The best day trips from Nashville are Franklin (30 to 40 minutes), the Natchez Trace Parkway and Leiper’s Fork (about 45 minutes), Jack Daniel’s in Lynchburg (about 1.5 hours), Mammoth Cave (about 1.5 hours) and the waterfalls at Cummins Falls and Fall Creek Falls (1.5 to 2 hours). Anything much farther is a weekend, not a day.
This guide sorts more than 30 destinations by drive time from downtown, with the permits, tour prices, seasonal closures and time-zone quirks that decide whether a day works, and a blunt verdict on each. It’s for visitors with a car and a spare day, and for Nashvillians looking for a new Saturday. The caveat: drive times here are typical figures without traffic. Nashville’s interstates add 20 to 30 minutes at rush hour, so leave before 7:30am or after 9:30am.
Last updated October 1, 2026. Prices, rules and details checked September 2026.
The Short Version
| If you want | Go to | Typical drive |
|---|---|---|
| A historic small town and Civil War sites | Franklin | 30 to 40 minutes |
| A scenic drive with an iconic bridge | The Natchez Trace Parkway to the Double Arch Bridge | About 45 minutes |
| A winery in the hills | Arrington Vineyards | About 35 minutes |
| Whiskey | Jack Daniel’s Distillery, Lynchburg | About 1.5 hours |
| The world’s longest known cave system | Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky | About 1.5 hours |
| A waterfall you can swim below | Cummins Falls State Park | About 1.5 hours |
| The tallest waterfall in the area | Fall Creek Falls State Park | About 2 hours |
| Elk, bison and two big lakes | Land Between the Lakes | About 1.5 to 2 hours |
| A city day with an aquarium | Chattanooga | About 2 hours, plus an hour lost to Eastern time |
| Rockets and space history | Huntsville, Alabama | About 1 hour 45 minutes |
Before You Go: Six Rules for Day Trips from Nashville
1. You need a car
Almost none of these places are reachable by public transit. Rent a car for the day rather than the whole trip, since downtown hotel valet runs $58 to $67 a night at the hotels that post a rate. If you’d rather not drive, Gray Line Tennessee runs The Franklin Hop, a hop-on, hop-off service in Franklin, and full-day tours to Memphis and Dollywood.
2. Beat the rush hour
Nashville’s interstates, especially I-65 south toward Franklin and I-24 east toward Murfreesboro, back up badly on weekday mornings and late afternoons. Leave before 7:30am or after 9:30am, and plan to be back before 4pm or after 6:30pm on weekdays.
3. Watch the time zones
Nashville is on Central time, and so are Franklin, Lynchburg, Mammoth Cave, Bowling Green, Cummins Falls, Fall Creek Falls, Land Between the Lakes and Huntsville. Chattanooga, Knoxville and the Great Smoky Mountains are on Eastern time, so you lose an hour driving there and gain it back on the way home. A 10am Chattanooga reservation means leaving Nashville by about 7am.
4. Book the things that sell out
Three day trips need planning: Mammoth Cave’s cave tours, which should be reserved on Recreation.gov; the Cummins Falls gorge permit, capped at 200 a day; and Jack Daniel’s distillery tours, which book up on weekends. Everything else on this list can usually be done on the day.
5. Mind the weather
The waterfall parks depend on it. Cummins Falls closes its gorge in anything but fair weather and evacuates it if rain is present anywhere in the watershed, because the river rises fast. Summer afternoons bring thunderstorms, and July averages a high of about 91°F, so start early.
6. Tastings and driving don’t mix
Several of the best day trips involve whiskey or wine. Pick a designated driver, share tasting flights, or book a tour with transportation. Tennessee takes impaired driving seriously, and the back roads to Lynchburg are no place to find out why.
Day Trips Under an Hour
These are half-day or easy full-day trips, close enough to add to a Nashville visit without losing an evening.
Franklin (20 miles, 30 to 40 minutes)
Franklin is the best day trip from Nashville for most visitors: a handsome historic Main Street of shops and restaurants, and some of the most important Civil War sites in the region. The Battle of Franklin, fought on November 30, 1864, is told at Carter House, built in 1830 and used as a US Army headquarters during the battle, and at Carnton, the plantation whose house served as a field hospital. A combination ticket for guided tours of both costs $27, bought online only; tours run every 30 to 40 minutes from 9am, and the last starts at 4pm.
