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the USA🇺🇸 | regionsTennesseeHonky-tonk Broadway, Elvis Memphis, Smokies bears, whiskey country | things to do and best time to go

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Backpacking in Tennessee
🌟 Highlightregion ranked #19
By Johan Kruseman 🇳🇱 | Updated October 22, 2026

The Greyhound bus hissed to a stop in Nashville at midnight, and a stranger in a rhinestone jacket told me the hot chicken wasn’t optional. He was right, and my lips tingled until dawn. Tennessee sits in the southeastern United States, a long state stretching from the Mississippi River to the Appalachians. Live music pours out of Nashville and Memphis doorways, the Smokies offer real wilderness, and tourist crowds thicken on Broadway. A first day could mean a honky-tonk afternoon, then a quiet porch somewhere.

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✨ Why go?
Ranked #19 region in the USAReasons people choose to visit here

Tennessee packs three distinct regions into one road-trip-friendly state, so you can swap neon for forest without a flight. The big draw is its music: Nashville’s Bluegrass and honky-tonk rooms and Memphis’s Beale Street and Sun Studio each offer a different sound within one state. Add Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in the country and free to enter, and you can follow a slow loop through cities, ridgelines and small-town barbecue joints at your own pace.

💡 HighlightsMust-see experiences and standout moments

  1. Broadway Honky-Tonks, Nashville: Live bands play from morning until late in venues like Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, with no cover at most doors.
  2. Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Misty ridgelines, black bears and the Alum Cave Trail, with free entry, though a parking tag (US$5 a day) is required to park longer than 15 minutes.
  3. Graceland, Memphis: Elvis’s mansion, with its famously loud Jungle Room; tickets are pricey but the tour is thorough.
  4. Sun Studio, Memphis: The small room where Elvis and Johnny Cash recorded, still an active studio.
  5. Ryman Auditorium, Nashville: A former church with pews and superb acoustics.
  6. Lookout Mountain, Chattanooga: Rock City and Ruby Falls plus views across seven states on clear days.
  7. Jack Daniel’s Distillery, Lynchburg: Tours in a dry county that still sells you the
… read more 👉
  1. Broadway Honky-Tonks, Nashville: Live bands play from morning until late in venues like Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, with no cover at most doors.
  2. Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Misty ridgelines, black bears and the Alum Cave Trail, with free entry, though a parking tag (US$5 a day) is required to park longer than 15 minutes.
  3. Graceland, Memphis: Elvis’s mansion, with its famously loud Jungle Room; tickets are pricey but the tour is thorough.
  4. Sun Studio, Memphis: The small room where Elvis and Johnny Cash recorded, still an active studio.
  5. Ryman Auditorium, Nashville: A former church with pews and superb acoustics.
  6. Lookout Mountain, Chattanooga: Rock City and Ruby Falls plus views across seven states on clear days.
  7. Jack Daniel’s Distillery, Lynchburg: Tours in a dry county that still sells you the souvenir bottle.
  8. Cumberland Caverns, near McMinnville: Huge underground chambers, with walking, crawling and overnight cave tours.
  9. Rock Island State Park: Waterfalls and a swimming hole below a dam that locals love.
  10. Cades Cove: An 11-mile loop through old cabins, churches and deer-filled meadows.
Tennessee’s highlights take about a week to see properly, longer if you linger in the mountains.
Spotted a mistake or missing something? Contact us.

Things to do around Tennessee

Nashville VIP Style Private Tour with Local Singer-Songwriter

Nashville VIP Style Private Tour with Local Singer-Songwriter

5.0(571) 2h
From €413
per personViator
Memphis Signature Guided Brewery Tour

Memphis Signature Guided Brewery Tour

5.0(209) 3h 30m
From €63
per personViator
Walkin' Nashville - Music City Legends Tour

Walkin' Nashville - Music City Legends Tour

5.0(116)
From €36
per personViator
Nashville to Graceland Memphis Day trip Transportation

Nashville to Graceland Memphis Day trip Transportation

5.0(87)
From €510
per personViator
Helicopter Ride Over Sevierville and Countryside

Helicopter Ride Over Sevierville and Countryside

5.0(62)
From €49
per personViator
Nashville Songwriter Experience: Write your own Song

