, so it rewards planning ahead more than a city day trip would.
Highlights: Fall Creek Falls - the park's namesake 256-foot waterfall, viewable from an overlook near the main trailhead · Cane Creek Falls and Cane Creek Cascades - a second set of falls near the nature center, reachable on a shorter walk · Gorge overlooks along the Gorge Trail system - viewpoints along the sandstone gorge cut by the park's creeks · The Nature Center - the park's trail information point and starting point for several of the shorter loop trails
Memphis to Oxford, Mississippi (Literary Day Trip)
Oxford, Mississippi is William Faulkner's hometown and the model for his fictional Yoknapatawpha County, and the town square still centers on the same courthouse that shows up throughout his novels. Square Books, an independent bookstore on the courthouse square, is a well-known literary destination in its own right, with a balcony reading room overlooking the square. The trip pairs literary history with Oxford's status as a University of Mississippi college town.
Highlights: Square Books - an independent bookstore on the courthouse square with a rooftop balcony seating area over the square · Rowan Oak - William Faulkner's home on the edge of town, preserved with his handwritten outline for 'A Fable' still on a study wall · The Lafayette County Courthouse - the square's central building, the model for the courthouse in Faulkner's fiction · The University of Mississippi campus (Ole Miss) - adjoining downtown, with the Grove and the university museum
Natchez Trace Parkway Scenic Drive
The Natchez Trace Parkway is a National Park Service-managed road that follows an old travel corridor used by Native Americans, traders, and postal riders long before it became a paved scenic route. The Tennessee section from Nashville to the Alabama border has no commercial traffic and a 50 mph limit, so the drive itself is the point rather than a means of getting somewhere. Frequent small pull-offs mark historic trail segments, overlooks, and short walking trails along the route.
Highlights: Old Trace segments - short preserved stretches of the original sunken foot-and-wagon trail, walkable from marked pull-offs · Jackson Falls - a short trail off the parkway leading down to a small waterfall and creek · The Tennessee Valley Divide and Highland Rim overlooks - marked scenic pull-offs with information on the region's terrain · Historic Trace mile markers - numbered markers along the route corresponding to points of interest listed on NPS maps
Trips by distance
How far you can go in a day.
Items
Getting there
Transport options for day trips.
Multi-day tours from Tennessee
If you have longer than a day, these are organised multi-day trips that start here.
Browse multi-day tours from TennesseeWe may earn a commission from bookings made through this link.
Day trip tips
Make the most of your excursions.
Start early — most popular day-trip destinations get crowded by mid-morning.
Check return transport times before you leave — missing the last train or bus can be costly.
Carry water, snacks, and layers — weather and food options can be limited at smaller destinations.