If a Nashville vacation is on your bucket list, then you’re in luck. This growing city and popular bachelorette party destination offers boundless things to do, making it the perfect southern getaway for almost any type of traveler. Check out the extensive guide below, and start planning your weekend in Nashville today!
Best Time to Visit Nashville
Before you start planning your trip, you’ll want to make sure you’re setting up your travel arrangements for the best time to visit Nashville.
The best time to visit Nashville falls sometime between April through October. This is considered peak season.
Though the Christmas decorations in Nashville are hard to beat, temperatures during the wintertime fluctuate between lows in the 30s and highs in the 50s.
Certainly not ideal if you’re looking for a warmer, southern getaway.
Springtime or fall are both ideal times to visit Nashville, since you may be able avoid some of the intense summer heat (if you’re lucky…temperatures were still in the 90s when we visited in May!).
Where to Stay in Nashville
Before we jump into all of the best things to do during a weekend in Nashville, let’s talk accommodations.
There are a few different routes you can take when planning your Nashville vacation, but you definitely want to be informed ahead of time to make sure your expectations are both realistic, and sufficiently met.
Nashville AirBNB
For our recent trip to Nashville, we opted for an AirBNB right outside The Gulch.
The Gulch is an upscale neighborhood in Nashville, loaded with unique boutiques and delicious, health-conscious eateries. It’s away from the bustle and noise of downtown, but just a short (and cheap) Uber ride to all the action.
Staying at an AirBNB was a great choice for our group, as we had five people and were looking for access to amenities like a kitchen and outdoor pool.
Downtown Nashville can also get pretty wild, so it was nice to be tucked away from all of that but still conveniently located.
There were also plenty of restaurants and shops to explore within walking distance of where we stayed.
Given the recent surge in popularity of this destination, Nashville has plenty of AirBNB options to choose from in areas all over the city.
Nashville’s Only 5-Star Hotel
If you’re looking for more of a luxury experience, you might want to consider booking a room at Nashville’s only 5-star hotel, The Hermitage.
This historical hotel is over 100 years old, and boasts all kinds of visitors from Babe Ruth to Johnny Cash.
Take a step back in time at The Hermitage, but know you’ll have to pay the hefty price if you want to stay at one of the most prestigious hotels in the city during your Nashville vacation.
Downtown Nashville Hotels
If you want to be within walking distance to most of the best things to do during the weekend in Nashville, a hotel in Downtown Nashville may be your best bet.
There are plenty of options to choose from, including major chains and some smaller boutique options.
Our group didn’t stay at a hotel, but we did have a brief chance to explore The Omni.
This hotel would be my choice if I were ever to stay in Downtown Nashville, as it had a beautiful lobby, plenty of food options, and a convenient location.
I wouldn’t necessarily suggest staying downtown however, unless you’re adamant about being within walking distance to the bars.
It certainly can get rowdy at night, and Uber/Lyft rides are relatively inexpensive to surrounding areas anyways.
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Hotels at The Gulch
If you’re looking for a personal recommendation on where to stay in Nashville, look no further than The Gulch.
Like I said, this trendy area is bustling with activity sans the craziness of downtown.
This is also where some of the most popular restaurants in Nashville are located, as well as Nashville’s many famous murals!
One hotel I distinctly remember walking by during our stay in The Gulch was the Thompson Hotel.
It looked like a respectable, upscale option and was right across the street from lots of restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques, and more.
A Weekend in Nashville: 14 Unforgettable Things to Do
Now that we’ve covered where to stay in Nashville, let’s move on to some of the best things to do in this iconic city…
1. Visit the Nashville Murals
We’ve all seen the photos on Instagram of the famous Nashville angel wings and other fun murals around the city. We definitely didn’t catch all of them during our trip, but I’d encourage anyone spending a weekend in Nashville to take some time and seek out as many of the Nashville murals as you can.
Not only do they make awesome photo ops, but they’re truly unique to this city and so much more impressive in person.
Pro Tip: See the photos with the angel wings below? Believe it or not, there WILL be a line to wait in to take photos if you don’t get to this mural early enough in the morning.
Make it your first stop before breakfast in The Gulch, and you shouldn’t have a problem!
2. Shop at The Gulch
One of the things that I appreciated about staying in The Gulch was our AirBNB’s close proximity to some great shopping (no surprise there, haha!).
Though the prices certainly reflect the upscale area, there are some interesting boutiques to explore if you have time. One of my personal favorites was Jessie James Decker’s Kittenish (pictured below).
I also really liked the Winky Lux makeup shop, which had a whole back room full of Instagram photo ops to play around with in addition to a lot of unique makeup products (such as a lip balm that changes shade according to your pH!).
3. Eat Fresh at Milk & Honey
If you’re around The Gulch and are looking for a fresh bite to eat, look no further than Milk & Honey.
This restaurant features tasty cocktails and lots of healthier options (though there are still plenty of opportunities to indulge).
There’s also homemade gelato and craft coffee available as well which, in addition to the tasty brie-filled wrap I enjoyed here, lands this Nashville restaurant on my list of some of the best food in Nashville.
4. Do a Wine Tasting & Wander the Historic Belle Meade Plantation
Of all the things to do during the weekend in Nashville, getting away from the bustle of the busy city for awhile and stepping back in time at the historic Belle Meade Plantation may very well be one of the most relaxing.
There’s plenty of space to wander the grounds and enjoy the scenery, and there’s also an opportunity to take a tour of the mansion.
In addition to being a historic site and having several tours available, Belle Meade Plantation also has its own winery.
