Check out this 1 week itinerary for a perfect family-friendly Road Trip through Tennessee.
Buckle up and take a road trip through the great state of Tennessee. The state is brimming with culture, music, and amazing food. It combines thriving cities with breathtaking natural beauty.
Tennessee Road Trip Overview
This itinerary is based off of a very similar road trip that we took with our 3 and 5 year old. The only difference is that we started in Texas and drove through Arkansas into Tennessee, which is where this itinerary begins.
- Day 1: Memphis
- Day 2: Memphis to Nashville
- Day 3: Nashville to Pigeon Forge
- Day 4: Pigeon Forge
- Day 5: Pigeon Forge
- Day 6: Gatlinburg/Great Smoky Mountain National Park
- Day 7: Chattanooga
We took our road trip in the first week of August. It was definitely hot and humid (although honestly it was at least 10 degrees cooler than our home state of Texas so it was actually relieving for us).
We found Nashville and Memphis to be very interesting cities which our kids certainly enjoyed, but one night in each was enough for them.
Day 1 - Memphis
Is Memphis safe? Memphis is a lot safer than it once was but there are definitely areas you do not want to find yourself. Downtown is more walkable than most cities, but you don’t want to venture away from the well-populated and well-lit areas.
Where to Stay?
The Historic Peabody Hotel in Memphis is a great place to stop for a night. Not only is this beautiful hotel legendary for its charm, elegance and rich history, it also has a twice a day duck parade through the lobby fountain.
Every day at 11am you can watch them proceed from their rooftop home, down the elevator, into the lobby fountain. And then at 5pm they march back up again. A unique tradition that your kids will love!
Take a Walk Down Beale Street and Watch Live Blues
One of the few places in America where the spirit of blues continues to thrive. It is unlikely that your young children will have much appreciation, but most of the places are free so it will be fun to sit and watch some live music. We watched some music at King Jerry Lawler's Hall of Fame Bar & Grille, which was stack-filled with professional wrestling memorabilia that the kids enjoyed looking through.
Tip: One thing the kids loved was riding the historic trolley car down Beale Street. It is only around $2 a ticket.
Go to a Museum
Memphis has several beautiful museums. The National Civil Rights Museum is very interactive which was great in engaging the kids. You can sit on the bus with Rosa Parks, and in a restaurant with sit-in protestors.
Watch the Legendary Peabody Ducks
Visit the elegant Peabody to watch one of the city’s unique and celebrated traditions, the march of the Peabody Ducks. Every day at 11am and 5pm the ducks embark on their daily pilgrimage past the hotel fountain. Why would we want to watch some ducks go for a walk, you might ask. You just will, trust us.
Get there about 30 minutes early, but the staff were super helpful made sure all the young kids got to sit at the front.
Where to eat – Charlie Vergos Rendezvous
Memphis BBQ is a thing, and few do it better than Charlie Vergos Rendezvous. The restaurant is located in a basement down an alley across the street from the Peabody. It’s been there over 75 years. It is one of those places where you feel like a piece of the soul of the city has been captured and sustained, like a message in a bottle. The atmosphere is wonderful, and the dry rub ribs are some of the best you’ll ever have. We left with several bottles of their BBQ sauce.
Day 2 - Nashville
Continue your road trip through Tennessee by heading East through I-40, otherwise known as the “Music Highway” to the Mecca of Country Music, Nashville.
Where to Stay in Nashville with Kids.
There are a lot of options for where to stay in Nashville. There are a ton of good Airbnbs close to the city center if that's your preference. However, when we're only staying in a place for 1 night we tend to prefer staying in a traditional hotel.
For this trip we stayed at the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel and it was great! It was walkable to many restaurants and attractions and the beds were incredibly comfy.
There is also the Opryland Gaylord Resort & Convention Center which has phenomenal pools and water attractions. If you stay here we recommend adding an additional night to your Nashville stay so you can experience everything.
Is it safe? We felt perfectly safe in the touristy areas we visited. As in any city just try to be familiar with your surroundings and use common sense.
Stroll Down Broadway and the Gulch Neighborhood
If you are visiting without kids then Broadway is where you are going to find bars and music venues, but even when you’re visiting with kids this is a fun place to walk to experience the vibes of “Music City.” Take a photo with one of the dozens of murals the city is famous for.
Check Out the Greatest Guitars in the World at the Gibson Garage
This is possibly a little niche recommendation, but as Tom is obsessed with guitars, we had to visit the Gibson Garage, the public face of one of the most iconic guitar brands in the world.
Visit the Belle Meade Plantation
Visit the Belle Mead Plantation. When we are travelling we always try to expose our children to our history. Our tour guide gave a very informative and nuanced history of the plantation. We had no idea that the Belle Mead was a leading farm for thoroughbred horses. Many of the greatest horses including Seabiscuit are descendants from horses on the Belle Mead.
Admittedly the tour of the mansion wasn’t the most enthralling experience for our kids, but the tour ended with a visit to the ‘History Makers Space’ which included lots of crafts and activities which the kids loved.
Adults on a Family Tour also get a free wine tasting from the winery on the site. We didn’t partake but we heard good things!
Where to eat? – Two Boots / Sarabhas Creamery
Grab a slice or several at Two Boots. We love a good pizza place when we are travelling, and it’s almost become a traditional that we pick pizza place after a long drive. No fuss, we know everyone will eat something. Two Boots specialize in crispy thin crust pizza and we felt it hit the mark. Plus, they incorporate other local ingredients into their pies, such as Hattie's hot chicken.
And, a 5 minute walk away, get dessert at Sarabhas Creamery. Everyone in our family considers them an ice-cream expert, and we all devoured this homemade Indian style ice cream.
