Nashville Itinerary (Plus Franklin + Lynchburg)
July 2, 2024 by Laura
Nashville was an absolute blast and landed a spot at the top of our favorite cities list! We enjoyed a show at the Grand Ole Opry, ate Nashville Hot Chicken, listened to live music on Broadway, visited the city of Franklin, and so much more!
Our Itinerary for Nashville, Tennessee (Plus, Franklin & Lynchburg)
This trip to Nashville was a part of our 50 States by 50 bucket list! We visited Memphis, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, small towns, and, of course, Nashville. A trip to Tennessee would not be complete without experiencing the greatness Nashville has to offer.
Our itinerary below does not extensively list everything there is to do in Nashville. It does, however, list everything that we personally experienced. I'll provide all of our firsthand recommendations and tips so you can also have the best trip to Nashville!
If you are looking for more Tennessee content check out our other travel blogs: 9 Day Tennessee Itinerary, Memphis Itinerary.
The Parthenon
2500 West End Avenue
Nashville, TN 37203
☼ 9:00AM
Our first activity in Nashville was a big one. Literally! The Parthenon is a full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens, Greece. This replica was built with intentions of it only being temporary and was originally built for the Tennessee Centennial Exposition in 1897. You can read all about the history of The Parthenon inside as well as seeing lots of pictures from the construction of the building. We found it all to be super interesting, and ended up spending about an hour just reading everything.
Inside you will also find an art museum and the 42-foot Athena! You really cannot grasp how big that is until you are standing in front of her. This is such a fun and unique stop in Nashville. You don't want to miss out on seeing it!
→ Find out more on The Parthenon!
Hattie B's Hot Chicken
2222 8th Avenue
Nashville, TN 37204
☼ 11:00AM
One of the foods Tennessee is most known for (meaning it was something we had to try in order to check Tennessee off as a visited state) is Nashville Hot Chicken, of course! The fried chicken is dipped into a spicy sauce and comes out tasting amazing!
We visited Nashville on a Monday which meant that a lot of the smaller local places were closed, unfortunately. Hattie B's location worked best with our schedule, but there are tons of places to choose from when looking for a hot chicken sandwich here. While this wasn't the best hot chicken we have ever eaten before, it was still pretty good! We ordered it 'medium' which we were a little sad about, but we didn't want to chance not feeling good for the rest of the day.
The sides of collard greens and pimento mac & cheese were pretty good too. Though my favorite thing we ordered might have just been the cup of banana pudding!
If you don't want to fight for a parking spot or wait in line, make sure to get there right when they open!
→ Find out more on Hattie B's!
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
222 Rep. John Lewis Way S
Nashville, TN 37203
☼ 1:30PM
After a quick rest at our Airbnb, we walked over to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. If you love country music even in the slightest, I think you would enjoy this museum. It starts all the way from the beginnings of country music and takes you to present day. You will read about all your favorite country music singers (and learn about some new ones too, probably!), see really cool artifacts such as Elvis Presley's car, and walk out with a greater appreciation of the art of country music.
We were in this museum for about 2 hours and read a lot! However, there was so much more we didn't get to or skimmed over. This is a big museum, and if you really wanted to you could spend hours and hours here!
Be sure to buy your tickets online ahead to reserve your time slot, and don't forget to swing by the gift shop when you are done!
→ Find out more and buy tickets on Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum!
Broadway
Nashville, TN 37201
☼ 3:45PM
Broadway was an experience, and a trip to Nashville just wouldn't be complete without going. This is a busy street, also known as the Honky Tonk Highway, where you can hear country music blasting out of every bar and restaurant along the strip. All the music is live, and there are no cover charges. Yes, really! Just don't forget to tip the band if you decide to stay and listen awhile.
There's tons to see and do on Broadway- grab a bite to eat, have a drink (or two), sit and listen to the music, pop in and out of shops, or simply just walk up and down the street to take it all in. I'd suggest also stopping by the Ryman Auditorium and Printer's Alley!
→ Find out more on Visit Music City!
Goo Goo Chocolate Co.
113 3rd Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37201
☼ 4:00PM
Once I found out that Goo Goo Clusters were invented in Nashville, I knew we had to go check out the Goo Goo Chocolate Store which is located right off of Broadway Street.
Of course, you can buy a variety of pre-packaged Goo Goo Clusters at the store. However, I highly suggest you create your own cluster! They have self-serve kiosk where you can choose exactly what goes into your candy. We chose to add potato chips, nuts, and nougat to ours. After paying, you can go up to the counter and watch them make your Goo Goo Cluster! It was a lot of fun.
The best part, however, was how delicious it was! Seriously, so good.
→ Find out more on Goo Goo Cluster!
