Nashville is Music City, with live country, rock and bluegrass in dozens of venues, plus hot chicken, whiskey and southern hospitality. A weekend works, but music-minded travelers stay longer.
Good to know
- Broadway honky-tonks have no cover most nights; tip the bands.
- Book the Grand Ole Opry and Ryman Auditorium well in advance.
- Hot chicken is genuinely hot; start with medium.
Eat this
Places the planner can use
Mark places as a must or something to skip. The itinerary is built only from this list; ★ marks the destination’s highlights.
Neon-lit strip of bars with live music from morning to 3am.
The Mother Church of Country Music, with tours and one of the world's best-sounding rooms.
Costumes, instruments and exhibits on the history of country music.
Longest-running live radio show in America; Friday and Saturday nights.
Small songwriters' room where Taylor Swift was discovered; tickets go on sale in advance.
Nashville's signature fried chicken, in heat levels from mild to shut-the-cluck-up.
Tour of the studio where Elvis and Dolly Parton recorded, in the heart of the music industry.
Trendy neighborhoods with shops, murals and cafes; the 'I Believe in Nashville' mural is here.
Full-scale replica of the Athenian Parthenon with a statue of Athena inside.
Plantation museum that confronts the history of slavery and Jackson's presidency.
Tennessee whiskey distillery with a tasting room and tours.