3 days in Nashville: the Opry, Broadway, the Bluebird
Photo by Cpl. Vincent Needham / Wikimedia Commons, public domain
Three days of country music from the Hall of Fame and the Ryman to a night at the Grand Ole Opry, the honky-tonks of Lower Broadway and a songwriter round at the Bluebird, with hot chicken twice. Best in spring and autumn; book the Opry and Bluebird first.
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- Day 18 am – 11:30 pm · 7 stops
- 8 am 1Biscuits at Biscuit Love in the GulchNashville
The breakfast both Fodor's and a long first-hand Nashville guide name. Expect a line by mid-morning, so go at opening. About $20.
3 min walk · 100 m - 8:50 am 2The WhatLiftsYou wings muralNashville
The Gulch's angel-wings wall is the city's best-known photo spot, named in two trip reports. It's a few steps from breakfast; before 9am there's usually no queue to stand in front of it. Free.
11 min walk · 850 m - 9:30 am 3Country Music Hall of Fame, then RCA Studio BNashville
Elvis's gold Cadillac, stage costumes and walls of gold records, then a shuttle to Studio B, where Elvis cut over 200 songs. Open daily 9am to 5pm with timed entry. Adults $32 for the museum, $50 with Studio B, $72 adding a Hatch Show Print session (June 2026 prices). Weekday mornings are quietest.
8 min by train or taxi · 2.0 km - 1:30 pm 4Hot chicken at Hattie B'sNashville
The hot chicken most visitors try first, with heat levels from Southern (none) to Shut the Cluck Up. Several reports suggest Medium or Hot for a first time. The Melrose branch is quicker than the Midtown original if the line is long. About $18.
8 min by train or taxi · 2.0 km - 2:45 pm 5Ryman Auditorium, the Mother ChurchNashville
The former tabernacle that housed the Opry for 31 years. The self-guided tour lets you stand on the stage. About $36 for adults, daily 9am to 4pm, though tours can be cut back on show days for setup. Most visitors need one to two hours.
3 min walk · 50 m - 5:30 pm 6The Recession Special at Robert's Western WorldNashville
The most traditional honky-tonk on Broadway, with a real country band on stage from the afternoon. Dinner is the $6 Recession Special: a fried bologna sandwich, chips, a Moon Pie and a PBR (The Infatuation, February 2025). No cover; tip the band.
3 min walk · 0 m - 7 pm 7Broadway honky-tonks: Tootsie's and The StageNashville
Live bands play on every floor from late morning to 2am with no cover. Three reports name the same core: Tootsie's (go up to the rooftop), The Stage and Legends Corner. Move on when a set ends and tip the band. Budget about $30 for drinks.
- Day 28 am – 9:15 pm · 7 stops
- 8 am 8Pancakes at the Pancake PantryNashville
A Hillsboro Village institution since 1961, named by two first-hand guides. The line forms early, so arrive near opening. About $18.
8 min by train or taxi · 1.8 km - 9:15 am 9The Parthenon in Centennial ParkNashville
A full-scale replica of the Athens temple with a 42-foot gilded Athena and an art gallery. It reopened after an HVAC closure that ran to late June 2026. Adults $15, on-site only (card fee, no phone wallets). Hours: 9am to 4:30pm, but noon on Thursdays and from 12:30pm on Sundays.
8 min by train or taxi · 3.6 km - 11 am 1012South on footNashville
A walkable strip of boutiques, cafes and murals, including the 'I Believe in Nashville' wall, that two reports recommend for a morning stroll. Free to wander.
3 min walk · 50 m - 12:15 pm 11Lunch at Edley's Bar-B-QueNashville
Fodor's and a first-hand traveller both send you here for barbecue in 12South. Get the brisket with fried pickles on the side. About $22.
8 min by train or taxi · 4.4 km - 2 pm 12Johnny Cash MuseumNashville
The largest Cash collection anywhere, a block off Broadway. Open daily 9am to 7pm; adults $27.95 plus tax (June 2026). Allow one to two hours. Goo Goo Chocolate Co. across the street makes a good stop afterwards.
14 min by train or taxi · 14 km - 4:30 pm 13Early dinner at Prince's, where hot chicken startedNashville
The family shop that invented Nashville hot chicken; reports that try both Prince's and Hattie B's say both are worth it. The heat goes up to 'napalm'; the Andre sandwich is the order one guide recommends. About $16.
18 min by train or taxi · 18 km - 7 pm 14The Grand Ole OpryNashville
The radio show that has run since 1925: eight or so acts, from Opry members to new names, each doing a few songs. Shows are usually 7pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Tickets run about $53 to $175 by tier (2025). In recent winters the Opry has moved to the Ryman for January. There's no direct bus and no free parking, so prebook parking or take a rideshare.
- Day 39:30 am – 7:30 pm · 4 stops
- 9:30 am 15State Capitol and the Bicentennial MallNashville
Walk down from the Greek Revival Tennessee State Capitol through the 19-acre mall, with its map of Tennessee and its carillon. Fodor's and NOMADasaurus both route the morning this way. Free.
3 min walk · 150 m - 10:45 am 16Nashville Farmers' Market and lunch in its food hallNashville
Produce sheds, local makers and an indoor food hall right beside the Bicentennial Mall. Four of the guides used here stop for lunch. About $18.
8 min by train or taxi · 1.8 km - 2 pm 17John Seigenthaler Pedestrian BridgeNashville
The old truss bridge over the Cumberland gives the best skyline view of Broadway. Fodor's and NOMADasaurus both recommend it; NOMADasaurus suggests going at sunset if you are free. Free.
13 min by train or taxi · 7.8 km - 6 pm 18A songwriter round at the Bluebird CafeNashville
Songwriters play in the round, in a 90-seat room. Book only on bluebirdcafe.com; tickets are named and ID-checked, and resale sites have sold fakes. Most shows have a $15 food-and-drink minimum. The Monday 6pm open mic is first come, first served, and 10 to 12 walk-up seats are held at other shows. One reviewer queued three hours for walk-up seats.