Park in the city’s downtown garages rather than circling Main Street, eat lunch in town and pair the history with a drive out to Leiper’s Fork or Arrington Vineyards. Verdict: the essential day trip, and the easiest. Skip weekday rush hour on I-65.
Leiper’s Fork (30 miles, about 45 minutes)
A tiny village west of Franklin with galleries, antiques, a general-store feel and a lot of country music money in the surrounding hills. It’s best as part of a loop: Franklin in the morning, Leiper’s Fork for lunch, and the Natchez Trace Parkway back north. Verdict: charming for an hour or two; not a full day on its own.
The Natchez Trace Parkway and the Double Arch Bridge (about 35 miles, 45 minutes)
The Natchez Trace Parkway is a 444-mile National Park Service road running from just southwest of Nashville to Natchez, Mississippi, along a historic travel corridor. There are no billboards, no trucks and no fee, and the speed limit is a relaxed 50 mph. The northern stretch makes an easy scenic drive: the Double Arch Bridge over Birdsong Hollow, at milepost 438, is its signature sight, and it won a Presidential Award for Design Excellence in 1995.
Drive to the bridge, stop at the pullouts, then follow the parkway south toward Leiper’s Fork and Franklin. Verdict: the prettiest hour of driving near Nashville, especially in October. Don’t try to drive the whole parkway in a day.
Arrington Vineyards (25 miles, about 35 minutes)
A hillside winery south of the city, where a self-guided tasting flight is $16 with no reservation, a bar tasting for up to six is $40, and a food and wine pairing is $65 from Friday to Sunday. From April to October it opens at 11am most days and noon on Sundays, with free music on Saturday afternoons from 3pm to 7pm and Sundays from 2pm to 6pm in season. Carry-in picnics are welcome; delivered picnics, charcuterie set-ups and outside alcohol aren’t. Verdict: the best easy afternoon outside the city, especially paired with Franklin.
Murfreesboro and Stones River National Battlefield (about 35 miles, 40 minutes)
Stones River National Battlefield, run by the National Park Service, marks one of the Civil War’s bloodiest battles, fought over the turn of 1862 into 1863, with a national cemetery and walking trails. Murfreesboro itself has a pleasant courthouse square. Verdict: a solid half-day for history fans; skip if you’ve already done Franklin.
Lebanon and Cedars of Lebanon State Park (about 35 miles, 40 minutes)
East of the city, Lebanon has an antiques-heavy town square, and Cedars of Lebanon State Park protects rare cedar glades with easy trails. Verdict: a quiet nature morning; not worth a special trip if you have only one spare day.
Columbia (about 45 miles, 50 minutes)
South of Franklin, Columbia’s square is one of the livelier small-town centers in Middle Tennessee, and the President James K. Polk Home is the 11th president’s family house. Verdict: good for a presidential-history day combined with Franklin.
Clarksville (about 45 miles, 50 minutes)
Tennessee’s fifth-largest city sits on the Cumberland River north-west of Nashville, with a riverwalk and a revitalized downtown. It’s also the natural stop on the way to Land Between the Lakes. Verdict: fine en route; not a destination on its own for most visitors.
A day on the lakes (20 to 40 minutes)
Two big reservoirs sit just outside the city, and renting a pontoon for the day is one of the most Nashville things locals do in summer. Elm Hill Marina on Percy Priest Lake rents self-drive pontoons for a full day from 9am to 5pm, from $425 for a 25-foot boat to $675 for a deluxe 30-footer, for 8 to 20 guests, with fuel extra and a $300 card hold; book one to two weeks ahead in peak season. On Old Hickory Lake, Sweetwater Pontoon Rentals charges $350 on weekdays, $500 on Sundays and $600 on Saturdays for a 22-foot pontoon, and $550 to $675 for a 26-foot double-decker. Someone in the group has to stay sober enough to drive it. Verdict: the best group day in summer, and cheaper per head than a party bus for a big group.
Nolensville (about 20 miles, 25 minutes)
A small town south-east of the city with a historic main street and walking and biking trails, useful as a quiet morning stop on the way to somewhere else. Verdict: a pleasant hour, not a destination.
Day Trips of 1 to 2 Hours
These fill a full day. Leave early, and eat lunch where you’re going.
