Nashville to Atlanta drive: Best road trip stops, distance & time
The best road trip stops on the Nashville to Atlanta drive are Manchester, Chattanooga and Red Top Mountain State Park. The distance from Nashville to Atlanta by car is 248 miles, with a four hour driving time.
Planning a Nashville to Atlanta road trip itinerary
The Nashville to Atlanta drive connects the biggest cities in Tennessee and Georgia.
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.
Atlanta played a massive part in the Civil Rights movement, and a black history and civil rights tour is pretty much a must-do.
For more Atlanta experiences, try a sightseeing trolley tour for orientation and overview. Or a guided bike ride to get a better feel for the neighbourhoods.
Other Atlanta favourites include the World of Coca Cola, Midtown food and cocktail tours and multi-brewery beer tours.
Nashville to Atlanta distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Nashville to Atlanta is 248 miles. This makes for a driving time of around four hours. The quickest route is down the I-24, then the I-75.
The best stops to add to a Nashville to Atlanta road trip itinerary are Manchester, Chattanooga and Red Top Mountain State Park.
Nashville to Atlanta road trip stops: Manchester, Tennessee
The town of Manchester isn’t especially riveting, although you can visit Common John Brewing and the Beans Creek Winery.
It is, however, the gateway to several photogenic waterfalls. The closest to the town centre are Blue Hole Falls and Big Falls in Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park. Head a little further west, and there are plenty more – Rutledge Falls has a glorious swimming hole at the bottom.
Best stops between Nashville and Atlanta: Chattanooga.
Chattanooga in the foothills of the Appalachians is home to the National Medal of Honor Heritage Museum and the Tennessee Aquarium. But it’s mostly an outdoorsy place. Great Chattanooga experiences include rafting on the Middle Ocoee River, backcountry tours in Swincars and kayak adventures to the Nickajack Bat Cave. You can also try Segway tours, guided ghost walks and trolley tours.
- Find more ideas on the first section – the Nashville to Chattanooga drive.
Nashville to Chattanooga drive: Red Top Mountain State Park
Lake Allatoona is the main focus of Georgia’s Red Top Mountain State Park. Boats can be rented from the marinas around this 12,000 acre lake, and there are several good fishing spots around the shoreline.
In summer, though, it’s likely that the cove-like swimming beach will hold the most appeal.
There are also several decent hiking trails, with the four mile Iron Hill Trail offering the best views.
- Find more attractions on the second section – the Chattanooga to Atlanta drive.
More Nashville road trips
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