Welcome to Nashville, the capital of country music and the bachelorette weekend capital of America. This complete Nashville guide covers everything a first-time visitor needs: where to eat hot chicken, how to do Lower Broadway, the best neighborhoods, family-friendly activities, day trips to waterfalls, and the local tips that save time and money.
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Nashville hot chicken is the city's signature dish: brined, fried, and tossed in a cayenne paste that ranges from mild to "shut the cluck up." It started at Prince's Hot Chicken in the 1930s and is now copied around the world. Eat it here, not at home.
The most popular spots:
Broadway is the strip with the honky tonks. Free live country music starts at 10am and runs until 3am. Walk it once for the experience, then leave for better neighborhoods.
The classics: Tootsie's Orchid Lounge (the original, where Hank Williams drank), Robert's Western World (boots, burgers, recession special), The Stage, Acme Feed & Seed (rooftop with skyline views), Legends Corner, and Honky Tonk Central.
Celebrity-owned bars stack the strip too: Luke Bryan's Luke's 32 Bridge, Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row, Florida Georgia Line's FGL House, Jason Aldean's, Kid Rock's, Blake Shelton's Ole Red, Miranda Lambert's Casa Rosa, Eric Church's Chief's, and Tim McGraw's Tin Roof. Most have rooftops.
Tipping the band is expected. $5 minimum if you stay for a few songs, more if you request a song.
Trendy district next to downtown. Rooftop bars, the famous What Lifts You wings mural, condos, and the best brunch in town at Biscuit Love. Don't miss Station Inn for bluegrass (cash only, tiny, magical) and L.A. Jackson rooftop at the Thompson Hotel for skyline cocktails.
A walkable mile of boutiques, brunch spots, and Instagram murals. The I Believe in Nashville mural is here, painted on the side of Reese Witherspoon's Draper James store. Other 12 South essentials: Imogene + Willie denim, Burger Up, Mafiaoza's, Las Paletas popsicles, Five Daughters Bakery 100-layer donuts, and Jeni's ice cream.
Nashville's oldest neighborhood. Brick streets, restored Victorians, and the densest concentration of great restaurants in town. Rolf and Daughters, City House, Henrietta Red, Butcher and Bee, 5th & Taylor, plus the Nashville Farmers' Market food hall (Bao Down, East Side Banh Mi, Picnic Tap, Bubble Love bubble tea, Fishmonger). First Horizon Park is here for Nashville Sounds Triple-A baseball.
Across the river. Vintage shops, dive bars, indie restaurants, hipster coffee. Five Points is the main hub. Where locals actually hang out. Best spots: Prince's Hot Chicken (the original), Margot Cafe, The 5 Spot, Eastside Bowl, Folk, Two Ten Jack.
Industrial-turned-cool. Breweries (Tennessee Brew Works, Jackalope), galleries (David Lusk, The Packing Plant), live music (3rd & Lindsley, Cannery Hall), Sean Brock's flagship Audrey, and Geodis Park for Nashville SC soccer. First Saturday of each month is the WeHo gallery crawl.
Old factory turned distilleries, shops, and a music venue. Nelson's Green Brier Distillery, Corsair, Marathon Music Works, and Antique Archaeology (Mike Wolfe of American Pickers).
South of Broadway. Country Music Hall of Fame, Listening Room Cafe for songwriter shows, Husk, Pinewood Social, and Bridgestone Arena for the Nashville Predators.
Nashville is the bachelorette capital of the United States. Most weekends 50+ pink-cowboy-hat groups roll through Lower Broadway. Here is the complete bachelorette playbook:
Broadway is free music all day, but the legendary Nashville venues are elsewhere:
Nashville does families well. Free or cheap kid-friendly activities:
Tennessee whiskey country. Walkable distillery district at Marathon Village (Nelson's Green Brier, Corsair) and a brewery cluster in Wedgewood-Houston (Tennessee Brew Works, Jackalope, Smith & Lentz). Day trip to Jack Daniel's in Lynchburg (90 min) or Uncle Nearest in Shelbyville (60 min) for the full whiskey heritage.
Tennessee has stunning waterfalls within day-trip distance:
Three ride-share options operate downtown: Uber, Lyft, and Waymo (autonomous, often the cheapest at peak hours). Lower Broadway, The Gulch, SoBro, and Germantown are walkable. WeGo Bus runs between neighborhoods. For bachelorette groups of 6+, an Uber XL or pre-booked party bus splits cheaper than scattering on individual Lyfts.
BNA airport rideshare pickup is on the second floor, not curbside. Allow 90 minutes for security on weekends.
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