Lynchburg and the Jack Daniel Distillery (about 75 miles, 1.5 hours)
The world’s best-known Tennessee whiskey is made in a small town south-east of Nashville, and the distillery tours are the reason to go. The guided Jack Daniel Distillery Tour walks through the historic distillery and ends with a tasting of six whiskeys. The Taste of Lynchburg Tour, on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 1pm, pairs a guided tasting of Angel’s Share whiskeys with a Southern lunch at Miss Mary Bobo’s Boarding House. A premium A Day at Jack experience adds more tastings, chocolates and a framed photo. Check prices and book ahead on the distillery’s site, especially for weekends.
Lynchburg’s Moore County is famous for having been dry for most of the distillery’s history, and the town square is small and quiet by late afternoon, so eat lunch in town and plan the rest of the day elsewhere. Verdict: worth it for whiskey fans and anyone who likes a good factory tour. Assign a driver before you taste.
Bell Buckle and Shelbyville (about 55 to 60 miles, 1 hour)
Bell Buckle is a tiny railroad town of antique shops and a café or two, and nearby Shelbyville is the home of the Tennessee Walking Horse, with its big national show in late summer. Both pair well with a Lynchburg day. Verdict: charming stops on the way to or from Jack Daniel’s; not full days.
Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky (about 90 miles, 1.5 hours)
Mammoth Cave is the longest known cave system in the world, and the national park’s ranger-led tours are the best way to see it. The Historic Tour, about two hours with 540 stairs, costs $20 for adults and $15 for youth; Domes and Dripstones, which begins in a sinkhole and ends at the formations called Frozen Niagara, costs $21 and $16. All tours start and end at the visitor center, and reservations on Recreation.gov are highly recommended, since popular tours sell out. Mammoth Cave keeps Central time, like Nashville.
The cave stays cool all year, so bring a light jacket even in July, and wear shoes with grip. Verdict: the best nature day trip from Nashville, and a great rainy-day plan. Book the tour before you set off.
Bowling Green, Kentucky (about 65 miles, 1 hour)
Home of the National Corvette Museum and the plant where Corvettes are built, and an easy add-on to Mammoth Cave, which is about 30 minutes farther. Verdict: essential for car people; for everyone else, a lunch stop on the Mammoth Cave day.
Cummins Falls State Park (about 80 miles, 1.5 hours)
Cummins Falls is a wide, stepped waterfall in a gorge near Cookeville, with a swimming hole at its base, and it’s so popular that the state limits access. You can see the falls from the overlook with no permit, but getting down into the gorge requires a gorge access permit, listed at $7, with up to 200 sold a day, until 4pm or until they run out. Buy it online in advance. The park opens from 8am to 6pm in season, with the gorge closing at 5pm, and from 8am to 4:30pm in winter, when the gorge closes at 3:30pm.
The gorge is only open in fair weather and is evacuated if rain is present anywhere in the watershed, because the river can rise quickly. The hike down involves wading and scrambling over wet rock, so wear water shoes and leave small children and anyone unsteady on their feet at the overlook. Verdict: the best summer day trip from Nashville if you plan it; a wasted drive if you don’t have a permit on a busy weekend.
Burgess Falls and Rock Island State Parks (about 80 to 90 miles, 1.5 hours)
Two more waterfall parks on the western edge of the Cumberland Plateau. Burgess Falls is an easy walk to an impressive overlook, and Rock Island, near McMinnville, has the Twin Falls and the Caney Fork Gorge. Like all Tennessee state parks, both charge no entry fee. Verdict: good alternatives when Cummins Falls permits are gone.
Land Between the Lakes (about 85 miles, 1.5 to 2 hours)
A long peninsula between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, straddling the Tennessee-Kentucky line, managed by the US Forest Service. The headline is the Elk & Bison Prairie, a 3.5-mile paved loop you drive in an enclosed vehicle, open dawn to dusk for $5 per vehicle. The Woodlands Nature Station opens from 10am to 5pm daily from April to October, and Wednesday to Saturday in March and November, and closes from December 1 to February 28; admission is $5 for ages 13 and up and $3 for ages 5 to 12. The Homeplace, a working 1850s farm, opens seasonally. Verdict: a great family nature day in spring and fall; don’t go in the dead of winter, when much of it is closed.
Ethridge’s Amish country (about 80 miles, 1.5 hours)
Near Lawrenceburg, south-west of Nashville, one of the region’s largest Amish communities lives on farms along quiet back roads, selling baked goods, produce, furniture and baskets from roadside stands. Wagon rides through the community run from local businesses. Drive slowly, watch for buggies, don’t photograph people without asking, and expect most stands to be closed on Sundays. Verdict: a memorable, gentle day; go on a weekday or Saturday.