Robert's Western World
416 Broadway #B
Nashville, TN 37203
☼ 4:30PM
While I loved experiencing Broadway for awhile, we really aren't loud muisc party people. We found Robert's Western World, and it was much more our speed. This is a fairly small bar. When we were there, there was only one man singing old Hank Williams songs. Perfect! It was definitely more our speed.
Another reason to step foot into Robert's is for the Recession Special. This includes a fried bologna sandwich, potato chips, moon pie, and a PBR Beer. All for only $6! You just can't beat it. Plus, it's just a really cool Nashville experience.
→ Find out more on Robert's Western World!
The Time Jumpers at 3rd & Lindsley
818 3rd Avenue S
Nashville, TN 37210
☼ 7:00PM
If you are in Nashville on a Monday night, then hands-down you gotta go to 3rd & Lindsley. Every Monday, you'll be able to see The Time Jumpers perform. They sure do know how to put on a show and all are incredible musicians.
While The Time Jumpers are a fun time, I imagine that 3rd & Lindsley would be a good spot to go any day of the week. There's always live music, and you can order food and drinks. It's a great place to just sit back, enjoy a cocktail, and listen to the music.
Make sure to buy your tickets online ahead of time, and get there an hour or so before the band starts so you can get a good seat. We went straight upstairs and snagged a table that had a perfect view of the stage. Personally, we thought it was one of the best seats in the house!
→ Find out more and buy tickets on 3rd & Lindsley!
Big Al's Deli
1828 4th Avenue N
Nashville, TN 37208
☼ 8:00AM
Our favorite meal we had in Nashville (and maybe even in Tennessee) was the breakfast we ordered from Big Al's. Big Al's is a tiny restaurant located in a neighborhood near downtown Nashville. When you walk in the first thing you'll likely see is Al himself cooking up some delicious food!
Brian ordered the biscuits and gravy and a bacon biscuit. The biscuits were so fluffy and buttery while the gravy was spicy and savory. It really is the perfect combination. I ordered Big Al's Breakfast which came with eggs, hash browns, a biscuit, and bacon. To me, this was the perfect breakfast. It was all so good, but I'll remember those hash browns forever. YUM.
If you are planning to visit, be sure to keep an eye on Big Al's Facebook or Instagram page. Sometimes he closes the restaurant so he can do a catering job.
→ Find out more on Big Al's Deli and Catering!
Tennessee State Capitol Building
600 Dr. MLK Jr. Boulevard
Nashville, TN 37243
☼ 9:15AM
In every state we visit, we go see the capitol building. Tennessee's capitol is unique in that it is right next to a state park, Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park. From the park, you get a beautiful view of the capitol building.
The capitol's exterior has stunning architecture, and the inside was extravagant. Next to the capitol building, you will find James K Polk's tombstone. There's lots of history here!
Do note that it was quite the walk to get here. We parked by the Tennessee State Museum and walked through the park and up stairs. It was worth it though (plus we had to burn off that huge breakfast we just had eaten at Big Al's!).
→ Find out more on Tennessee State Capitol!
Tennessee State Museum
1000 Rosa L Parks Boulevard
Nashville, TN 37208
☼ 10:15AM
Another thing we have to do when visiting a new state is go to the state museum. Here, you will learn all about Tennessee. There exhibits that showcase the beginnings of Tennessee, the Civil War, The Civil Rights Movement, Davy Crockett, country music, and so much more.
This is a big museum packed full of information and life-size recplicas. There's a lot to look at! We spent about three hours here learning about everything.
Another cool thing about this museum is that it is completely free to visit! There is a parking lot right outside of the state museum where you park for free too. Make sure to get there early in the day to secure a parking spot. I would highly suggest visiting this museum if you are even just the slightest bit interested in learning more about the state of Tennessee!
→ Find out more on Tennessee State Museum!
East Side Bahn Mi
1000 Gallatin Avenue
Nashville, TN 37206
☼ 1:30PM
Bahn Mi sandwiches are probably not the first thing that comes to people's minds when they think of Nashville, but maybe it should be. East Side Bahn Mi has incredible sandwiches that are packed full of flavor. Their bread is freshly made every morning which makes all the difference.
We also ordered a couple of Vietnamese coffees which were really good and helped perk us up for the rest of our day! You can order ahead of time on their website so it will be ready for you when you show up.
→ Find out more and order ahead on East Side Bahn Mi!
Grand Ole Opry
600 Opry Mills Drive
Nashville, TN 37214
☼ 6:00PM
If you are in Nashville then you gotta go to the Grand Ole Opry! We went on a Tuesday night, and it was such a blast. They sometimes add artists to the lineup after all the tickets are bought. We got lucky and Jelly Roll showed up to perform! Along with Kelsea Ballerini, Terri Clark, Riders in the Sky, and more.
