The ultimate travel guide: Nashville, Tennessee

Check out my full Nashville guide for the best dining spots, other thighs to do, and the bars that locals recommend!

What to pack

Nashville is considered the heart of country music for a reason! Even in the summer heat, cowboy boots and hats are must-haves for this city. You can pair them with jean shorts or skirts and a Nashville t-shirt! Here is some inspiration for your trip:

Accessories

Outfits

Where to stay

I found a few Airbnb properties available but they were quite overpriced for what they offer and a bit far from Broadway. Then I looked into hotels, and honestly, I was surprised that they were cheaper than Airbnb!

Grand Hyatt Nashville is a luxury hotel with an excellent location in the heart of downtown Nashville. The hotel offers rooms with city and landmark views. Amenities also consist of 7 restaurants, including 1 with a rooftop bar, plus a spa, a fitness room, and a gorgeous outdoor pool. There’s also valet parking, breakfast, and fast Wi-Fi.

Hyatt Centric Downtown Nashville – a 5-star hotel but very affordable! It has beautiful green and very feminine-looking restaurant, an outdoor swimming pool, a 24-hour front desk, and excellent free WiFi. Not to mention its great location – only 10 km away from the airport and within a 5-min walk to Broadway!

I liked all the little interior design details in the lobby and in the room. Not to mention nice furniture, and neat rooms, but also pleasant design solutions like motion sensor lights in the closet and under the bed! I will ask my hubby to install sensor lights in our house as well ))

Renaissance Nashville Hotel is a 4-star hotel with a great location just at the beginning of the strip. It offers its guests an indoor pool, a spa tub, and a 24-hour fitness center. This hotel was highly rated for its very comfy beds. Rooms also feature a flat-screen cable TV with Netflix, Hulu, and other streaming services.

There are 2 restaurants on-site, as well as a shared lounge and bistro area that offers 8 TVs and signature cocktails.

What to do

Broadway Shops and Honky Tonks

Head to Broadway for a string of quintessential Nashville necessities: Western boots and honky tonk bars.

Johnny Cash Museum

This museum features the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of artifacts and life memorabilia of legendary country musician Johnny Cash. To make your visit easier, I would recommend watching the movie based on his life called “Walk the Line”.

Country Music Hall of Fame

Here’s the place to explore country music’s story and culture through dynamic galleries, education, and archives.

Ryman Auditorium

Enjoy backstage tours by day and incredible performances by night. Known globally as one of the best performance halls in the world, the Ryman is where bluegrass was born.

Grand Ole Opry

Nashville’s # 1 destination. Founded in 1925, it’s the longest-running radio broadcast in U.S. history. Come see what this most lauded music stage is all about.

Riverfront Park

Soak up panoramic views of the Cumberland River in downtown Nashville at Riverfront Park. Just steps from Broadway, this park offers five miles of greenspace to enjoy the sights and sounds of Nashville’s outdoors.

Where to eat

The Diner Nashville: Large diner serving American classic fare & drinks, plus sushi & oysters, in modern digs. Opens at 7.30 for breakfast and coffee that locals are queuing for!

The Twelve Thirty Supper Club: A three-story dining destination by award-winning restaurateur Sam Fox and pop superstar Justin Timberlake. Outstanding service, great atmosphere, and live music made our brunch unforgettable! The unique design of each floor was inspired by the supper clubs of the 19th century, when the closing time for pubs and restaurants was 12:30 am. These supper clubs were able to stay open later because they were deemed private establishments.

The Southern Steak & Oyster: This unique and spirited eatery serves authentic Southern fare with a twist and houses a popular market and butcher shop.

Etch: A modern restaurant with an eclectic, globally-inspired menu from award-winning chef Deb Paquette.

Husk is an excellent southern restaurant created in a beautiful historic mansion. “If it doesn’t come from the South, it’s not coming through the door”. Discover inventive cuisine from regional ingredients and make sure to try their pimento cheese with Benne wafers – they are so yummy!

Hampton Social: Coastal-inspired cuisine and hand-crafted cocktails in a social atmosphere – a great place to sip and relax.

STK Steakhouse: STK offers an upscale Nashville dining experience. The restaurant’s soft live DJ music and sophisticated decor create a romantic but relaxing cocktail lounge ambiance with delicious food, drinks, and excellent service! Even though Tennessee is a land-locked state, their lobster linguine pasta was heavenly. Surf and turf with truffle butter were incredible.

Where to dance

FGL House: A laid-back southern restaurant with rustic decor and outdoor patio seating and live music. The place where Bavarian pretzels, Polish pierogi, and Nashville chicken bites meet on the menu!

Kid Rock’s Big Honky Tonk & Rock ‘n’ Roll Steakhouse is Nashville’s famous bar, restaurant, live music venue, and the biggest honky tonk. This place is always loud and lively!

Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row is a country gastropub in a historic 3-story building with rooftop access.

Miranda Lambert’s Casa Rosa: Cool Tex-Mex bar & cantina with live bands and a rooftop patio. Next time I would definitely try their restaurant as the smells were so good! Take the opportunity & buy a cool t-shirt at their shop or take some pics at the photo wall!

Luke’s 32 bridge: Spacious destination offering 4 band stages, cocktails, American eats, and a rooftop patio.

Jason Aldean’s Kitchen + Rooftop Bar: Vast Southern eatery & saloon on 4 levels with live music, TV sports, a gift shop & a rooftop bar!