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Nashville
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7 Days · in Nashville

Seven Days in Nashville: The Complete City Itinerary

A full week lets you experience Nashville the way residents do, blending marquee sights with slower neighborhood days. The first five days cover downtown Broadway, Music Row and the Gulch, creative East Nashville, Centennial Park, and the Grand Ole Opry at Music Valley. Days six and seven then reach the boutiques of 12 South, the galleries of Wedgewood-Houston, the gardens of Cheekwood, and historic Germantown with its farmers' market. You'll eat across the city's signature traditions, hot chicken, meat-and-three plates, biscuits, and barbecue, and hear its music while seeing its art, architecture, and green spaces. Each day stays geographically tight, so a week feels immersive rather than exhausting.

7 days
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Day 01

Downtown, Broadway & the River

Downtown music museums, the Ryman, a riverfront walk, and honky-tonks.

  1. Morning

    Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

    Start at the Country Music Hall of Fame before the crowds gather, the perfect orientation to Nashville's musical heritage.

  2. Late Morning

    Ryman Auditorium

    Tour the Ryman, the Mother Church of Country Music and former home of the Grand Ole Opry, just a few blocks north.

  3. Lunch

    Lower Broadway

    Lunch on Lower Broadway with live music spilling from the honky-tonks, moments from the afternoon's museums.

  4. Afternoon

    Johnny Cash Museum

    Spend an hour with the Johnny Cash Museum's memorabilia and recordings, right beside the Patsy Cline Museum.

  5. Late Afternoon

    John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge

    Walk the pedestrian bridge over the Cumberland River for the finest downtown skyline views.

  6. Evening

    Hot chicken dinner

    Close with classic Nashville hot chicken, ordering to your heat tolerance and toasting your first day.

Day 02

Music Row, the Gulch & Midtown

Historic recording studios, murals, boutiques, and acclaimed Gulch dining.

  1. Morning

    RCA Studio B

    Tour RCA Studio B on Music Row, where Elvis and Dolly Parton recorded; book the tour through the Hall of Fame.

  2. Late Morning

    The Gulch murals

    Walk to the Gulch to see the What Lifts You angel-wings mural and browse the district's independent boutiques.

  3. Lunch

    Gulch eats

    Grab lunch in the Gulch, from biscuits at Biscuit Love to tacos and Southern plates nearby.

  4. Afternoon

    Frist Art Museum

    Head to the Frist Art Museum, an Art Deco former post office hosting rotating national exhibitions.

  5. Late Afternoon

    Music Row roundabout

    See the Musica statue at the Music Row roundabout, the largest bronze figure group in the country.

  6. Evening

    Midtown dinner

    Dine in Midtown near Vanderbilt, with options from Southern fine dining to casual college spots.

Day 03

East Nashville: Five Points & Shelby Park

Greenway trails, murals, vintage shops, and independent dining across the river.

  1. Morning

    Shelby Bottoms Greenway

    Walk or bike the Shelby Bottoms Greenway along the Cumberland River amid woods and wetlands.

  2. Late Morning

    Five Points

    Browse the vintage shops and record stores around the Five Points intersection in East Nashville.

  3. Lunch

    Five Points eats

    Grab lunch at one of Five Points' beloved casual spots, from wood-fired pizza to tacos.

  4. Afternoon

    Lockeland Springs

    Wander the leafy Lockeland Springs streets and spot the neighborhood's many colorful murals.

  5. Evening

    East Nashville dinner

    Dine along Eastland or Gallatin among some of the city's best independent restaurants.

  6. Evening

    Cocktail nightcap

    End with a drink at an East Nashville cocktail bar and the area's laid-back creative energy.

Day 04

Centennial Park & the Parthenon

A full-scale Parthenon, a university campus, and a historic mansion.

  1. Morning

    The Parthenon

    Explore the world's only full-scale replica of the Parthenon, home to a towering statue of Athena and an art museum.

  2. Lunch

    Hillsboro Village

    Lunch in Hillsboro Village among student cafes and the historic Pancake Pantry near Vanderbilt.

  3. Afternoon

    Vanderbilt University campus

    Wander Vanderbilt's tree-lined campus, a designated national arboretum, then head toward Belmont.

  4. Late Afternoon

    Belmont Mansion

    Tour the Italianate Belmont Mansion, one of the South's grandest antebellum homes, on Belmont's campus.

  5. Evening

    Centennial Park

    Walk back to Centennial Park's lake and lawns for a serene green respite beside the Parthenon.

  6. Evening

    West End dinner

    Enjoy West End dining or Southern classics before heading back downtown.

Day 05

The Grand Ole Opry & Music Valley

Opry history, a vast garden resort, a riverboat cruise, and a live show.

  1. Morning

    Grand Ole Opry House

    Tour the Grand Ole Opry House and stand in the famous circle of stage floor cut from the Ryman.

  2. Lunch

    Music Valley

    Lunch near Opry Mills or in Music Valley's cluster of restaurants and shops.

  3. Afternoon

    Gaylord Opryland Resort

    Stroll the Gaylord Opryland's nine acres of indoor gardens, waterfalls, and a flatboat river.

  4. Late Afternoon

    General Jackson Showboat

    Board the General Jackson showboat for a paddlewheel cruise along the Cumberland River.

  5. Evening

    Grand Ole Opry show

    Catch a live Grand Ole Opry performance, the longest-running radio broadcast in the country.

  6. Evening

    Broadway nightcap

    Return downtown for a nightcap amid Lower Broadway's neon and live honky-tonk bands.

Day 06

12 South, Wedgewood-Houston & Cheekwood

Boutique shopping, an arts district, botanical gardens, and celebrated dining.

  1. Morning

    12 South

    Start along 12 South, browsing boutiques like Draper James and the popular I Believe in Nashville mural.

  2. Late Morning

    Sevier Park

    Walk to Sevier Park's greenway and the historic Sunnyside Mansion at the neighborhood's heart.

  3. Lunch

    12 South eats

    Enjoy lunch on 12 South, from Burger Up to a scoop at Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams.

  4. Afternoon

    Cheekwood Estate & Gardens

    Head to Cheekwood, a 1930s estate with 55 acres of botanical gardens, a mansion museum, and a sculpture trail.

  5. Evening

    Wedgewood-Houston galleries

    Return to Wedgewood-Houston's arts district, a former industrial area now full of galleries and breweries.

  6. Evening

    Restaurant Row dinner

    Book dinner at one of Wedgewood-Houston's acclaimed new restaurants, home to some of Nashville's most ambitious dining.

Day 07

Germantown, the Farmers Market & Farewell

History and dining in Germantown, plus flexible time for favorites.

  1. Morning

    Germantown

    Explore Germantown, Nashville's oldest neighborhood, with its Victorian rowhouses and brick streets north of downtown.

  2. Late Morning

    Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park

    Walk the Bicentennial Capitol Mall's history walkway and 95-bell carillon beneath the Tennessee State Capitol.

  3. Lunch

    Nashville Farmers' Market

    Feast on global food-hall stalls and Southern plates at the Nashville Farmers' Market at your own pace.

  4. Afternoon

    Tennessee State Museum

    Return to the free Tennessee State Museum for the state's history from prehistory to the present day.

  5. Late Afternoon

    Tennessee State Capitol

    Tour the Greek Revival State Capitol grounds and the tomb of President James K. Polk on the hilltop above.

  6. Evening

    Farewell dinner

    End the week with a favorite Nashville meal, hot chicken, a meat-and-three, or a Germantown tasting menu, before departing.