Nashville Weekend Guide: Honky-Tonks, the Ryman and Hot Chicken

For a Nashville weekend, spend Friday night on Lower Broadway’s honky-tonks, Saturday at the Country Music Hall of Fame and a show at the Ryman Auditorium or the Grand Ole Opry, and Sunday exploring East Nashville or 12 South with a hot chicken lunch. Book Opry and Ryman tickets and a Bluebird Cafe reservation in advance. Stay downtown or in the Gulch to walk to the music. Spring and fall bring the best weather. Avoid big event weekends if you hate crowds.

Nashville calls itself Music City, and it earns the name. Live music plays on Broadway from late morning until the early hours, often with no cover charge. Songwriters test new material in tiny rooms. Some of the most famous recordings in American music were made a few blocks from your hotel. And beyond the neon, the city has grown into a serious food town with a proud local tradition: hot chicken. It is also, these days, one of the bachelorette party capitals of America. We’ll help you find both sides.

2–3 daysRight length for a first visit
1892The Ryman Auditorium opened
1925First Grand Ole Opry broadcast
FreeMost Broadway honky-tonks, plus tips

The honest take on Broadway

Lower Broadway, the stretch of neon-lit bars between about 5th Avenue and the Cumberland River, is loud, crowded and fun. Every bar has a band, often on multiple floors, playing from around 10 or 11 a.m. until late. Most don’t charge a cover. Musicians play for tips, so drop money in the bucket, especially if you request a song. Some of these players are touring professionals. Some will be famous in five years.

But here is what many visitors don’t realize: Broadway has changed. Celebrity-branded multi-story bars now dominate much of the strip, and weekends bring waves of bachelorette parties and pedal taverns, those open-air party wagons rolling through downtown. It can feel more like a spring break party than a music scene. Go anyway. Then go back on a weekday afternoon, when you can grab a stool and actually listen.

For a classic experience, look for the smaller, older honky-tonks. Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, with its purple facade, has hosted country legends since the 1960s. Robert’s Western World is a beloved traditional spot, where the bands play real classic country and you can order a famous fried bologna sandwich. These places keep the old spirit alive.

The Ryman and the Grand Ole Opry

The Ryman Auditorium opened in 1892 as a church, the Union Gospel Tabernacle. It became the home of the Grand Ole Opry radio show from 1943 to 1974, earning the nickname the Mother Church of Country Music. Today it hosts concerts in every genre, and its acoustics and wooden pews make any show special. Take a daytime tour if you can’t catch a show. Standing on that stage is a thrill even for people who don’t like country music.

The Grand Ole Opry is the longest-running radio broadcast in US history, first aired in 1925. It now broadcasts from the Grand Ole Opry House near Opryland, about 15 minutes from downtown, and returns to the Ryman for some winter seasons. A show features several performers, often mixing legends, current stars and newcomers, each doing a few songs. It’s a great introduction to the music. Book tickets in advance.

Day 1: Downtown and Broadway

Morning: start at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, one of the best music museums in the world. Its exhibits trace country music from its roots to today, with Elvis Presley’s gold Cadillac, handwritten lyrics and countless instruments. Book a combined ticket with a tour of RCA Studio B, the historic studio where Elvis, Dolly Parton and the Everly Brothers recorded hits. Tours leave from the museum by shuttle.

Afternoon: visit the National Museum of African American Music, opened in 2021, which tells the story of more than 50 genres shaped by Black musicians, from gospel and blues to jazz and hip-hop, with interactive exhibits. Or the small Johnny Cash Museum, packed with memorabilia.

Evening: dinner downtown, then an early show at the Ryman, followed by Broadway’s honky-tonks. Walk across the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge for a great view of the skyline at night.

Day 2: Music Row, the Bluebird and the Opry

Morning: walk or drive around Music Row, the neighborhood of record labels, studios and publishing houses southwest of downtown. Then visit Centennial Park and its full-scale replica of the Parthenon in Athens, built for the 1897 Tennessee Centennial Exposition. Inside stands a 42-foot gilded statue of Athena. It’s strange. It’s great.

Afternoon: lunch in 12 South, a walkable street of boutiques and cafés. Take a photo at one of the city’s famous murals, and grab a popsicle.

Evening: the Bluebird Cafe, a tiny strip mall venue with about 90 seats, is where songwriters perform their own songs, often the hits other artists made famous. Reservations open online and go fast; some seats are held for walk-ins with a long wait. If you can’t get in, see a show at the Grand Ole Opry.

Day 3: East Nashville and hot chicken

Across the river, East Nashville has a more local, creative feel, with independent shops, coffee houses, breweries and some of the best restaurants in the city. Five Points is the center of it. Have brunch, browse record stores, and feel how different it is from Broadway.

Then it’s time for hot chicken. Nashville hot chicken is fried chicken coated in a spicy cayenne paste, served on white bread with pickles. It traces back to Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack, run by the Prince family since the 1930s and 1940s. Legend says it began as revenge from a scorned lover who spiked a man’s chicken with peppers, and he loved it. Order mild or medium the first time. We mean it. Keep a glass of sweet tea or milk close. “Hot” and above can be brutally spicy.

Other neighborhoods

The Gulch: trendy, with hotels, restaurants and the famous angel wings mural.
Germantown: historic brick buildings, great restaurants and the Nashville farmers market.
Midtown: bars and restaurants near Vanderbilt University.
Marathon Village: a restored auto factory with shops and a distillery.