Day 3 - Nashville to Pigeon Forge
Tour the Ole Opry
Take a tour of the Grand Ole Opry. Go backstage of this legendary venue, and they even let you go on stage at the end which was fun for our kids. They have daily shows too if your little ones are up to it.
Brunch at the White Limozeen
Eat at Dolly Parton inspired White Limozeen. I know the reviews on this place are questionable but honestly we really enjoyed our brunch. Well our 6-year-old son was not a huge fan, but our 4-year-old daughter LOVED it and there were some great photo ops.
Leave Nashville and head to Pigeon Forge.
Keep the road trip going and head to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee!
This quirky mountain town is overflowing with kitsch while keeping all of its charm and is easy entry into the Smoky Mountain National Park. There is so much to do in Pigeon Forge for young kids, if you have young ones this will be the highlight of the road trip. It is about a 3-hour drive so we suggest leaving Nashville mid-afternoon afternoon day 3 and spending the evening at the Island.
The Island in Pigeon Forge
Spend the evening at the Island In Pigeon Forge. This entertainment complex reminded us of Disney Springs (but way more relaxing). There’s lots of fun things to do, but also a place to sit and relax and watch the epic water fountain display in the center. Our kids loved riding
The Great Smoky Mountain Wheel, which gave stunning panoramic views views of the Smoky Mountains.
Where to stay in Pigeon Forge.
We opted for an Airbnb that was located in at the Club Wyndham Smoky Mountains and we loved it.
While technically located in Sieverville, it's minutes from the main strip and Dollywood. Because we booked it through Airbnb we never got any pressure to sit through one of those condo presentations. And the condo itself and the amenities of Club Wyndham were fantastic. It had a pool, a game room and nightly activities as well as a miniature golf course. The condo itself was comfortable and clean with a great view of the Smoke Mountains.
Day 4 - Pigeon Forge (Dollywood)
Spend the day at Dollywood – a pure slice of Dolly Parton inspired feel-good Americana. The world class theme park is absolutely immaculate and there is so much to see and do. The Wildwood Grove area is only a few years old and has lots of great attractions for smaller children. Our five-year-old loved the Mystery Mine roller coaster.
Tip:- You can purchase a ticket that also includes entry to Dollywood’s Splash Country Waterpark.
Day 5 - Explore Pigeon Forge
Breakfast at The Old Mill
Start your trip with an ample breakfast at the Old Mill. This historic mill was built in 1830 and still make their baked goods through 19th century hydropower. The Old Mill is a fun place to explore with various shops and a creamery.
It had some nice areas for our kids to run around and get their wiggles out.
Rocky Top Mountain Coaster
Take an thrilling ride on the Rocky Top Mountain Coaster. Our kids loved this coaster and begged us every day to take them back. The ride is much longer than your usual rollercoaster and cuts through some beautiful Smoky Mountain scenery. They space out the cars so the rider can control how fast you want to go, which was perfect for our three-year-old.
Hatfield and McCoy Dinner Show
Have dinner at the Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Feud. This was a fun show that was clean and suitable for our young kids, and they stayed engaged throughout. They loved the stunts at the end. The food was classic Southern fare. Lots of fried chicken with all the fixings. We had a blast.
Day 6 – Gatlinburg / Great Smoky Mountain National Park
Take a walk through Downtown Gatlinburg a fun tourist spot with lots of attractions and shops.
Go for a Hike in the Smoky Mountain National Park
The Smoky Mountain National Park is America’s most visited national park, and it’s hard to see why. After many hours on the road we really wanted to go on a hike with the kids and take in some of the natural beauty. The hike along Cataract Falls just outside Gatlinburg was the perfect Smoky Mountain experience for our little ones.
Head to the Sugarlands Visitor Center (The kids actually loved the museum at the center). Cataract Falls trail is less than a mile round-trip where you will see a stunning waterfall. Our kids loved stopping to have a splash and play in the river (Tip: bring water shoes).
Where to Eat? Wild Bear Tavern
Our no.1 Dining recommendation in Pigeon Forge is the Wild Bear Tavern. This place makes amazing German food atmosphere is super casual and the service is friendly.
Day 7 - Chattanooga
Head South and make the less-than-an-hour drive to Chattanooga. There are many reasons why this booming city is popping up on lists of the best cities in America.
Is it Safe? Like Nashville, we felt very safe in Chattanooga, but urge caution like any American city.
Where to say? – Hotel Chalet at The Choo Choo
The Hotel Chalet in Chattanooga is built out of an old train terminal. Definitely a unique place to stay, and the gardens were nice for the kids to stretch their legs after the drive.
Chattanooga Aquarium
Go to one of the best aquariums in America. On this trip our five-year-old had recently moved on from his dinosaur obsession and had moved onto becoming an expert in sea-life, and he was in awe of this beautiful aquarium. It is split into two buildings, River and Ocean. We thought the River exhibit was the highlight where you start at the top and then wind down to the bottom. Very unique. The Butterfly Exhibit was a big hit too.
Ruby Falls
Elizabeth loves a good cave, and Ruby Falls did not disappoint. The caves are lit up with different colored lights which might not be to everyone’s taste, but I think made it helped make it all the more spectacular for our kids. We’ve experienced our kids getting a bit antsy when we’ve toured caves before, so we purchased the “Express Tour’ which was perfect length of time for our family, but for others might seem rushed.
Rock City Gardens
Chattanooga is surrounded by parks, mountains, and rivers so is a haven for those who love outdoor activities. After Ruby Falls, take the short drive to Rock City Gardens and take a walk to Lookout Mountain for a sensational view. The trails were perfect for our kids, they walked the whole way. It was the perfect golden hour moment to end our road trip.
Tip: The Gardens are not cheap, but we thought it was well worth it. You can save $5 a ticket by booking online.