Visiting Nashville | Nashville & Co

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Top 10 places to see in Nashville

Our quick tour of the 10 places every first-timer should see, from Broadway to the Parthenon.

Pick your base

Nashville is spread out, so where you sleep shapes the trip. Here’s what each area is like.

Downtown & SoBro
Walk to Broadway
Closest to the honky-tonks, the Ryman, Bridgestone Arena and the Country Music Hall of Fame. Lively late at night.
Downtown & SoBro
Walk to Broadway
Closest to the honky-tonks, the Ryman, Bridgestone Arena and the Country Music Hall of Fame. Lively late at night.
Best for first-timers who want to walk everywhere: Broadway, the riverfront, the Ryman, the Johnny Cash Museum and the Music City Center are all close.
Trade-offs: it’s the priciest area, parking is expensive, and rooms facing Broadway can be loud on weekends. Ask for a high floor or a room away from the street.
The Gulch
Rooftops and restaurants
A short walk or ride from Broadway, with newer hotels, murals and some of the city’s busiest restaurants.
The Gulch
Rooftops and restaurants
A short walk or ride from Broadway, with newer hotels, murals and some of the city’s busiest restaurants.
Polished and walkable, with the famous wings mural, rooftop bars and the Station Inn for bluegrass.
You’re about 15 to 20 minutes on foot from Lower Broadway, or a short rideshare.
Midtown & Music Row
Bars and history
Near Vanderbilt and Belmont, with a younger bar scene and the studios where the hits are made.
Midtown & Music Row
Bars and history
Near Vanderbilt and Belmont, with a younger bar scene and the studios where the hits are made.
Midtown has a busy bar strip and plenty of hotels near West End Avenue. Music Row, next door, is lined with the studios and publishing houses behind decades of hits.
Good if you want nightlife without the Broadway crowds, and handy for Centennial Park and the Parthenon.
East Nashville
Like a local
Across the river: indie bars, small venues and some of the best food in town. Quieter at night.
East Nashville
Like a local
Across the river: indie bars, small venues and some of the best food in town. Quieter at night.
Mostly short-term rentals and a few boutique hotels. Five Points is the heart of it, with bars, coffee and small music rooms.
Downtown is a 10-minute ride across the river, so it’s an easy base if you want a neighborhood feel.
Music Valley
Near the Opry
Home to the Grand Ole Opry and the Gaylord Opryland resort. Good for Opry nights, a ride from downtown.
Music Valley
Near the Opry
Home to the Grand Ole Opry and the Gaylord Opryland resort. Good for Opry nights, a ride from downtown.
Gaylord Opryland is a destination of its own, with indoor gardens and waterfalls, plus SoundWaves water park and Opry Mills shopping next door.
Downtown is about 20 minutes away by car, so this works best if the Opry or the resort is the main event.
12 South & Germantown
Charm and brunch
Walkable streets with boutiques, coffee and chef-driven food. Short-term rentals are common here.
12 South & Germantown
Charm and brunch
Walkable streets with boutiques, coffee and chef-driven food. Short-term rentals are common here.
12 South is known for its boutiques, the “I Believe in Nashville” mural and Sevier Park. Germantown has historic brick streets, the Farmers’ Market and some of the city’s best restaurants.
Short-term rental rules in Nashville are strict, so book through a licensed host.

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The Nashville & Co. Guide

Broadway, the best shows, museums, views and Music Valley, with the spots we send our friends to.

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Where the music is

Find your sound

Music City isn’t just Broadway. Here’s where to hear it, from honky-tonks to songwriter rooms.

