10 things you must do on a girls trip to nashville
Ranked as the number one bachelorette party destination, this vibrant city is without a doubt one of the best places for a girl’s trip. Whether you are into culture, music, or amazing cuisine, Nashville offers something for everyone! Here are the top 10 things you should put on your “must-do” list!
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1. Stay somewhere funky and fancy
Located in Midtown, the Graduate, is the perfect getaway for a girls trip to Nashville. From the minute you walk through the front door, there are flowers and pink décor everywhere you look! Our suite was like living in a doll house with floral ornate furniture and a canopy bed. From the Minnie Pearl latch hook rug over the front desk to the Dolly Parton portrait over the bed, this hotel spares no expense on details! Even our room keys were Dolly Parton ID’s!
The lobby has an eclectic vibe with multi-level mismatched couches, gilded mirrors, floral wallpaper, and parasol chandeliers. You can’t miss White Limozeen (a Dolly Parton themed bar) up on the rooftop with amazing views of the city while downstairs you can find the karaoke dive, Cross Eyed Critters complete with an animatronic band.
2. Check out the culinary scene
There are way too many places to name and not enough time to visit them all, but these were the highlights of our weekend:
- Hampton Social
- Bartaco
- Biscuit Love
Hampton Social
This 3-story restaurant features a first floor “Rose all day” lounge, a second-floor private dining space, and a third-floor rooftop terrace with indoor and outdoor seating. With an Instagram able background everywhere you turn, the coastal inspired menu was to die for. I highly recommend the lobster roll and you cannot go wrong with the frose! The bloody mary wasn’t bad either. Don’t forget to make a reservation here and if the weather is good ask for the rooftop!
Bartaco
We stumbled across this restaurant while shopping in 12 South and so glad we did! It felt like were on a beach in south America with the woven basket light fixtures, amazing photography on the walls, and white- washed interior. You cannot go wrong ordering the ala carte tacos, and my favorites were the glazed pork belly and Baja fish. The guacamole was delicious as well as the street corn!
Biscuit Love
The line was long, but the wait was worth it! These are not just your ordinary biscuits and with the cute interior this is one of those “must do” Nashville places. Locally owned and operated, not to mention in a million foodie magazines, it does not disappoint. I suggest the “princess” which is a biscuit topped with “hot chicken”. Even if you are stuffed after that you have to try the Bonuts (fried biscuit dough rolled in sugar and served over blueberry compote).
3. Shop until you drop
There were a couple of cute neighborhoods we focused our shopping time on, but again I’m sure we only scratched the surface.
- 12 South
- The Gulch
Draper James
Founded by Reese Witherspoon, this store is “American style, steeped in Southern charm”.
12 south
Spanning about a half dozen blocks along 12th avenue South, this walkable strip has boutiques, restaurants, coffee shops, and several well-known murals.
White's Mercantile
An iconic old gas station revitalized as a general store and has now become a retail phenomenon. From home décor to clothing and everything in between.
Kittenish
Founded by American country pop singer, and former reality television personality, Jessica Rose James Decker, this store offers a wide variety of clothing from casual to dressy, but all very trendy!
The Gulch
Just south of downtown this neighborhood has a very different feel from 12 South. It was once an abandoned industrial area and has now been revitalized into a walkable neighborhood offering shopping, restaurants, murals, and high-rise condos!
Uncommon James
Founded by television personality and fashion entrepreneur, Kristin Cavallari, this store offers sophisticated jewelry for “women on-the-go”.
4. Take a photo with a mural
I have literally never been anywhere with so many photo ops! Inside stores, at every restaurant, and around every corner is an opportunity to snap a pic in front of a colorful display. Some of the famous murals even draw a crowd and require you to stand in a line! Here are a couple of the more famous ones.
I believe in Nashville- 12 South-2702 12th Ave
What lifts you- Gulch Neighborhood- 302 11th Ave S
5. Plan an evening at the grand ole opry
It doesn’t matter if you know who’s playing, or even if you don’t love country music. This is one of those experiences you must have while in Nashville that you just can’t get anywhere else. What began as a simple radio show in 1925, is now radio’s longest running show and can be heard around the world! You will get to see a variety of music styles as well as multiple generations of artists!
The night we went we saw 9 different artists including Kaitlin Butts and were surprised with a special guest performance from Flatland Calvary!
6. Take the backstage Tour after the show
After the show I highly recommend the backstage tour so you can see what goes on behind the scenes! Some of the highlights include:
- Step onto the stage into the famed wooden circle (from the original Grand Ole Opry) and see what the parade of artists had done just minutes before you.
- Get to see the themed dressing rooms and the entrance where all the artists arrive. One of the dressing rooms was where Rayna Jaymes was filmed getting ready on the show “Nashville”.
- Stop into Studio A, a live television studio and the former home of the iconic shoe HEE HAW.
I loved seeing the green room where everyone from Dolly Parton to Blake Shelton hung out before the show. The pictures that line the wall are amazing and we even saw the mailboxes where inducted members of the Opry pick up their mail!
7. hit the bars at broadway
Dance your way down the Honky Tonk Highway mesmerized by all the neon lights and live music in EVERY bar! It feels like every country music star owns a bar or restaurant on this strip, and most are 3 to 4 stories tall with a rooftop! It was a little bit like Disney World, where each venue required you to stand in line to get in, but the good news is there are no cover charges!
Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row
We Should Be Friends sign in Casa Rosa
Miranda Lambert’s Casa Rosa
Next trip, I want to see the area during the day and I’m guessing the crowds would be a little better. The line for Luke Bryan’s bar wrapped around the corner and was entirely too long to wait in but I will catch that next time!
8. the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge
This bridge connects downtown Nashville to the residential suburbs of East Nashville. It was built in 1907 and was closed to automobile traffic in 1998, making it only available for pedestrian use. It offers amazing views of the river and downtown skyline!
9. Country Music hall of fame
This museum houses 2.5 million artifacts and has two expansive floors of gallery space housing permanent and temporary exhibits. Some of the highlights were: Hank William’s cowboy boots, Elvis’s car, Smokey and the Bandit Trans-am, and handwritten lyrics by several country artists.
Side note: we really wanted to go the to park across the street with the stars walk of fame but it was closed off getting ready for the CMA awards that would be held there 3 days later!!
10. Visit the Parthenon
The Parthenon in Nashville is a replica of the famous temple in Athens, Greece, built in the exact same size as the original. The Nashville version originally went up in the 1890s as part of the Tennessee Centennial Celebration for 100 years of statehood and was reconstructed as a permanent fixture of Centennial Park in the 1920s. I recommend going inside to check out the 42 foot tall gold statue of Athena.
That sums up the very fun highlights of our girl’s trip to Nashville! I know there are so many more things to see so I will have to go back! I hope this helps you plan your trip. If anyone has gone to Nashville or lives in Nashville and feels like I missed something big, I would love for you to share it in the comments!
If you liked this blog check out my other blog about things to do on a girls trip to Greenville, South Carolina!