Memphis TN to Pigeon Forge TN drive: Distance, time & best stops
The best road trip stops on the Memphis to Pigeon Forge drive are Jackson TN, Nashville and Knoxville. The distance from Memphis TN to Pigeon Forge TN by car is 424 miles, with a 6h40m driving time.
Planning a Memphis TN to Pigeon Forge TN road trip itinerary
The Memphis to Pigeon Forge drive takes you from the home of Elvis to the home of Dolly Parton.
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.
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.
Pigeon Forge is popular because of its close proximity to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in the US. But so many attractions have built up around the resort town that it’s now much more than a gateway.
Most famous of these is Dolly Parton’s Dollywood theme park, but there’s also the Titanic Museum, the Beyond The Lens interactive museum and the Rocky Top Mountain Coaster.
Other Pigeon Forge experiences include small group jeep tours in the mountains, guided ATV adventures and wine plus moonshine tours.
Pigeon Forge is also known for its evening shows, whether Elvis tributes, Motown performances, lumberjack feuds or country music extravaganzas.
Memphis to Pigeon Forge distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Memphis to Pigeon Forge is 424 miles. You can expect a driving time of around six hours and 40 minutes. The quickest route is mostly along the I-40.
The best stops to add to a Memphis to Pigeon Forge road trip itinerary are Jackson TN, Nashville and Knoxville.
Memphis to Pigeon Forge 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 in the guides to the Memphis to Jackson TN drive and Jackson TN to Nashville drive.
Best stops between Memphis and Pigeon Forge: 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.
- Discover more attractions in the guide to the Nashville to Knoxville drive.
Memphis to Pigeon Forge 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.
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