A Tennessee family holiday is the best excuse for a road trip, we take a look at why it’s one of the greatest states in the US for amazing journeys and unforgettable adventures.
Chattanooga Choo Choo, Chattanooga, Tennessee
The great thing about Tennessee road trips is they come in all shapes and sizes. Some fit perfectly into a single day, but even longer ones are really easy to plan; right down to themed itineraries, great value accommodation along the way, iconic destinations and Kid Reviewed attractions to make sure any journey is fun for everyone.
Nashville, Tennessee
Add a music themed road trip to your Tennessee family holiday
Seven genres of music have roots in Tennessee so if you want a road trip with a musical theme this is the state for that. Relax into the experience, forget arguments over playlists and think of this as an education for everyone in the car, from Swifties to trad country fans.
Naturally Nashville makes the cut for the Grand Ole Opry and a must-do tour of the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum.
It’s also the city where you get to have breakfast with a side of music legends in places like Biscuit Love and Pancake Pantry, before hitting the colourful 12 South neighbourhood to browse its vintage guitar stores and independent shops.
Sun Studio, Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis might be forever Elvis in some minds, but in reality the city is so much more on the music front.
Teens will thank you for a stroll through Beale Street Historic District: the city’s blues, rock and soul heartland. Though they’ll probably be equally happy to swing by The Beauty Shop – Priscilla Presley’s one-time favourite beauty parlour, now a funky restaurant.
Interactive Stax Museum of American Soul is another must-do for young music historians. And you have to add a Graceland tour to your list; you’re in Memphis how can you not visit the home of Elvis Presley?
Hiking, Tennessee family holiday
Road tripping around natural phenomena is big in Tennessee
The great outdoors in Tennessee makes for great value family road trips.
More than 60 State Parks here are free to visit, and even world famous National Parks like The Great Smoky Mountains offer accommodation and activities to suit all budgets.
Driving and hiking are a great mix on a Tennessee family holiday, unforgettable views are a given, and you’ll find endless hikes that won’t tax younger kids. Plus, if you like a theme, take your pick of anything from waterfalls to caves.
The Cataract Falls in Gatlinburg is one of 500 waterfalls across Tennessee, and one of the easiest to see with young hikers. The walk is less than a mile round, nicely shaded and the spectacular 25-foot falls reward all your legwork.
The drama of Great Stone Door in Savage Gulf State Park belies the effortless nature of this fun family hike. At just two miles it’s perfect for little legs, but teenagers will love it just as much because it looks like more work than it is on TikTok.
Kuwohi in Gatlinburg is another stunner that doesn’t demand much of kids. It’s the highest lookout point in the Great Smoky Mountains and just over a mile’s hike; some of it’s a little steep, but that’s balanced by plenty of benches for rests on-route.
The Lost Sea Adventure, Sweetwater, Tennessee
Tennessee also has a network of over 8,500 explorable caves, so you might want to think about adding a few of those to a family road trip. Or you could fit in just one, which would have to be The Lost Sea in Sweetwater. More than just a cave tour, this one hour and 15 minutes exploration of the historic Craighead Caverns finishes with a boat tour of America’s largest underground lake.
Sunset, Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a Tennessee family holiday in itself
Great Smoky Mountains is the most visited national park in the US and it’s at home in eastern Tennessee. An incredible landscape of ancient mountains and dense forests, it’s crisscrossed with more than 800 miles of trails ranging from easy strolls to hikes that take a few days.
The road trip potential here is immense and if kids are keen on wildlife, the park is a natural habitat for bears, deer and elk, along with other smaller mammals and a spectacular number of birds.
Big Bear Mountain, Dollywood, Pigeon Forge
Head to Pigeon Forge for the top theme park in the US
Of course, you can just dip into the Great Smoky Mountains too and that’s the perfect excuse to get to know Pigeon Forge better.
Pigeon Forge isn’t just a gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, it’s where you’ll find Dollywood: Tripadvisor Traveler’s Choice Number 1. Theme Park in the US 2025.
You can also cool down here at Dollywood’s Splash Country waterpark, stay at Dollywood’s Dreammore Resort & Spa or pick a luxurious home-from-home at Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Cabins.
AnaVista Tower, Anakeesta, Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Pop next door to Gatlinburg for astonishing sky-high views
Nearby Gatlinburg is another Great Smoky Mountains’ gateway with plenty of reasons to hang around, apart from its charming small-town vibe and spectacular views.
Gatlinburg SkyPark lets you walk across SkyBridge at the top of Crockett Mountain: the longest pedestrian cable bridge in the US. Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies is here too, along with the award-winning outdoor theme park, Anakeesta.
Then, when you need a break from the dozens of family attractions, take a stroll round the 27 Village Shops and get your quaint fix while breathing in the fresh mountain air.
National Civil Rights Museum, Memphis, Tennessee
A Tennessee family holiday lets you road trip through American history
A road trip in Tennessee can also be a journey through American history that goes far beyond the state’s musical legacy.
The National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis opens young eyes to one of the most important movements in recent times, not least because it’s set in the Lorraine Motel where Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in 1968.
The museum is also part of the US Civil Rights Trail which connects 100 locations across the country, 14 of which you can tour on a Tennessee road trip.
Discovery Park of America, Union City, Tennessee
The Discovery Park of America in Union City is a road trip fit you should set aside a day for, particularly if you have mixed age group kids in the car.
The museum spreads across a 70,000ft² space packed with exhibits like a 20,000 gallon aquarium, and the Transportation Gallery collection of antique cars and motorbikes, as well as historical treasures, natural history wonders and interactive thrills. Then, once you’re done exploring indoors, it’s all set in a 50-acre heritage park complete with gorgeous gardens, a vintage train depot, working gristmill and much more.
Think about adding some living history to your journey with a visit to the Museum of Appalachia in Clinton. Or head to Chatanooga to explore Rock City on Lookout Mountain. Billed as the World’s 8th Wonder, this captivating fairy tale for kids is also an enthralling natural history lesson.
Tennessee Aquarium, Chatanooga
Look out for Kid Reviewed attractions and leave nothing to chance
Finally, to make planning your family road trip even easier, Tennessee can give you guarantees on all the things your kids will love to see and do, all over the state. You’ll find Kid Reviewed attractions at lots of popular family destinations where children have given their honest opinion using the most authentic metric of all, their laughter, recorded on a wearable tracking device.
So far over 30 destinations have been Kid Reviewed, more than 1,600,000 seconds of laughter recorded and 97% of young reviewers reported having fun. So if you see the Kid Reviewed label on a Tennessee family attraction you know it’s been turned inside out and checked upside down by the visitors who matter most, and there’s a good chance your kids will love it too.
Now visit TN Vacation for everything you need to plan your Tennessee family holiday
