Nashville → Gatlinburg → Blue Ridge road trip

Facts checked November 1, 2026

Music City, the Smokies, and a mountain railroad town in North Georgia. The first leg is interstate; the second crosses Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Newfound Gap Road (US-441), the most scenic driving of the trip. End in Atlanta, which Visit Blue Ridge puts about 90 miles south of Blue Ridge, for an easy flight home.

The route at a glance

Day	Leg	Distance	Drive time*	Main roads (map)
Day 3	Nashville (Lower Broadway) → Gatlinburg	about 220 mi	about 4 h 15 min	I-24 and I-40 (route)
Day 5	Gatlinburg → Blue Ridge, GA	about 117 mi	about 3 h 05 min	US-441 over Newfound Gap, then US-19 / US-74 (route)
Day 6	Blue Ridge, GA → Atlanta airport (ATL)	about 101 mi	about 2 h 05 min	GA-515, I-575 and I-75 · to fly home (route)

*Distances and times from OpenStreetMap directions (OSRM car routing), checked Nov 1, 2026: the router’s estimate with no traffic and no stops. Real drives usually take longer; check a live map on the day.

Nashville is on Central time and Gatlinburg on Eastern, so you lose an hour on the clock driving east.

Suggested itinerary

Days 1–2: Nashville. No car needed downtown; pick it up when you leave. Our first-timer’s day covers the Ryman, the Hall of Fame and Broadway. Overnight Nashville.
Day 3: Nashville → Gatlinburg. Pick up at BNA and drive east on I-40. Overnight Gatlinburg.
Day 4: the Smokies. A guided drive or hike, or Cades Cove on your own (our Smokies tours guide and Cades Cove guide). Overnight Gatlinburg.
Day 5: Gatlinburg → Blue Ridge. Over Newfound Gap to Cherokee, North Carolina, then southwest into Georgia. Overnight Blue Ridge.
Day 6: Blue Ridge, then Atlanta. The Blue Ridge Scenic Railway or the Toccoa River (our Blue Ridge things to do), then drop the car at ATL.

Driving through the park: a Great Smoky Mountains parking tag is required to park anywhere in the park for more than 15 minutes: $5 daily, $15 weekly or $40 annual. Tags must show the car’s license plate, so with a rental buy it once you know the plate (NPS). Newfound Gap Road closes for snow, ice and storms; check the NPS closures page before you set off.

What to see on the way

Newfound Gap (US-441, on the Tennessee–North Carolina line): the high point of the road across the park. NPS: road closures.
Cherokee, North Carolina: at the North Carolina end of US-441, home of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Visit Cherokee (official).

Where to stay at each stop

Nashville (2 nights)

More options in our Nashville where-to-stay guide.

We may earn a commission when you book through our links, at no extra cost to you. Details

Downtown hotels on Booking.com Nashville rentals on Vrbo

Gatlinburg (2 nights)

More options in our Gatlinburg cabin guide.

Gatlinburg hotels on Booking.com Gatlinburg cabins on Vrbo

Blue Ridge (1 night)

More options in our Blue Ridge cabin guide.

Blue Ridge hotels on Booking.com Blue Ridge cabins on Vrbo

Rental car

Pick up at Nashville International (BNA) on day 3 and set Atlanta (ATL) as the drop-off for a one-way trip.

One-way drop fees vary. Dropping the car in a different city from where you picked it up often adds a one-way fee, and it differs by company, location and date. Set your drop-off location in the search and check the total (fees, tolls policy, extra drivers, mileage) at booking before you pay.

Compare rental cars from Nashville (BNA)

Tours worth booking on this route

Nashville · Viator

RCA Studio B & Country Music Hall of Fame combo

Price From $54.95 on Viator (as listed Oct 2026, from our music history guide)
Includes 1-hour guided Studio B tour plus Hall of Fame admission

Studio B combo on Viator

Gatlinburg · Viator

The “Classic” National Park Tour

Price From $85 on Viator; varies by group size (as listed Oct 2026, from our Smokies tours guide)
Route Elkmont area, Newfound Gap Road and Newfound Gap, small group up to 10

Smokies tour on Viator

In Blue Ridge, the railway sells its own tickets: Blue Ridge Scenic Railway (official).

Our city guides on this route

Nashville (Rhinestone Compass): music history, honky-tonk tours, where to stay
Gatlinburg & the Smokies (Firefly Compass): park tours, Cades Cove, cabins
Blue Ridge, Georgia (Caboose Compass): the scenic railway, rivers, waterfalls, cabins

FAQ

How long is the drive from Nashville to Gatlinburg?

About 220 miles and about 4 h 15 min with no traffic or stops via I-40 (OpenStreetMap routing, checked Nov 1, 2026). Gatlinburg is on Eastern time, an hour ahead of Nashville.

What’s the best way from Gatlinburg to Blue Ridge, Georgia?

The routed way is about 117 miles (about 3 h 05 min) over Newfound Gap Road through the national park to Cherokee, then into Georgia. Check NPS closures first; the road closes for snow and ice.

Do I need a parking tag in the Smokies?

Yes, to park anywhere in the park for more than 15 minutes: $5 daily, $15 weekly or $40 annual (NPS). Just driving through without stopping doesn’t need one.