Knoxville, Tennessee Travel Guide
Where to go, what to do, and most importantly where to eat!
Knoxville may be the place known for wearing orange, screaming “Rocky Top”, and throwing goal posts in the river after beating Alabama in football, but this growing city has even more to offer than the Tennessee Volunteers. Nestled near the picturesque Smoky Mountain National Park, this small city was a place we called home sweet home for seven years. While reminiscing on the wonderful time we had during those years, I decided to create a guide if you find yourself in that neck of the woods- football season or not. I hope this list helps newcomers to East Tennessee, or offers fresh eyes to those who have lived there awhile.
Where To Go
Smoky Mountain National Park
This national park is the most visited in the United States for a reason. Bordering Tennessee and North Carolina, Smoky Mountain National Park is full of diverse plant and animal life, tons of trails, and a peek into the history of Southern Appalachia. This park can be accessible to all types of people- whether you drive in the car enjoying the scenery, walk a little over a mile to Laurel Falls, or camp overnight at Mount LeConte. Personally, we believe the earlier you get to the park the better. All of our greatest memories hiking in the mountains were waking up before dawn, hitting the trail at sunrise, and enjoying a big burger once we finished a difficult hike. You get to enjoy the peacefulness of nature as opposed to the crowd. Plus, there’s more wildlife in the morning!
Ijams Nature Center
While the national park is a little bit of a drive from Knoxville, you can also enjoy the outdoors right in the middle of Knoxville at Ijams (eye-ahms) Nature Center. Just ten minutes from downtown, you can enjoy hiking, biking, rock climbing, and child friendly play areas. The nature center became a non-profit in 1975, but later inhabited the land from a marble quarry and gradually restored it into the area it is now. In the summer we had a great time swimming in the quarry and renting kayaks/ paddle boards. Just make sure you read the map!
Seven Islands State Birding Park
I may or may not be a bit of a dork when it comes to enjoying nature and learning about protected lands. This park, in my opinion, is very underrated. When discussing protected lands with a friend who majored in Wildlife and Fisheries at the University of Tennessee, what is brought up several times is the worry of extinction with grassland species. I am so grateful this state park exists to protect grassland bird species and other habitats for animals. The park has approximately 8 miles of trails, canoe/kayaking launches to the Broad River, and fishing. The rolling hills and view of the Smokies make this a great spot for pictures, especially in the fall.
Market Square and Gay Street
The go to place for shopping and eating in downtown Knoxville is hands down Market Square/ Gay Street. Historically known as a place where East Tennesseans would bring their wagons to the market to sell produce, this area became a base for the Union Army during the Civil War. The post war manufacturing era brought German immigrant Peter Kern to Knoxville, who’s name can be seen throughout the city today. His confectionary and ice cream parlor is now known as the Oliver Hotel and is home to the Peter Kern Library- Knoxville’s only speakeasy that can be accessed in a small alley with a red light. This is just one of the many gems in downtown Knoxville!
Old City
Old City is merely a few blocks from Market Square near the railroad and was historically the home of many saloons and food related industries in Knoxville. Today it has some of the most preserved architecture in the city styled from the Richardsonian Romanesque period. This style emphasized round Roman arches, round or square towers, robust columns, and the beautiful coarse stone/brick walls that we see today. This area of town has fantastic dining options as well as nightlife that is a great option for those of us who are *cough cough* past college aged.
What To Do
Favorite Hikes in the National Park
Alum Cave Trail/ Mount Leconte- I have hiked this trail several times and in different seasons, and each time it is a lovely hike. Round trip, going to the cave is 4.4 miles, but it is also one of the trails that leads you to Mount Leconte if you want a more physically challenging hike. If you opt to make the 11 mile round trip journey to Leconte, make sure you pack plenty of food, water, and layers because of the altitude change. It took us approximately 6 hours to hike to the Leconte Lodge but also allowed ourselves to enjoy time to eat lunch and enjoy the view.
