Your Friends Will Love These Nashville Weekend Trip Ideas
- Updated: 04/03/2024
- Janice
Nashville, the capital city of Tennessee, is known for its rich history, vibrant culture, and legendary music scene. From honky-tonks on Broadway to delicious Southern cuisine, Nashville is a perfect destination for a weekend getaway and a winning pick for group friend trips.
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I visited Nashville with friends in mid-fall when the weather was still warm enough to walk without a jacket, the music spilled out onto the street, and the smells of southern food were everywhere.
Whether you and your friends are music lovers, foodies, outdoor enthusiasts, or looking for a sure-to-please next group destination—you will find it in Nashville. Use my recommendations and tips to help you plan your best Nashville trip below.
Getting to & Around Nashville
Nashville is easily accessible by air, with Nashville International Airport served by 20+ airlines. Fewer than 10 miles from Midtown, or about a 15 to 20-minute drive depending on traffic, the airport is close to town, helping you get started with your fun weekend faster.
If you are arriving by car, Nashville is at the intersection of several major highways, including I-65, I-24, and I-40, within a three to four drive from cosmopolitan areas such as Atlanta, Indianapolis, St. Louis, and Cincinnati.
Once in Nashville, getting around is easy, with several transportation options available. You can hail a ride-sharing service, take a taxi, rent a car, pick up a bike or scooter, or use the city’s public transportation system.
If staying downtown, you will find many attractions within walking distance. And although the neighborhoods in Nashville are spread out, requiring you to take transport to get there, you will find most individual neighborhoods walkable once you arrive.
Where to Stay in Nashville
There are plenty of great places to stay in Nashville, though if you are looking for a central location, Downtown or South of Broadway (SoBro) is ideal.
You will be close to all the major attractions, including the honky-tonks on Broadway and the Country Music Hall of Fame. Midtown and The Gulch also offer a great alternative if you want to stay central and like access to trendy restaurants and boutiques. For a more relaxed vibe and neighborhood feel with lower-key restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and great shopping, consider staying in Germantown or renting around 12 South.
These leafy neighborhoods offer charm and character, with great restaurants and shops to explore. Here is a short list of the highest-rated accommodation for groups in each area:
Downtown: Courtyard By Marriott.
South of Broadway: Omni Nashville Hotel or Drury Plaza Hotel.
Midtown: Conrad Nashville or the Kimpton Aertson.
The Gulch: Thompson Nashville or W Nashville.
Germantown: The Germantown Inn.
12 South: This highly-rated VRBO rental sleeps up to 10.
Top Things to Do in Nashville: Music, Food, & Culture
Nashville offers such a rich collection of experiences that you will likely find plenty of reasons to extend your quick weekend trip into a longer visit. Find the top things to do on a Nashville group getaway below.
- Explore the music scene.
- Savor the flavors.
- Soak in some history.
- Shop the stores.
- Take a day trip (and get outdoors).
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Explore the Music Scene in Nashville
No trip to Nashville is complete without exploring the music scene. Start with wandering down Broadway like we did. You will hear the music spilling into the street through the open windows, doorways, and second-story balconies of the heavily trafficked honky-tonks.
Step into any bar where you like the sound, order a cold beer or some hot chicken, and stay awhile to enjoy the live music of up-and-coming artists and established musicians alike.
Or you can be more deliberate and visit the nearby Country Music Hall of Fame, which features exhibits on country music history and culture. Or join a backstage tour of the historic Ryman Auditorium, which has hosted countless music legends.
Before your trip, check the show schedules of the Ryman Auditorium or the Grand Ole Opry websites and buy tickets. Find more nightlife and live music all over town—the Gulch and East Nashville offer excellent alternatives. Or pair your dinner with a show at one of these venues shared on Eater—I am an absolute yes on okra fries and hot chicken with a side of live music.
Savor the Flavors of Nashville
Speaking of hot chicken, Nashville is known for this and more delicious Southern cuisine. When visiting, try this local specialty of crispy and spicy fried chicken served with pickles and bread. Other must-sample dishes include biscuits and gravy, BBQ, and fried catfish.
Nashville offers many great options to sample these favorites, including Hattie B’s Hot Chicken, Loveless Cafe, and Red’s 615 Chicken.
For BBQ, our group loved dinner and easy ordering at low-key Peg Leg Porker. Additionally, be sure to reserve a table for your group for brunch. Our group loved Pinewood Social—an oversize trendy locale with huge booths perfect for groups paired with a bowling joint. It had southern specialties, updated brunch favorites, and delicious drinks and was walkable from the Omni, the South of Broadway hotel where we were staying.
Other weekend brunch places ideal for groups include (some offer reservations, others do not):
- 12 South: Urban Grub or The Buttermilk Ranch
- The Gulch: Biscuit Love or The Mockingbird
- Germantown: Geist
Soak in Some History
Nashville is rich in history, from its Civil War past to its significant role in the Civil Rights Movement. Visit The Hermitage, the home of President Andrew Jackson, or the Belle Meade Plantation, where you can learn about its history and the winery through one of several group tour options, which could include wine or food tastings.
Or join for a Civil Rights Tour to learn about Nashville’s significant sites and people who played a role in the movement.
Shop Local Boutiques & Markets
Nashville is home to great shopping. Our favorite area was the 12 South neighborhood, a bustling boutique hotspot full of crowds, cafes, and cute stores, like Draper James and White’s Mercantile.
Find more eclectic shopping options at the daily Nashville Farmers Market just south of Germantown, or the Nashville Flea Market, typically open the third weekend of every month. Check the schedule here before you plan to visit.
