Spending a weekend in Nashville is always a good idea! Nashville, Tennessee has attracted a record-number of visitors the last few years, and I know why. There are so many things to do in Nashville: impressive live music, fun bars, festivals, delicious food, and outdoorsy things. The city is easy to love. Whether you plan 2 days in Nashville, or 3 days in Nashville, you will definitely love a Nashville weekend getaway!
To prove this – I took a pit stop in Nashville for a 3 month nursing contract because I thought it would be an easy stopover before I moved to wherever was next. This nomad didn’t leave for 3.5 years. It’s just that great of a place!By the way, I am Danielle, a nurse, and devoted traveler. I combine my two passions on my website Nurse to Nomad.
In this post, though, I will be sharing my secrets for the best things to do in Music City. You don’t have to move there to have an awesome experience. A weekend in Nashville will do just fine. You also don’t have to break the bank. Although lodging can be pricey, there are loads of free things to do in Nashville.
While you are travelling in the beautiful state of Tennessee, there are several other great cities worth your time. You may want to plan a road trip, spending 2 or 3 days in Memphis, a couple days in Nashville, and another 2 or 3 days in Chattanooga. You’ll love them all!
Getting to Nashville
Because Nashville is growing so much, getting there is rather easy. If you’re doing just a short weekend in Nashville, there are many flights into the BNA airport. Car rentals are an option once you arrive. There is some parking downtown, but you’ll pay for it. Or Uber and Lyft are readily available and cheap as long as it’s not 20 minutes after midnight on NYE.
You can also drive to get to the city. Having a car is best if you can, whether you drive or get a rental upon arrival. Then you have the freedom to get out and explore beyond downtown. There are some fabulous neighborhoods to experience, such as the Nashville 12 South neighborhood, and there are other adventures waiting outside the city limits.
Where to stay in Nashville
This depends on your budget. At one point, hotel prices were as expensive as New York City. There are plenty of hotel options in downtown Nashville. There are big name hotels and some boutiques.
If you want to stay at a touristy yet unique place, book a night at the Opryland Resort. It has indoor gardens and waterfalls and even little boat rides, and is part of the quintessential Nashville experience, with the Grand Ole Opry right there. It’s beautiful, and you may never want to leave Opryland!
If you can’t afford to stay there, you can walk around for free and admire the gardens like I did, but if it does fit your budget, you won’t be sorry. You can also branch out of downtown and book a place in one of the neighborhoods.
Germantown is very close to downtown and has fancier places to stay and eat. East Nashville is right across the river, is a little more hipster, and will feel less like a city. Hillsboro Village is within walking distance of quite a few shops and restaurants.
- Sylvan Park is very family friendly.
- Germantown Inn is quaint.
- The Thompson has great views and a rooftop bar.
I am a huge fan of AirBnb, and Nashville has plenty of unique places to offer for less than you’d spend on a hotel.
You can find fabulous deals on Nashville hotels, right here!
What to eat during a weekend in Nashville
Y’all, I could have written an entire post about the food in Nashville. You could spend an entire 3 days in Nashville only eating and be happy. The food scene is that good.
Hot Chicken
Ya know how certain cities have “the food” of that city? Nashville’s is hot chicken. Hot chicken is fried chicken, but it is coated in a delicious blend of spices. All places have mild to hot. Mild is always hot enough for me, so be careful.
Prince’s Chicken started it all. If you make it through the long wait, you get to enjoy the best of the best food in Nashville. While the chicken here is delicious and the atmosphere is memorable, it shouldn’t be your pick if you have a tight schedule.
Hattie B’s Hot Chicken has grown and their chicken is comparable to Prince’s. They have a few different locations.
Pro tip: The Hattie B’s on Charlotte Avenue always has the shortest wait.
You really should try hot chicken at least once during your 2 days in Nashville, and maybe twice if you’re spending 3 days. But, if you’re not into hot chicken, you’re still in luck. Nashville has so many delicious options. It’d be impossible to cover every restaurant, but I’ll list some of the best that I’ve tried. Once you’re there, though, Yelp can be your best friend.
Fine Dining
Germantown has become a great place for finer dining. City House is fantastic and easy to miss because it looks like a normal house. Butchertown Hall has margaritas on tap and one damn good burger. 5th and Taylor, Rolf and Daughters, and Silo are also great. Reservations are recommended at these restaurants. You don’t want to spend any part of your 3 days in Nashville waiting to get to your table!
While not necessarily fine dining, Monell’s is family style and serves the best Southern food in the city.
Other Delicious Options
If you’re short on time during your weekend in Nashville and want a quick slice of awesome pizza, Five Points Pizza is for you. I ate this at least once a week while I lived there and always swooned over how great it was.
