Tennessee is a year-round destination, but your experience will depend on the season—and how you feel about humidity.
Spring (March–May): Wildflowers bloom across the Smokies, Nashville patios reopen, and festival season begins. It’s warm without being too hot.
Summer (June–August): Hot, humid, and lively. Music festivals, lake days, and backyard BBQs dominate the calendar. Bring your sunscreen and your patience for the heat.
Fall (September–November): Peak season for a reason. The Smoky Mountains turn every shade of gold and orange, and small towns come alive with harvest festivals.
Winter (December–February): Quieter and budget-friendly, with cozy cabin stays and light displays galore. East Tennessee even gets a dusting of snow for that storybook vibe.
If you want the perfect mix of weather and scenery, fall is the best time to visit Tennessee.
Explore Great Smoky Mountains National Park: America’s most-visited national park is packed with waterfalls, scenic drives, and easy hikes for all levels.
Experience Nashville: Catch a show at the Grand Ole Opry, stroll Broadway’s honky-tonks, and tour the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Visit Memphis: Walk through music history at Graceland, Sun Studio, and the National Civil Rights Museum. Don’t forget to grab a rack of ribs at Central BBQ.
Discover Chattanooga: Ride the Incline Railway up Lookout Mountain, visit Ruby Falls, and walk the world’s longest pedestrian bridge over the Tennessee River.
Soak in small-town charm: Places like Franklin, Jonesborough, and Gatlinburg are perfect for antique shopping, local eats, and cozy weekend getaways.
Tennessee is well-connected by air, road, and even scenic train routes.
By Air: Major airports include Nashville International (BNA), Memphis International (MEM), and McGhee Tyson in Knoxville (TYS). Smaller regional airports serve cities like Chattanooga and Tri-Cities.
By Car: Interstates 40, 24, 75, and 81 make road-tripping across Tennessee easy. Expect gorgeous drives, especially through the Smokies.
By Train: Amtrak’s “City of New Orleans” line runs through Memphis for a nostalgic, scenic route from Chicago to New Orleans.
Pack for all seasons: Tennessee weather can’t make up its mind. Layers are your best friend.
Plan around events: Hotels book fast during big festivals like Bonnaroo, Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas, and Memphis in May.
Bring comfy shoes: Between downtown strolls, hikes, and exploring mountain towns, you’ll easily hit your step goal.
Don’t rush it: Tennessee isn’t meant to be “done” in a weekend. Each region—West, Middle, and East Tennessee—feels like its own mini trip.
Personal Tip: My favorite way to experience the state? Pair a few nights in Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge with a Nashville city stay. Mountains + music = the ultimate Tennessee combo.
Tennessee’s best explored by car—public transportation outside of major cities is pretty limited.
Rent a Car: Ideal for road trips through the Smokies, small towns, and scenic byways.
City Transit: Nashville has rideshare and scooters; Memphis has trolleys downtown.
Scenic Routes: Don’t miss drives like the Cherohala Skyway, Natchez Trace Parkway, or the Great Smoky Mountains scenic loop.
Confession: my newsletter is where the good stuff lives. Not the polished, edited-for-the-grid stuff, the “here’s the hole-in-the-wall I almost skipped” stuff, the packing lists I actually use, the “don’t book this hotel” warnings before you waste your money on them.
The newsletter is basically me texting you before a trip instead of after one. Sign up and you’ll be the first to know where I’m headed next, plus a few things I’ll never post here.
Link in bio if you want in. ✈️
Yes, it’s only July. Start planning anyway. Fall books faster than people expect, and a few of these destinations are worth getting ahead of. Here are five places worth putting on your radar right now.
Ireland: Cooler temps, moody skies, dramatic coastline fall was made for it. Tourist crowds drop, the green stays, and the whole country feels a little more like itself.
Great Smoky Mountains, TN/NC: Fall foliage in the Smokies is the real thing. The color peaks mid-October and the views from the ridgelines are hard to argue with. It’s also one of the most visited national parks in the country, so going on a weekday makes a real difference.
New York City: Fall is NYC at its best comfortable temps, the energy of the city shifting into a new season, and every neighborhood doing something worth showing up for. It’s also just a great walking city when it’s not brutally hot.
Japan: Fall foliage season is as good as spring cherry blossoms and somehow less talked about. The colors are dramatic, the temples and gardens are stunning, and it’s worth planning around peak dates by region.
Mystic, Connecticut: Small, walkable, genuinely charming Mystic in fall feels like exactly what a New England autumn is supposed to look like. Easy to pair with a broader New England road trip if you want to extend it.
Full guides linked in bio 🍂
There are two kinds of travelers: people who plan a trip and then figure out where to eat, and people who book a restaurant and then build the rest of the itinerary around it.I am the second kind. I will not apologize for this.
The reservation gets locked in first. The hotel search happens within the same 24 hours. The flights get compared around the restaurant’s hours of operation. The rest of the trip exists to fill the days before and after the table I actually came for.
If this sounds unhinged, I completely understand. It has also resulted in some of the best meals of my life, so I’m going to keep doing it.
Drop a 🍽️ if you plan your trips around food too.
Let’s talk about when to actually book that Dubai trip you’ve been pinning for two years. I get asked this constantly, so here’s the honest breakdown: October through April is your window. Anything outside that and you’re basically touring in a sauna!
October and November give you warm days and cooler nights, which is basically the sweet spot for wandering around without melting. December through February is peak season: gorgeous weather. March and April are the quiet insider pick, right before summer heat shows up and ruins everyone’s plans.
Saving this for later? That’s what it’s here for. Full breakdown linked in bio.
If you’re chasing energy, beaches, nightlife, and nonstop luxury, Dubai takes the crown. If you’re craving culture, iconic architecture, and meaningful landmarks at a slower pace, Abu Dhabi shines.🤍
My advice? Base yourself in Dubai and do Abu Dhabi as a day trip! The perfect balance of excitement and culture in the UAE.
Want the full breakdown? Check out my Dubai and Abu Dhabi guide for tips, itineraries, and must-sees!
Follow @travelwithwendyplummer for Beautiful Beach Destinations, City Guides, Foodie Spots, and Luxury Hotel Recommendations.
