The Nashville Pre Vacation Checklist You Did Not Know You Needed

If you are planning a Nashville trip, you already know you are signing up for live music, big crowds, neon lights, and more bachelorette groups than you thought existed in the United States. As someone who has walked these streets as a historian, a tour guide, and a musician who once played Broadway at 10 AM to a room of three very confused tourists, let me offer you the Nashville pre vacation checklist that actually prepares you for Music City.

This list is based on the things people always wish they had known earlier, plus a few lessons learned from thousands of guests and my own time navigating downtown when it feels like a live action video game. Here is how to get ready the right way.

1. Book your hotel early

Downtown hotel prices can hit the three hundred to five hundred dollar range without blinking. CMA Fest, NFL Draft Week, and Grand Prix weekends take those numbers even higher. If you know your dates, lock it in. Nashville does not reward procrastination.

2. Check the event calendar

This city hosts a major event nearly every week. CMA Fest brings half a million people. The Grand Prix shuts streets down. Titans and Preds games pack the Gulch and SoBro. Always check the Visit Music City event listings before you finalize anything.

3. Reserve anything that sells out

Ryman backstage tours. Country Music Hall of Fame. Ruby Falls. Jack Daniels Distillery. If it is popular, reserve it. Nashville is America’s bachelor and bachelorette capital, so assume every tour you want is also on someone’s last ride before the ring.

4. Download the parking apps

Downtown parking lots range from twenty to thirty dollars, sometimes more during events. The apps tell you what is full, what is not, and how to avoid circling until your relationship is tested.

5. Visit in spring or fall if you can

Less humidity, fewer crowds, more charm. Summer in Nashville is beautiful, but it feels like walking through a hot biscuit.

Assembly Food Hall i a great choice to check out!

Step Two: Pack Like You Are Training for Broadway

6. Break in your boots

New boots on day one will humble you. Nashville concrete does not care that you bought them special for your trip. Break them in at home unless you enjoy pain.

7. Bring real walking shoes

You may think you will take Ubers everywhere, but once the neon hits, you will walk. And walk. And walk. Broadway is deceptively long when your shoes are not ready for it.

8. Pack breathable clothes

Summer is hot, humid, and relentless. Bring clothes that do not turn you into a walking sauna.

9. Bring a jacket

Bars are freezing. Caves outside of Nashville are freezing. Even in July you will find yourself wondering who controls the thermostat and why they hate warmth.

10. Pack light layers

Spring weather is unpredictable. You may need a jacket at 10 AM and sunscreen at 3 PM.

Our State Capital is worth a trip too!

Step Three: Navigate Broadway Like a Local

11. Understand lower vs upper Broadway

Lower Broadway is the neon jungle with the national bar chains. Upper Broadway is where you will find more roots music, musicians who moved here for the craft, and locals who can tell you who played on what album.

12. Explore off Broadway bars

Printer’s Alley, Midtown, and East Nashville are where locals actually go. Big Machine Distillery, Skull’s Rainbow Room, and The 5 Spot are solid starting points.

13. Pick your celebrity bars

There is Luke, Blake, Jason, Miranda, and the list grows every year. They are fun, but get there early. Rooftops fill up fast.

14. Visit underrated gems

The Musicians Hall of Fame may be the most overlooked museum in town. If you love music history, put it on your list.

15. Look for back door entrances

Some bars have lesser known side entrances that skip the long lines. You did not hear this from me.

The Best Bars Are The Ones You Don't Know About!

Step Four: Time Your Broadway Adventure

16. Do not start Broadway before 2 PM

Pace yourself. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Nashville has humbled many warriors.

17. Try Broadway at 10 AM one morning

If you want the same great music without the shoulder to shoulder crowd, this is the secret. Plus, you can actually hear the musicians talk between sets.

18. Pick weekdays if possible

Fewer crowds, better service, more fun. Weekends are the Super Bowl of people watching.

19. Avoid CMA Fest unless you plan to attend

Broadway during CMA Fest feels like squeezing into a can of humanity.

20. Avoid major holidays

New Year’s Eve in Nashville draws record breaking crowds. If you love space and moving freely, pick a different weekend.

Step Five: Stay Safe and Avoid Tourist Traps

21. Screenshot your Uber info

Fake rideshare scammers operate in every major city. Protect yourself by verifying the license plate before you hop in.

22. Check the dress codes

The Red Phone Booth requires jackets for men. A few speakeasies require a dress code. Do not be the person turned away after waiting in line.

23. Bring your real ID

Nashville bouncers do not accept fakes. Tennessee law is strict. Bring the real thing.

24. Plan your rideshare or designated driver

Driving downtown is a challenge. Parking is expensive. Cars are towed quickly. Take it from someone who has watched tow trucks work like Olympic athletes.

Step Six: Explore Beyond Broadway

25. Visit East Nashville, Germantown, and the Gulch

Breweries, murals, boutique shops, and great restaurants make these neighborhoods worth a stop.

26. Hit Tennessee tourist classics

Ruby Falls, Jack Daniels Distillery, wine trains, river cruises, and scenic rail trips are unforgettable additions to a weekend.

27. Discover hidden gems

The Bicentennial Capitol Mall, Fort Negley, and Centennial Park offer both history and breathing room from the crowds.

28. Eat smart

Pick one hot chicken spot, one barbecue joint, and one meat and three. That is the Nashville starter kit.

29. Visit the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge

It is one of the safest and most photographed places in Nashville. Go at sunset for the skyline.

Step Seven: Build a Flexible Plan in your Nashville Vacation Checklist

30. Make a loose itinerary

Structure helps, but over scheduling ruins the magic. Nashville rewards curiosity and spontaneous adventure.

31. Tip musicians in cash

They rely on it, and it keeps the music alive.

32. Start your trip with a tour!

If you want to understand this city, start with a local guide. A good tour unlocks the history, the stories, and the things you would never find on your own.

If you want that kind of start, the Nashville History Walking Tour is our specialty. Our Nashville Haunted Ghost Tour and Historically Tipsy Pub Crawl are great options too.

You can also check our full tour lineup here: Nashville Adventures Tours.

Closing Thoughts

Nashville is a city that rewards the prepared traveler but still has a way of surprising you. Whether it is a musician on Broadway who blows you away at noon on a Tuesday or a historic street corner you have walked past dozens of times without knowing the story behind it, this town always has more to offer.

If you want to see the side of Nashville most visitors miss, come walk with us. Our tours were built by veterans, local historians, and storytellers who love this city and want you to love it too.