Sewanee and the Cumberland Plateau (about 90 miles, 1.5 hours)
The University of the South’s campus sits on top of the plateau, with stone buildings, trails and long views. Verdict: lovely in fall color season; pair it with Lynchburg for a full loop.
Stretch Day Trips: 2 to 2.5 Hours
These work as day trips only if you leave early and accept four to five hours in the car. For most visitors they’re better as an overnight.
Fall Creek Falls State Park (about 110 miles, 2 hours)
Tennessee’s largest state park is built around Fall Creek Falls, a plunge of more than 250 feet into a wooded gorge, often cited as one of the tallest waterfalls in the eastern United States. There’s no entry fee, the overlook is a short walk from the parking lot, and longer trails lead to the base and to smaller falls. Verdict: spectacular, and worth the drive if you leave by 8am; better with a night nearby on the plateau.
Chattanooga (about 135 miles, 2 hours plus an hour to Eastern time)
A riverfront city with the Tennessee Aquarium, a walkable downtown and Lookout Mountain’s attractions on its edge. The time change makes it a long day: a 7am departure from Nashville lands you in Chattanooga around 10am local time. Verdict: better as an overnight or as a stop on a road trip east.
Huntsville, Alabama (about 110 miles, 1 hour 45 minutes)
Home of the US Space & Rocket Center, with rockets you can walk under and the country’s space history on display. It stays on Central time. Verdict: an excellent family day for space fans.
Muscle Shoals, Alabama (about 125 miles, 2 hours)
The small Alabama town where FAME Studios and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio produced a remarkable run of soul and rock records. Verdict: a pilgrimage for music fans; for others, a long drive for two studio tours.
Five Day-Trip Loops That Work
The best day trips combine two or three stops that sit on the same road. These loops keep the driving under four hours and put lunch in the middle.
The Franklin loop (about 2 hours of driving)
Leave Nashville at 9:30am, after rush hour, for Carnton and Carter House in Franklin, booked online for a 10am or 11am tour. Walk Main Street and eat lunch in town, then drive west to Leiper’s Fork for an hour in the galleries. Head home north on the Natchez Trace Parkway, stopping at the Double Arch Bridge, and you’re back downtown by 5pm. Swap Leiper’s Fork for Arrington Vineyards if you’d rather taste wine.
The whiskey loop (about 3.5 hours of driving)
Leave at 8am for Lynchburg and a morning distillery tour, or time it for the Taste of Lynchburg Tour’s 1pm lunch at Miss Mary Bobo’s on a Wednesday to Friday. Drive back through Shelbyville and Bell Buckle for coffee and antiques. The designated driver gets to pick dinner.
The cave loop (about 3.5 hours of driving)
Leave at 8am for Mammoth Cave, with a late-morning tour booked on Recreation.gov. Picnic or eat at the park, take a surface trail in the afternoon, then stop at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green on the way home, about 30 minutes from the park.
The waterfall loop (about 3.5 hours of driving)
Leave at 7:30am with a Cummins Falls gorge permit booked online. Spend the morning in the gorge, which is best before the midday crowds, have lunch in Cookeville, and see Burgess Falls from its overlook in the afternoon. Check the forecast the night before; if rain is expected, switch to Mammoth Cave.
The wildlife loop (about 4 hours of driving)
Leave at 8am for Land Between the Lakes, stopping at Clarksville’s riverfront on the way. Drive the Elk & Bison Prairie loop ($5 per vehicle), visit the Woodlands Nature Station if it’s open, and drive home in the late afternoon. Do it between April and October.
Day Trips with Kids
The best family day trips have something to do with their hands. Mammoth Cave’s tours charge $15 or $16 for youth, and the underground is cool, dark and exciting, though the Historic Tour’s 540 stairs are a lot for small legs. Land Between the Lakes’ Woodlands Nature Station charges $3 for ages 5 to 12, and the Elk & Bison Prairie is watched from the car. Huntsville’s US Space & Rocket Center is the pick for space-mad kids. Cummins Falls is great for confident older children who can scramble and wade, but not for toddlers in the gorge. Leave the tastings for another day.
