My 3 Day Nashville Itinerary For a Group of 5
A few weeks back, my husband and I embarked on a fantastic adult-only trip to Nashville for a weekend getaway, accompanied by a few of my high school friends. Let me tell you, it was an absolute blast! Afterward, we realized we needed another vacation just to recover from the first one. We made a pact that next year we'd opt for a beach vacation where we can simply lounge around and unwind.
Now, our group didn't have any specific "must-see" or "must-do" items on our Nashville agenda. However, being the organized person that I am, I put together a loose itinerary and made a few reservations in advance. As I've done in many of my blog posts, I wanted to share the details of our weekend escapades, highlighting the things we enjoyed and what we might have done differently. My aim is to assist you in planning your own Nashville adventure with your closest and dearest friends (trust me, it's an experience that will create lifelong memories!).
Where We Stayed
We settled on booking an Airbnb near the Gluch in Nashville, and it turned out to be a fantastic choice. Our Airbnb was a cozy two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment that even had a pool. Opting for an Airbnb instead of a traditional hotel made sense for us since it was more affordable and provided the convenience of a full kitchen.
The night before our arrival in Nashville, I placed an Instacart order for water, beers, coffee, and snacks (the essentials, lol). We had everything delivered right to our doorstep when we checked in. It was a smart move and saved us from having to make a grocery run.
The location of our Airbnb was perfect because we could easily hop in short and inexpensive Ubers to get around Nashville. We only walked from the Airbnb to the Gluch once, which was doable, but let me tell you, it was scorching hot in July. If I were to visit Nashville again, I'd happily choose the same location.
If you're interested in the specifics of the property we stayed in, feel free to reach out to me via my contact page. I'd be more than happy to share the details with you.
Day 1
We touched down in Nashville bright and early on a Friday morning. And by "bright and early," I mean we arrived at a staggering 6 am. To pass the time until we could check in, we decided to hang out at a coffee shop.
After, we dropped off our luggage at a bar close to our Airbnb that offered a luggage storage service through the company Bounce. It was a seamless process, and we were relieved to have a secure place to store our belongings while we explored the city.
After dropping off our bags, we then spent the afternoon (until we could check in) exploring the Gulch. We shopped a various locations including, Kittenish and Uncommon James. For brunch, we visited Milk and Honey Nashville which was EXCEPTIONALLY good. However, we did end up waiting almost two hours for a table for 3! Despite the wait, I would say it was well worth it because there was plenty to do in the Gulch while we waited (they even texted us when the table was ready). Just a tip, though: if you plan on dining at Milk and Honey, make sure you don't arrive with a growling stomach, as there tends to be a wait.
After brunch, we also visited Co-Op Frose Bar which was a cute spot and had endless flavors of frose to try (may I suggest a frose flight?).
After checking into our Airbnb, we all spent some time resting and taking a little cat nap from the long morning. I made a late dinner reservation at Hampton Social. Initially, we assumed that the lively atmosphere might overshadow the food, but boy, were we mistaken! The meal was absolutely delicious, especially the oysters. Hampton Social exceeded our expectations, and I would definitely make a return visit the next time I find myself in Nashville. Just a heads up, though, it's advisable to make a reservation as it tends to get quite busy.
We ended our first night going out on Broadway. We visited Luke’s 32 Bridge & Honkey Tonk Central. Both bars had amazing live music, but Friday night was particularly crowded. I recommend finding a band you like and committing to hanging out for a while because the hecticness of Broadway made bar hopping a bit challenging.
We ended our night earlyish after a long day with some snacks back at Airbnb.
Day 2
We had big plans for Saturday morning to explore the 12 South area and grab brunch. However, after a long day on Friday, we were completely wiped out and ended up sleeping in, enjoying a slow morning at our Airbnb.
Once we were rested and ready for the day, we decided to head downtown Nashville for lunch. Luckily, we managed to snag a last-minute reservation at Hand Cut Chophouse. The food was amazing, and the drinks were even better! To top it off, there was a live acoustic performance happening while we savored our meal.
After lunch, we made our way back to Broadway for an epic afternoon of bar hopping. We hit up some iconic spots like Morgan Wallen's This Bar, Kid Rock's Big Honky Tonk, Eric Church's Chiefs, Barstool Nashville, Laney Wilson's Bell Bottoms Up, and Tooties. Each place had incredible live performers and cool setups. We had a blast bouncing from bar to bar, and for dinner, we grabbed some delicious Raising Cane's (pro tip: mobile order takeout for a smooth experience).
It was another long day, but so nice to have the Airbnb to come back to for late night snacks and hanging out.
Day 3
On our final day, we again took advantage of having a kid-free trip and again slept in. Thanks to our fantastic location, we treated ourselves to a delicious breakfast from Biscuit Love, which we had delivered right to our doorstep. It was the perfect way to start the day! With it being summer in Nashville, we decided to take advantage of the great weather and spend the afternoon lounging by the pool at our Airbnb. This also served as a much-needed recovery day after two long days of drinking and dancing in the heat.
On our final night, we had early dinner reservations at a newer Italian restaurant, Luogo. Once again, the food and drinks did not disappoint! Seriously, we didn't have a single disappointing meal during our entire stay in Nashville.
After dinner, we headed to the legendary Bluebird Cafe for a songwriter's night, and let me tell you, it was the absolute highlight of our entire trip! Not only is the Bluebird iconic, but the performers were absolutely incredible. It was such a cool experience to see them perform in such an intimate setting. We were lucky enough to secure tickets for the show on the Monday before our trip, right when they went on sale. All five of us tried to get different tables, but we ended up snagging seats at the bar, which turned out to be fantastic. Trust me, there isn't a bad seat in the house. If you're trying to get tickets, I highly recommend aiming for seats at the bar since the tables sell out really quickly. We also noticed a line forming on the night of the show, and if there was room available, they let people in. So, if you haven't been to the Bluebird Cafe yet, I highly recommend adding it to your list for your next visit to Nashville!
There you have it — my three-day Nashville itinerary! On another note, I've had the pleasure of visiting Nashville a few times before and explored other fantastic places like the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame. If you have any specific questions about this Nashville trip or if you'd like to know more about my other experiences and recommendations in Nashville, feel free to reach out to me via my "Contact Me" page.
Happy Travels! Giddy up, McKenzie