Introducing our itinerary for…

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Hotel/Accommodation Recommendations

Here are the top five accommodations in Nashville that are in a convenient location to all the action, have a romantic ambiance, and are good enough for our fine readers. They are listed below from most budget-friendly to least. Take a quick glance at them, book one, and download our Organized Travel PDF so you can write the booking details in your “Organize the Essentials List”.

If you are looking for a more affordable option, an apartment rental is the way to go. Using Airbnb you can rent an apartment anywhere in the city. You typically don’t get the amenities of a concierge, breakfast, gym, pool, etc so you can get your stay for less than half the price of a hotel. You’ll want to book far in advance to get a good place with good reviews. Get $40 off your first booking here: BOOK AN AIRBNB

Transportation Recommendations

Here are the sources we recommend you use to book transportation within the city. In Nashville we recommend you use Uber or Lyft within the city. If you plan to go outside the city, then a rental car would be best.

$5 off Uber code: stephanieb3

Destination Dorworth is a participant in affiliate links for Booking.com and Airbnb. These links are of no extra cost to you, and simply go towards the costs of keeping this site running! Thanks in advance for your support.

Trip Overview for Nashville, Tennessee

Trip Details

DAY 1 AT A GLANCE

Today’s Goal to Crush: Get so immersed in country music that you come out of today a country star!

Nashville is the Music City and rightly so. Though they received that nickname by radio announcer David Cobb in 1950 based on the town’s small and diverse music scene of R&B, blues, gospel, and pop it is now more well-known for its country music. Much of the sites you will visit today highlight the country music history of this grand city.

To checkout the sites, you could walk, Uber, or book a trolley tour! We recommend Grayline Music City Trolley Tour which you can hop on and off for two days straight. (we will mark the stop numbers below)

Start off your day on the right foot by catching breakfast or brunch at The Southern Steak and Oyster. It is very near the first trolley stop and downtown area. The omelets and tiny, little biscuits are fantastic!

Then it’s off to your first stop of the day: The Ryman Auditorium . Here you can do a self guided tour or a guided backstage tour. Splurge for the guided tour as it not only includes the awesome holographic video explaining the history of the Grand Ole Opry, but you also get to go backstage and see many of the dressing rooms the stars still use before taking the stage. (stop #2)

Afterwards, go grab a Goo Goo Cluster at their original store and snack on it as you walk the nearby Pedestrian Bridge. You’ll capture great views of downtown as well as East Nashville and the stadium. (stop #3)

Now it’s time for more country history so head to the Country Music Hall of Fame for about two hours of learning about and hearing country music legends. They’ll take you way back to country greats like Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, and many more. Plus they have current stars as well! Including a 2018 special exhibit featuring Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. (stop #4)

At this point we can imagine you’ve built up quite the appetite, so we recommend you save the rest of the sites for tomorrow and head to a great part of town for some grub and beer: the Gulch area. (stop #14) For dinner head down the street to Adele’s which is a restaurant within an old auto garage that uses only locally sourced goods. Order the chicken dish if they have it! Best grilled chicken with salsa ever. For some post-dinner brews stop at Jackalope Brewing company for some unique and local flavors. Or head to the bars downtown if you want to get more rowdy.

>> Google Map of Day 1 <<

DAY 1 DETAILS

Oh So Tasty Food Options Nearby:

DAY 2 AT A GLANCE

Today’s Goal to Crush: Drink and dance your heart away.

Today you’ve got a lot more to see and do. Start the morning out early at the Pancake Pantry to avoid the line around the building (arrive before 8am). They have 23 kinds of pancakes and yes they are completely and utterly amazing. Though they are small, they are mighty full of flavor (try the sweet potato pancakes!)

Afterwards, if you want to checkout the Vanderbilt campus you can stroll around and checkout their many types of trees, including cherry blossoms. Keep heading west until you hit the Parthenon in Centennial Park which is an exact replica of the Greek temple right here in Nashville. The park is beautiful to walk around and has fun swings and a pond to spend your morning relaxing outdoors. If you’re into art, you can pay to go inside the parthenon for an art exhibit as well.