Nashville Songwriter Experience: Write your own Song

5.0(59) 3h
From €242
per personViator
3 Hour 25ft Pontoon Party Boat with Captain up to 12 people

3 Hour 25ft Pontoon Party Boat with Captain up to 12 people

5.0(57) 3h
From €721
per personViator
Nashville to Graceland Sun Studios Beale Tour Tickets Included

Nashville to Graceland Sun Studios Beale Tour Tickets Included

5.0(56) 13h
From €478
per personViator
Great Big Game Show Pigeon Forge Immersive Experience and Set

Great Big Game Show Pigeon Forge Immersive Experience and Set

5.0(53) 1h 15m
From €37
per personViator
30ft Double Decker Triple Slide Party Boat with Captain up to 22

30ft Double Decker Triple Slide Party Boat with Captain up to 22

5.0(44) 3h
From €997
per personViator

Ratings based on Tripadvisor reviews. When you book through this link, you support our work at no extra cost to you.

⌛️ 5 days5-day itinerary for Tennessee

Days are paced by car, since buses between cities are slow and sparse, so plan long drives with breaks for barbecue.
Day 1: Nashville: Start here because it has the busiest airport and plenty of hostels. Walk Broadway at night, but find a smaller songwriter room off the main drag for better music.
Day 2: Chattanooga: Drive southeast to ride the incline railway and view Lookout Mountain. Detour to Lynchburg on the way for the distillery tour.
Day 3: Great Smoky Mountains: Head northeast to Gatlinburg’s edge and hike Alum Cave Trail early before the crowds. Spend the second day around Cades Cove.
Day 5: Memphis: Cross the state to end with Sun Studio and Graceland. If one day justifies the trip, I recommend the Smokies hike, since nothing else in Tennessee feels so far from a stage.

🌤️ When to go?Weather, crowds, and seasonal trade-offs

Tennessee is at its easiest from April to May and from September to October, when highs run 18 to 27°C (65 to 80°F) and the Smokies and Nashville patios both behave.
  • Spring: Dogwoods and wildflowers bloom, with highs of 16 to 26°C (60 to 79°F) and long evenings.
  • Summer: Hot and humid at 29 to 35°C (85 to 95°F), with peak crowds and prices in the Smokies.
  • Fall: Leaf color peaks in mid to late October, and lodging prices spike.
  • Winter: Highs of 5 to 10°C (41 to 50°F), with cheap rooms and quiet trails.
Book Smokies lodging months ahead for October weekends.

source: climatestotravel.comJANJanuary: fair for travelingFEBFebruary: fair for travelingMARMarch: good for travelingAPRApril: excellent for travelingMAYMay: excellent for travelingJUNJune: good for travelingJULJuly: fair for travelingAUGAugust: fair for travelingSEPSeptember: excellent for travelingOCTOctober: excellent for travelingNOVNovember: good for travelingDECDecember: fair for traveling
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🛏️ Where to stay?Where staying makes the most sense

Nashville is the easiest base in Tennessee, especially the East Nashville and Gulch areas, where walkable streets, music venues and hostel-friendly social scenes sit close to downtown. Memphis suits backpackers around Midtown and the Cooper-Young district, with cheap bars and blues within reach of Beale Street. Knoxville's Old City and Market Square are compact, safe-feeling and student-friendly. Gatlinburg is touristy but puts you at the Great Smoky Mountains gateway, while Chattanooga's Southside and North Shore offer climbers, river views and a laid-back crowd. Choose by interest: music, mountains or climbing.
Best hostels in the USA