Take a Day Trip (& Get Outside)
If you have extra time during your stay, consider taking a day trip from Nashville to explore the surrounding areas. The historic town of Franklin is just a 30-minute drive away, with its charming downtown area and Civil War history.
For outdoor enthusiasts and hikers, the natural beauty surrounding Nashville offers a great draw. If you want to stay closer to town, go to Radnor Lake State Park, where you get there in a 20-minute drive, and then hike or paddle around the lake.
Although technically in-town versus out, 132-acre Centennial Park, a 10-minute drive from downtown, is another nearby great option, with walking trails, a pond, and a replica of the Parthenon.
For a scenic drive, head to the Natchez Trace Parkway, a 400+-mile scenic roadway that winds through stunning forests and rolling hills across three states. Or opt for more top-rated hikes with waterfalls at Burgess Falls State Park, about an hour and a quarter drive east of Nashville.
Looking for more fun things to do in Nashville? Check out this list from Globetrove.com.
The Best Nashville Group Tours & Activities
I love booking tours or activities for group trips because the top-rated ones are nearly always a lot of fun to do. Plus, they usually help the group to experience a new place or a unique thing to do together, making for a more memorable trip.
Here is my list of top tours and activities I recommend according to group type.
For the active groups:
I love bike tours. They are fun to do and offer a great first introduction to a new place. Try this Electric Fat Tire Bike Tour. Or opt to glide past the downtown skyline on this kayak tour, or get out of town on this all-day guided hiking trip to waterfalls.
For the art lovers:
Join this Mural and Mimosas Tour or this Mural PhotoWalk With a Professional Photographer.
For the epicures:
Consider this Taste of Nashville Food & Sightseeing Tour or this Underground Donut Tour. And for the drink aficionados try this local Brewery & Distillery Tour by golf cart. Or get out of town on this 7-hour experience of a Jack Daniels Distillery Tour to Lynchburg, TN.
For the partiers:
Let loose on this Pedal Pub Bike, Downtown Nashville Pub Crawl, Line Dancing Class, or this Pontoon Party Cruise (summer only).
For the fashionable:
Dress your best for this Sip and Shop Walking Tour or capture your most flattering pose on this Photoshoot and Insider Tour.
Tips For Experiencing the Best of Nashville
To help you make the most of your Nashville getaway, watch this monthly Instagram Live “Where to Go Next” video series where two travel advisor friends, Juli Hall of Celebrate & Explore and Laura Cox of Travel80By80, and I ask and answer questions anyone planning a friend getaway to Nashville, Tennessee, might have.
To catch our “Where to go next” destinations, such as Iceland and Belize, follow us on Instagram (@gatherandgotravel, @travel80by80, and @celebrateandexplore) or sign up for my monthly Gather and Go Travel Discovery Newsletter.
Additionally, check out this list of my top Nashville things-to-know-before-you-go tips below.
- Wear comfortable shoes. You will be doing a lot of walking, especially if you are exploring downtown or the honky-tonks on Broadway. My favorites are these sneakers from On.
- Bring a hat and sunscreen. Nashville can get hot and sunny, especially during the summer months. I always bring sunscreen from Aussie-based Blue Lizard.
- Plan for popular attractions. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Ryman Auditorium get busy—consider booking tickets in advance.
- Be prepared for crowds. Nashville is a popular destination, especially on weekends and during major events.
- Watch for accommodation price surges. Nashville is the home to several mid-size colleges, such as Vanderbilt, Belmont, and Tennessee State. Expect higher accommodation pricing during parents’ weekends, graduations, and other busy university times.
Related Reading
Looking for more group friend destination inspiration? Try these articles:
Additional Trip Planning Resources
To further help you with travel planning, I share my go-to resources for every trip below.
Google Flights. My first research stop for affordable flights for every trip. Learn why here.
Google Hotels. Use its “Where to stay” button to discover the best neighborhoods to base your visit.
Booking.com. For hotel and rental bookings, I appreciate its flexible cancellation, candid user reviews, discounts, loyalty program, and easy-to-use interface.
Viator, Get Your Guide, & Airbnb Experiences. Quickly find and book highly-rated tours and activities on these sites.
Google Travel Things to Do & Google Maps. Find more things to do in your destination on Google Travel, then record where you want to visit on a custom Google Maps list.
AllTrails. Love to hike? Me too. I religiously use AllTrails to discover hiking and biking trails and download its offline maps to manage my hikes.
Guide Along. 5-star self-guided audio tours that are GPS-compatible for US road trips and national parks. We loved the Glacier National Park tour.
Insure My Trip. I never travel internationally without trip insurance. Learn why here. My preferred place to shop and compare policies is InsureMyTrip.com.
Plus, check out the 15 travel apps I use on trips, my preferred guidebooks, and my free customizable travel itinerary template, downloadable in four file formats.
About the author: Janice Moskoff is a travel writer and blogger who loves hiking, exploring the world, and reading. She writes to inspire travel-loving families, adult friends, and couples on her blog, Gather and Go Travel. Check out her bio, learn how she became a blogger, and discover how to work with her. Sign up for her monthly Discovery Newsletter to get her latest travel recommendations and how-to’s.
Love to travel? Sign up for my monthly Gather & Go Travel Discovery Newsletter and get a free trip budget calculator.
Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links on this page may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I only recommend products and companies I use. And the income goes to keeping the site community-supported and ads minimal.
Welcome to Gather and Go Travel, a blog inspiring families, adult friends, and couples to explore US and international destinations and to get outdoors. I am Janice, an experienced traveler to over 50 countries and a travel writer, book lover, and blogger. Learn more about me, read our story, and how to work with me.
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