Howdy Nash
Howdy Nash
The perfect long weekend in Music City. Hour-by-hour Friday to Sunday. Built for couples, friends, and families.
Three days in Nashville covers more than most cities offer in a week. Broadway honky tonks. The Grand Ole Opry. Country Music Hall of Fame. Hot chicken. Hot biscuits. The Parthenon. Murals. A bridge over the Cumberland with the skyline behind it. This itinerary lays out a polished Friday-to-Sunday plan that hits the highlights without overpacking the schedule.
This is built for couples, friends groups, and families who want a real visit, not a bachelorette weekend. For the bachelorette version, see the bachelorette planning guide. Use the free Howdy Nash app to coordinate your group across the weekend.
Nashville International Airport (BNA) sits 8 miles east of downtown. Uber or Lyft runs $25 to $35. The new WeGo Star bus is cheaper but slow. If you are driving in, parking downtown costs $25 to $45 per night.
If your hotel allows early check-in, drop bags and head out. Otherwise, store luggage at the front desk and move on.
Skip the chain honky tonks for food. Walk to Acme Feed and Seed (101 Broadway). Four floors, southern food, rooftop with the best skyline view on Broadway. Order the pulled pork sandwich, sweet potato fries, and a beer. Eat upstairs for the view.
222 Rep. John Lewis Way South. 2 to 3 hours. The exhibits cover every era of country music. Elvis's gold Cadillac, Johnny Cash's guitars, and a working radio booth. The platinum ticket adds the RCA Studio B tour where Elvis recorded "Heartbreak Hotel."
Rooftop bar at the Thompson Hotel in The Gulch. 401 11th Avenue South. Walking distance from Hall of Fame. Skyline view, cocktail menu by James Beard nominees, and the best sunset view in The Gulch.
Pick one:
Walk to Lower Broadway. Hit Robert's Western World first for real-deal country. Then Tootsie's for the upper floors. Then finish at Honky Tonk Central rooftop. See the honky tonk guide for the full breakdown.
Walk if you are downtown. Uber if you are in The Gulch or Germantown ($8 to $15).
316 11th Avenue South (The Gulch). Order the East Nasty (fried chicken biscuit with cheddar and sausage gravy) and a side of bonuts (biscuit donuts). 30 to 60 minute wait by 10am. Get there at 9am.
302 11th Avenue South. Two blocks from Biscuit Love. The Kelsey Montague angel-wings mural is the most-photographed wall in Nashville. Best light is morning.
10-minute Uber. The 12 South neighborhood has the I Believe in Nashville mural (2007 12th Avenue South), Draper James (Reese Witherspoon's store), Five Daughters Bakery (100-layer donuts), and Frothy Monkey for coffee.
Burger Up (2901 12th Avenue South) for upscale burgers. Edley's (2706 12th Avenue South) for Nashville barbecue. Both casual, fast.
2500 West End Avenue. Full-scale replica of the Athenian Parthenon, complete with a 42-foot gold Athena inside. $10 entry. Walk the park afterward. The grounds have an art museum, a band shell, and a pond.
Saturdays in Nashville are long. Take 90 minutes back at the hotel. Shower, change for dinner.
Hattie B's Hot Chicken at 112 19th Avenue South (Midtown). Or hit Prince's on Nolensville Pike if you have the time. See the hot chicken guide for heat levels.
2804 Opryland Drive. 15-minute Uber from downtown ($20). Two-hour show, 7 to 8 acts including current stars and Opry legends. The format is the same as the original 1925 radio show. Worth the trip out of downtown.
Compare Nashville hotel prices across booking sites. Free cancellation on most rooms.
Howdy Nash is the free travel app for Nashville. Share location with your group, track who paid for what, and email split bills with one tap.
Pick a place that does not require a 90-minute line. Options:
116 5th Avenue North. The Mother Church of Country Music. $25 self-guided tour, $35 backstage tour. 90 minutes. Stand on the same stage where Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, and Johnny Cash recorded.
3 blocks from the Ryman. The bridge crosses the Cumberland River with the full downtown skyline behind it. Best Nashville photo for free. Walk to the east side for the iconic view.
Save room for one closing meal:
Boot Country (304 Broadway) does buy-one-get-two on cowboy boots. Hatch Show Print (116 5th Avenue) sells letterpress posters of Nashville landmarks.
If your flight is Sunday night, allow 90 minutes from downtown for BNA security on weekends. If you are staying one more night, end with a rooftop at White Limozeen at the Graduate Hotel. Pink Dolly Parton theme. Best last photo of Music City.
Estimated total per person: $800 to $1,300. Flights not included.
Tours, distillery day trips, pub crawls, pedal taverns, music history experiences. Pre-book the experiences from this 3-day plan in one place. Free cancellation on most bookings.
Howdy Nash is free, no signup, no ads. Built for visitors who want a polished weekend.
Things to Do in Nashville · Hot Chicken Guide · Best Honky Tonks · Where to Stay in Nashville · Getting Around Nashville · Neighborhoods Guide · BBQ · Music Venues · Museums · 1-Day Itinerary · 5-Day Itinerary