Introduction
What to do
Where to eat
When to visit
How to get there
Where to stay
Renting a car

Knoxville travel guide

Knoxville Tourism | Knoxville Guide

You're Going to Love Knoxville

With a population of 178,874, Knoxville is a must-see destination in Tennessee, United States. It is among the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Knoxville deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.

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Where to Eat in Knoxville

If you’re looking for affordable options, Emilia (16 Market Square) and Cafe 4 (4 Market Square) are great picks. For delicious green meals, Harvest Bearden (5200 Kingston Pike) and Lonesome Dove - Knoxville (100 N Central Street) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Knoxville.

When to visit Knoxville

Knoxville in December
Estimated hotel price
$118
1 night at 3-star hotel
Knoxville in December
Estimated hotel price
$118
1 night at 3-star hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to Knoxville in July, when the average temperature is 78.8 °F, and the highest can go up to 87.8 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 30.2 °F, with an average temperature of 39.2 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in March, when precipitation is around 4.8″. In contrast, October is usually the driest month of the year in Knoxville, with an average rainfall of 2.7″.

Data provided by weatherbase
Temperatures
Temperatures
Data provided by weatherbase

How to Get to Knoxville

Plane

When flying to Knoxville, you’ll arrive at Knoxville McGhee Tyson (TYS), which is located 18 km from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Knoxville include American Airlines, Delta and WestJet. The shortest domestic flight to Knoxville departs from Jacksonville and takes around 1h 16m.

Car

Another option to get to Knoxville is to pick up a car rental from Atlanta, which is about 249 km from Knoxville. You’ll find branches of Routes Car & Truck Rentals and Turo, among others, in Atlanta.

Bus

You can travel by bus to Knoxville using Greyhound or FlixBus. From Atlanta, the bus ride to Knoxville takes 386 km and will cost you around $59. From Chicago, the ticket costs about $191 for a journey of 1497 km. The most popular bus station is Knoxville Bus Terminal - 100 E Magnolia Ave, located 1.3 km from downtown Knoxville. Knoxville Walker Springs Plaza Shopping Center is also a commonly used station, and is 14 km from the city center.

Plane

When flying to Knoxville, you’ll arrive at Knoxville McGhee Tyson (TYS), which is located 18 km from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Knoxville include American Airlines, Delta and WestJet. The shortest domestic flight to Knoxville departs from Jacksonville and takes around 1h 16m.

Car

Another option to get to Knoxville is to pick up a car rental from Atlanta, which is about 249 km from Knoxville. You’ll find branches of Routes Car & Truck Rentals and Turo, among others, in Atlanta.

Bus

You can travel by bus to Knoxville using Greyhound or FlixBus. From Atlanta, the bus ride to Knoxville takes 386 km and will cost you around $59. From Chicago, the ticket costs about $191 for a journey of 1497 km. The most popular bus station is Knoxville Bus Terminal - 100 E Magnolia Ave, located 1.3 km from downtown Knoxville. Knoxville Walker Springs Plaza Shopping Center is also a commonly used station, and is 14 km from the city center.

Airports near Knoxville

AVLAsheville Regional
CHAChattanooga Lovell Field
TYSKnoxville McGhee Tyson

Airlines serving Knoxville

Lufthansa
Good (7,044 reviews)
KLM
Good (1,334 reviews)
British Airways
Good (6,836 reviews)
Delta
Excellent (7,935 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,446 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (8,696 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (3,215 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,563 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (9,244 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,349 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (346 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,275 reviews)
Alaska Airlines
Excellent (9,967 reviews)
Ethiopian Air
Good (769 reviews)
JetBlue
Good (2,922 reviews)
Aer Lingus
Good (1,076 reviews)
Spirit Airlines
Good (7,961 reviews)
Frontier
Okay (3,287 reviews)
Avianca
Good (2,317 reviews)
ANA
Excellent (851 reviews)
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Find flights to Knoxville

Where to stay in Knoxville

If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Holiday Inn Express Knoxville-Strawberry Plains, An IHG Hotel and Comfort Suites East. There are also lots of vacation rental options in Knoxville, with prices from $53 to $466 per night. Downtown is the neighborhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Knoxville are about 33% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.

Most popular hotel in Knoxville by neighborhood

Where to stay in popular areas of Knoxville

Most booked hotels in Knoxville

See all
Drury Inn & Suites Knoxville West
3 stars
Excellent (9.4, 1507 reviews)
$149+
View
Hilton Knoxville Airport
3 stars
Excellent (8.8, 442 reviews)
$187+
View
Marriott Knoxville Downtown
4 stars
Excellent (8.8, 172 reviews)
$190+
View
La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Knoxville Airport
2 stars
Excellent (8.3, 1034 reviews)
$101+
View
Luxbury Inn & Suites
2 stars
Excellent (8.3, 489 reviews)
$95+
View
Baymont by Wyndham Knoxville/Cedar Bluff
2 stars
Excellent (8.2, 1671 reviews)
$108+
View

Renting a car in Knoxville

Renting a car in Knoxville costs $69 per day, on average, or $139 if you want to rent if for 2 days. Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Hertz and Budget are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Knoxville is the Hertz branch at 6285 Clinton Highway, which is 9 km from the city center.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 3% cheaper than airport locations in Knoxville.

Expect to pay $3.41 per gallon in Knoxville (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $40.88 and $54.51.

Renting a car in Knoxville costs $69 per day, on average, or $139 if you want to rent if for 2 days. Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Hertz and Budget are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Knoxville is the Hertz branch at 6285 Clinton Highway, which is 9 km from the city center.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 3% cheaper than airport locations in Knoxville.

Expect to pay $3.41 per gallon in Knoxville (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $40.88 and $54.51.

Best car rental deals in Knoxville

Economy

2 Adults, 2 Bags

$35/day

Economy

Supplier choice

5 Adults, 5 Bags

$35/day

Supplier choice
Find car rentals in Knoxville

Knoxville Travel Guide - View the KAYAK Knoxville city guide for the best Knoxville travel tips. To help you organize your Knoxville trip ideas, this Knoxville visitors guide provides travel information and trip tips about how to get there, where to stay, what to do, where to eat and more.