2 days in Nashville

Day by day

1. Day 1: Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and Ryman Auditorium

   Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Ryman Auditorium, Lower Broadway honky-tonks and Johnny Cash Museum, then Grand Ole Opry in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

      It is also the starting point for tours of the historic RCA Studio B.

   2. Late morning

      Ryman Auditorium

      Daytime self-guided and backstage tours cover its history, and the church-pew auditorium still hosts concerts of every genre.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Nashville hot chicken

      Hot-chicken shops across the city, including Prince's and several newer specialists; start at medium.

   4. Afternoon

      Lower Broadway honky-tonks

      Robert's is known for traditional country and its fried-bologna sandwich.

   5. Late afternoon

      Johnny Cash Museum

      It shares a building with the Patsy Cline Museum upstairs.

   6. Evening

      Grand Ole Opry

      Check whether the show is at the Opry House or, during some winter weeks, at the Ryman.

2. Day 2: National Museum of African American Music and John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge

   National Museum of African American Music, John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge, Tennessee State Capitol and Frist Art Museum, then Bluebird Cafe in the evening.

   1. Morning

      National Museum of African American Music

      Opened in 2021 at Fifth and Broadway, this museum traces more than 50 genres shaped by African American musicians, from spirituals and the blues to jazz, gospel, R&B and hip-hop, with interactive booths where you can sing, dance or produce a beat.

   2. Late morning

      John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge

      A restored 1909 steel truss bridge across the Cumberland River, closed to cars and open to walkers, with the classic view of the downtown skyline and the 'Batman Building'.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Meat-and-three

      Long-running lunch spots such as Arnold's Country Kitchen near the Gulch; many serve lunch only on weekdays.

   4. Afternoon

      Tennessee State Capitol

      President James K. Polk's tomb is on the grounds, and free tours visit the legislative chambers.

   5. Late afternoon

      Frist Art Museum

      An exhibition centre with no permanent collection, housed in the city's former Art Deco main post office, which shows touring exhibitions from major museums, plus a hands-on art studio for children.

   6. Evening

      Bluebird Cafe

      If you miss out on reservations, other songwriter nights downtown and in East Nashville offer a similar experience.

Before you go

• Ryman Auditorium: Popular concerts sell out quickly; buy tickets through the official site.
• Grand Ole Opry: Book tickets ahead, especially for weekend shows.
• Bluebird Cafe: Reservations open online in advance and go very quickly; some seats are released for walk-ins.

If it rains

• Swap in The Parthenon (Midtown and Music Row): The park around it is free and a pleasant place for a picnic.
• Swap in Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum (Downtown and Lower Broadway): A good follow-on for music fans who have already done the Hall of Fame.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 15–21 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.7 hours in December to 14.6 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Walking. Lower Broadway, the Ryman, the Hall of Fame, the pedestrian bridge and the Gulch are all within about 15 minutes on foot.

More or fewer days

• One day in Nashville
• 3 days in Nashville

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