If you had the trolley tour from yesterday, to the right of the Parthenon entrance you’ll find the Music City trolley stop. Hop on there to continue your tour through town. (stop #10)  In the midtown area is the famous Hattie B’s Chicken if you’re hungry again. Otherwise continue onto Music Row where you’ll see famous recording studios used by the greats; most of which are converted from old, traditional houses. (stops #12-13)

The tour finishes up along Honky Tonk Highway (on lower Broadway). You don’t want to miss this street. In fact, you can’t miss it as there’s loud music going from 10am-3am every single day! Almost every bar/restaurant has live music to entertain you and make you feel like you’re at a party. It’s such a popular destination that it’s even beat out Las Vegas for bachelor and bachelorette parties now. So expect to see some groups having a blast on bike, truck, and bus tours up and down this street. Definitely stop in Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge which is where the country legends used to grab drinks after their shows at the Ryman (or during their shows and get too drunk to make it back). Also consider The Stage on Broadway which is larger and has some great upstairs seating. If you want to learn to line dance, Wildhorse Saloon has free lessons most days at 6pm. Grab some dinner here while you’re at it. (stop #16)

Are you into blues music? On Printer’s Alley is a small place called Bourbon Street Blues & Boogie Bar which has shows all night with amazing musicians. Call ahead to make reservations as it fills up fast. You’ll feel like you’re in New Orleans!  Later on, check to see if there are any concerts in town. The most popular venues for concerts are the Ryman Auditorium and the Grand Ole Opry which have shows ⅔ of the days per year. If not, you can find entertainment anywhere along Broadway. We loved ACME Feed & Seed for their live music and rooftop bar. Just dance the night away!

>> Google Map of Day 2 <<

DAY 2 DETAILS

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DAY 3 AT A GLANCE

Today’s Goal to Crush: Eat like a King or Queen.

Today is about tasting more of Nashville. We recommend grabbing a small bite to eat somewhere nearby. Then head out for a tour of your liking. If you’re a car enthusiasts consider going to the Lane Motor Museum which displays hundreds of unique European cars including some very unique microcars! You can spend 1-2 hours here. If you’re not into cars, then consider heading a little outside of town to Belle Meade Plantation which is an old mansion and winery with lots of civil war history. They have one hour tours the include tastings which are supposed to be divine.

Once you’re back in town, next stop is lunch. Be ready to fill up on the most amazing burger in town at the Pharmacy Burger Parlor and Beer Garden. While there, don’t miss out on a handmade soda like the creamsicle!

Now that your bellies are full, it’s time to head to the Distillery. Even if you aren’t a whiskey lover, Nelson’s Green Briar Distillery tour is a must-do while in town. The history of how their distillery was lost and then found many years later is remarkable and they do an excellent job at sharing the distillery’s story and showing you the process of how whiskey is made. The tour includes a few tastings afterward. Best experience in Nashville!

After tastings, you have some options for the rest of the day & night:

1. You could go to the Johnny Cash Museum if you’re craving more country music history.
2. Or perhaps, head back to the honky tonks now that your blood is pumping and the whiskey has hit you!
3. Another option is to checkout the 12th Avenue South area of Nashville which is south of Music Row. It’s a quaint street with little shops and restaurants. Edley’s BBQ is a must if you’re hungry as they have the best BBQ in town. Jeni’s ice cream is a great stop for some unique and yummy flavors. If you want to shop, don’t miss Draper James which is Reese Witherspoon’s clothing store or Serendipity which is a great gift shop with cute jewelry.
4. If you’ve watched the show Nashville then you have heard of the Bluebird Cafe. It’s a small music venue where songwriters go to perform their music. Tickets for shows go on sale a week in advance and it’s almost impossible to get lucky enough to grab one of their limited seats. Without a seat you can arrive 2-3 hours early to try and nab a few of their bar seats. They typically have two shows a night so plan accordingly.

Enjoy your last night in town!

>> Google Map of Day 3 <<

DAY 3 DETAILS

Oh So Tasty Food Options Nearby: