Gone Country: How to Spend 24 Hours in Nashville
City lights meet country soul in Tennessee’s Music City, where everyone from songwriters to starry-eyed fans falls for the old-fashioned “Nashville Sound.” Downtown honky tonk bars swing every night of the week, and the Grand Ole Opry is a living tribute to the USA’s golden days of country music, when Johnny Cash and Hank Williams crooned and growled to local crowds. For a whirlwind introduction to the very best of Nashville, our 24-hour itinerary hits all the high notes—and explores a few offbeat gems.
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You Arrive in Nashville: 5:00pm
After you drop off your bags, it’s time to warm up for an evening on the town with a Nashville classic: hot chicken. A local twist on a Southern favorite, Nashville hot chicken comes cocooned in a crisp-fried layer of spicy breading—and depending on your preference, it could bring anything from mouth-warming heat to a four-alarm fire. Try the original at the old-school Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack, or opt for Hattie B’s Hot Chicken, a favorite for juicy meat and spicy sauce. It’s easy to hit all the top spots for food tastings in one fell swoop on a private food and sightseeing tour.
Nighttime: 9:00pm
With a belly full of chicken, you’re ready for Honky Tonk Row, a lineup of bars in Downtown Nashville with back-to-back live music acts. A good place to start is Robert’s Western World, where the dance floor fills with two-stepping goodtimers—and if you’ve still got hunger pangs, the bar’s cold beers go perfectly with fried bologna sandwiches from the kitchen. Just down the street is Legends Corner, whose collection of neon signs illuminates a swinging country party that lasts through the wee hours. For a guided experience that offers drink specials and the opportunity to make new friends, try a Nashville pub crawl. But after you check out the classics, just take a slow walk down Broadway, listening for a melody that catches your ear—you might just see the next big country legend.
Time To Rest Up: Where to Stay
If you’re here for the music, it’s worth finding a spot downtown. The gorgeous 21c Museum Hotel Nashville is walking distance from Honky Tonk Row, with an onsite modern art museum that’s a destination unto itself. Also in the Arts District is The Hermitage Hotel, a five-star gem that’s steeped in old-fashioned Southern charm and housed in a 1910 Beaux-Arts building.
Next Day: 9:00am
Stretch out those sore dancing muscles with a morning stroll around Centennial Park, home of The Parthenon—it’s America’s own take on the original Athenian version, built for the 1897 Tennessee Centennial Exposition. When you’re ready to dive back into the music, head to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, whose vast collection includes everything from Johnny Cash’s famous black suit to a rhinestone-encrusted Hank Williams’ number. Right next door is RCA Studio B, the recording studio where artists Roy Orbison, Charlie Pride, and Elvis laid down some of their most iconic tracks with local musicians. If you’re really here for the tunes, consider taking a guided backstage tour of the famed Grand Ole Opry House or purchasing the Nashville Music Attraction Pass to see all the top sites, including the Ryman Auditorium and Music Row, at a discount.
Food & Sightseeing: 12:00pm
Get your fill of good, old-fashioned Southern cooking at a joint that serves “meat ‘n’ three”—a filling country meal that consists of a hearty serving of meat with three traditional sides. A longtime favorite is Arnold’s Country Kitchen, a James Beard Award-winning cafeteria in downtown Nashville that’s beloved for turnip greens, black eyed peas, and fried catfish. Or make some friends over a family-style meal at Monell’s Dining & Catering, where you can belly up to great piles of country ham, fried chicken, and sides, followed by a homestyle strawberry shortcake. For a broader take on the food scene, though, skip the menus and taste your way through the city on a food walking tour such as Music City Bites and Sites, which includes treats from all over downtown.
Later That Afternoon (Last Activity Of The Trip): 3:00pm
Nashville’s roots go way beyond country music, so once you’ve got your fill of twang, head to the outskirts of East Nashville to see Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage, the former president’s longtime home and plantation. The site’s self-guided audio tours explore Jackson’s political legacy, life in the slaves’ quarters, and the sprawling farmland that surrounds the historic house. Beyond the city limits, the Natchez Trace Parkway is perfect for a long afternoon drive or bike ride—it’s a 444-mile (715-kilometer) national parkway that follows a traditional trading footpath once used for centuries. Winding through a patchwork of farm fields and low-lying mountains, the Natchez Trace is especially beautiful in autumn, when foliage lights up the forest canopy.