Memphis to Gatlinburg drive: Distance, time & best road trip stops
The best road trip stops on the Memphis to Gatlinburg drive are Jackson TN, Nashville and Knoxville. The distance from Memphis to Gatlinburg by car is 432 miles, with a 6h39m driving time.
Planning a Memphis to Gatlinburg road trip itinerary
The Memphis to Gatlinburg drive takes you from the home of Elvis to a Tennessee mountain resort town.
Memphis, Tennessee, is a pilgrimage site for Elvis fans. The King’s Graceland mansion is one of the top tourist sites in the US. But the cultural heritage extends beyond music, as you’ll discover on an African-American history tour.
Also try the Rock and Soul Museum, plus the Memphis Music Hall of Fame and the 19th century Woodruff-Fontaine House.
Ways of seeing the city include ghost walks, Downtown food tours and musical bus tours. There are also guided walks down music central, Beale Street, and city tours that take you inside the legendary Sun Studios.
The mountain resort city of Gatlinburg has the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the doorstep.
To explore the national park, either take an audio self-driving tour or go guided with a hiking tour or a small group bus trip.
Other Gatlinburg experiences include ziplining, ghost tours, the Impossibilities magic show, a wine and moonshine tour and the Moonshine Mountain Coaster.
Memphis to Gatlinburg distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Memphis to Gatlinburg is 432 miles. That makes for a driving time of around six hours and 39 minutes. The quickest route is almost entirely along the I-40.
The best stops on a Memphis to Gatlinburg road trip itinerary are Jackson TN, Nashville and Knoxville.
Memphis to Gatlinburg road trip attractions: Jackson, TN
Jackson TN is home to the Casey Jones Home and Railroad Museum. For the uninitiated, Casey Jones was about as famous as it gets in the world of railroad engineering. The enormous locomotive outside the house tends to be the most popular attraction.
Also in Jackson is Rusty’s TV and Movie Car Museum, which features more than 50 screen-famous cars and vans. These include a Batmobile, a Jeep from Jurassic Park and Scooby Doo’s Mystery Machine.
Find more options on the guides to the Memphis to Jackson TN drive and Jackson TN to Nashville drive.
Best stops between Memphis and Gatlinburg: Nashville
Nashville is renowned for its country music, but the National Museum of African American Music is also in the Tennessee capital.
The best Nashville experiences include backstage tours of the Grand Ole Opry House, helicopter flights over the city and tasting tours at the Big Machine Distillery. You can also try line dancing classes, the Country Music Hall of Fame and haunted pub crawls. Or, for lavish old homes, visit Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage, the Travellers Rest Historic House Museum and Belmont Mansion.
Excellent Nashville accommodation choices include the gloriously evocative Belle Air Mansion and Inn, plus downtown’s grand dame, the Hermitage.
How to see Nashville the smart way
You can save money in Nashville by combining a tour ticket with admission to two top attractions. These combo tickets give you a half day tour of the main sights, plus entrance to the Ryman Auditorium and Country Music Hall of Fame. Find out more here.
Memphis to Gatlinburg drive: Knoxville
Highlights of Knoxville include World’s Fair Park, which hosted the 1982 World’s Fair. The often-dazzling Sunsphere is the major landmark, here. You can also visit the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and Knoxville Museum of Art.
Other Knoxville experiences include ghost tours and downtown walking tours that pick out local secret spots, while serving up coffee and ice cream.
Discover more attractions on the guide to the Nashville to Knoxville drive and Knoxville to Gatlinburg drive.
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