In need of a winter getaway? Consider Nashville for your next trip, whether you’re heading out of town with friends, family, or a romantic partner. Here’s what to do, what to eat, and where to stay in the vibrant Southern city.
Trip 1: Getaway with Friends
Nashville is the perfect spot for a group of music-loving friends. More than 30 downtown bars — many of them owned by top-selling artists such as Luke Bryan, Post Malone, and Miranda Lambert — feature free live music from local artists from 10 a.m. until 3 a.m. Music fills every level of the bars, with different musicians performing on each floor.
Before you hit the bars, take a one-hour sightseeing tour on the Gray Line Tennessee for a concise but thorough overview of the city’s top attractions, including Vanderbilt University and Centennial Park, which boasts the world’s only full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens.
Continue your education at the National Museum of African American Music, which celebrates the history and artistry of Black musicians in the U.S. with interactive exhibitions (like singing with a virtual gospel choir) and memorabilia. A two-hour tour provides a fascinating look into the musical foundation behind a range of genres.
The city’s cultural education extends beyond museums. If you’ve ever wanted a glimpse into the mind of musical genius Jack White, head to Third Man Records and book a tour (ideally with co-founder Ben Blackwell, White’s nephew and longtime collaborator). You’ll see inside the world’s only live venue with direct-to-acetate recording capabilities. The stylish blend of vintage and modern interiors, an aesthetic overseen by White himself, will have you taking interior design notes. If you’re lucky, snag a ticket for a show at The Blue Room, where the vinyl recordings take place. Standing-room-only shows for 250 people are generally open to the public.
Learn about the process of restoring vintage instruments and marvel at electric guitars worth up to $425,000 with a visit to Carter Vintage Guitars. Visit the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum through September to see Dolly Parton: Journey of a Seeker. The major exhibition chronicling Parton’s life and career highlights includes her handwritten notes for “Jolene.”
Beginning in June, you can book a stay at Dolly Parton’s SongTeller Hotel in the heart of downtown, a 245-room property with an extensive Parton-focused museum on its third floor. Grab lunch at Acme Feed & Seed for sushi, street-food-inspired bites, and live music in a late-19th-century building with an open-air rooftop. After lunch, snap a group photo in front of the Parton mural nearby, emblazoned with her quote, “If you want the rainbow, you’ve got to put up with the rain.”
Trip 2: Family Fun
Nashville has that rare mix of activities that all ages will enjoy, making it ideal for family or multigenerational trips. Check in at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, a grand property with scenic atriums, an arcade, year-round entertainment programming, and an indoor-outdoor water park. The largest non-gaming resort in the country, the hotel is currently undergoing a transformation. While it’s not located directly downtown, it’s within walking distance to the Grand Ole Opry, where all generations can listen to iconic country music stars and rising talents in one night. Some nights, they even bring kids from the audience onstage to sing. The longest-running live radio show in U.S. history, it just celebrated 100 years in 2025. Take a backstage tour for a peek into the greenrooms and to see Dolly Parton’s mailbox at the venue’s functioning post office, reserved exclusively for Opry members.
If you want even more Dolly, Gray Line Tennessee offers convenient bus day trips from downtown Nashville to Dollywood and back. The 165-acre theme park founded by Parton in her hometown of Pigeon Forge is widely regarded as one of the best in the country. If you’ve got a Swiftie in the family, pay a visit to the Taylor Swift Education Center at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, where they can participate in interactive experiences to learn about the culture of country music and see costumes and instruments Swift used at key moments in her career.
If your family can’t decide on one cuisine, take them to Assembly Food Hall, a multilevel downtown dining and entertainment destination with more than 30 quality spots to grab a quick bite, from crêpes and hot chicken to macarons and tacos. For welcoming vibes and locally sourced food, head to family-owned Frothy Monkey. With several locations across the city, it offers specialty coffees, all-day brunch, baked goods, and a kids’ menu. For dinner, bring the brood to West Nashville’s Nicky’s Coal Fired, an Italian American–owned spot with delectable red or white pizzas, meatballs, and signature focaccia bread. Or challenge your family’s taste buds by trying some of the hottest (and best) hot chicken in town at Scoreboard, a sports bar you might recognize from its appearance on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.
Trip 3: Couples Escape
Atmospheric boutique hotels, intimate listening rooms, fine dining with city views: Nashville has all the ingredients needed for a romantic weekend getaway. Check in to the Fairlane Hotel, a stylish, centrally located downtown boutique property in a converted bank building with midcentury-modern furnishings, solid dining options including a lobby coffee shop and a globally inspired restaurant, and a rooftop terrace. A short walk takes you to the storied Ryman Auditorium — a National Historic Landmark that hosts comedians, country singers, R&B artists, and more — and the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, a state-of-the-art concert hall home to the Grammy-winning Nashville Symphony.
Hear the inspiration behind hit songs at The Listening Room Cafe, a music venue designed for quiet, seated audiences to hear acoustic sets and how they came to be from the songwriters themselves. Enjoy food and drink served at your table for dinner or brunch — just make sure to book in advance, as these shows are a popular Nashville experience. Go to The Station Inn, a favorite of Kacey Musgraves, for bluegrass and roots music in a charmingly no-frills setting.
For fine dining with skyline views, treat yourselves to wagyu cuts and shellfish platters at Bourbon Steak on the top floor of the JW Marriott. Or feast on duck ragu pappardelle and gnocchi pomodorini at Luogo, saving room for the lemon ricotta-filled cannoli. In the daytime, head to the father-and-daughter-owned Poppy & Peep for colorful bonbons beloved by Reese Witherspoon. Or take the two-hour Nashville’s Hidden Food Gems tour led by local content creator Anas Saba, highlighting international cuisine across the city. Did you know that Nashville has the largest Kurdish population in America?
Don’t skip the shopping opportunities. Get sized for a pair of finely crafted cowboy boots at Lucchese Bootmaker, which has been perfecting the craft since 1883. Modern general store White’s Mercantile has everything you didn’t know you needed but now must have — like sassy needlepoint pillows, patterned recipe tins, and artichoke-print oven mitts — and the perfect gifts to bring back home to loved ones.
Enjoy an evening of crafting cocktails at a hands-on class at Liquor Lab, where experienced, entertaining bartenders will walk your group through the steps of mixing, shaking, and stirring cocktails, often seasonally themed.
Cap the trip with a visit to Cheekwood Estate & Gardens, a sprawling 1930s estate on 55 acres that’s appealing in winter even after the Christmas season has ended. With fewer crowds, you can focus on the gardens, art galleries, and conservatory without the holiday bustle.
Feature image of Lainey Wilson at Grand Ole Opry, courtesy Nashville Convention and Visitor Corp., photo by L. Patko
This story originally ran in our February issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
