The Best Things to Do in Tennessee, Region by Region

The best things to do in Tennessee for a first trip are driving the Cades Cove loop in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, touring Graceland and the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, and walking a Civil War battlefield at Franklin or Shiloh. Below are 13 picks sorted by the state's three Grand Divisions, East, Middle and West Tennessee, so you can plan one region at a time. Every pick lists what to do, how long to allow and one practical tip.

The three Grand Divisions aren't a tourism invention. They're official, and they're drawn on the flag: the three white stars on the Tennessee state flag stand for East, Middle and West Tennessee, bound together by an unbroken band. Plan by star and you won't spend your trip on Interstate 40.

How we chose

We picked places a friend would actually send you to on a first visit, then checked each one on its own official site. We favoured variety over volume: mountains, music, history and a few strange, wonderful detours. Each place had to be inside Tennessee, so the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, whose street address is on the Virginia side of Bristol, didn't make the cut. Nashville and Chattanooga each deserve a trip of their own, so they get one line here, not a chapter.

East Tennessee: what should you not miss?

In East Tennessee, don't miss Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Dollywood and the long scenic drives through the mountains. This is the most mountainous of the three regions, so build in slow driving time.

1. Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

What to do: Drive the 11-mile, one-way Cades Cove Loop Road south of Townsend, stopping at three historic churches, log homes, barns and the working Cable Mill. The National Park Service says the cove has the widest variety of historic buildings anywhere in the park. Watch the open fields for deer and other wildlife.

How long: The National Park Service says to allow at least two to four hours, and more if you hike.

Tip: Great Smoky Mountains National Park has no entrance fee, but any vehicle parked for more than 15 minutes needs a parking tag. The tag must be a physical copy showing your plate number. The loop typically closes to cars on Wednesdays from May through September, which makes those days ideal for a bike ride.

2. Dollywood, Pigeon Forge

What to do: Spend a day at Dollywood, Dolly Parton's theme park in Pigeon Forge: rides, mountain crafts, live music and Southern food. The park runs seasonal festivals, and its Smoky Mountain Christmas season, with millions of lights, typically runs from early November into early January.

How long: A full day.

Tip: Operating days and hours vary a lot by season, so check the official calendar before you buy tickets.

3. Cherohala Skyway, Tellico Plains

What to do: Drive the Cherohala Skyway, a National Scenic Byway that starts in Tellico Plains and runs 43 miles to Robbinsville, North Carolina. Tennessee Vacation says it climbs from 800 feet to 5,300 feet and has 15 overlooks.

How long: About two hours one way, plus stops.

Tip: Fill up and grab food in Tellico Plains before you start, then add a short side trip to Bald River Falls nearby.

4. Jonesborough and the International Storytelling Center

What to do: Walk Main Street in Jonesborough, Tennessee's oldest town, then visit the International Storytelling Center at 100 West Main Street. It's a Smithsonian Affiliate. From May through October, its Storytelling Live series typically puts a professional storyteller on stage at 2 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.

How long: Half a day.

Tip: The National Storytelling Festival is always held on the first weekend in October and has run since 1973. Book a room early if your trip lands that weekend.

5. Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area

What to do: Hike, paddle or ride horseback through gorges and sandstone bluffs at Big South Fork. The National Park Service says it protects 125,000 acres of the Cumberland Plateau along the free-flowing Big South Fork of the Cumberland River, near Oneida on the Kentucky line.

How long: A day, or a weekend if you camp.

Tip: Pair it with Rugby, the Victorian village a British author founded in 1880, a short drive south.

Middle Tennessee: what's worth the drive?

In Middle Tennessee, the drives worth making are to Lynchburg for whiskey, to Franklin for Civil War history and onto the Natchez Trace Parkway. This is courthouse-square country, with towns built around a central square.

6. Jack Daniel's Distillery, Lynchburg

What to do: Take a guided tour of the Jack Daniel's Distillery in Lynchburg, which Tennessee Vacation calls the oldest registered distillery in the United States. The official tours page lists several guided options, most of them ending in a tasting.

How long: Allow at least half a day for a tour and time on the town square.

Tip: Tour times vary by day, so check the official tours page and book ahead for weekends and holidays. For T-shirts, tin signs and gifts made from old barrels, walk over to the Lynchburg Hardware & General Store on the town square.

7. Carter House, Franklin

What to do: Tour the Carter House at 125 West Fowlkes Street in Franklin. The brick farmhouse was built around 1830 and sat in the middle of the Battle of Franklin on November 30, 1864. A Union general used the parlor as his headquarters while the family and others sheltered in the basement.

How long: The Classic House Tour lasts 60 minutes.

Tip: The Battle of Franklin Trust sells one ticket that covers Carter House, Carnton and Rippa Villa. It's worth buying if you want the whole story in one day.

8. Natchez Trace Parkway

What to do: Drive the northern end of the Natchez Trace Parkway, which ends at Milepost 444 near Nashville. The National Park Service runs the 444-mile road at a 50 mph speed limit unless posted, and commercial vehicles aren't allowed. That makes for an unhurried drive with no trucks.