A tasting is included with your ticket to the grounds, and I have to say our group did leave with several bottles of delicious grape-flavored wine.
Pro Tip: Full disclosure, I was extremely disappointed during our trip to Belle Meade, as they were sold out of tickets to the mansion tour upon our arrival.
I really felt that they should have warned people about that ahead of time or had something on their website, but nonetheless it was still a nice time walking around.
Make sure you get your tickets online before you head here to ensure your spot on the tour!
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5. Explore the Johnny Cash Museum
If you’re a history lover, you absolutely cannot miss a visit to the Johnny Cash museum while in Nashville.
Located right off of Broadway, it’s the perfect activity to break up the day and learn a little bit more about a total country music legend.
Pro Tip: If you haven’t read Johnny Cash’s autobiography yet, you need to. It’s chock full of a TON of info on Cash’s personal life, his journey with addition, his relationship with June, and more.
It’s a juicy, yet touching read that I 100% can’t recommend enough.
In fact, I almost finished the entire book just on the trip home from Nashville it was that good!
6. Conquer the Country Music Hall of Fame
In addition to visiting the Johnny Cash museum, you simply can’t miss the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Out of all the Nashville museums, this hall of fame holds one of the largest collections of country music memorabilia.
It’s amazing to see how the genre has progressed over the years, and there’s plenty of great photo ops too!
7. Enjoy the Craziness on Broadway Street
If you didn’t hangout on Broadway while you were there, did you really even visit Nashville?
Broadway is the main downtown area in Nashville, where many of the most famous bars, shops, and restaurants are all located. It’s the epicenter of activity both day and night in this city, so make sure you wander down here to get a taste of all it has to offer.
Things can get pretty crazy (and crowded) though, so be prepared!
Pro Tip: One of the coolest things about Broadway is that there is pretty much live music 24/7 at almost all of the bars/restaurants on this street.
If you don’t vibe with one joint, just hop on over to the place next door!
We didn’t even have to pay a cover for most places at night, so you really can’t beat the free music and amazing talent that you can find here.
8. See a Show at The Bluebird Cafe
From Taylor Swift to Faith Hill, anyone who’s anyone in country music has played a show at the Bluebird Cafe.
I was bummed we missed out on this during our trip, and I would recommend snagging tickets in advance to a show at this venue to ensure your spot.
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9. Eat the Best Breakfast in Nashville at Biscuit Love (YES, it’s worth the wait!)
There’s no hopping on a flight home without getting a bite of the best breakfast in Nashville!
An hour-plus wait at this popular Gulch eatery is not uncommon, but boy is it worth it.
Make sure someone orders the East Nasty Sandwich, too, which was even voted as the best sandwich in America. You just can’t go wrong with one of Biscuit Love’s moist buttermilk biscuits topped with a fried chicken thigh, aged cheddar, and sausage gravy.
Mmm, so good!
10. Experience a Performance at the Grand Ole Opry
If you’re in Nashville, there’s no doubt you’ll want to catch a performance at the Grand Ole Opry.
Even if you don’t know all of the performers, the Opry is packed with such talent that it’s entertaining and awe-inspiring nonetheless.
Don’t miss out on this classic Nashville tradition.
It’s one of the things to do during a weekend in Nashville that I really feel almost anyone, of any age, would enjoy.
Pro Tip: Try to buy your tickets to the Opry as far an advance as possible. I’m convinced there’s not a bad seat in the house, but they do sell fast.
Also, give yourself some time on the night of the performance. The Opry is actually a bit of a drive from downtown, so you’ll want to leave some wiggle room for the car ride.
There’s also a massive mall and lots of activities to do around this part of town in the daytime, so you may want to leave ample time to explore!
11. Go Bar Hopping at the Best Bars in Nashville
Head down to Broadway for some of the best honky-tonks in town and get a little taste of Nashville nightlife.
This city can certainly get rowdy when it gets dark, but it’s a lot of fun.
Even if you’re not a big drinker, there’s tons of live music, restaurants, entertainment, and more. Just be prepared for a big crowd!
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12. See Nashville (and Celebrity Homes) by Bus
One of the best ways to see Nashville? Believe it or not, it’s by bus.
Getting to drive by Taylor Swift’s home (among many other celebrities), stop for a photo at The Bluebird Cafe, and learn all about Nashville’s colorful history over the years was a priceless way to spend part of the day.
Check out Tommy’s Tours to learn more, and book your own bus tour of Nashville to see and experience all this city has to offer for yourself.
13. Eat Your Fair Share of Nashville Hot Chicken
You can’t go to Nashville and skip the hot chicken.
There’s plenty of joints in town, but Hattie B’s comes highly recommended. For more of a sit down experience, we opted for a restaurant called Party Fowl.
The service was slow, but boy was that chicken good!
14. Reminisce at the Ryan Auditorium
Last but certainly not least, don’t forget to take a self-guided tour of the famous Ryman Auditorium during your Nashville vacation.
This theater was home to The Grand Ole Opry for decades and also hosted the Johnny Cash Show for years as well.
This was by far my favorite attraction, as I could just soak in the history and clearly imagine what it was like so many years ago at this beautiful venue, which has hosted everyone from Teddy Roosevelt to Elvis Presley during its many years as both a tabernacle in the early days and a concert hall later on.
Overall, Nashville is an unforgettable destination. No matter what your travel style is like, I’m convinced there’s something to offer for everyone.
Now all that’s left is to book your stay and get planning that trip.
What things would you most want to do during a weekend in Nashville?
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