The best road trip stops on the Pittsburgh to Nashville drive are Columbus, Cincinnati and Louisville. The distance from Pittsburgh to Nashville by car is 562 miles, with an 8h35m driving time.
Planning a Pittsburgh to Nashville road trip itinerary
A Pittsburgh to Nashville road trip takes you from a hugely underrated Pennsylvania city to America’s country music capital in Tennessee.
5 great Pittsburgh experiences worth booking
- 🏙️ Take an incredibly well-reviewed private Pittsburgh highlights tour.
- 🍽️ Go on a downtown food tour, with 6 fantastic food and drink stops.
- 👻 Hear spooky tales in the evening on a Pittsburgh ghost tour.
- 🥃 Discover Pittsburgh’s whiskey-soaked history – with two cocktails thrown in.
- 🛴 Visit Pittsburgh’s top photo stops – on a fun-packed Segway tour.
Pittsburgh is surprisingly beautiful – take a ride up the Duquesne Incline for the best views out over the city, Point State Park and Fort Pitt. After that, check out the Warhol Museum, National Aviary or the Nationality Rooms in the gigantic Cathedral of Learning.
Pittsburgh experiences include guided whiskey-themed walks and craft beer sampling on a multi-brewery tour.
For Pittsburgh hotels with great reviews, try the Italian villa-style Priory Hotel or the often good value Drury Plaza Hotel Pittsburgh Downtown.
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.
Pittsburgh to Nashville distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Pittsburgh to Nashville is 562 miles. That makes for a driving time of around eight hours and 35 minutes. The quickest route is along the I-70, I-71 and I-65.
The best stops on a Pittsburgh to Nashville road trip itinerary are Columbus, Cincinnati and Louisville.
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.
Pittsburgh to Nashville road trip stops: Columbus
Columbus is the capital of Ohio, and has a series of worthy attractions. None are top tier must-sees, but several are pretty darned good.
In Columbus, a three day attractions pass covers most of the top sights. These include the Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens and the National Veterans Memorial and Museum. For other Columbus experiences, try scavenger hunts, a town tour aboard the Trolley Pub and the Legoland Discovery Center.
Best attractions between Pittsburgh and Nashville: Cincinnati
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.
Pittsburgh to Nashville drive: Louisville
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 Pittsburgh and Nashville travel
- Getting to Nashville: What to see on the Lexington to Nashville drive and Louisville to Nashville drive.
- Road trips from Nashville: The best stops on the Nashville to Cincinnati drive.
- Getting to Pittsburgh: The best stops on the Chicago to Pittsburgh drive and Washington DC to Pittsburgh drive.
- Road trips from Pittsburgh: The best stops on the Pittsburgh to Cleveland drive, Pittsburgh to Cincinnati drive and Pittsburgh to Louisville drive.
- What to know before visiting Madame Tussauds Nashville.
