Nashville to Kentucky Road Trip Tritinerary

Nashville’s finest hotel has a trophy cabinet packed with awards and honors, including designation as a National Historic Landmark. When it comes to Tennessee hotels, there are none more famous, opulent, or steeped in history than The Hermitage. It’s a dining destination of renown too. Superstar chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten is behind the hotel’s revamped restaurant Drusie & Darr. Needless to say this is a reservation you dress up for.

The elevated vibes continue a 15-minute walk from the hotel at the Frist Art Museum. Nashville’s premier art space, the Frist is housed in a glorious Art Deco building and attracts note-worthy exhibitions. Follow your art fix with a drink at a rooftop bar: Bobby, lou/na, Harriet’s and L27 are downtown venues within a few blocks of the Frist. All have incredible skyline views and a more refined vibe than buzzy Broadway.

Three and a half hours’ drive from Nashville, close to the Tennessee-North Carolina border, you’ll reach Tellico Plains. Located in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, it’s a quaint, postcard-perfect village with a calming pace. Be sure to check out the Charles Hall Museum and Heritage Center, a surprising collection of more than 10,000 historical artefacts designed to preserve Native American, Appalachian, and local history. Nestled among acreage, the Lodge at Tellico is a serene stay in the area thanks to its extensive grounds, cozy cabins, waterfall, pond and fire pit.

Tellico Plains also marks the start of the Cherohala Skyway, a remarkable 43-mile-long drive through the Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests (hence the name ‘Chero-hala’). Finished in 1996, the road took 35 years to complete. Its relative newness means Cherohala is quiet compared to more high-profile scenic byways.

There are plenty of worthy places to stop and soak up the natural beauty along the winding route, including various hiking trails and the Bald River Falls. The views are spectacular year-round, but the Fall foliage is especially note-worthy.

Nashville is known as Music City and the Grand Ole Opry is the home of Nashville music. The Opry refers to the radio show, the performance venue and the community of members—an invite-only club of the best country music stars. Members past and present include Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood. Experience the Opry with a backstage tour or buy tickets to a show.

Nashville’s country music heritage is strongest, but Music City has noteworthy to-dos for all kinds of fans. The Ryman was once the home of the Opry and remains a major venue for touring artists. Next door is the National Museum of African American Music, which charts the impact and influence of African American musicians. Galleries in the museum cover genres such as R&B, jazz, hip-hop, rap and rock ‘n’ roll.

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is extensive and impressive. It also houses the Taylor Swift Education Center, one of many Taylor-themed stops in the city where she grew up and got her big break. Two further photo opportunities for Swifties are the ‘What Lifts You Wings’ mural in the Gulch neighborhood and the Taylor Swift Bench in Centennial Park.

To dive deep into the city’s thriving food scene, head to East Nashville. The collection of neighborhoods across the Cumberland River have a reputation as creative, eclectic and foodie. You can sample a selection of the area’s food scene with a walking food tour.

Celebrity chef Sean Brook is behind two lauded East Nashville eateries. At one end of the scale is Joyland’s American fast-food classics—burgers, fried chicken, fries and shakes—elevated by quality ingredients and chef-style twists. While Audrey is Brook’s flagship restaurant and serves Appalachian-inspired dishes reflecting his Northeast upbringing.

For more of a Southern experience, reserve a table at Jane’s Hideaway. The cowgirl-themed art and neon lighting is a hint of what to expect at this vibrant restaurant—live music, whiskey cocktails and fresh riffs on classic Southern dishes.

America’s most visited National Park is in Tennessee, a three-and-a-half-hour drive west of Nashville. If mountain forests, waterfalls and abundant wildlife take your fancy, it’d be a great shame to miss Great Smoky Mountains National Park while you’re in town. A hiker’s paradise: more than 800 miles of hiking paths traverse the park, including 72 miles of the famous Appalachian Trail. Sugarlands is the main visitor center and also the closest to Nashville. Nearby Gatlinburg has plentiful accommodation options and is a popular base to explore the park.

Closer to Nashville is Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave National Park. A UNESCO World Heritage Site (one of only 231 globally, others include the Grand Canyon and Yosemite), the park’s claim to fame is as the longest-known cave system in the world. More than 300 miles of caves have been mapped so far, with more still to discover.

Tours are available, including a fully wheelchair accessible option. There’s a variety of options, so choose carefully depending on your tolerance for dark and confined spaces. If you prefer to stay above ground, there are open-air activities in the park, such as kayaking, horseback riding and hiking. The Lodge at Mammoth Park is the only accommodation within the park, or consider this three-bedroom house, one of several vacation rentals nearby.

Adventure lovers, time to strap yourself in because less than three hours’ drive from downtown Nashville is the Ocoee River, home to some of the best white water rafting in the USA. Nantahala Outdoor Center and Ace Ocoee Adventures are two of the bigger rafting companies, both offer fully kitted out excursions for visitors. Guided trips range in length from three hours to a full day (minimum age is 12).

Cleveland or Chattanooga are good places to base yourself for white water adventures, with plenty of well-priced hotels in both places. The former is closer to Ocoee River rafting sites but Chattanooga has more to do, including the excellent Tennessee Aquarium, the Hunter Museum of American Art and the unique underground Ruby Falls.

The Chattanooga area plays host to tons of other adrenaline-pumping activities aside from rafting. Mountain biking in Racoon Mountain is popular, plus you can find quality hiking, kayaking and paddle boarding nearby. When you’ve worked up an appetite, Calliope serves celebrated modern Levantine food in Downtown, visit Kenny’s for gourmet sandwiches and breakfast items, or refuel with a pizza at Community Pie.