The best road trip stops on the Detroit to Nashville drive are Toledo OH, Cincinnati OH and Louisville KY. The distance from Detroit to Nashville by car is 535 miles, with an 8h15m driving time.
Planning a Detroit to Nashville road trip itinerary
The Detroit to Nashville drive connects the biggest cities in Michigan and Tennessee.
5 great Detroit experiences to book
- 🏛️ Discover why Detroit is America’s most architecturally underrated city on a specialist architecture walking tour.
- 🍔 On a downtown Detroit food tour, taste Motor City’s specialities.
- 🚁 See the Detroit skyline – and Canada – from above on a helicopter ride.
- 🍸 Take a Detroit bar tour – and learn the city’s history while hopping between bars.
- 👻 Encounter murder and mystery on a Detroit ghost tour.
Detroit has a rich motors and Motown history, plus massively underrated architecture – the Guardian building is one of the all-time great Art Deco buildings. The Michigan Science Center, Detroit Institute of Arts and Detroit Historical Museum cover science, art and heritage, while the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant is the birthplace of the Model T Ford.
Top things to do in Detroit include the excellent architecture walking tours, the Sealife Michigan Aquarium and the Legoland Discovery Centre. For a quick escape, however, head to Belle Isle in the Detroit River, where you’ll find the Belle Isle Aquarium and Dossin Great Lakes Museum.
Nashville is heavily music-focused, with attractions such as the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum, Legends of Country Music Museum and Johnny Cash Museum. However, you can also get a good dose of history at Belmont Mansion, the Tennessee State Museum and Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage.
The best Nashville experiences include backstage tours of the Grand Ole Opry House, helicopter flights over the city and tasting tours at the Big Machine Distillery. You can also try line dancing classes, the Country Music Hall of Fame and haunted pub crawls.
5 great Nashville experiences to book
- 🍸 Discover secret speakeasies on a guided cocktail crawl.
- 🏠 On a homes of the stars tour, see where Music City’s celebs live.
- 🍽️ Taste Tennessee’s local delicacies on a Nashville food tour.
- 🚢 Take a lunch or dinner cruise on the General Jackson showboat.
- 🎤 Get to know the Grand Ole Opry on a guided backstage tour.
Detroit to Nashville distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Detroit to Nashville is 535 miles. You can expect a driving time of around eight hours and 15 minutes. The quickest route is along the I-75, I-71 and I-65.
The best stops to add to a Detroit to Nashville road trip itinerary are Toledo OH, Cincinnati OH and Louisville KY.
Why book the Nashville Hop-on Hop-off Trolley Tour?
- 🎸 Music City Landmarks: Experience the best of Nashville with a route that hits over 100 points of interest, including the Ryman Auditorium, Music Row, and the Country Music Hall of Fame.
- 🏛️ Centennial Park & The Parthenon: Enjoy easy access to Nashville’s “West End,” where you can explore the world’s only full-scale replica of the ancient Greek Parthenon.
- 🎤 Live Narrated Commentary: Learn about the city’s rich history, from its early pioneer days to its rise as the world’s country music capital, through entertaining stories from expert guides.
- 🚋 13 Convenient Stops: Explore at your own pace with a ticket that allows you to hop on and off at strategically located stops near the Gulch, Broadway, and Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park.
- 🕒 Sightseeing Made Simple: Avoid the hassle of downtown parking and traffic while enjoying a comprehensive loop that provides a perfect introduction for first-time visitors.
Detroit to Nashville drive: Toledo OH
The National Museum of the Great Lakes in Toledo, Ohio, really embraces the scale and scope of its subject. The aim is to show how the Great Lakes have shaped America’s cultural, economic and political history, covering everything from the Underground Railroad to Prohibition-era rum-runners.
The highlight of the visit is the Col. James M. Schoonmaker, once an iron ore freighter plying its trade on the lakes, now a museum ship.
Other Toledo experiences include Toledo Zoo.
Best stops between Detroit and Nashville: Cincinnati OH
Five great things to do in Cincinnati
- 🕳️ Take an underground tour – and discover the secrets beneath the city streets.
- 👻 Hear dark tales – on an after-dark ghost tour.
- 🚋 Enjoy a streetcar food tour – with tastings at several restaurants and Findlay Market.
- 🍺 Learn how Cincinnati was built on beer – during a historic walking tour.
- 🏰 Discover Cincinnati’s hidden brewery caverns – with beer-tasting included.
Cincinnati has a surprising wealth of historic attractions, such as the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Harriet Beecher Stowe House and William Howard Taft National Historic Site. For something a little quirky, try the American Sign Museum.
Top Cincinnati activities include underground tours – some with beer tasting – and food tours by streetcar. You can also try baseball history tours, indoor skydiving and guided ghost walks.
Detroit to Nashville road trip attractions: Louisville KY
5 great Louisville experiences to book
- 🏛️ See handsome mansions and learn Louisville history – on an Old Louisville walking tour.
- 🏇 Visit the Kentucky Derby Museum – with a guided Churchill Downs track visit.
- 🍗 Taste fried chicken, BBQ and more – on a guided NuLu food tour.
- 🥃 Take a Kentucky bourbon tour – with tastings at three distilleries.
- 👻 Hear spooky tales of old Louisville – on a hugely popular ghost tour.
Good Louisville experiences include Old Louisville ghost tours, the Kentucky Derby Museum and a tasting tour of multiple bourbon distilleries. The food and history tours are also worth checking out.
For Louisville attractions, try the Frazier Kentucky History Museum, Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory Tour, Muhammad Ali Center and Kentucky Science Center.
More Detroit and Nashville road trips
- Getting to Nashville: What to see on the Lexington to Nashville drive, Louisville to Nashville drive and Pittsburgh to Nashville drive.
- Road trips from Nashville: The best stops on the Nashville to Cincinnati drive and Nashville to Houston drive.
- Getting to Detroit from elsewhere in Michigan: The best stops on the Grand Rapids to Detroit drive, Kalamazoo to Detroit drive and Lansing to Detroit drive.
- Getting to Detroit from Ohio: What to see on the Cincinnati to Detroit drive, Cleveland to Detroit drive and Columbus to Detroit drive.
- Road trips from Detroit: The best stops on the Detroit to Atlanta drive, Detroit to Chicago drive, Detroit to Indianapolis drive and Detroit to St Louis drive.