Best quality hotels in the USA

🚌 Getting aroundTransportation options and practical tips

From Nashville's Music City Central bus station, the downtown core is about a ten-minute walk, or a short rideshare, and the Broadway honky-tonks announce themselves long before you see them. Tennessee is built for cars, and public transit between cities is thin, so backpackers mix buses, rideshares and the occasional rental. Expect patience, not precision.
  • Intercity buses: Greyhound and FlixBus link Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville and Chattanooga, roughly US$20 to 60 one way, 3 to 3.5 hours between Nashville and Knoxville or Chattanooga and about 3.5 to 4 hours to Memphis. You get a cheap seat and a window onto endless green hills.
  • Rideshare: Uber and Lyft cover the cities, with airport runs around US$20 to 35. You get a late-night ride home from Broadway without arguing over parking.
  • Local transit:
… read more 👉
From Nashville's Music City Central bus station, the downtown core is about a ten-minute walk, or a short rideshare, and the Broadway honky-tonks announce themselves long before you see them. Tennessee is built for cars, and public transit between cities is thin, so backpackers mix buses, rideshares and the occasional rental. Expect patience, not precision.
  • Intercity buses: Greyhound and FlixBus link Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville and Chattanooga, roughly US$20 to 60 one way, 3 to 3.5 hours between Nashville and Knoxville or Chattanooga and about 3.5 to 4 hours to Memphis. You get a cheap seat and a window onto endless green hills.
  • Rideshare: Uber and Lyft cover the cities, with airport runs around US$20 to 35. You get a late-night ride home from Broadway without arguing over parking.
  • Local transit: Nashville WeGo buses cost about US$2, and Memphis MATA trolleys run downtown for US$1 to 2. They are slow, but you see neighborhoods tourists skip.
  • Rental car: Around US$40 to 80 a day, and the only practical way into the Smokies or the Natchez Trace Parkway. You get empty roads and overlooks all to yourself.
Split a rental with other travelers from a hostel board; the cost drops to a coffee-sized sum each.

🍲 FoodLocal Flavors for Backpackers

Start with hot chicken, Nashville's fried bird coated in cayenne paste, served on white bread with pickles. It builds slowly, then hits hard. Memphis answers with dry-rub ribs and smoky pulled-pork sandwiches, while meat-and-three diners pile on cornbread, collards and mac and cheese for US$10 to 14. Wash it down with sweet tea, local craft beer or a pour of Tennessee whiskey. Food halls, barbecue shacks and farmers' markets suit tight budgets. Tip 18 to 20 percent, and order a sample plate if the spice scares you.

FAQCommon questions from travelers

Four to seven days covers Tennessee's highlights. Spend two days in Nashville, one or two in Memphis, and two or three around Knoxville and the Great Smoky Mountains, or add Chattanooga for a day of climbing and river views. Drive times between the big cities run roughly 3 to 4 hours.
Buses such as Greyhound and FlixBus connect Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville and Chattanooga for about US$20 to 60 one way. Within cities, Tennessee relies on rideshare (Uber, Lyft) and local buses costing US$1 to 2. National park areas like the Smokies are very hard without a car, so consider joining a tour or splitting a rental at US$40 to 80 a day.
Tennessee is known for country, blues and rock 'n' roll, with Nashville's Grand Ole Opry and Broadway honky-tonks and Memphis's Beale Street, Sun Studio and Graceland. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in the US and is free to enter, though a parking tag (US$5 a day) is required to park longer than 15 minutes. Food fans come for hot chicken, barbecue and Tennessee whiskey such as Jack Daniel's in Lynchburg.
⚠️ Things can change over time, so always validate details locally before you go.

Other American regions near Tennessee

Explore more nearby:

  • Kentucky—Bourbon distilleries, Derby racetrack, Mammoth Cave, Red River arches| 291 km away
  • Alabama—Gulf coast, Civil Rights sites, pine forests| 373 km away
  • Indiana—Speedway bricks, Lake Michigan dunes, Columbus modernism, limestone caves| 405 km away

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We 💚 feedbackParting advice and final tips

Tennessee suits music lovers and road-trippers most, though anyone without a car will struggle. I would rent one, skip the Gatlinburg tourist strip, and spend the saved evenings in a small-town bar with a local band.

✈️ When did I visit the USA?
In January 2023 I visited New York. Many years before, before digital cameras existed, I discovered most of the national parks in the West.

✍️ Help improve this page!
The information on this page is based on my own backpacking experience in the USA, supplemented with up-to-date research and feedback from other travelers. Travel details can change, so if you notice anything outdated or incomplete, feel free to let me know.



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Johan, backpacker and founder of TakeYourBackpackHi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.

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