Ti(Sn)-doped single-crystalline ZnO nanorods with an average diameter of 20nm and length up to nearly 1μm were synthesized by a facile ultrasonic irradiation-assisted alcoholthermal method without involving any templates. Photoluminescence spectra of the Ti-doped ZnO nanorods were measured at room temperature and three emitting bands, being a violet emission at 400–415nm, a blue band at 450–470nm and a green band at around 550nm, were detected. The emission intensities of the Ti-doped ZnO nanorods enhance gradually with increasing the doping concentrations. As to the Sn-doped ZnO nanorods, the green emission shifts to 540nm and the emission intensities increase first but decrease later with increasing the doping concentrations.