How long: One to three hours for a Tennessee stretch. The full parkway takes at least 10 hours.

Tip: From Interstate 40 west of Nashville, take exit 192 (McCrory Lane) to Tennessee Highway 100 to reach the northern entrance. Stop at the Double Arch Bridge over Birdsong Hollow, which won a Presidential Award for Design Excellence in 1995.

9. Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Nashville

If you have one Nashville stop, make it the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum at 222 Rep. John Lewis Way South. The museum says peak hours are typically 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., so arrive earlier or later to skip the crowds.

West Tennessee: where do you start?

Start West Tennessee in Memphis, with Graceland and the National Civil Rights Museum, then head east to small-town museums and one of the Civil War's bloodiest battlefields.

10. Graceland, Memphis

What to do: Tour Elvis Presley's home at 3717 Elvis Presley Boulevard. The full Graceland experience adds the Elvis Presley's Memphis complex and his two airplanes. One is the Lisa Marie, a Convair 880 he named after his daughter, with gold-plated seat belts.

How long: About one to one and a half hours for the mansion alone. Allow two and a half to three and a half hours for the full experience.

Tip: Graceland typically lets visitors walk up to the Meditation Garden, where Elvis is buried, free of charge each morning before tours begin. Afternoons after 2 p.m. are usually quieter.

11. National Civil Rights Museum, Memphis

What to do: Visit the National Civil Rights Museum at 450 Mulberry Street in the South Main District. It's a Smithsonian Affiliate built around the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968, and it traces the American civil rights movement.

How long: The museum says a typical visit takes 1.5 to 2 hours.

Tip: It's typically closed on Tuesdays and sells timed-entry tickets online, so plan your Memphis days around that. Tennessee residents typically get in free on Monday afternoons from 3 p.m., except holidays.

12. West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center, Brownsville

What to do: Stop at the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center at Interstate 40 Exit 56 in Brownsville. Inside Flagg Grove School, the schoolhouse Tina Turner attended as a child, is what the center calls the world's only Tina Turner Museum. The grounds also hold the last home of blues musician Sleepy John Estes.

How long: 30 minutes to an hour self-guided.

Tip: Self-guided tours are free, so it's the easiest stop to add on the drive between Memphis and Nashville.

13. Shiloh National Military Park, Shiloh

What to do: Drive the 12.7-mile auto tour at Shiloh National Military Park, near Savannah. It has 22 stops, including the Hornets' Nest and the Peach Orchard. The park says about 110,000 troops fought here, and the 23,746 casualties were more than in all of America's earlier wars combined.

How long: Half a day.

Tip: Admission is free. Don't miss the Shiloh Indian Mounds inside the battlefield, a National Historic Landmark that preserves what remains of a Mississippian-era village that's centuries older than the battle.

Is Chattanooga worth adding?

Yes, if you have an extra day in East Tennessee. Chattanooga's riverfront, starting at Ross's Landing a few steps from the Tennessee Aquarium, is the first stop on the state's official Tanasi Trail.

What does a one-week route across all three Grand Divisions look like?

1. Day 1: Memphis. Visit Graceland in the morning and the National Civil Rights Museum in the afternoon (not on a Tuesday).
2. Day 2: Brownsville and Shiloh. Stop at the Delta Heritage Center at Exit 56, then drive the Shiloh auto tour.
3. Day 3: Franklin. Tour Carter House, then drive the north end of the Natchez Trace Parkway.
4. Day 4: Lynchburg. Take the distillery tour and have lunch on the square.
5. Day 5: Tellico Plains. Drive the Cherohala Skyway.
6. Day 6: Townsend and Cades Cove. Get your parking tag first.
7. Day 7: Pigeon Forge for Dollywood, or Jonesborough for stories on Main Street.

For more routes, browse our road trips and outdoors pages, or find your next stop on the areas page.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best things to do in Tennessee for first-time visitors?

The best things to do in Tennessee on a first trip are the Cades Cove loop in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Graceland and the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, and the Carter House in Franklin. Add Dollywood, the Jack Daniel's Distillery in Lynchburg and Shiloh National Military Park if you have a week.

What are the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee?

The three Grand Divisions of Tennessee are East, Middle and West Tennessee. They are the three stars on the Tennessee state flag, which was adopted in 1905.

Does Great Smoky Mountains National Park charge an entrance fee?

No, Great Smoky Mountains National Park has no entrance fee. You do need a parking tag for any vehicle parked longer than 15 minutes, and the National Park Service sells daily, weekly and annual tags.

How long does it take to drive Cades Cove?

The National Park Service says to allow at least two to four hours for the 11-mile Cades Cove Loop Road, and longer if you hike. Traffic is heaviest in summer, in fall and on weekends.

Is Shiloh National Military Park free?

Yes, Shiloh National Military Park in Tennessee charges no entrance fee. The park is typically open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.

How many days do you need in Tennessee?

A week lets you see the highlights of all three Grand Divisions, from Memphis in the west to the Great Smoky Mountains in the east. With three or four days, pick one region and explore it properly.