Rainy-Day Day Trips
When the forecast turns, go underground or indoors. Mammoth Cave doesn’t care about rain, the Jack Daniel’s tours are mostly indoors, and Huntsville’s space museum is a full day under a roof. Franklin’s house tours work in light rain too. Avoid the waterfall parks: Cummins Falls closes its gorge in bad weather, and plateau trails get slick.
Driving and Parking Tips
- Rent for one day. Most rental offices near downtown open by 8am; book ahead on weekends.
- Fill up before the parkway. The Natchez Trace Parkway has no commercial services along the road itself, so buy gas and food in nearby towns.
- Expect patchy phone signal. Download offline maps for the plateau, the Trace and Land Between the Lakes.
- Park legally in small towns. Franklin’s downtown garages are easier than circling Main Street.
- Arrive early at popular parks. Cummins Falls’ parking fills on summer weekends, and permits are limited to 200 a day.
- Watch for buggies. On Ethridge’s back roads, slow down for Amish horse-drawn buggies, especially over hills.
Too Far for a Day
These are the trips people try to squeeze into a day and regret. Memphis is three-plus hours west; the Great Smoky Mountains are three and a half to four hours east, plus the Eastern time change; Kentucky’s bourbon towns, Louisville and Bardstown, are about two and a half hours north on Eastern time; Atlanta is four hours; and New Orleans is about eight. Give each at least two nights. Our Nashville itineraries include multi-night road trips to the Smokies, a Tennessee loop, Kentucky bourbon country and New Orleans.
| Weekend trip | Typical drive | Time zone | Nights to give it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga | About 2 hours | Eastern | 1 |
| Louisville and Bardstown bourbon country | About 2.5 hours | Eastern | 2 |
| Memphis | About 3 hours | Central | 2 |
| Great Smoky Mountains (Gatlinburg) | 3.5 to 4 hours | Eastern | 2 to 3 |
| Atlanta | About 4 hours | Eastern | 2 |
| New Orleans | About 8 hours | Central | 3 or more |
Memphis is the one people most often try as a day trip, and it’s the one that suffers most from it: six hours of I-40 for an afternoon on Beale Street, with Graceland and the National Civil Rights Museum each needing a half-day of their own. Give it two nights, or skip it this trip.
Every Day Trip at a Glance
Typical drive times from downtown without traffic, with the details that decide the day.
| Destination | Distance | Drive | Time zone | Book ahead? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nolensville | About 20 miles | 25 minutes | Central | No |
| Franklin | About 20 miles | 30 to 40 minutes | Central | Carnton and Carter House combo online |
| Percy Priest and Old Hickory lakes | 15 to 25 miles | 20 to 40 minutes | Central | Pontoon rentals, 1 to 2 weeks in peak season |
| Arrington Vineyards | 25 miles | 35 minutes | Central | Not for a self-guided flight |
| Leiper’s Fork | About 30 miles | 45 minutes | Central | No |
| Natchez Trace Parkway, Double Arch Bridge | About 35 miles | 45 minutes | Central | No |
| Murfreesboro and Stones River | About 35 miles | 40 minutes | Central | No |
| Lebanon and Cedars of Lebanon | About 35 miles | 40 minutes | Central | No |
| Columbia | About 45 miles | 50 minutes | Central | No |
| Clarksville | About 45 miles | 50 minutes | Central | No |
| Bell Buckle and Shelbyville | 55 to 60 miles | About 1 hour | Central | No |
| Bowling Green, Kentucky | About 65 miles | About 1 hour | Central | No |
| Lynchburg (Jack Daniel’s) | About 75 miles | 1.5 hours | Central | Yes, especially weekends |
| Ethridge Amish community | About 80 miles | 1.5 hours | Central | No; avoid Sundays |
| Cummins Falls | About 80 miles | 1.5 hours | Central | Yes: gorge permit |
| Burgess Falls and Rock Island | 80 to 90 miles | 1.5 hours | Central | No |
| Land Between the Lakes | About 85 miles | 1.5 to 2 hours | Central | No |
| Mammoth Cave National Park | About 90 miles | 1.5 hours | Central | Yes: cave tours on Recreation.gov |
| Sewanee | About 90 miles | 1.5 hours | Central | No |
| Fall Creek Falls | About 110 miles | 2 hours | Central | No |
| Huntsville, Alabama | About 110 miles | 1 hour 45 minutes | Central | No |
| Muscle Shoals, Alabama | About 125 miles | 2 hours | Central | Studio tours |
| Chattanooga | About 135 miles | 2 hours | Eastern (lose an hour) | Aquarium at busy times |
Day Trips for Couples
For two, the best days mix a drive with something slow. Try the Natchez Trace Parkway to the Double Arch Bridge, lunch in Leiper’s Fork and a late-afternoon tasting at Arrington Vineyards, with free music on weekend afternoons in season. Or take the Taste of Lynchburg Tour, which pairs a guided whiskey tasting with a Southern lunch at Miss Mary Bobo’s, and drive home by way of Bell Buckle. In October, the Cumberland Plateau around Sewanee and Fall Creek Falls is at its most beautiful. Book a designated driver, or a tasting-free day, and you’ll enjoy the back roads more.
