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 11 miles 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 Orlando and takes around 1h 36m.

Car

Another option to get to Knoxville is to pick up a car rental from Atlanta, which is about 155 miles from Knoxville. You’ll find branches of Routes Car & Truck Rentals and Turo, among others, in Atlanta.

Bus

The most popular bus station is Knoxville Bus Terminal - 100 E Magnolia Ave, located 0.8 miles from downtown Knoxville. Knoxville Bus Stop is also a commonly used station, and is 2 miles from the city center.

Plane

When flying to Knoxville, you’ll arrive at Knoxville McGhee Tyson (TYS), which is located 11 miles 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 Orlando and takes around 1h 36m.

Car

Another option to get to Knoxville is to pick up a car rental from Atlanta, which is about 155 miles from Knoxville. You’ll find branches of Routes Car & Truck Rentals and Turo, among others, in Atlanta.

Bus

The most popular bus station is Knoxville Bus Terminal - 100 E Magnolia Ave, located 0.8 miles from downtown Knoxville. Knoxville Bus Stop is also a commonly used station, and is 2 miles from the city center.

Airports near Knoxville

AVLAsheville Regional
CHAChattanooga Lovell Field
TYSKnoxville McGhee Tyson

Airlines serving Knoxville

Lufthansa
Good (7,193 reviews)
KLM
Good (1,370 reviews)
British Airways
Good (7,096 reviews)
Delta
Excellent (7,960 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,467 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (8,844 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (3,288 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,591 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,413 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (9,683 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (351 reviews)
Alaska Airlines
Excellent (10,359 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,312 reviews)
Ethiopian Air
Good (789 reviews)
JetBlue
Good (2,910 reviews)
Aer Lingus
Good (1,151 reviews)
Frontier
Okay (3,274 reviews)
Spirit Airlines
Good (8,063 reviews)
Avianca
Good (2,372 reviews)
ANA
Excellent (897 reviews)
Show more
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 and Comfort Suites East. There are also lots of vacation rental options in Knoxville, with prices from $59 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 40% 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, 1534 reviews)
$134+
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Marriott Knoxville Downtown
4 stars
Excellent (8.9, 179 reviews)
$169+
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Hilton Knoxville Airport
3 stars
Excellent (8.8, 452 reviews)
$163+
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Tru by Hilton Alcoa Knoxville Airport
2 stars
Excellent (8.3, 345 reviews)
$116+
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Courtyard by Marriott Knoxville Airport Alcoa
3 stars
Excellent (8.3, 165 reviews)
$128+
View
Baymont by Wyndham Knoxville/Cedar Bluff
2 stars
Excellent (8.2, 1715 reviews)
$96+
View

Renting a car in Knoxville

Renting a car in Knoxville costs $67 per day, on average, or $134 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 6 miles from the city center.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 15% cheaper than airport locations in Knoxville.

Expect to pay $3.52 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 $42.25 and $56.33. The most frequently booked car type in Knoxville is Intermediate (Hyundai Elantra or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy rental cars (Toyota Yaris or similar) are, on average, 49% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Renting a car in Knoxville costs $67 per day, on average, or $134 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 6 miles from the city center.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 15% cheaper than airport locations in Knoxville.

Expect to pay $3.52 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 $42.25 and $56.33. The most frequently booked car type in Knoxville is Intermediate (Hyundai Elantra or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy rental cars (Toyota Yaris or similar) are, on average, 49% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Best car rental deals in Knoxville

Full-size

5 Adults, 2 Bags

$32/day

Full-size

Economy

2 Adults, 2 Bags

$35/day

Economy
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.