Three days is the right amount of time for a first Nashville visit. It’s enough to cover the essential cultural anchors, spend a proper evening on Broadway, and get into at least two neighborhoods beyond downtown. It is not enough to do everything worth doing. Nashville returns visitors for a reason.
Day 1: Downtown Foundations
Morning
Arrive at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum when it opens at 9 AM. Buy the combo ticket ($54.95 adults) that includes Historic RCA Studio B. Spend 2.5-3 hours in the CMHOF itself, then take the shuttle to Studio B for the guided tour. Tours run every hour starting at 10:30 AM. The studio holds about 50 people; your guide will walk you through the acoustic engineering, the recording history, and the experience of standing where Elvis recorded more than 200 songs. Budget the full morning.
Afternoon
Hot chicken for lunch. Hattie B’s SoBro location (222 4th Ave N) is close to the CMHOF. Order medium or hot. The heat builds after you finish eating, so start conservative.
After lunch, walk Music Row. The cluster of studios and publishing offices along 16th and 17th Avenues South has historical markers throughout. The buildings are not open to casual visitors, but the walk takes 30-40 minutes and gives context for everything you just saw at the CMHOF.
Evening
Dinner at Merchants Restaurant (401 Broadway), one of the few Broadway establishments that functions as an actual restaurant and has maintained quality since 1988. Takes reservations.
Broadway starting at 7 PM: Robert’s Western World first (authentic format, no cover, genuine country band), then walk through Tootsies, then end the night at the Listening Room Cafe for the 9:30 PM songwriter show. Book the Listening Room in advance.
Day 2: Ryman + East Nashville
Morning
Ryman Auditorium self-guided daytime tour ($25 adults, 116 5th Ave N). Arrive when it opens. The 1.5-hour experience covers the building’s origins as a tabernacle, its 30 years as the home of the Grand Ole Opry, and the acoustics that musicians have described as the best in the country. The pews, the stained glass, and the stage dimensions all read differently in person.
After the Ryman, walk to the Johnny Cash Museum ($22, 119 3rd Ave S, a 5-minute walk away). The 18,000-square-foot museum covers Cash’s complete career and cultural influence. Interactive elements include an exhibit where you can create your own mixes of his recordings. Budget 1.5 hours.
Afternoon
Rideshare to East Nashville. Get coffee at Barista Parlor on Gallatin Pike, the original East Nashville location, serious specialty coffee. Walk Five Points: vintage stores, local boutiques, murals. Eat at The Pharmacy Burger Parlor for lunch ($14 Farm Burger, house-made root beer).
Spend the afternoon walking the neighborhood. The Shelby Bottoms Greenway entrance is accessible from Five Points if you want an hour of riverside walking.
Evening
Dinner in East Nashville: Rosepepper Cantina for Tex-Mex in a longtime neighborhood spot, or Lockeland Table for a more upscale farm-to-table meal. The East Nashville bar scene starts at the Five Spot (live music most nights) or Dino’s bar for a quieter end to the evening.
Day 3: Neighborhoods + Grand Ole Opry
Morning
Breakfast at Biscuit Love in The Gulch (biscuit sandwiches, bonuts). Then walk the Gulch neighborhood, which has the What Lifts You wings mural and concentrated shopping within a few walkable blocks.
After The Gulch, head to Centennial Park. The Parthenon ($10 adults, free for the grounds) is the only full-scale replica of the Athenian Parthenon in the world. Inside is Nashville’s art museum with a permanent collection of 63 American paintings and the monumental statue of Athena Parthenos. Budget 1-1.5 hours.
Afternoon
12 South neighborhood: Rideshare south to the Twelve South commercial strip. Browse boutiques, stop at the “I Believe in Nashville” mural, and walk Sevier Park. If you want a serious lunch, Locust (2905 12th Ave S) is a Noma-trained chef’s restaurant where the kitchen delivers food directly to tables. Book well in advance; it fills up. For a more casual option, Slim & Husky’s pizza on 12 South has a devoted local following.
Evening
Grand Ole Opry if the show timing works (Tuesday, Friday, or Saturday, $35-60). Book in advance. The venue is in Music Valley, six miles from downtown, requiring a rideshare or rental car. Shows run approximately 2.5 hours with 5-8 artists performing multiple songs each. For a more intimate and cheaper final night, Station Inn in The Gulch runs bluegrass shows most nights starting around 9 PM with no reservations required.
What Didn’t Fit
Three days could not include: Cheekwood (3-4 hours minimum), the National Museum of African American Music (excellent, 1.5-2 hours), the Frist Art Museum, Germantown thoroughly, the Franklin day trip (25 minutes south), or the afternoon neighborhood walks in Wedgewood-Houston or Sylvan Park. These belong on a return visit.
Sources:
- Nomadic Matt, “The Perfect 3-4 Day Nashville Itinerary for 2025”: nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/nashville-itinerary
- Travel Lemming, “3 Days in Nashville Itinerary (A Local’s Perfect Weekend)”: travellemming.com/nashville-itinerary
- Goop, “A Local’s Guide to 3 Perfect Days in Nashville” (December 2025): goop.com/travel/experiences/nashville-itinerary
- Country Music Hall of Fame combo ticket pricing: countrymusichalloffame.org
- Ryman Auditorium tour tickets: ryman.com
- Grand Ole Opry official ticket prices: opry.com