Tennessee

OpenRoom put together a mini guide of things you might want to know before your trip to Tennessee! Nevertheless, don't forget to scroll down to the comments to see tips & tricks from travelers who've been there!

NASHVILLE

📍 Where to find activities

→ Lower Broadway (Honky Tonk Highway) — A row of honky tonk bars along Lower Broadway pumping live country music into the streets from morning to 3 AM, 365 days a year. No cover charge at most venues. Multiple stages, rooftop bars, and neon lights. The defining Nashville experience.

→ Ryman Auditorium — The original home of the Grand Ole Opry. A historic concert venue in downtown Nashville that still hosts live performances.

→ Grand Ole Opry — A long-running live country music radio show, now held at the Grand Ole Opry House in the Opryland area. Performances multiple nights a week.

→ The Gulch — A trendy neighborhood south of Broadway with restaurants, boutiques, and murals.

→ Germantown — A walkable neighborhood north of downtown with restaurants, coffee shops, and the Nashville Farmers' Market.

→ East Nashville — A neighborhood across the river with a local, creative vibe. Independent restaurants, bars, vintage shops, and live music venues away from the tourist crowds.

→ Centennial Park — A large urban park with a full-scale replica of the Greek Parthenon.

→ Printers Alley — A historic alley off Broadway with speakeasies, karaoke bars, and smaller live music venues. A more local alternative to the main Broadway strip.

→ Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum — Downtown, adjacent to Broadway.

→ CMA Fest — A major country music festival held annually in Nashville.

📍 Where to eat

→ Hot chicken — Nashville's signature dish. Spicy fried chicken served on white bread with pickles. Multiple spots across the city compete for the title.

→ Broadway area — Restaurants inside and around the honky tonks. Southern comfort food: biscuits, barbecue, fried catfish, and meat-and-three plates.

→ The Gulch / Germantown / East Nashville — The neighborhoods where locals eat. More diverse and independent restaurant scenes.

📍 Where to go out

→ Lower Broadway — The main event. Honky tonks with live music from 10 AM to 3 AM. No cover at most venues. Country, rock, and pop covers. The energy on weekend nights is intense.

→ Printers Alley — Speakeasies, cocktail bars, and a more intimate nightlife scene.

→ East Nashville — Dive bars, live music, and a younger, more local crowd.

→ Midtown / Music Row area — College bars and venues near Vanderbilt University.

📍 Where to find culture

→ Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum — The history of country music.

→ Ryman Auditorium — Tours of the historic venue.

→ Johnny Cash Museum — On Broadway. Memorabilia spanning Cash's career.

→ Nashville's music legacy — The city is the center of the country music industry. Record labels, recording studios, and songwriters are based here. The live music on Broadway is not just entertainment—many performers on those stages are aspiring artists.

📍 Nearby destinations

→ Franklin (30 min), Jack Daniel's Distillery in Lynchburg (1.5 hrs), Chattanooga (2 hrs), Gatlinburg / Great Smoky Mountains (3.5 hrs)

GATLINBURG / PIGEON FORGE

📍 Where to find activities

→ Great Smoky Mountains National Park—One of the most popular national parks in the U.S. Accessible directly from Gatlinburg. Hiking trails, waterfalls, wildlife (black bears, elk, deer), and scenic drives. Cades Cove is a popular loop road through a historic valley.

→ Gatlinburg — A small mountain town at the entrance to the national park. A walkable main strip (Parkway) with shops, attractions, restaurants, and an aerial tramway to Ober Mountain for scenic views and skiing in winter.

→ Pigeon Forge — Adjacent to Gatlinburg, more spread out along the Parkway. Dollywood (a theme park and entertainment complex), dinner theaters, go-kart tracks, mini golf, and family attractions. More commercially developed than Gatlinburg.

→ Clingmans Dome — A high point in the Great Smoky Mountains with an observation tower and panoramic views. Accessible by car from Gatlinburg.

📍 Where to eat

→ Gatlinburg Parkway — Pancake houses (a Gatlinburg tradition), Southern food, fudge shops, and taffy.

→ Pigeon Forge — Family dining along the Parkway. Dollywood has its own dining options.

📍 Where to go out

→ Gatlinburg has some bars and a moonshine tasting scene (distilleries along the strip offer tastings). The nightlife is limited — this is a mountain/family destination.

→ Pigeon Forge has dinner theater shows and entertainment complexes but no traditional bar/club nightlife.

📍 Where to find culture

→ Great Smoky Mountains — Appalachian heritage, historic cabins, and preserved homesteads within the national park.

→ Dollywood — Dolly Parton's theme park celebrates Appalachian culture with rides, music, crafts, and festivals.

→ Moonshine distilleries — Several distilleries in Gatlinburg offer tastings of traditional Appalachian moonshine.

📍 Nearby destinations

→ Cherokee, North Carolina (30 min over the mountains), Asheville, NC (1.5 hrs), Knoxville (45 min from Pigeon Forge)

CHATTANOOGA

📍 Where to find activities

→ Lookout Mountain — A mountain on the outskirts of the city with several attractions: Rock City (rock formations and gardens with scenic views), Ruby Falls (an underground waterfall), and the Incline Railway (a railway up the mountain).

→ Tennessee Riverwalk — A path along the Tennessee River connecting downtown to parks, bridges, and natural areas.

→ Walnut Street Bridge — A pedestrian bridge spanning the Tennessee River connecting downtown to the North Shore neighborhood.

→ North Shore / Coolidge Park — A neighborhood across the river from downtown with restaurants, shops, and riverfront green space.

→ Tennessee Aquarium — A downtown aquarium on the riverfront with freshwater and ocean exhibits.

→ Outdoor activities — Chattanooga is surrounded by mountains and rivers. Rock climbing, hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, and paddleboarding on the Tennessee River.

📍 Where to eat

→ Downtown / Southside — Restaurants, breweries, and cafés around the riverfront and Main Street.

→ North Shore — Restaurants and a more walkable, local dining scene across the Walnut Street Bridge.

📍 Where to go out

→ Downtown / Southside — Bars, breweries, and live music venues. Chattanooga has a growing craft brewery scene.

→ Station Street — A strip of bars and entertainment venues.

→ The nightlife is modest compared to Nashville—Chattanooga is more of an outdoor/adventure city.

📍 Where to find culture

→ Hunter Museum of American Art — Art museum on a bluff overlooking the Tennessee River.

→ Bluff View Art District — A small district of galleries, cafés, and gardens on the river bluffs.

→ Chattanooga Choo Choo — A historic train station complex.

📍 Nearby destinations

→ Lookout Mountain (15 min), Nashville (2 hrs), Atlanta (2 hrs), Gatlinburg / Great Smoky Mountains (3.5 hrs)

📍 Climate by season

Tennessee has a humid subtropical climate with four distinct seasons.

Spring (March–May) — Highs 16–27°C (61–81°F). Mild and pleasant. Occasional rain.

Summer (June–August) — Highs 30–35°C (86–95°F). Hot and humid, especially in Nashville and Chattanooga. The mountains (Gatlinburg area) are cooler.

Fall (September–November) — Highs 15–27°C (59–81°F). Fall foliage in October, especially in the Smokies. Cooler temperatures and lower humidity.

Winter (December–February) — Highs 5–12°C (41–54°F). Cold with occasional snow, especially in the mountains.

📍 Areas that may not be safe

None found. Nevertheless, make sure to double-check prior to visiting a place that it is safe!

(Picture credit: Kelly)