Must-Visit Tennessee Attractions

The State of Tennessee has a rich history that goes back centuries and an abundance of rugged nature, with attractions at every turn. As famous for alcohol as it is for music, Tennessee is the epitome of good times, while its National State Parks are some of the most visited in the United States. Here at Culture Trip we have put together a few choices to help you get the most out of this wonderful state.

1. Titanic Museum

Museum

In Pigeon Forge – and more than 500 miles away from the North Atlantic ocean – is the Titanic Museum. A 30,000 square foot recreation of the famously doomed ocean ship liner of the 1910s. Using the original blueprints, rooms from the ship have been meticulously recreated for you to admire their extravagant luxury. You get to experience the Titanic as a real passenger with an original boarding ticket and then later find out that person’s fate. You also get to touch an iceberg, and not many people can say they’ve done that.

2. Tuckaleechee Caverns

Natural Feature

The Tuckaleechee Caverns lie under the Great Smoky Mountains, near the town of Gatlinburg. They run 150ft into the ground and were used by Native Americans to evade white settlers in the 1800s. Inside the caves you get to marvel at the pure water stream and the abstract geological formations such as the towering stalagmites. The main room is enormous but the tallest subterranean waterfall in the United States is just as impressive. It’s definitely worth travelling to the oldest mountain range on the planet for.

3. Sun Studio

Museum

Elvis Presley, Memphis’s golden boy, rocked up to Sun Studio near Downtown Memphis in summer 1954 and recorded ‘That’s Alright Mama’. From then, his life and the future of American rock’n’roll as a global force was stamped into modern culture forever. Sun Studios still manages to capture the atmosphere of this era. You can stand at the microphone where such legends as Roy Orbison, Chuck Berry and Johnny Cash have stood before. The tour guides are also brilliant and really hammer home that you are visiting a place of true historic and cultural importance

5. Sound Waves

Amusement Park

Sound Waves in Gaylord exclaim that they are not a waterpark. Let’s just say this is one of the best kinds of upscale water resorts for splashing around with friends and family, with more than 200,000 square metres of indoor and outdoor water activities that go from relaxing to extremely exhilarating. Whether it be state-of-the-art slides or poolsides to lounge in. There is even an adults-only bar for you to sip cocktails and really unwind in after a hard day of having fun.

6. The Lost Sea Adventure

Natural Feature

Travel to the town of Sweetwater to have a unique experience of visiting The Lost Sea Adventure, witnessing America’s largest underground lake by boat. It begins with a guided walking tour of the caverns that slope down into the depths. The lake itself is lit in such a way as to really highlight the fantastical formations, making the vivid saturated colours of the water and the cave walls seem to come alive. It all feels quite unearthly with a good lesson in history and geology to boot. Those who really love the cave even have the option of staying overnight.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.