Nashville · Day trips from Nashville
Day Trips from Nashville for Grown-Ups
Nashville's music keeps you up late, so a slow day out of town is a good idea. Three easy escapes: a Civil War house in the handsome small town of Franklin, Andrew Jackson's Hermitage just east of the city, and the whiskey town of Lynchburg. Here's how to choose.
- Closest
- The Hermitage, about 13 miles east
- Small town
- Franklin and Carnton, about 21 miles south
- Whiskey
- Lynchburg, about 72 miles (1.5 hours)
- Book ahead
- Jack Daniel's tours; Hermitage VIP tour
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Franklin and Carnton
Carnton, an 1826 farm home in Franklin about 21 miles south of downtown (roughly half an hour without traffic), found itself in the middle of the Battle of Franklin on November 30, 1864. Guided 60-minute house tours run through the day, adults $22, with the last at 4 p.m.; it's open Monday to Saturday 9 to 5 and Sunday 10 to 5. Through October 31 an online-only $27 ticket adds the Carter House. Then walk Franklin's Main Street for lunch.
Carnton (Battle of Franklin Trust)
1345 Eastern Flank Circle, Franklin (about 21 miles south)
An 1826 farm home that found itself in the middle of the Battle of Franklin on November 30, 1864. 60-minute guided house tours run through the day (adults $22; last tour at 4 p.m.). Open Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tip: Through October 31, an online-only $27 combination ticket covers guided tours of both Carnton and the Carter House.
The Hermitage
Andrew Jackson's Hermitage is about 13 miles east (around 25 minutes). Self-guided admission to the mansion, gardens, trails and exhibits is $29.95 for adults; a VIP tour for at most 15 guests, with skip-the-line mansion access, is $69.95. It's open 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., with last tickets at 5.
Andrew Jackson's Hermitage
4580 Rachel's Lane, Hermitage (about 13 miles east)
The preserved mansion, gardens, trails and exhibits of Andrew Jackson's home, a National Historic Landmark. Open 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. (last tickets at 5 p.m.). Self-guided adult admission is $29.95; a VIP tour for at most 15 guests is $69.95.
Tip: Mansion tours go in arrival order, so come early; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Lynchburg and Jack Daniel's
The Jack Daniel's Distillery sits by the small-town square of Lynchburg, about 72 miles southeast (an hour and a half by car). If you want to taste properly, take a guided day tour and let someone else drive.
Jack Daniel's Distillery
Lynchburg, about 90 minutes southeast
Tours of the distillery in the small-town square of Lynchburg. Take a guided day tour if you want to taste properly and let someone else drive.
Which one to choose
- Half a day: The Hermitage, back for a late lunch in town.
- History and a stroll: Carnton, then lunch on Franklin's Main Street.
- Whiskey: Lynchburg, on a guided tour so nobody has to drive.
- Christmas: Cheekwood's Holiday LIGHTS, in town, make a better evening than a long drive.
Our advice
- Drive distances and times here are OpenStreetMap routes from downtown Nashville without traffic.
- Leave after 9:30 a.m. to miss the I-65 rush into Franklin.
- The Hermitage and Carnton both close on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
- Check current hours and prices before you go.
Everything on this page was checked on October 1, 2026. Event dates, show runs and ticket prices change, so confirm before you go.
Questions people ask
What is the best day trip from Nashville?
Franklin, about 21 miles south: tour Carnton, a Civil War house from the Battle of Franklin, then have lunch on Main Street. For whiskey, Lynchburg and the Jack Daniel's Distillery.
How far is Lynchburg from Nashville?
About 72 miles southeast, roughly an hour and a half by car without traffic.
How much is the Hermitage?
Self-guided admission is $29.95 for adults, and a VIP tour for up to 15 guests is $69.95. It's open 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.