- For delicious Mexican food and the famous, funny signs in the city, head to Rose Pepper in East Nashville.
- Downtown is the most touristy area of Nashville but still has some great food. Merchants is right on Broadway and is delicious. The Stillery has awesome burgers.
- The Pharmacy has a reputation as the best burgers in Nashville, and they are the bomb. Their bread is perfect, and they have one of the nicest patios.
- For the most delicious appetizer of your life, Butcher & Bee has a whipped feta dip that is unbelievably good. We ate multiple servings of it.
Random Pro Tip: Jack Brown’s has fried Oreos for $1. You can’t buy much for a dollar these days, and I can’t think of anything better to spend one on.
Barbeque
Nashville does BBQ really well too. Although it does not have the reputation of some other mid-southern cities, such as Memphis or St. Louis, Nashville has its own style of barbecue, that you should hit once during your weekend in Nashville. Are you overwhelmed by the food options yet? Martins, Edleys, and Jacks are the main ones. Edleys is my favorite.
Breakfast and Brunch
I love breakfast. It’s my favorite meal of the day. Nashville has some great brunch, but unfortunately, most of it will equal a long wait on a weekend in Nashville. If you can get up earlier than the 20-somethings in the city, you’ll spend less of your day waiting for your name to be called. All of these options can have a 1-2 hour wait on weekends. However, if you spend your 3 days in Nashville through the week, you can get right into most places.
Blue Sky Café is hands-down the best breakfast in Nashville. They have a biscuit bowl that has everything you could ever want in a brunch. Try to get there before 9am to avoid the long lines… everyone has realized it’s the best.
Pancake Pantry is famous for their delicious (you guessed it) pancakes. Biscuit Love has breakfast dishes revolving around biscuits (no way), and you can’t go wrong there. Fido is a little local spot with some healthier options.
Coffee
I realize this isn’t a food, but Nashville has so many coffee shops it deserves its own section. Here are your 1 sentence options for coffee.
- Dose is a local favorite and has free refills on drip coffee.
- Portland Brew has a neat upstairs.
- Crema has a great chai latte and is really close to downtown.
- Barista Parlor is probably the most touristy because it was featured on the show Nashville (the East Nashville location).
- Ugly Mugs has some couches and feels cozy.
- Zollikoffee is attached to a brewery and has picnic tables outside.
- The Well Coffeehouse is my fave because it’s cozy and their profits go to help the less fortunate.
Things to do in Nashville
I truly believe that Nashville has something for everyone. You don’t have to be into country music to have a fantastic weekend in Nashville!
Broadway Street
I am just going to start with this because you MUST visit Broadway if you spend a weekend in Nashville. Broadway Street is full of bars, an astounding amount of live music, food, and people-watching. There are always hordes of people, and that’s part of its draw. Anyone and everyone can find themselves on Broadway at any time of day.
Almost every bar with live music is free, so you can hop around until you find an artist you like. Robert’s Western World is my favorite, but there are SO many. If you have a bucket list bar you must see, go there. If not, just wander around. Some have rooftops, some have non-country music, and some have dancing. Certain bars tend to get long lines for seemingly no reason. There are so many options, so my advice is to not waste your time in line for a band that might not be as good as the one next door.
Broadway now hosts quite a few bars that are owned by country singers. Dierks Bentley opened Whiskey Row, Florida Georgia Line has FGL House, AJ’s Good Time Bar is owned by Alan Jackson. These are fun places to visit, especially if you’re a huge fan of the artists.
Pro tip: You can park in the R Lot at Nissan Stadium as long as there isn’t an event going on and you don’t mind walking a bit. Otherwise, I’d recommend Uber/Lyft or paying to park (sometimes $20 or more).
History
You can tour Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage: Home of the People’s President. It sits on 1100 acres with 30 buildings, gardens, and trails. It is one of the most visited historical sites in Nashville. $20 per person for entry.
Visit The Parthenon and walk around Centennial Park. The Parthenon is an identical replica to the one found in Athens, Greece. It was built in 1897 and has an art museum inside now. It’s $6 to enter but free and worth just viewing it from outside.
In October 2018, the new Tennessee State Museum will open and showcase Tennessee and Music City’s history. It will be free.
Music
There are tons of museums and tours that cater to those who come to Nashville for the history of music in this city. You have to do at least one of them if you have 2 days in Nashville, but if you have to pick only one, visit the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
Other options are the Grand Ole Opry House., and the Musicians Hall of Fame Museum. There are also museums dedicated to specific stars like Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, George Jones, and Willie Nelson.
