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How many days in Nashville? 3 days of music, from the Ryman to the Opry
By Tony Panopoulos · travel-agency planner in Greece · Updated
Nashville is Music City, and the reason is not only Lower Broadway. Give it three days to see all of it: the museums and the Ryman Auditorium downtown, a night at the Grand Ole Opry, the songwriters' rooms such as the Bluebird Cafe, and the neighbourhoods of East Nashville and 12 South where locals actually go out. Live music on Broadway starts at 10:00 in the morning and is free to walk in to.
Short answer
Two days covers downtown, the Hall of Fame, the Ryman and an Opry show. The third day adds the Parthenon, Belle Meade or the Hermitage, and an evening of songwriters.
The 3-day plan, day by day
Day 1: The Country Music Hall of Fame and Lower Broadway
Morning. Start at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (about US$30-35), with Elvis's gold Cadillac and the plaques of every member in the rotunda. Add the bus tour to RCA Studio B on Music Row, where Elvis, Dolly Parton and the Everly Brothers recorded (about US$20 more).
Afternoon. Walk 5 minutes to the Johnny Cash Museum (about US$25-28), then up to the Ryman Auditorium, the 'Mother Church of Country Music', a former tabernacle from 1892 and home of the Opry from 1943 to 1974 (self-guided tour about US$30-35).
Evening. Walk Lower Broadway between 1st and 5th Avenue: Robert's Western World for pure honky-tonk, Tootsie's Orchid Lounge with its purple front, and Legends Corner. Entry is free; tip the band.
Broadway is loud and crowded with bachelorette 'pedal taverns' at weekends. For the real thing, go before 18:00, or on a weekday.
Day 2: Music Row, The Gulch and the Grand Ole Opry
Morning. Visit the National Museum of African American Music on Broadway (about US$25), which traces gospel, blues, jazz and hip-hop. Then take a tour of a working studio, or walk Music Row along 16th and 17th Avenue South, lined with publishers and labels.
Afternoon. Lunch in The Gulch, the district of new towers and restaurants south of downtown, and take your photo at the famous 'What Lifts You' wings mural.
Evening. Take a car about 20 minutes east to the Grand Ole Opry at Opryland, the radio show running since 1925, with six or more artists a night (tickets roughly US$60-120). On some winter dates the Opry returns to the Ryman.
The Opry stage has a circle of wood cut from the old Ryman stage. Backstage tours let you stand on it; book them with your show.
Day 3: The Parthenon, East Nashville and the Bluebird
Morning. Visit The Parthenon in Centennial Park, a full-scale replica built for the 1897 Centennial Exposition, with a 42-foot (13-metre) gilded statue of Athena inside (about US$10). Or tour Belle Meade, a plantation turned winery, or Andrew Jackson's Hermitage, 25 minutes east.
Afternoon. Spend the afternoon in 12 South, a street of boutiques and cafés, or East Nashville across the river for record shops and bars on Five Points.
Evening. Hear songwriters perform their own hits at the Bluebird Cafe, a 90-seat room in a strip mall (reservations open online about a week ahead and go fast; some seats are first come). The Listening Room downtown is easier to book.
The Bluebird is a listening room: no talking during sets. Arrive 30 minutes early, and buy at least one drink or food item.
Only have 2 days?
With 2 days, do Day 1 as written, and on Day 2 combine the African American music museum with the Opry at night.
Got extra days?
A 4th day can go to the Jack Daniel's Distillery in Lynchburg (about 1h30 by car, tours from about US$25-40), or to the Civil War town of Franklin, 30 minutes south.
Where to stay in Nashville
| Budget | Area | Why | Typical double/night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | Near the airport / Music Valley | Cheaper chain hotels, close to the Opry; a ride from downtown. | US$120-180 |
| Mid-range | Downtown / SoBro | Walk to Broadway, the Ryman and the Hall of Fame. | US$250-400 |
| Mid-range | The Gulch / Midtown | Newer hotels near Music Row and the bars of Midtown. | US$230-380 |
| Comfort | Historic downtown hotels | The Hermitage Hotel, Union Station or riverside towers. | US$450-800 |
Getting around
Downtown is walkable: the Hall of Fame to the Ryman is 10 minutes. Elsewhere use Uber or Lyft; most trips cost US$12-25. WeGo city buses cost about US$2. Nashville International Airport (BNA) is about 15-20 minutes by car (roughly US$25-35), or take the WeGo bus 18. Parking downtown costs US$20-50 a day. The Opry is in Music Valley, about 20 minutes east.
What to eat in Nashville
Nashville's dish is hot chicken, fried chicken coated in cayenne paste, served on white bread with pickles. Prince's Hot Chicken started it in the 1940s; Hattie B's has the queues; order 'medium' first. Try a meat-and-three lunch (one meat, three sides), biscuits with country ham at the Loveless Cafe, and Tennessee whiskey, which is filtered by law (with one exception) through sugar-maple charcoal. Barbecue joints such as Martin's smoke whole hogs. A hot-chicken plate costs US$15-20, dinner US$30-60, a beer on Broadway US$8-10.
Best time to visit
April to June and September to October, with highs of 20-28°C. Summer is humid, 30-35°C, and CMA Fest in June fills hotels. Winter is mild but grey, around 5-10°C, with some ice. Hotel prices peak on weekends and big events year round.
Month-by-month weather for Nashville →
What a day costs
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing a double) | US$90 | US$170 | US$320 |
| Food & drink | US$50 | US$90 | US$170 |
| Sights & tickets | US$30 | US$70 | US$130 |
| Local transport | US$15 | US$30 | US$60 |
| Total per person, per day | about US$185 | about US$360 | about US$680 |
Approximate 2026 prices in US dollars; Nashville hotel taxes add up to roughly 15-16% plus a small nightly fee, and tips of 18-20% are expected in restaurants and bars.
Before you go
Common questions
Is Nashville only for country music fans?
No. Country is the heart, but you will hear rock, blues, soul, bluegrass and Americana in the bars. The African American music museum, the Parthenon, the food scene and the neighbourhoods are reasons to come in themselves. Many visitors who do not like country leave with a favourite honky-tonk band.
Do I need tickets for the bars on Broadway?
No. The honky-tonks are free to enter and have live bands from about 10:00 to 2:00, changing every few hours. You pay for drinks and tip the band, usually US$5-20 into the bucket. Some bars have a cover charge for big-name shows upstairs or on rooftops.
How far in advance should I book the Opry and the Bluebird?
Book the Opry a few weeks ahead for weekends; weekday shows often have seats. The Bluebird releases reservations online about a week in advance and they go within minutes, so be ready on the day. Some seats are first come, first served; arrive well before the doors open.
When is CMA Fest?
CMA Fest is held over four days in early or mid-June, with free daytime stages and big concerts at the Nissan Stadium at night. It is one of the busiest times of year: hotels can cost double, so book months ahead or stay outside downtown.
How this guide was made
Compiled by TonyPlan from official tourism, transport and attraction sources and on-the-ground travel knowledge. Prices are approximate for 2026 and change with season; anything we could not confirm is marked as approximate.
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