Knoxville is a fun city with plenty of good spots to eat and drink and frequent festivals, markets, and outdoor concerts to keep you entertained!
Knox Tips:
The city is pretty small so you don’t need a car to get around to the different neighborhoods.
Old City is a great hub of activity in Knoxville but be sure to explore the other neighborhoods as well!
Knoxville is home to the University of Tennessee so be sure to take that into account for game days and events!
Add Knox to your road trip! Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are just an hour away and Asheville is two hours! Check out my guide to the Gatlinburg area here and my guide to Asheville here!
Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations:
Xul Brewing Company: A fantastic brewery with a wide array of beers on tap. Their Sours are my favorite! They have two locations—downtown and Hardin Valley. At the downtown location Abridged Burgers food truck is onsite for eats. They have a nice dog-friendly patio space outside and multiple seating options and TVs inside.
Stay at The Tennessean Hotel: This luxurious hotel is located in the heart of everything. It is steps away from Old Town and has great Sunsphere views. There are a plethora of amenities here including black car service, golf carts, e-bikes, concierge service, and more! The rooms are spacious, clean and dog-friendly.
Their restaurant The Drawing Room is housed on the second floor and specializes in Smoked Old Fashions alongside farm-to-table eats. Their cocktails are superb.
Pretentious Beer Co: Great beers and cool glasses as they are also a glass company. Hongs Kitchen is inside for eats and they also have a great back patio space that is dog-friendly and heated.
A Dopo Pizza: Extraordinarily good pizza, staff that goes out of their way to be incredibly nice, local taps, wine carafes and gelato all in a cute open-concept setting.
Albright Grove Brewing Company: A good brewery with an interesting mix of styles available. They are dog-friendly inside and out.
Schulz Brau Brewing: German-style beer garden with classic German brews following the Reinheitsgebot purity laws. They’ve got fire pits, frequent live music, and snacks!
Crafty Bastard Brewing: This brewery has three locations—downtown, West Knox, and South Knox. They always have a very unique tap list. The vibes are good and dogs are allowed inside.
Merchants of Beer: A beer bar and bottle shop in an old diner space. They have a great outdoor space and dive bar vibes inside. They are super dog-friendly inside and out.
Bearden Beer Market: A beer garden/bottle shop combo with a mix of local and afar taps. Frequent food trucks and dog friendly.
Abridged Beer Company: Tasty beers and a wide variety of colorful sours. They’ve got a great outdoor space and delicious food. Located in the Bearden neighborhood west of downtown.
Xul Brewing Company
touristy things in knoxville worth doing:
Market Square: The hub of downtown with several bars, restaurants, and shops.
World’s Fair Park: Be sure to see the Sunsphere and if you’re lucky there might be live music at the amphitheater!
Ijams Nature Center: A great spot to get outdoors! There are many different trail options here, many of which are on the easier side for family outings.
The River Trail Loop takes about 30 minutes and is just 1 mile long with 114ft of elevation gain. It leads to a boardwalk on the river and part of the trail is a paved greenway.
Mead’s Quarry is a cool section across the road from the visitor’s center. The Rock Bridge Trail via Imerys Trail is 1.1 miles long, mostly flat, and takes about 25 minutes to complete.
Ijams Nature Center
Other knoxville things to do:
Alliance Brewing: Solid beers at this ‘active lifestyle’ brewery with outdoor seating.
Balter Beerworks: A brewpub with solid food and beers and a super friendly staff!
House Mountain State Park: Great hikes close to the city!
Next Level Brewing Company: This brewery has a wide variety of beers on tap. They are dog-friendly inside and out and have frequent food trucks. They are located just up the block from Xul and Crafty Bastard.
Ebony and Ivory Brewing: A solid brewery that is dog-friendly and working to improve the beer industry. They’re the second Black-owned brewery in the state and are located right down the block from Elst Brewing.
Elst Brewing Company: This brewery is dog-friendly with a food truck out back focused on burgers. They have a nice back patio space and chill vibes.
Old City Market: If you happen to be in town on the second Sunday of the month or fourth Thursday of the month be sure to wander through this market in Old City! It features local artists and makers selling a variety of goods.
Printshop Beer Co: Classic brewery vibes with a good variety of beer. Located in South Knoxville near Alliance Brewing.
Last Days of Autumn Brewing: Average beers, a bit off the beaten path and known for their eats. They are opening St. Lucille’s Cajun Kitchen next to Crafty Bastard soon!
Downtown Grill and Brewery: Average brewery with outdoor seating and a full food menu. Located in the heart of Gay Street.
