Nashville in 1 Day: all you need to know

For some people, a single day can seem like a short time to enjoy a city and this can lead them to forgo their sightseeing plans and end up spending the whole day on a single activity. However, with good planning you can participate in many of the best things to see and do in Nashville, especially since most of them are in the same part of the city.

With that in mind, I invite you to follow this fun itinerary that I have prepared for you, as it is a tour that includes the most important attractions throughout the city. All planned in a way that will allow you to properly manage your time so that by the end of the day you will have seen things that even those who spend a whole week in the city can't get enough of.

Nashville, like so many other cities in the United States, is criss-crossed along its entire length by a river. In this case, the river has been part of the city's identity since its founding, so cruising along it is an excellent way to enjoy the skyline. It is also a great way to start to get acquainted with the culture of this place.

Keep in mind that participating in a sightseeing cruise along the Cumberland River is something you could very well do in the morning as soon as you arrive in the city. Or when you are leaving your accommodation to start touring the state capital of Tennessee. These cruises usually take place on a 50-foot party barge and include a captain and deckhand to ensure the safety of everyone present.

It's an experience that can be a bit of a party, as sometimes there's a sound system. There is also usually a toilet, ice, alcoholic beverages are almost always available and the setting is often inspired by country music. Which has so much to do with Nashville's history and worldwide fame.

This is definitely one of the best tours in Nashville for the whole family. This is as long as it is not one that is geared towards groups over the age of 21, as alcohol consumption is the main attraction of the experience on such tours.

Details of interest:

• Price: these types of tours vary widely in price and usually cost around 30 euros per person.
• Duration: A Cumberland River cruise through downtown Nashville usually lasts about two hours in total. It is therefore an excellent activity to do in the morning if you want to enjoy the beautiful scenery that defines this city after sunrise.

The Hard Rock Cafe is something that is all too representative of American culture as well as the world of music around the world. This restaurant chain is present in most of the world's most touristic cities and Nashville, being the music capital of North America, is no exception to this rule. That's exactly why you should take advantage of your visit to the city to have breakfast at the Hard Rock café located in Downtown Nashville.

The location of this place couldn't be more convenient, as it's just a couple of blocks away from the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge, one of the most iconic spots in the city. You'll probably have to cross this bridge as the Cumberland River cruises usually drop you off at a pier right next to it. You can walk across the bridge to enjoy one of the best views of downtown Nashville.

At the Hard Rock Café I suggest you go for a typical American breakfast, either one that includes waffles with chicken and honey or hotcakes in the best American Deep South style. Keep in mind that in this place you will find true wonders and treasures of Nashville's musical history. At the same time you will be entering one of the largest branches of this famous restaurant chain on the planet.

This place is among the best things to do in October in Nashville due to the fact that the number of tourists is down from the summer and you will rarely have to wait more than a minute to get a table inside the restaurant.

Interesting details:

• Price: the amount of money of what you're going to pay for your breakfast depends on how many people are accompanying as well as what each of them will be ordering. However, keep in mind that a breakfast that includes a drink and dessert is usually around 30-35 euros per person.
• Location: Hard Rock Cafe Nashville, 100 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37201-2112.

If you continue walking down Broadway Street and then head north on Fourth Avenue North for about 10 minutes or so you'll come to the Musicians Hall of Fame. One of Nashville' s top attractions, the Musicians Hall of Fame is a place that houses museum-style exhibits about true 20th century music legends such as George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Frank Sinatra, Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley and there's even an original stage where Jimi Hendrix once played.

When you buy a ticket to Nashville's Musicians Hall of Fame you also gain access to the Grammy Museum Gallery's interactive exhibit. Here you can learn about the history of the Grammy Awards. You will also be able to interact with different aspects of the music recording process from its beginnings to the present day.

Also, you should know that by visiting this hall of fame you are also coming to the Nashville Municipal Auditorium. Which is a very important cultural establishment for the history of the United States as well as a basic and elementary stop for all artists who include the capital of Tennessee as one of the cities to visit in their tours of North America.

Details of interest:

• Price: admission to this major attraction is usually around €28 per person. Keep in mind that this place won't take more than an hour or two, so it's also a convenient place to visit if you want to have the rest of the day free for other activities.
• Location: Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum, 401 Gay St, Nashville, TN 37201-2000.

Conveniently, the Nashville Municipal Auditorium and the Musicians Hall of Fame are located across the street from the Tennessee State Senate as well as several other historic buildings that stand out for their architectural beauty. The Tennessee Capitol in particular is a neo-Greek style building built between 1845 and 1159. Note that the tomb of President James K. Polk is located inside this building. Polk.