The show starts at 7PM and lasted about 2 hours. They have snacks and drinks, including alcohol, available to purchase. But if you want a real dinner, I'd suggest eating before the show. Before the show starts, you can browse the gift shop and buy one of the music posters for that night.
You can park in the mall parking lot which is right by the Opry for free. There is lots of parking spots here. Just walk a short bit over to the opry after parking.
This was hands-down one of the highlights of our entire Tennessee trip. I just wished we lived closer so we could go back more often. It was a great experience, and it sure did make my country music loving heart happy.
→ Find out more and buy tickets on Grand Ole Opry!
Nashville Airbnb
65 Lindsley Avenue
Nashville, TN 37210
During our entire trip in Nashville, we stayed at the Muse on Lindsley Avenue. These are such fun and cute places to stay. Ours had a huge portrait of Dolly Parton on the wall and a glass garage door that you could raise up. On the other side of the door was a private terrace that overlooked Nashville.
We felt very safe staying here, and they even had a security guard on duty downstairs every night. It is about a 20 minute walk to Broadway Street which was nice so we didn't have to mess with parking garages or traffic. It is also located on the same street as 3rd & Lindsley which was very convenient to go see The Time Jumpers!
→ Find out more on Muse Nashville!
Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge
Natchez Trace Parkway
Franklin, TN 37064
A short drive south of Nashville, and you will end up in Franklin. Franklin Tennessee is a quaint smaller town that is perfect for spending an afternoon or even an entire day. There is so much history and personality here!
On your way to Franklin, be sure to stop at the Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge (or even go over if you like). I was sad that we didn't have enough time to ride along the parkway, but seeing the bridge in person made up for it a bit!
Carter House
1140 Columbia Avenue
Franklin, TN 37167
When in Franklin, the Carter House is a must-stop, especially if you are a big history lover. The Carters were a family that hunkered down in their basement while the Battle of Franklin was happening in their backyard.
If you pay for a tour, you will be guided through the grounds and the house. This is an extremely interesting and educational tour where you will see the actual bullet holes that pierced through the wooden slabs. You'll learn about the Battle of Franklin and how it affected the people who lived in Franklin at that time.
If you have a lot of time in Franklin, look into the combination tour where you can tour the Carter House, Carnton, and Rippa Villa.
→ Find out more on Battle of Franklin Trust!
Downtown Franklin
Franklin, TN 37064
Franklin is a really cute town filled with historic houses and buildings. There are multiple self tours that you can do that will educate you about the old houses or history of the town.
The downtown is filled with fun shops and restaurants. You could spend a few hours here just wondering around looking at everything!
→ Find out more on Downtown Franklin!
Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe
428 Main Street
Franklin, TN 37064
Honestly, we were really looking forward to eating dinner at McCreary's Irish Pub & Eatery. Unfortunately, they are closed on Sunday evenings which was a huge bummer. I wanted some cottage pie!
We came to find out that there were a lot of places in downtown Franklin that close early on Sundays so keep that in mind when visiting. We stumbled upon a Mediterranean cafe chain. It was pretty good! We both had the lamb gyros. Honestly, it was probaby good we had something lighter this meal after all that heavy food we had been eating.
→ Find out more on Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe!
Jack Daniel's Distillery
133 Lynchburg Highway
Lynchburg, TN 37352
If time allows you, drive about one and half hours south of Franklin and visit the Jack Daniel's Distillery. They give really good and informative tours about the production of whisky and Jack Daniel himself.
The best part of the tour is that at the end you get to try samples of the Tennessee whisky. We paid $5 extra per person to do the Angel's Share tour. This means you will get a little bit fancier stuff for your samples. If you like the taste of whisky, I highly recommend you splurge a bit!
If you are a whisky fan then I say the extra driving from Nashville/Franklin is totally worth it for this tour. Be sure to buy your tickets in advance on their website to reserve your time slot!
→ Find out more and buy tickets on Jack Daniel's Distillery!
50 States by 50
Tennessee was our fourth state to visit for our 50 states by 50 challenge. My husband, Brian, and I are planning to visit all the states in the United States before we turn 50 years old. We draw which state we go to next randomly!
For each state, we will spend at least 4 days there and visit the state capitol, state museum, state park, and eat whatever food that state is most known for. We will document all of our travels on our blog and making vlogs as well which will be posted on YouTube. Read more about our 50 States by 50 Bucket List.
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Thank you for reading about our trip to Nashville & Franklin. We hope this itinerary was helpful in planning your own Nashville vacation! If you have any questions or just want to share your must-see Nashville places please leave a comment down below.
Category: Tennessee, State Itineraries, Capital Cities
Keywords: nashville itinerary, nashville tennessee trip, what to do in nashville, what to do in franklin tennessee
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Bon Voyage!
July 2, 2024 by Laura Ehlers
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