Nashville Travel Guide

Getting There

The Nashville International Airport makes the city an easy place to get too. It is also within road trip range of other major cities like Memphis, Charlotte, and Atlanta.

Nashville is one of the US’s friendliest cities, and locals are sure to help you out with anything you need. Enjoy that southern hospitality.

Weather & Climate

Nashville has pretty delineated seasons, without ever getting too extreme. The hottest month, July, has an average high of just below 90 and the coldest month, January, has an average low of 28 degrees, although tourists can expect humidity and precipitation throughout the year.

Things to Do & Attractions

Country music fans will be at home in this southern city. Nashville, Tennessee is the country music capital of the world, producing some of the biggest stars and drawing in aspiring musicians by the thousands.

It has the most amount of residents in the entire state and is the 24th busiest city in the whole of America. Known as the “home of country music”, Nashville is a major center for producing and recording music. Since the 1960s, Nashville has had the second-largest music production center (after New York) in the United States and makes the industry $6.4 billion every year.

The Country Music Hall of Fame is the first place you need to go in Nashville. See a show at the Grand Ole Opry or learn something new about The Man in Black at the Johnny Cash Museum. For a break from all the country music, check out Cheekwood Botanical Gardens and Museum of Art or The Hermitage, the home of President Andrew Jackson.

Events

Many Nashville events revolve around music, however their Fourth of July celebration is one of the country’s biggest.

Tin Pan South in March is known to be the world’s largest songwriter festival.

Manchester, Tennessee may be outside of Nashville by about an hour but every year in June it hosts Bonnaroo, the largest music festival in the US. Headliners are always some of the biggest names in music.

Nightlife

Wander through the streets filled with trendy bars and cafes in The Gulch, or go boutique shopping in Hillsboro Village. The best restaurants can be found in Germantown, but be sure to head downtown for all the museums and fun.

Whiskey and bourbon drinkers should stop at Nelson's Green Brier Distillery for a taste of the local liquor.

The city of Nashville has a plethora of things to do and see, with a rich history, great restaurants, and lively nightlife. Honky Tonk Highways has music blaring every night of the year, or you find hidden venues playing country music throughout the night. Some of the town's biggest attractions are the Grand Ole Opry, General Jackson Showboat and Nashville Zoo. The Jack Daniel's distillery is also a popular attraction, where you can discover the story of how this world-famous drink began.

Food & Drink

Nashville is a city on the rise. The younger crowd that is moving to Nashville in waves is bringing with them food trends previously unheard of in Tennessee, namely vegan, vegetarian, and stuff that has “gastro” in front of their names. But the trendiness isn’t all bad. The Catbird Sea is one of the best restaurants in the country and produces foods in a variety of fusions.

All you Southern and Nashville traditionalists, no need to worry, Southern classics are still very much available. BBQ continues to reign supreme in this region and Nashville has no end to places to sample. Check out Dino’s for a true Nashville experience. Make sure to order country poutine, which is hot fries with Velveeta.

Art & Culture

There are some great tourist spots in the city, including a semi-restored Civil War battle fort, the Tennessee State Museum, and The Parthenon -- a full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens.

Travelers interested in politics can visit one of the largest presidential homes open to the public -- The Hermitage -- former home of President Andrew Jackson. The Tennessee State Capitol is one of the oldest working state capitol buildings in the nation.

Nashville has a huge array of iconic country music venues like the Grand Ole Opry House, home of the famous “Grand Ole Opry” stage and radio show. The venue was set up in 1925 and started with a one-hour radio barn dance which went out once a week. The official name is now the Ryman Auditorium but it is still known as Opry House and “Grand Ole Opry” to music fans and locals.

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is a must-visit for all music fans. This huge site is one of the world's largest museums and research centers dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American music. Started in 1964, the museum has a wide variety of musical instruments, records and live music memorabilia.

Visit the Johnny Cash Museum for a look into the life history of the Man in Black and walk along the bars in Broadway to listen to some modern day live music at one of the brightly-lit venues.

Every vacationer should take a visit to Vanderbilt University. This private research university was founded in 1873 and named after shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its first $1 million despite having never been to the South.

The beautifully preserved Belmont Mansion is the largest house museum in Nashville and allows history fans to uncover the past of Nashville.

Family Activities

For children and families, the Adventure Science Center is a great day out. Children can try out a flight simulator, have a go at being an astronaut and even find out what they will look like when they get older in a face changing photo booth.

A Nashville vacation is a great time to relax, unwind and soak up the laid-back country atmosphere. A stay in Nashville is a lot more pleasant with a centrally located vacation home that can give guests all the comforts of home.

From luxury rental properties with hot tubs, fully furnished apartments for families and rental homes right in the city center there are plenty of places to stay all around the city.

If you want to get out of the city to the great outdoors, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is on your doorstep, as well as a number of golf courses. Take a look at the huge range of house rentals available for your Nashville vacation.

Cabins in Nashville

Nashville cabins rentals come in all shapes and sizes, to suit all budgets and tastes. Whether you want a vacation rental with a queen sized bed or one with twin beds, a cozy cottage with a front porch or a log cabin in the Smoky Mountains with a large living room, Nashville TN has it. The majority of cabin rentals come fully equipped with everything you could need for the perfect family vacation.

The city of Nashville has a plethora of things to do and see, with a rich history, great restaurants, and lively nightlife. Honky Tonk Highways has music blaring every night of the year, or you find hidden venues playing country music throughout the night. Some of the town's biggest attractions are the Grand Ole Opry, General Jackson Showboat and Nashville Zoo. The Jack Daniel's distillery is also a popular attraction, where you can discover the story of how this world-famous drink began. If you want to get out of the city to the great outdoors, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is on your doorstep, as well as a number of golf courses. Take a look at the huge range of house rentals available for your Nashville vacation.