Around this site you will find a beautiful park that is usually one of the favourite places for the inhabitants of the city when they want to take advantage of a nice day to walk in the open air. Right next to the capitol you'll also find the Tennessee State Supreme Court and if you cross the street you can walk across the legislative square where you might also find the War Memorial Plaza.

All these sites next to the capitol are a must-see stop on Nashville City Tours. Which is logical, since they are the most important buildings in the city as well as being relevant scenarios for the government of this famous American state. It's worth touring them, as it won't take you more than 30 minutes to explore the whole area.

By the time you've finished touring the area around the Tennessee State Capitol, you'll probably have worked up an appetite. If you've taken as long as you should have taken at each of the previous stops on the sightseeing itinerary, then by the end of this short tour it should be 1:30 in the afternoon at the latest. So at this point in your visit it's an excellent idea to take part in one of Nashville' s best food tours, especially if you can choose one that focuses on the Downtown area of the city.

These types of tours usually last a maximum of 2 hours and are basically a VIP experience where you'll enjoy an intimate look through the most popular food district in Music City, as Nashville is known in the United States.

Keep in mind that it's quite a varied tour and throughout the experience you'll be able to enjoy all the flavours of the city from Tennessee BBQ to Nashville Hot Chicken. It is also common to visit some of the famous distilleries located in the area near downtown and a good dessert such as Apple Crumble Pie is usually on the menu of these food tours.

Please note that these tours are walking tours and an average of four restaurants are usually visited as well as a street specialty. Also included are some alcoholic beverages and the tips you would have to give at each of the places you visit on the itinerary.

Details of interest

• Price: The price to participate in a gastronomic tour with this feature is usually around 150 euros per person.
• Location: the restaurants that are included in these tours are changing all the time. However, most commonly a meeting point is chosen in Downtown Nashville and most commonly somewhere along historic Broadway.

Since the food tour will start at 2pm and end around 4pm, you can take the opportunity to visit the Country Museum and Hall of Fame. This is one of the most curious and entertaining places in the whole city. In fact this is one of the best museums in Nashville, which is logical knowing that Country music has a direct and very close connection to the history and culture of the capital of Tennessee.

Visiting this place you will find the flashy clothes that have been used by giants of this music industry such as Dolly Parton. You'll also see exhibits on the history of the genre's most celebrated artists and enjoy some pretty impressive installations. This is accompanied by the famous hospitality that defines the American South.

At this site you will also have the opportunity to visit the famous rotunda where the honorary plaques of all the members of the Country Hall of Fame are displayed. In addition, you will have an audio guide in English or Spanish so you will not miss any detail associated with the exhibits of this interesting place.

Keep in mind that this site can be reached perfectly if you are walking around Downtown, as it is about 5 minutes walk from the famous Broadway Street. At certain times of the year it closes at 5pm. However, during peak tourist seasons in the city it extends its closing hours until around eight in the evening.

Details of interest:

• Price: admission to this important dive is around €28 per person, which is quite a convenient rate for average prices in this city.
• Location: Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, 222 Fifth Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37203-4206

As the idea of this itinerary is to make the most of your visit to Nashville despite the fact that you'll only be in town for 24 hours, there are still plans to enjoy after the sun sets over the Tennessee skyline. The next would be to take part in a night tour that will take you on a trolley along the most iconic and most visited streets of the city at night.

The starting point is usually Yee-Haw Brewing Co. This is because there is a historic distillery there where you can start drinking alcohol and beer if you wish while you wait for the tour to begin. If you don't want to consume this kind of life because you're with your kids, don't worry, as the trolley tour itself is one of the best things to do in Nashville with kids.

When the tour starts you'll be able to admire some of the best and most important historic buildings in the city. You will probably have seen them throughout the day, only this time you will be accompanied by a guide who specialises in the history of this city. This will allow you to learn all the details associated with their importance as well as their influence on the city's musical culture and nightlife identity.

The walk is not too long, lasting on average one hour and 30 minutes in total, and the starting point is also the point of return. This means that you don't have to deal with the logistics of getting back to your accommodation. This is definitely one of the best things to do in Nashville at night and if you're still hungry for more, the area around the distillery is one of the city's top party districts.

Interesting details

• Price: The approximate fare for this type of evening tram tour is around 45 euros per person. This is a considerable and appropriate price considering that a guide accompaniment is included.
• Duration: on average this type of tour does not tend to last longer than an hour and 45 minutes and this is in case you encounter some traffic on the route.