What a Day Trip Costs
Day trips from Nashville are cheap at the gate. Tennessee’s state parks charge no entry fee, the Natchez Trace Parkway is free, and the most expensive ticket on this list, the $27 Carnton and Carter House combination, costs less than a Nashville museum. The real costs are the rental car, gas and lunch. A rental for one day, a tank of gas and lunch for two usually cost more than every ticket on the chart combined.
Day Trips by Interest
| If you love | Go to |
|---|---|
| Civil War history | Franklin’s Carter House and Carnton; Stones River National Battlefield in Murfreesboro |
| Presidential history | The Hermitage, east of the city; the James K. Polk Home in Columbia |
| Whiskey and wine | Jack Daniel’s in Lynchburg; Arrington Vineyards |
| Waterfalls | Cummins Falls, Burgess Falls, Rock Island, Fall Creek Falls |
| Caves | Mammoth Cave National Park |
| Scenic driving | The Natchez Trace Parkway to the Double Arch Bridge |
| Small towns | Franklin, Leiper’s Fork, Bell Buckle, Lynchburg, Columbia |
| Wildlife | Land Between the Lakes’ Elk & Bison Prairie |
| Music history | Muscle Shoals, Alabama |
| Kids | Mammoth Cave, Huntsville’s US Space & Rocket Center, Land Between the Lakes |
| A day without a car | Gray Line’s Franklin Hop, or its Memphis and Dollywood day tours |
Day Trips by Season
- Spring: the waterfalls are at full flow, and the parkway and Franklin are green; watch the forecast, since March to May is storm season.
- Summer: Cummins Falls’ swimming hole and Mammoth Cave’s cool interior are the two best escapes from the heat. Start early to beat the afternoon storms.
- Fall: the best season for everything, from the Natchez Trace in color to Fall Creek Falls and Sewanee on the plateau.
- Winter: caves and history. Mammoth Cave and the Franklin houses work year-round, while Land Between the Lakes’ nature station closes from December through February and the waterfall parks keep shorter hours.
The Skip-It List
- Memphis or the Smokies as a day trip. Six to eight hours of driving for a few hours on the ground. Go for a weekend.
- Cummins Falls without a permit on a summer weekend. The overlook is lovely, but the gorge is the point, and the permits run out.
- Driving the whole Natchez Trace Parkway. It’s 444 miles at 50 mph. Drive the northern section and turn around.
- Land Between the Lakes in January. The nature station is closed and the Homeplace is seasonal; save it for spring or fall.
- A tasting-heavy day with no designated driver. Book a tour with transportation instead.
- Chattanooga as a same-day round trip. The time change eats an hour each way. Stay the night.
How to Plan a Nashville Day Trip
| Time | What to do |
|---|---|
| 7:30am | Pick up the rental car and leave before the worst of rush hour, or after 9:30am |
| 9am to 10am | Arrive for the first tour or the gorge permit window |
| Noon | Lunch in town; small-town lunch spots are busiest at 12:30pm |
| 1pm to 4pm | Second stop: a small town, a winery or a scenic drive |
| 4pm | Head back before the 4pm to 6:30pm rush, or wait it out over an early dinner |
| Evening | Back in Nashville for a show; see our list of things to do in Nashville at night |
Put the day trip in the middle of your stay rather than the last day, so a late return doesn’t threaten a flight, and on a Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday or Saturday you can still make a 7pm Opry show if you’re back by 5:30pm. Our guide to the best time to visit Nashville covers the months when the drives, waterfalls and fall color are at their best.
Day Trips from Nashville FAQ
What is the best day trip from Nashville?
