When thinking of Nashville, Tennessee the first thought that comes to mind is probably country music and honky tonks. And you would be absolutely correct! Tourists flock to Nashville to hear their favorite artists as well as up and coming talents. No visit is complete without a stroll down Lower Broadway. Everyone that comes to visit from 9 months to 99 years is going to have a blast and this 3 day Nashville itinerary will make sure of it.
Nashville, Tennessee is one of the most quaint big cities I have been to in the U.S.. It is the Tennessee State Capitol and although the metro area is home to about 2 Million people it still had a small town feel that I loved. Getting in and out of the city wasn’t hard and the traffic downtown was far better than I expected. So here is the perfect Nashville Itinerary or as close as I could get it to perfect. Especially for a first time visitor.
This post may contain some affiliate links. This means I make a small profit from your purchase but at no increased cost to you. I only recommend products that I love and would purchase myself! Full disclaimer here.
3 Day Nashville Itinerary
We visited Nashville for a long weekend from Thursday to Saturday as a family of four to meet up with my parents and brother. Everything on this Nashville itinerary with kids is completely family friendly. And you should be able to do all the activities I talk about no matter what day of the week or time of the year you visit during.
Day One: Honky Tonk Highway and Pizza
To start off day one in Nashville, we are going to start off the day with a good breakfast. We actually ended up sleeping in a little and then eating in the hotel which is always a great option. Especially if you’re looking for ways to save money while traveling. If your hotel doesn’t offer breakfast and you want to eat out, The Mockingbird was high on my list of places to try!
Honky Tonks
Next we are going to start our sightseeing off strong by going to Lower broadway in Downtown Nashville to check out the Honky Tonks. We are going during the day so that the whole family can enjoy it. There are several honky tonks that allow kids during the day so you are welcome to all listen to live music. Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge and Robert’s Western World have live music all day, allow kids and have no cover charge during the day. Wild Horse Saloon has line dancing and is kid friendly all day with no cover charge before 6pm. For a great view of the Cumberland River, Acme Feed & Farm rooftop bar is a fun quick stop.
One of our favorite parts of the whole trip was stopping in to the Boot Country Shop and grabbing boots for the whole family! They have a special where you buy one pair of boots and get two free. It actually made them pretty affordable. Even if you decide not to purchase boots, it is a great spot to try on a pair or two on. The kid size boots are the cutest things I’ve ever seen.
Next step is to grab lunch. We ate at Lucky Bastard Saloon while listening to some great music. It felt like quintessential Nashville to me!
After you’ve eaten your fill, right nearby are the Country Music Hall of Fame Museum and the Johnny Cash Museum. Both are very popular and my mom really liked the Country Music Hall of Fame on her first visit to Nashville.
If you aren’t museum people, particularly with kids then our original plan was a fun hike by the Cumberland river. We were hot and tired though so we changed plans and enjoyed a fun afternoon in the pool as a family.
Dinner
Whatever you did for the afternoon I am sure you worked up an appetite. We headed over to the cutest area for dinner. We ate at MAFIAoZA’s which is right around the corner from the famous Five Daughters Bakery. At the counter kids can watch the pizzas being made. And once you order, you can ask for some dough for kids to play with. It helps the time pass so quickly when the kiddos are having fun making shapes and mini pizzas at the table.
Nearby are also a few murals that are fun to check out and the Draper James Shop (also a very picturesque spot). For dessert our group had split opinions so we grabbed a few donuts from Five Daughters Bakery and walked down to Jeni’s for some delicious ice cream!
More To Do in (or Nearish) Nashville:
- Things to Do in Nashville (Coming Soon)
- Lake Watauga, Tennessee Day Trip
- Dog Friendly Hikes off Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville, NC
- 3 Day Charleston, South Carolina Itinerary: Perfect Weekend Guide
Day 2: Nashville Classics and Mansions
For the second day in Nashville lets head to one of the most iconic brunch spots Biscuit Love! There are two locations, both of which are delicious options with cute vibes. We tried The Lily, a biscuit baked in custard, peaches and cream as well as the Lindstrom, a brussel sprout salad covered in a vinaigrette and poached eggs. Both were very unexpected and really yummy. The Lily was sweet and decadent whereas Lindstrom was healthy and light. There were so many other delicious options I would love to go back and try too like the cinnamon roll biscuit, the bonuts and the sausage gravy.
Plantation
For a quick escape from downtown, we spent the rest of our morning at the Belle Meade Plantation. This expansive mansion and grounds has everything from a home tour, wine tasting, history displays and a cute cafe with lawn games like cornhole, horseshoe and croquet.
They offer a variety of tours so you should have no problem finding the perfect one for your group. Since we had my two boys with us we chose the family tour. This was a really amazing tour they offer where the mansion tour is condensed to hold kids’ attention. Our tour guide did an amazing job speaking to the kids on the tour, answering their questions as well as sharing facts about the house and its occupants that really held the kids attention. After the house tour everyone walked to the dairy, which is a small building not far from the main house, and got to have fun with a few crafts.
When we were there we got to make our own candle covers, practice with ink and calligraphy pens and color an optical illusion. Even the adults had fun! It was really great to not have to choose between not doing the tour or doing the tour but wrestling with two kids the entire time.
Nashville Hot Chicken
For a late lunch we decided to stop by Hattie B’s Hot Chicken. Even at about 2:30 in the afternoon we had to stand in line for almost an HOUR to order and sit down. Luckily this gave my kiddos a chance to nap in the car while some of our group held our spot in line. Once we ordered, the food was great! I don’t like my food too spicy and I thought the lowest level offered had just the right amount of heat. I was not a fan of the cooked greens though, I would choose a different side next time.