Downtown
Lower Broadway honky-tonks
Live bands on every floor, usually with no cover, from late morning until late at night.
Downtown
Lower Broadway honky-tonks
Live bands on every floor, usually with no cover, from late morning until late at night.
Walk the strip once before you pick a spot. Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, Robert’s Western World and the Stage are classics; the big celebrity bars have rooftops and multiple stages.
Earlier in the day is better for families and for actually getting a seat.
Downtown
Ryman Auditorium
The “Mother Church of Country Music.” See a show or take the daytime tour.
Downtown
Ryman Auditorium
The “Mother Church of Country Music.” See a show or take the daytime tour.
The Ryman opened in 1892 and was home to the Grand Ole Opry for three decades. Today it hosts every genre, and the acoustics are famous.
Daytime tours run most days, including a chance to stand on the stage.
ryman.com
ryman.com
Music Valley
Grand Ole Opry
The live radio show that made country music famous, with a mix of legends and new artists every night.
Music Valley
Grand Ole Opry
The live radio show that made country music famous, with a mix of legends and new artists every night.
The Opry has been on the air since 1925. Each show features several artists, a few songs each, so you get a sampler of country music in one night.
Backstage tours run during the day. In some winter months, shows move to the Ryman.
opry.com
opry.com
Green Hills
The Bluebird Cafe
A tiny room where songwriters play the songs they wrote for the stars. Reservations go fast.
Green Hills
The Bluebird Cafe
A tiny room where songwriters play the songs they wrote for the stars. Reservations go fast.
Shows are “in the round”: writers sit together and take turns. It’s a listening room, so conversation stops when the music starts.
Reservations open online ahead of time and sell out quickly; check their site for how and when.
bluebirdcafe.com
bluebirdcafe.com
The Gulch
The Station Inn
Nashville’s home of bluegrass, in a no-frills room that’s been here for decades.
Downtown
Schermerhorn Symphony Center
Home of the Nashville Symphony, with classical, pops, film-score and holiday concerts.
nashvillesymphony.org

What to eat

Eat like a local

Come hungry. These are the Nashville classics to try at least once.

The must-try
Hot chicken
Fried chicken with a cayenne-fired coating, served on white bread with pickles. Prince’s is the original.
Photo: Sean Russell, CC BY-SA 2.0
The must-try
Hot chicken
Fried chicken with a cayenne-fired coating, served on white bread with pickles. Prince’s is the original.
Order one level milder than you think you want. Even “medium” is hot at most places.
Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack is credited with starting it all; Hattie B’s and Bolton’s are other favorites.
Where to try it
Prince’s Hot Chicken ShackThe originalWebsite
Hattie B’s Hot ChickenThe one with the lineWebsite
Bolton’s Famous Hot Chicken & FishHot chicken and hot fishWebsite
Southern lunch
Meat-and-three
Pick a meat and three sides from the day’s line. The classic Nashville lunch.
Photo: Missy Caulk, CC BY-SA 2.0
Southern lunch
Meat-and-three
Pick a meat and three sides from the day’s line. The classic Nashville lunch.
Expect fried chicken, meatloaf or country-fried steak with sides like mac and cheese, greens and fried okra, plus cornbread.
For a family-style take, Monell’s in Germantown serves big shared platters at communal tables.
Where to try it
Monell’sFamily-style, in GermantownWebsite
Arnold’s Country KitchenA classic cafeteria lineWebsite
Breakfast
Biscuits
The Loveless Cafe on Highway 100 has been serving biscuits and country ham since 1951.
Photo: Dale Cruse, CC BY 2.0
Breakfast
Biscuits
The Loveless Cafe on Highway 100 has been serving biscuits and country ham since 1951.
The biscuits come warm with homemade preserves. Go early on weekends: the wait builds fast.
Where to try it
The Loveless CafeOn Highway 100, since 1951Website
Barbecue
Whole-hog barbecue
Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint smokes whole hogs the West Tennessee way.
Photo: Gatorfan252525, CC BY-SA 4.0
Barbecue
Whole-hog barbecue
Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint smokes whole hogs the West Tennessee way.
Whole-hog means the entire pig is smoked low and slow, then pulled, so you get a mix of rich and lean meat in every sandwich.
Where to try it
Martin’s Bar-B-Que JointWhole hog, West Tennessee styleWebsite
Sweet
Goo Goo Clusters
Invented in Nashville in 1912. Pick some up at the Goo Goo shop downtown.
Photo: Evan-Amos, public domain
Sweet
Goo Goo Clusters
Invented in Nashville in 1912. Pick some up at the Goo Goo shop downtown.
Caramel, marshmallow nougat and roasted peanuts covered in milk chocolate. They make an easy Nashville gift to take home.
Where to try it
Goo Goo Chocolate Co.The shop downtownWebsite
Market
Nashville Farmers’ Market
Open year-round by the Bicentennial Mall, with a food hall, local vendors and weekend farm stands.
Market
Nashville Farmers’ Market
Open year-round by the Bicentennial Mall, with a food hall, local vendors and weekend farm stands.
Where to try it
Nashville Farmers’ MarketFood hall, vendors and farm standsWebsite
nashvillefarmersmarket.org