Abram Falls Trail- I highly recommend starting early in the morning because you access the trailhead at Cades Cove, or as I like to call it, The Great Smokey Mountain Traffic Jam. When we hiked this trail, we saw SO much wildlife in the morning including several deer that came right up to the car and a bear in a tree! The falls may be only 20 feet tall, but they are so powerful and beautiful. The trip is 5 miles round trip, so give yourself a few hours to complete.
The Jump Off- This trail is a bit more challenging, but has amazing views at the top off a cliff. It also intersects with the Appalachian Trail and many of those hikers are super friendly to chat with, from my personal experience. The entire trip is 6.5 miles, but there is an option to extend it since the trail splits to Charles Bunion and The Jump Off approximately 2.7 miles on your way to the top. When I did this journey with friends we did both trails, and this is when I learned from my mistakes of not packing enough food and water! My lesson was learned and I always come prepared for hiking now.
Rent a Boat
Why not get a different view of Knoxville by seeing via the Tennessee River? River Sports Outfitters at the Cove is a great spot for kayak and paddle board rentals if you want an experience with exercise. For those of you who want a more leisurely afternoon, Concord Marina has pontoons and party barges available for rental. Plus, Lakeside Tavern is located on this marina and is a personal family favorite (but more on that later).
Zip Lining
This is probably one of the most “touristy” things I have done in East Tennessee, but I absolutely loved this experience! My husband and I were married during COVID, so our original honeymoon plans didn’t happen. Instead, we got a cabin in the woods and had a little “staycation”. We opted to go zip lining with a company called CLIMB works: Smoky Mountains. We felt incredibly safe the entire time we were zip lining, and the courses were really well maintained. The staff was super fun to be around- it was like summer camp as a kid! There are optional packages to include white water river rafting as well.
Where To Eat
Breakfast/Brunch
Scrambled Jakes- If you want to eat a cinnamon roll absolutely drenched in cream cheese frosting the size of a small child, this is the brunch spot for you! My personal favorite on the menu is the Jake’s Favorite Scrambler. Pro tip: Get on their online wait list and about 20 minutes before your party is called, drive to the restaurant. This will save you a lot of waiting around at the restaurant.
Pete’s Coffee Shop- This is not a “drink mimosas and be cute” sort of place. This is a diner with black coffee in white mugs, gigantic greasy omelets, and a server named Crystal who will call you darlin’. Pete’s is classic diner food, but sometimes you can’t beat it. I love looking at the wall of the newspaper clippings and photos of the family with famous people who have eaten there.
The Donut Shop- This is such a cute little corner shop with great seasonal flavors and gluten free donuts. All of my gluten free friends went wild for this place. My personal favorite flavors are the maple bacon long john, pumpkin chai cake donut, and Scruffy City donut.
Breweries
Hi-Wire Brewing- My graduate school cohort loved playing Trivia at Hi-Wire! This large open space is pet friendly, kid friendly, and hosts many different events each month. We love the relaxed atmosphere at this brewery, but make sure you know where to park! We often found ourselves parallel parking in the neighborhood across the street.
Abridged Brewing Company- I debated putting this under lunch or breweries because we absolutely love the Abridged burger! I would say definitely come to Abridged to eat and drink. This place is perfect for sitting outside on a nice day. Most people park at the neighboring church.
Coffee
K-Brew- K-Brew is truly a Knoxville staple with the hammocks, bagels, and Greetings from Knoxville mural at the original location on North Broadway. There are four locations throughout Knoxville, with my personal favorites being the original and the downtown location inside of a hotel. My go-to order is an asiago bagel with sun dried tomato cream cheese and a cappuccino.
Capybara- This lovely coffee shop is on the University of Tennessee campus in the same shopping center as the Publix. The Brazilian couple that owns this shop is the absolute sweetest, and you can tell their care goes into every cup. I personally like their seasonal drinks and kolaches.
Note: I could put a dozen coffee shops on this list, but really had to limit my suggestions for this article.
Lunch
Chaiyos- This restaurant is the sole reason Thai food is my go-to comfort food. In undergrad I lived in an apartment across the street from this corner restaurant. If it was a stressful week, nothing was better than walking across the street on a Friday night and grabbing some curry to go. While I never made it on the hall of fame wall for conquering the spice levels, I still have hope I can in the future. My personal favorite photo on the wall is of a guy giving a thumbs-up from an ambulance after having “250 spice”. They do not serve that level anymore.
