The distance from Lexington to Nashville by car is 214 miles, with a 3h17m driving time. The best road trip stops on the Lexington to Nashville drive are the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Park, Mammoth Cave National Park and Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Planning a Lexington to Nashville road trip itinerary
The drive from Lexington to Nashville takes you from the horse farm hub of Kentucky to the world’s country music capital in Tennessee.
5 great Lexington experiences to book
- 🐎 Thoroughbred horse farm tour – Take a half day tour to a working farm.
- 🍽️ Downtown Lexington food tour – Taste the finest flavours on a guided walking experience.
- 🏛️ Mary Todd Lincoln House visit – Get the full story on a guided tour.
- 🍸 East End food and cocktails tour – Enjoy local flavours on a tasting experience.
- 🎨 Lexington art walk – See Kentucky’s creative side on this guided art walk.
Interesting Lexington experiences include downtown food tours and guided art walks. You can also try bluegrass cocktail tours, visiting a thoroughbred horse farm and visiting Mary Todd Lincoln House.
Elsewhere in and around Lexington, you can tour the Henry Clay Estate at Ashland, enjoy the Kentucky Horse Park and take in Civil War history at the Camp Nelson National Monument.
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.
Lexington to Nashville distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Lexington to Nashville is 214 miles. That makes for a driving time of around three hours and 17 minutes. The quickest route is along KY-9002 then south down the I-65.
The best stops to add to a Lexington to Nashville road trip itinerary are the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Park, Mammoth Cave National Park and Bowling Green, Kentucky.
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.
Lexington to Nashville road trip attractions: Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Park
The most revered US president of them all was born in a log cabin in rural Kentucky. The original log cabin no longer stands, but a replica is on the site at Sinking Spring Farm just south of Hogdenville.
It’s inside a grand, Beaux Arts memorial that looks absurdly out of place in the LaRue County countryside.
There’s also a visitor center at Sinking Spring, although the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Park is spread over two sites. The second is at Knob Creek Farm, a few miles to the north. The Lincoln family moved here when Abe was a boy.
Lexington to Nashville drive: Mammoth Cave National Park
You can go to Mammoth Cave National Park for horse riding, hiking, camping and canoeing, but the caves are the key attraction.
The cave system in Mammoth Cave National Park is billed as the longest in the world. A bewildering range of cave tours is available, some of which are wheelchair friendly, with others more physical and aimed at cavers.
The classic Mammoth Cave tour is the two hour historic tour, which heads through underground tunnels that humans have used for thousands of years. Be warned, however – there are hundreds of steps.
Best stops between Lexington and Nashville: Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green, Kentucky, is worth a stop for car fans, as it is home to the National Corvette Museum. The American sports cars have long been made in Bowling Green, and there’s a wide range on display in the museum.
If you prefer rail to road, the Historic RailPark and Train Museum offers the chance to go inside vintage railcars. The museum tackles the history of the railroads and the people who worked on them.
Other things to do in Bowling Green include historic trolley tours and the Riverview at Hobson View historic home.
More Kentucky and Tennessee travel
- The information you need to visit the Frazier Kentucky History Museum in Louisville.
- What to expect at the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory Tour in Louisville.
- Celebrate The Greatest at the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville.
- How to make the most of the Kentucky Science Center in Louisville.
- What to see on the Louisville to Nashville drive.