Read the full articleHot chicken 101: where to start

Getting around

Leave the car keys

From the airport
Nashville International (BNA) is about 8 miles east of downtown. Rideshare and taxis are the quickest; WeGo buses run to downtown too.
Fly Nashville
Downtown on foot
Broadway, the Ryman, the riverfront and SoBro are all walkable. Wear comfortable shoes (or boots you’ve broken in).
Downtown on foot
Broadway, the Ryman, the riverfront and SoBro are all walkable. Wear comfortable shoes (or boots you’ve broken in).
The John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge links downtown to East Nashville and Nissan Stadium, with the best skyline view in town.
Parking
Downtown parking fills up and can be pricey on show and game nights. Rideshare between neighborhoods is usually easier.
Buses
WeGo Public Transit runs buses across the city from WeGo Central downtown. Check routes and times before you go.
WeGo Transit

This week · Nov 2–8

This week in Nashville

A perfect weekend

Two days, done right

A first-timer’s plan that mixes the classics with a taste of the neighborhoods.

Fri night
Lower Broadway
Walk the honky-tonks, catch a few sets and end with the skyline from the pedestrian bridge.
Sat morning
Country Music Hall of Fame
Give it two hours, then walk to the Johnny Cash Museum nearby.
Sat afternoon
Ryman tour + hot chicken
Stand on the Ryman stage, then refuel with hot chicken.
Sat night
Grand Ole Opry
A live radio show with several artists. Book ahead.
Sun morning
Germantown or 12 South
Brunch, coffee and murals, then browse the boutiques.
Sun afternoon
Centennial Park
See the full-size Parthenon, then head to East Nashville for dinner.

Read the full articleYour first weekend in Nashville: a local’s plan

Day trips

Worth the drive

Have an extra day? These are easy trips from Nashville.

About 30 minutes south
Franklin
A historic Main Street with shops and restaurants, plus Civil War sites like Carnton.
About 40 minutes
Leiper’s Fork
A tiny village with galleries, a general store and live music at Fox & Locke.
About 1.5 hours
Jack Daniel’s Distillery
Tours in Lynchburg, home of the famous Tennessee whiskey.
In town
Cheekwood
Botanical gardens and an art museum on a historic estate, with seasonal festivals and holiday lights.
cheekwood.org

Before you go

Don’t forget to…

Bring cash for tips
Most Broadway honky-tonks don’t charge a cover. The bands play for tips, so tip when you request a song.
Check the age rules
Many Broadway bars switch to 21 and over in the evening, so bring ID. Families should go earlier in the day.
Book ahead on weekends
Tours, the Opry, the Ryman and popular restaurants sell out. Reserve before you arrive.
Pack for the weather
Summers are hot and humid, winters are mild with the odd icy day, and spring brings storms. Layers help in spring and fall.
Plan around big weekends
CMA Fest, Titans home games and holiday weekends push hotel prices up. Book early or come midweek.

Read the full articleNashville Dos & Don’ts: Travel Guide

Through the year

Worth planning around

Nashville is busy all year. These are the big ones.

May
Iroquois Steeplechase
Hats, picnics and horse racing at Percy Warner Park.
June
CMA Fest
Four days of country music downtown, with free stages and stadium nights.
July
Fourth of July
A free concert and one of the country’s biggest fireworks shows on the riverfront.
August
Tomato Art Fest
East Nashville’s quirky, free neighborhood festival.
October
Southern Festival of Books
Free author talks and signings downtown.
Nov–Dec
Christmas at Gaylord Opryland
Millions of lights and holiday shows at the resort.
Dec 31
New Year’s Eve downtown
A free outdoor concert and the music note drop.