Tomato Head- This is a great option for health conscious and vegan eaters. As a family, we have been there to brunch several times. I enjoy the homemade hummus platter and pizza.
Marble City Market- This newer market is a fantastic option for a group of people who cannot decide what to eat. This elevated food court has options from the pickiest eaters to most adventurous taste testers. There are also several gluten free friendly spots as well. I thoroughly enjoyed SMASH Burger and Penne for Your Thoughts.
Dinner
Kefi and Vida- I saved some of the best food I have had in Knoxville for dinner. These restaurants are pricey but are so worth it for the dining experience. Both restaurants are “family style” with the intention of sharing several plates together. Kefi is more Mediterranean influenced and Vida is more Hispanic influence. At Kefi I highly recommend the flaming Saganaki cheese and specialty cocktails. At Vida you can’t go without trying the smoked guacamole, empanadas, and Peruvian chicken. I highly recommend going with other foodie friends.
Lonesome Dove- This western themed elevated restaurant has fantastic steaks. If you are looking for a fancy date night this is the place to go! I would highly recommend getting reservations.
After Dinner:
Pour Taproom- If you want to try many different types of drinks, this is the place to go! This was where I found out that I enjoy American Pale Ales with hints of citrus. The selection is consistently changing and you pay by the ounce. Visiting here with friends and being able to try different beverages without wasting an entire glass has made my experience ordering drinks in other restaurants a lot better.
Peter Kern Library- I mentioned this speakeasy earlier with the Market Square area, but I can’t go on enough of how much I love the theming of this bar. The drink menu is an old encyclopedia, and the special cocktails are named after book characters. My personal favorites are the Holly Golightly and Primrose Everdeen. I also learned the extremely interesting history of Absinthe from one of the bar tenders and was able to taste test this licorice flavored liquor as well.
Cruze Farm Ice Cream- If you are like me and always have a sweet tooth after dinner, this downtown ice cream shop is Knoxville favorite. The red plaid dresses have become about as iconic as the sweet cream soft serve. While the flavors change year round, the coffee milk and Nutella soft serve are my personal favorites. If you are lactose intolerant, they are always swirling a non-dairy dole whip!
Touristy…if you want to
I wanted to include this section because these are some of the most popular suggestions on TripAdvisor. While some may be worth it to you personally, I believe that each of these places should come with an asterisk.
Sunsphere- When I first moved to Knoxville, this symbol of the city was free to anyone in the public to go up and see a different view of the city. I do not know when it happened, but now there is a fee to go into the Sunsphere. If you are into the history of the World’s Fair you may enjoy paying for this activity, but I personally do not find it worth spending the money.
Calhouns on the River- This may be because I was spoiled as a kid growing up near Memphis, but I personally find the BBQ at this restaurant to be average. However, it can be a pretty view of the Tennessee River and makes for a good first date spot.
Gatlinburg/ Pigeon Forge- Gatlinburg/ Pigeon Forge area is not like the beautiful serene photos that you see of the Smoky Mountains. This area is a large tourist destination and is subjected to traffic jams, dozens of mini putt-putt courses, and a pancake house on every corner. While going to Dollywood is a great experience, just know that you will not be having a quiet mountain vacation if you stay in the heart of these towns.
Cades Cove- Cades Cove is one of the most visited parts of Smoky Mountain National Park. There are some trails that I love that are accessed through Cades Cove, but if you don’t get there early in the morning you will get stuck in traffic for a while. The road is one way, and if one car sees a bear, you can be backed up for hours. If you want to see the beauty of this cove, I would recommend going on the days it is closed to vehicle traffic and bike around the cove.
Max Patch- Max Patch is right over the North Carolina border and is one of the most beautiful sunrises I have ever seen. While many people love this spot, it has fallen slowly into the category of “loved to death”. Many people camp on the mountain and do not follow guidelines/ leave lots of garbage. If you visit this area, please adhere to the rules and pick up any trash you see. We want our children and grandchildren to enjoy these beautiful spots in nature too!
