Music City lives up to its name: on Lower Broadway, live bands play in every bar from 10 am to 3 am, often for nothing but tips, and the next big country star might be one of them. Beyond the neon you’ll find the Ryman Auditorium, the Grand Ole Opry, studios where Elvis and Dolly recorded, and a food scene built around fiery hot chicken.
Things to do in Nashville
Lower Broadway’s honky-tonks
Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, Robert’s Western World, the Stage, Legends Corner: four blocks of bars with live music on every floor from late morning. No cover charge — tip the band when they pass the bucket.
Afternoon sets are the best: same quality, half the crowd, and you can still talk. Robert’s serves fried bologna sandwiches.
Ryman Auditorium
The “Mother Church of Country Music”, an 1892 tabernacle with church pews and perfect acoustics, home of the Opry for 31 years. See a concert, or take the daytime tour.
See tours and tickets partner linkThe Grand Ole Opry
The radio show running since 1925, with a mix of legends and newcomers playing a few songs each. The Opry House is 15 minutes east of downtown; in winter the show sometimes returns to the Ryman.
See tours and tickets partner link4Country Music Hall of Fame
Elvis’s gold Cadillac, Johnny Cash’s guitars, Taylor Swift’s early stage costumes and a deep, well-told history of country music. Add the tour of RCA Studio B, where Elvis and Dolly Parton recorded.
See tours and tickets partner link5The Bluebird Cafe
A 90-seat room in a strip mall where songwriters play their hits in the round. Tickets are released online a week ahead and go in minutes; a few walk-in seats exist on some nights.
6The Parthenon
A full-scale replica of the Athens Parthenon in Centennial Park, built for the 1897 exposition, with a 42-foot gilded Athena inside.
Beyond Broadway
The Gulch has rooftop bars and the “What Lifts You” wings mural; 12 South has boutiques and the “I Believe in Nashville” mural; East Nashville, across the Cumberland River, is where musicians actually live, with dive bars and good restaurants. Germantown, just north of downtown, is the city’s food district.
Road trips from Nashville
| Destination | Drive |
|---|---|
| Memphis (Graceland, Beale Street) | 3 h 15 · 210 mi |
| Great Smoky Mountains | 3 h 30 · 220 mi |
| Lynchburg (Jack Daniel’s distillery) | 1 h 30 · 75 mi |
| New Orleans | 8 h · 530 mi |
They all fit into our Deep South music road trip.
Where to stay in Nashville
Nashville has added thousands of hotel rooms and still fills up on weekends. Downtown is the place to be, if you can sleep through the music.
Our 2 hotel picks in Nashville
Photos, facilities and tips →
Boutique$$$$Noelle
Downtown, on Printers Alley one block from Broadway
A restored 1930 Art Deco hotel on Printers Alley, with a rooftop bar and Broadway one block away.
Mid-range$$$$Hayes Street Hotel
Midtown, near Vanderbilt and Centennial Park
A friendly Midtown hotel with breakfast included, near Music Row and Centennial Park.
Downtown & Broadway
$$$$Best for: first-timers, nightlife
Walk to the honky-tonks, the Ryman and the Hall of Fame. Ask for a high floor away from Broadway.
Hotels in Downtown & Broadway partner linkThe Gulch
$$$$Best for: design hotels
Trendy, walkable, a 15-minute walk from Broadway.
Hotels in The Gulch partner linkMidtown & Music Row
$$$$Best for: studios, bars
Near Vanderbilt and the recording studios, with a younger bar scene.
Hotels in Midtown & Music Row partner linkMusic Valley
$$$$Best for: the Opry, value
Next to the Grand Ole Opry and the giant Gaylord Opryland resort, cheaper motels, but you need a car.
Hotels in Music Valley partner linkWhere to eat
Hot chicken is Nashville’s gift to the world: fried chicken drenched in cayenne paste on white bread with pickles.
Prince’s Hot Chicken
South Nashville & more
The family that invented the dish. Order “mild” or “medium” if you value your evening.
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Hattie B’s
Midtown & more
The most popular hot chicken, with good sides and a long line.
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Arnold’s Country Kitchen
South of downtown
A meat-and-three cafeteria, weekday lunches only: roast beef, mac and cheese, pie.
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Biscuit Love
The Gulch
Southern brunch built on biscuits; get there early.
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Weather in Nashville by month
Compare every destination month by month in the when-to-go explorer.
Nashville: your questions
How many days do you need in Nashville?
Two to three nights: one on Broadway, one at the Opry or Ryman, one in a songwriters’ venue, with museums by day.
Is there a cover charge on Broadway?
Most honky-tonks have no cover; the bands play for tips. A few large venues with big-name shows charge entry.
Grand Ole Opry or Ryman?
For one show, the Opry for the tradition and variety; the Ryman for the building and the concerts. The Ryman daytime tour lets you do both.
What is the best time to visit Nashville?
Spring and fall. June brings the CMA Fest, the big country music festival, with crowds and peak prices; summer is hot and humid.
Written by Kylian Dev · Last reviewed October 21, 2026. Prices are in US dollars, before sales tax.