Memphis travel guide
Memphis Tourism | Memphis Guide
You're Going to Love Memphis
With a population of 646,889, Memphis is the largest city in Tennessee, United States by the number of inhabitants. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. Memphis deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.
Activities & attractions in Memphis
Where to Eat in Memphis
Downtown is the neighborhood with the most restaurants in Memphis. These include popular favorites such as The Wine Cellar at Flight Restaurant (39 S Main St.), Flight Restaurant & Wine Bar (39 South Main Street) and McEwen's on Monroe (120 Monroe Ave). If you’re looking for affordable options, Hog and Hominy (707 W Brookhaven Cir) and Interim Restaurant & Bar (5040 Sanderlin) are great picks. For delicious green meals, Tamboli's Pasta & Pizza (1761 Madison Ave) and Fancy's Fish House (1 Doctor M.L.K. Jr Ave 101) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Memphis.
When to visit Memphis
Looking for warm weather? Then head to Memphis in July, when the average temperature is 82.4 °F, and the highest can go up to 91.4 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 32 °F, with an average temperature of 41 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in April, when precipitation is around 5.5″. In contrast, October is usually the driest month of the year in Memphis, with an average rainfall of 3.2″.
How to Get to Memphis
Plane
When flying to Memphis, you’ll arrive at Memphis Airport (MEM), which is located 8 miles from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Memphis include American Airlines, Delta and WestJet. The shortest domestic flight to Memphis departs from Orlando and takes around 2h 08m.
Train
Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Memphis. The train journey from Memphis to New Orleans takes 8h 35m and costs around $69 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Chicago, expect to pay about $99 for a 10h 22m trip. The train station in Memphis is called Memphis, and is located 1.3 miles from the city center.
Car
Another option to get to Memphis is to pick up a car rental from Nashville, which is about 196 miles from Memphis. You’ll find branches of Hertz and Budget, among others, in Nashville.
Bus
Several bus lines operate bus routes to Memphis, including Tornado Bus, Greyhound and FlixBus. From Nashville, the bus ride to Memphis takes 213 miles and will cost you around $220. From Dallas, the ticket costs about $350 for a journey of 390 miles. The most popular bus station is Memphis Summer Ave, located 9 miles from downtown Memphis. Memphis Airways Transit Center is also a commonly used station, and is 7 miles from the city center.
Airlines serving Memphis
Where to stay in Memphis
Average rates range from around $164 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $175 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Comfort Inn Airport and Moxy Memphis Downtown. There are also lots of vacation rental options in Memphis, with prices from $32 to $1,070 per night. Midtown is the neighborhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Memphis are about 37% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.
Downtown - In Memphis’s most popular neighborhood to stay, recommended hotels include Arrive Memphis, Hyatt Centric Beale Street Memphis and Caption by Hyatt Beale Street Memphis.
Midtown - Here you’ll find travelers’ favorites such as The Memphian, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, Holiday Inn Express Memphis Medical Center Midtown and Motel 6 Memphis Downtown. The average nightly price for a double room in Midtown is $67.
East Memphis - Marriott Memphis East, Hampton Inn Memphis - Poplar and DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Memphis have some of the best reviews among hotels in this area. A 3-star room in East Memphis will cost you about $136 per night.
Where to stay in popular areas of Memphis
Most booked hotels in Memphis
Renting a car in Memphis
Renting a car in Memphis costs $70 per day, on average, or $141 if you want to rent if for 2 days. Alamo, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Avis are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Memphis is the Hertz branch at 2495 Winchester Road, which is 8 miles from the city center.
Expect to pay $3.90 per gallon in Memphis (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $46.79 and $62.38. Compact (Volkswagen Beetle or similar) is the most popular car type to rent in Memphis, while also 67% cheaper than other types, on average.