Raleigh NC to Nashville road trip: Best stops, distance & drive time
The best road trip stops on the Raleigh NC to Nashville drive are Asheville NC, Pigeon Forge TN and Knoxville TN. The distance from Raleigh NC to Nashville by car is 539 miles, with an 8h28m driving time.
Planning a Raleigh NC to Nashville road trip itinerary
The Raleigh NC to Nashville drive connects one of the capital cities of North Carolina and Tennessee.
Raleigh NC offers a series of high quality museums. The North Carolina Museum of History, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and North Carolina Museum of Art are the three big-hitters. Meanwhile, the Mordecai Historic Park is where you’ll find Raleigh’s oldest house and the William B Umstead State Park is the top spot for outdoorsy pursuits.
Top Raleigh activities include trolley pub tours and ghost tours.
For Raleigh accommodation, the Marriott is the prime address downtown and the Store is a gorgeous guesthouse.
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.
Raleigh NC to Nashville distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Raleigh NC to Nashville is 539 miles. That makes for a driving time of around eight hours and 28 minutes. The quickest route is along the I-40.
The best stops to add to a Raleigh NC to Nashville road trip itinerary are Asheville NC, Pigeon Forge TN and Knoxville TN.
For more suggestions, check out the guides to the Raleigh NC to Asheville drive and Knoxville to Nashville drive..
Raleigh NC to Nashville road trip attractions: Asheville, North Carolina
In the Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville NC is one of the main gateways to the Blue Ridge Parkway. This is one of America’s best road trip routes.
But there’s more to Asheville than the mountains. It’s a buzzy city of arty shops, restaurants, breweries and live music venues. The River Arts District is particularly strong on the studios and galleries front. The lavish Biltmore Estate, meanwhile, is the country’s biggest privately-owned home.
Top Asheville experiences include after dark ghost walks, Blue Ridge Parkway hiking tours and Jeep adventures, plus Segway tours and scenic helicopter rides.
You can also do guided e-bike tours either downtown or in the mountains, then take a guided visit to several craft breweries.
Raleigh NC to Nashville drive: Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
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.
Best stops between Raleigh NC and Nashville: Knoxville, Tennessee
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.
Much beloved Knoxville accommodation options include the Tennessean Personal Luxury Hotel and the marvellously quirky Ancient Lore Village.
More Raleigh NC road trips
Raleigh NC to Asheville | Raleigh NC to Atlanta | Raleigh to Baltimore | Boston to Raleigh NC | Charlotte to Raleigh | Columbia SC to Raleigh NC | Raleigh to Dallas | Raleigh NC to Greensboro NC | Raleigh NC to Greenville SC | Raleigh to Myrtle Beach | Raleigh to New Orleans | Raleigh NC to New York City | Raleigh NC to Orlando | Raleigh NC to Philadelphia | Raleigh to Pittsburgh | Richmond VA to Raleigh NC | Raleigh to Tampa | Raleigh NC to Washington DC | Raleigh to Wilmington NC | Winston-Salem NC to Raleigh NC.
More Nashville road trips
Nashville to Atlanta | Nashville to Austin | Birmingham AL to Nashville | Nashville to Boston | Nashville to Bowling Green | Bristol TN to Nashville | Nashville to Buffalo | Charlotte to Nashville | Nashville to Chattanooga | Chicago to Nashville | Nashville to Cincinnati | Cleveland to Nashville | Columbia SC to Nashville | Nashville to Columbus | Cookeville TN to Nashville | Crossville TN to Nashville | Dallas to Nashville | Nashville to Denver | Nashville to Destin FL | Detroit to Nashville.
Nashville to Fort Lauderdale | Nashville to Gatlinburg | Nashville to Graceland | Grand Rapids to Nashville | Greensboro NC to Nashville | Nashville to Greenville SC | Nashville to Gulf Shores | Nashville to Houston | Huntsville to Nashville | Indianapolis to Nashville | Jackson TN to Nashville | Johnson City TN to Nashville | Nashville to Kingsport TN | Nashville to Knoxville | Lexington to Nashville | Nashville to Little Rock | Louisville to Nashville | Lynchburg to Nashville.
Manchester TN to Nashville | Nashville to Memphis | Nashville to Milwaukee | Minneapolis to Nashville | Nashville to Mobile AL | Montgomery AL to Nashville | Nashville to Myrtle Beach | Nashville to New Orleans | New York City to Nashville | Omaha to Nashville | Nashville to Orlando | Nashville to Panama City | Nashville to Pensacola | Nashville to Pigeon Forge | Pittsburgh to Nashville | Nashville to San Antonio | Nashville to Savannah | Sevierville to Nashville | Nashville to St Louis | Nashville to Tallahassee | Nashville to Tampa | Tulsa to Nashville | Nashville to Tuscaloosa | Nashville to Wilmington NC.