Murals and Museum
During your second afternoon in Nashville, you have options. I love murals and taking pictures, so we went on a small mural hunt and found the “What Lifts You Mural” as well as a couple of others nearby. If I was alone or with others that enjoy that kind of activity more I would happily have gone to a few more like:
- Red lips mural (1814 21st Ave South)
- What Lifts You Wings Mural
- I Believe in Nashville Mural
- Flower Mural (1113 12th Ave S)
- Draper James
If you don’t have any interest in Murals then this is a great time to visit another country music museum, take a tour of The Opry House, or visit the Cheekwood Botanical Garden (just note this closes at 5 pm).
Evening
If you got an earlier start to your day and ate meals at a normal time then now is the perfect time to grab dinner. Our original plan was to eat at Monells, a family style restaurant that serves southern classics. I’ll have to save it for my next trip to Nashville though because we were still stuffed from our late lunch.
We did, however, have room for dessert. We stopped by The Baked Bear for some over the top ice cream sandwiches. You can choose what type of cookie, what ice cream flavors to fill them with, and toppings to put on it too. I recommend getting it warmed up too. It was absolutely delicious.
We ended the day at the pool while my brother and his girlfriend hit up Lower Broadway and the Honky Tonks at night. I think both groups had a lot of fun, we just vacation differently with kids!
Traveling with Kids
- Baby and Toddler Packing List for Your Next Family Vacation
- How to Travel with a Baby: Everything You Need to Know
- The Best Age to Travel with Kids (and the Worst)!
Day 3: Greece and Country Music
For the final day in Nashville we ate at Pancake Pantry. This is an upscale version of ihop and another Nashville classic that had a huge wait. They have the most unique flavors of pancakes that all tasted amazing! I ordered the cinnamon roll pancakes and they tasted just like a cinnamon roll! The cream cheese frosting really made them hit the spot. I also tried bites of the banana bread (YUM) and the sweet potato (good). The rolled cakes with compotes sounded good but apparently the compote is cold, not warmed up and both people that ordered that in our group were a little underwhelmed. For the kiddos my older son got m&m pancakes, so he was pleased and my younger son got the cutest bear shaped pancakes.
The John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge is just down the street from Pancake Pantry so we walked halfway across it to check out the views and walk off the fullness of breakfast.
Parthenon at Centennial Park
After a very filling breakfast, it was time to visit the Parthenon. Not everyone knows this, but you can feel like you’re in Ancient Greece without leaving the U.S.. This huge monument was originally built for a world fair as a temporary exhibit, but it was ultimately so popular that they replaced the temporary structure with a permanent one. It is a full-scale replica of the parthenon in Greece. Inside is a HUGE statue of the Greek god Athena. It was a fun place to explore and the outside is a great place to snap a few pictures.
Lunch: Nashville Farmers Market
We stopped by the Nashville Farmers Market to walk around and it was not what I had expected. Outside, they have stalls like a typical farmers market which were fun to walk around but then there was a building right next to the stalls that houses permanent restaurants and shops. This part reminded me of a food hall. I did find a cute keychain for my collection at Made in Tennessee and I enjoyed my food from Bowl and Roll.
I would be interested in comparing Nashville Farmers Market to Assembly Food Hall to see which I like better.
Afternoon
By this point in the vacation my kids needed a break. So we went to the hotel for some time to unwind. My baby napped and my toddler watched a cartoon and then swam for a little bit. However the original plan was to visit Gaylord Opryland Resort and walk around their gardens before the concert at the Grand Ole Opry in the evening. If your group is up for it, that still sounds very fun. You could grab dinner in the area too, we didn’t and all got very hungry during the concert.
To finish out your three day trip to Nashville, Tennessee one of the best things to do in Nashville is seeing a concert at the Grand Ole Opry (or an other venue). It was a highlight of our trip. We got to hear popular songs from singers and songwriters that spanned decades worth of country music. There were older classics as well as young, up and coming singers and groups. You get a live performance at the Grand Ole Opry House and every night the performance is different with a different group of singers. So you could see a show every time you visit and never get tired of it.
The snacks were overpriced but so is most food nowadays.
Actually the show is broadcast live on the radio so you can listen to it anywhere. It is the longest-running radio broadcast, which is really impressive. Definitely worth the show.
Best Places to Eat in Nashville
- Princes Hot Chicken (hot chicken)
- The Mockingbird (breakfast, cream cheese stuffed bagel bombs)
- Loveless Cafe (live music)
- Martins Bar-B-Que Joint (BBQ)
- Pucketts Grocery and Restaurant
- Milk and Honey (fresh food, sandwiches, salads)
- The Cupcake Collection (sweet potato cupcake)
- HiFi Cookies (cookies and desserts)
- Grilled Cheesery
- Woolworth on 5th (brunch)
- Assembly food hall
Where to Stay in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville Weekend Getaway
Nashville has a lot to offer and Music City is a fun family destination in the U.S. for a weekend getaway. It definitely isn’t just for bachelorette parties although being a country music fan does help. One of my favorite details from the trip was that there was live country music everywhere you turned. In our hotel, at restaurants, and even out on the streets! It is one of the best places to enjoy the country music scene for music lovers.
If you are visiting Nashville with kids then this three day Nashville itinerary should work great for you. If you are visiting without kids then you may actually be able to fit in more than we did! Either way I know you’ll have a blast. A weekend trip is almost the perfect amount of time to visit, you’ll be able to hit most of the top attractions, some local shops and eat a lot of good food without getting bored.