Franklin is the best day trip from Nashville for most visitors: a historic Main Street and Civil War sites 30 to 40 minutes south, with a $27 combination ticket for guided tours of Carter House and Carnton. Pair it with Leiper’s Fork and a drive on the Natchez Trace Parkway to the Double Arch Bridge.
Can you visit Mammoth Cave as a day trip from Nashville?
Yes. Mammoth Cave National Park is about 90 miles and an hour and a half north of Nashville, on the same Central time. Book a cave tour on Recreation.gov before you go: the Historic Tour costs $20 for adults and $15 for youth, and Domes and Dripstones costs $21 and $16. Bring a light jacket, since the cave stays cool all year.
Do you need a permit for Cummins Falls?
Only to go down into the gorge. The overlook needs no permit, but reaching the base of the falls requires a gorge access permit, listed at $7, with up to 200 sold a day until 4pm or until they sell out. Buy online in advance, and note the gorge closes in bad weather and is evacuated if rain is present in the watershed.
How far is Jack Daniel’s from Nashville?
The Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg is about 75 miles and an hour and a half south-east of Nashville. The guided distillery tour ends with a tasting of six whiskeys, and the Taste of Lynchburg Tour adds lunch at Miss Mary Bobo’s Boarding House on Wednesdays to Fridays at 1pm. Book ahead and bring a designated driver.
What is the closest waterfall to Nashville?
The nearest big waterfalls are on the edge of the Cumberland Plateau, about an hour and a half east: Cummins Falls near Cookeville, Burgess Falls near Sparta and Rock Island near McMinnville. Fall Creek Falls, more than 250 feet tall, is about two hours away. Tennessee state parks charge no entry fee, but Cummins Falls’ gorge needs a permit.
Can you do a day trip from Nashville without a car?
Only a few. Gray Line Tennessee runs The Franklin Hop, a hop-on, hop-off service in Franklin, and full-day coach tours to Memphis and Dollywood, which are long days on a bus. Almost every other destination in this guide, including the waterfall parks, Mammoth Cave and Lynchburg, needs a car.
Is Chattanooga a good day trip from Nashville?
It’s possible but tiring. Chattanooga is about two hours south-east of Nashville, and it’s on Eastern time, so you lose an hour on the way there. A 7am departure puts you there around 10am local time. For the Tennessee Aquarium and Lookout Mountain, an overnight stay is much more relaxed.
Related Nashville Guides
- Nashville Itineraries: Ready-Made Plans for 1-5 Days: where a day trip fits in a longer stay, plus multi-night road trips
- Things to Do in Nashville: The Complete Guide: the city’s top 20 sights for the rest of your trip
- Nashville Tours: What’s Actually Worth Booking: Gray Line’s day tours and the city’s other paid tours compared
- Where to Stay in Nashville: Best Areas & Hotels: hotels with free or cheaper parking if you’re driving
- Best Time to Visit Nashville: Month-by-Month Guide: when the waterfalls and fall color peak
Sources and verification
Details in this guide were checked on September 23, 2026 against the parks, operators and agencies listed below; the guide does not claim first-hand visits, and drive times are typical figures without traffic.
- Battle of Franklin Trust: tickets for Carter House and Carnton
- National Park Service: Natchez Trace Parkway
- Arrington Vineyards
- National Park Service: Stones River National Battlefield
- Jack Daniel’s: distillery tours
- National Park Service: Mammoth Cave cave tours
- National Park Service: Mammoth Cave reservations
- Tennessee State Parks: Cummins Falls
- Tennessee State Parks: Cummins Falls gorge access permits
- Tennessee State Parks: Fall Creek Falls
- Land Between the Lakes: Elk & Bison Prairie
- Land Between the Lakes: Woodlands Nature Station
- Gray Line Tennessee
- Tennessee Department of Tourist Development: small-town day trips
Photo credits
- Main Street, Franklin: photo by FranklinCityWatcher, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Carnton, Franklin: photo by Euthman, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
- Double Arch Bridge, Natchez Trace Parkway: photo by NPS Photo, Wikimedia Commons (public domain)
- Jack Daniel Distillery, Lynchburg: photo by Ben Jacobson (Kranar Drogin), Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
- Mammoth Cave National Park: photo by Jason "Textfiles" Scott, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
- Fall Creek Falls: photo by Ichabod, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
- Cummins Falls (featured image): photo by Brenton Rogers from Cumberland Gap, TN, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Photos are from Wikimedia Commons and have been resized for the web. The chart is our own, drawn from the figures in this guide.