The first time I ever visited Music City was for a bachelorette party. We drank on Broadway, we biked and brewed, we honky-tonked. When the opportunity arose for me to travel back to Nashville for work, I jumped at the chance and plotted to make it one of the best bleisure trips I’ve ever taken. If you’re headed to the Athens of the South anytime soon, read on to discover a pretty great (read: the best ever!) weekend itinerary for Nashville.
Weekend Itinerary for Nashville
Friday:
- Getting There: If you’re coming from the Cleveland area, I recommend flying into BNA. While you can drive, it takes almost 8 hours and no weekend trip has any time for that!
- Where to Stay: Nashville is booming! There are cranes and construction everywhere. You shouldn’t have any issue booking a hotel room and if you’re on a budget, Airbnb is always a great option. I would recommend trying to stay near downtown or towards the Vanderbilt area. I stayed at the Holiday Inn for a portion of my trip and was wowed with this beautiful new property.
- Once you’re settled, get a lay of the land. This is my favorite thing to do once I’ve unpacked my clothes and freshened up a bit. Grab dinner at Martin’s BBQ (the mac n cheese has a spicy and crunchy topping that is mouth-watering delicious) and walk down Broadway Street to see the masses of people, numerous bands playing in every bar and overall liveliness of this Southern City. Don’t stay out too late because we have a full day tomorrow!
Saturday
- Grab coffee and a scone at Crema and head to either the Ryman Auditorium or the Country Music Hall of Fame to bask in the history of this musically talented city. (Side note: If you have a car, the Grand Ole Opry is another obvious choice! It’s a bit further outside of downtown, so it’s not as easy to get to.)
- Prepare your taste buds to be burned and order Hattie B’s hot chicken to go. Pick it up and head to Centennial Park to have an afternoon picnic. Be sure to walk around the replica of the Parthenon with plenty of lemonade or sweet tea to soothe your scorching tongue.
- Head to the Gulch to view some amazing street art and don’t forget to bring your camera!
After some downtime at your hotel, refuel and recharge at Pinewood Social for dinner. (Pro-tip: Make reservations! This place is pop-u-lar.) Try at least one of the fancy cocktails (they’re delicious- I loved City of Churches) and opt for a chill evening of bowling. Old school fun, y’all.
Sunday:
- Make your way to the southwest side of town to see Vanderbilt and Belmont Universities. (Belmont is especially gorgeous!) Try to get to Biscuit Love or Pancake Pantry before the crowds do.
- From there, Uber to the 12 South neighborhood. If you think Reese Witherspoon is the bees knees, her adorable shop, Draper James, is located on this street. (Fact: I wanted to buy everything.) Shop ’til you drop at all of the cute shops in the area. Don’t miss the “I believe in Nashville” mural and keep your eyes peeled for darling food trucks! I was hoping to spot Amelia’s Flower truck, but instead found the Tennessee Cobbler Company Food Truck. Serendipity.
- It’s probably time to head to the airport (or drive home), whomp, whomp. Blow a kiss to Nashville and say see you soon.
A few other things you might consider are:
- Try to see a singer-songwriter perform at the Bluebird Cafe.
- Take a day trip to Franklin, TN! It’s about 30-40 minutes from downtown Nashville and has a quaint, historic main street that operates at a relaxed pace. Dine at Grays on Main, peruse the antique shops and take in a slower pace of life.
I hope this weekend Itinerary for Nashville helps you plan your next trip to Music City! While it is a perfect location for a bachelorette party, it’s also pretty wonderful for a bleisire or “just because” vacation!
Question for you:
Have your ever been to Nashville? What was your favorite spot? Tell me below in the comments!
What a fun weekend! I haven’t been to nashville in a few years, but i’ve done a handful of these things. I’ve never been to draper jame,s though – is it really as amazing as it sounds? did you buy anything?
Unfortunately, no! The dress I especially wanted was ~$200 so I decided to be responsible :).
I love Nashville! We went last Year and loved the bbq and Live music on broadway! Definitely loved the farmers market too!
Nashville is always a fave! Many friends live there so I’m always up for a trip – only flying though, haha. There is a really cool Whiskey + Ramen restaurant in East Nashville named two ten jack. hands down the best tonkatsu ever.
Thank you for the ramen recommendation!