If you plan ahead of time, try and get tickets to see a show at The Ryman Auditorium, aka “the mother church of country music.” It is not just country music anymore. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Songwriters in the Round nights are awesome. The talent in Nashville is crazy, and you might hear someone starting out that later becomes famous. The Bluebird Café and The Listening Room Café are great places to go.
Pro Tips: Bluebird Café fills up fast; get there early. Buy Listening Room Café tickets beforehand.
As mentioned above, Broadway will have more live music than you can handle. It’s free and oh so Nashville.
Outdoors
One of my favorite things about Nashville was the amount of outdoorsy things I could do in and around this city.
If you want to do a hike, I’d recommend the 3 mile, easy loop around Radnor Lake – prepare to wait for parking if it’s a really nice day. Or the 4 mile Volunteer Trail that involves swimming and cliff jumping if you’re up for more of an adventure; not a lot of people know about this, but it’s definitely a gem.
There are also some surrounding waterfalls that are stunning. Cummins Falls is a great way to spend an afternoon. It’s one of the best swimming holes I’ve ever found.
I might consider walking across the Pedestrian Bridge downtown a must-do. It gives an iconic view of the city across the Cumberland River. And if you used my tip from before about parking at Nissan Stadium, you’ll cross it to get to Broadway.
When you get across to downtown, stop at Goo Goo Clusters. They have free samples, a tour, and you might get roped into ordering a sundae and cancelling out your exercise of walking across the bridge.
Breweries and a Vineyard
- Southern Grist has the best sour beer on the planet.
- Jackalope has games.
- Tennessee Brew Works has a great balcony and the best food.
- East Nashville Beer Works has the best patio with picnic tables.
- Yazoo is one of the most well-known.
- Czanns is the most hole-in-the-wall brewery but has solid beer.
- Fat Bottom Brewing has corn hole and a great vibe.
- Smith and Lentz is awesome if you’re in East Nashville.
I am now realizing that I spent too much time in breweries. You can’t go wrong with ANY of the breweries in Nashville. They are all amazing.
Arrington Vineyards is 30 minutes outside of Nashville and a perfect way to spend an afternoon if you love wine. Kix Brooks started it, it’s in a lovely location, and you can bring your own picnic.
Shopping
I’ll admit that I am not much of a shopper but if you’re looking to do a little shopping during your weekend in Nashville, this is the best advice I can offer. There are some adorable boutique shops on the main strip in Hillsboro Village. Pangea is a perfect spot to buy gifts. 12 South area also has some cute shops. Opry Mills Mall is like a regular mall but gigantic and has a Rainforest Café.
Options galore for a weekend in Nashville, right?
This would be my idea of a perfect 3 days in Nashville:
Arrive on Friday.
- Fuel the afternoon/evening with a cup of coffee from Crema.
- Have dinner at City House and Uber to Broadway.
- Spend the night taking in the sights and music.
Saturday:
- Get to Sky Blue Café at 8am to avoid the wait.
- Walk around Radnor Lake afterwards to get some fresh air.
- Eat hot chicken for lunch.
- Park at Nissan Stadium, walk over the pedestrian bridge, and check out Country Music Hall of Fame Museum.
- If you didn’t get enough Broadway action the night before, pop into a bar or two to have a listen.
- Have a couple beers at Tennessee Brew Works then head to dinner at Edleys for BBQ or dinner at The Listening Room Café if you’ve snagged tickets for Songwriters in the Round.
Sunday:
- Breakfast at Biscuit Love.
- Depending on how much time you have, visit The Parthenon.
- Get a quick lunch at Five Points Pizza before heading home.
Spending a weekend in Nashville should be on everyone’s bucket list. I’ve never heard a soul say that they don’t like Music City. Its music history, love for fun, incredible food, and places to spend time in nature make it a perfect place to visit. Don’t forget to check out our Free Things to Do in Nashville!
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If Nashville isn’t quite what you are looking for, we have several other weekend suggestions in the south.
- If you prefer jazz to country music, you might prefer a weekend in New Orleans.
- Then again, if you prefer rock and roll over both, your best bet might be a weekend in Cleveland.
- If you have some and charm in mind, perhaps a Savannah weekend would suit.
- If you are headed to Nashville from the north, you may want to stop at Mammoth Cave National Park on the way.
About the Author:
Danielle is a nurse and adventurer, currently living in Minneapolis, MN. Her work as a nurse revolves around helping others and she uses her life as a traveler to inspire and help others to accomplish their travel dreams. You can find her at Nurse to Nomad. You can also find her on the Nurse to Nomad Facebook page, as well as her Instagram page.
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