What to eat

Hot chicken, obviously. But also a meat-and-three, a Southern tradition where you pick one meat and three sides, like mac and cheese, greens and fried okra. Arnold’s Country Kitchen is a well-loved example. Try biscuits at a classic breakfast spot, barbecue, and a GooGoo Cluster, a candy made in Nashville since 1912. Our Southern food guide explains more dishes.

Beyond country music

Nashville’s reputation is country, but its music scene is much wider. Jefferson Street, in North Nashville, was a major hub of rhythm and blues in the 1950s and 1960s, where a young Jimi Hendrix played the clubs. The Fisk Jubilee Singers, from historically Black Fisk University, toured the world in the 1870s and helped introduce spirituals to global audiences; their story is part of why the city is called Music City. Today, you can find rock, Americana, jazz, gospel and hip-hop on any given night. Check local listings for venues like the Basement East and the Exit/In, an old-school rock club.

Packing list

Boots, if you have them. You will fit right in.
Comfortable shoes for walking downtown.
Small bills for tipping bands.
A light jacket for air-conditioned venues and cool spring nights.

When to go

Spring, from March to May, and fall, from September to November, have the best weather. Summer is hot and humid. In June, the CMA Fest brings huge crowds of country fans and pushes hotel prices up. Weekends year-round are busy; weekdays are calmer and cheaper. Winter is cool and quieter, with holiday events at Gaylord Opryland.

Where to stay

Downtown and SoBro put you within walking distance of Broadway and the Ryman. The Gulch and Midtown are close but a little quieter. East Nashville has vacation rentals and a few small hotels. Downtown hotels can be expensive, especially on weekends, often $250 to $500 a night. Look farther out, near the airport or Opryland, for lower rates. Our Airbnb vs hotel guide covers short-term rentals, which Nashville regulates.

Getting around

Downtown is walkable. For neighborhoods, use rideshares, the city bus or scooters. Parking downtown is expensive. From Nashville International Airport, downtown is about 15 to 20 minutes by car. Avoid driving on Broadway on weekend nights; traffic and crowds are heavy.

What it costs

Nashville isn’t cheap anymore. Hotels downtown often cost $250 or more on weekends. Opry tickets typically range from about $50 to over $100. Country Music Hall of Fame tickets are about $30 to $35, more with the Studio B tour. Food is reasonable outside the tourist areas. A weekend for two can range from about $1,000 to $2,000 before flights.

Common mistakes

Only seeing Broadway. The city’s best music and food are often elsewhere.

Ordering the hottest chicken on day one. Start mild.

Not tipping musicians. They play for tips. Pay them.

Booking during CMA Fest by accident. Check the calendar.

Day trips from Nashville

Franklin, about 30 minutes south, has one of the prettiest historic main streets in the South, with antique shops, cafés and live music. It was also the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War in 1864, and the Carter House and Carnton plantation tell that story.

The Hermitage, the home of President Andrew Jackson, sits about 20 minutes east of downtown. Its tours have expanded in recent years to tell the stories of the enslaved people who lived and worked there.

Belle Meade Historic Site, in west Nashville, is a former thoroughbred horse farm with a winery on site.

Lynchburg, about 75 minutes south, is home to the Jack Daniel’s Distillery, the oldest registered distillery in the US. Tours explain the whiskey-making process. Moore County, where it sits, has long been a dry county, though the distillery has special permission to sell its whiskey on site.

For nature, the Great Smoky Mountains are about four hours east. Our Smokies hikes and cabin guide can help you add them.

Visiting with a group

Nashville is one of the most popular destinations in the country for bachelorette parties, birthdays and group trips. If that’s you, a few tips. Book large vacation rentals early and check that they are legally permitted; Nashville enforces short-term rental rules. Reserve party wagons, pedal taverns and private tours well ahead for weekends. Make dinner reservations for big groups weeks in advance. And remember that locals live here too. Keep the noise down in residential neighborhoods.

With kids

Nashville has more for kids than you might expect. The Country Music Hall of Fame has interactive exhibits. The Parthenon is a fun surprise. The Adventure Science Center has a planetarium. The Nashville Zoo is well regarded. Broadway is fine for families in the afternoon, when bars are calmer, though many venues become 21-and-over at night. Try a matinee at the Ryman or the Opry.

Safety

Downtown Nashville is busy and well policed, especially on weekends. As in any big city, watch your belongings in crowds, use rideshares late at night and stay with your group. Heat and alcohol together are a real risk on summer afternoons. Drink water between drinks.

Frequently asked questions

How many days do you need in Nashville?

Two to three days covers Broadway, the museums, a show and a neighborhood or two.

Is the Grand Ole Opry worth it?

Yes, especially for first-timers. You see several artists in one show at a historic institution.

What is the best time to visit Nashville?

Spring and fall for the weather. Weekdays for smaller crowds.

Do Broadway honky-tonks charge a cover?

Most don’t, though some charge for special events. Tip the bands.

Book before you go

Grand Ole Opry or Ryman show tickets.
A Bluebird Cafe reservation, as soon as they open for your date.
Country Music Hall of Fame tickets with the Studio B tour.
A hotel downtown or in the Gulch, ideally midweek.