Nashville, the capital of Tennessee, is known for much more than being a capital. This city is vibrant bustling with musical talent, delicious food, and some of the coolest structures around! This guide to Nashville will help you experience the city has to offer in 24 hours!

A mural in Nashville with a beautiful colorful background

Getting to BNA


Our friends who are coming from outside the USA have a handful of nonstop options to get to Nashville. From Canada, there are flights on Air Canada from YYZ (Toronto) and on WestJet, there are also flights from YYZ and YYC (Calgary). From Mexico, there are Delta, VivaAerobus and Southwest Airlines have a weekly service from CUN (Cancun) to Nashville. Finally, there’s a daily departure on British Airways from LHR (London-Heathrow).

With a population of over 7 million people, you won’t have any trouble finding a flight to Hong Kong. Here’s an overview with airlines that fly non-stop to and from the main hubs. Use the StaffTraveler app to find the perfect flight for you.

If coming from outside the USA, I’d highly recommend taking any flight from your origin to any of the big cities in the mainland USA. Once you arrive on the mainland there are flights to Nashville. To the right details some major airports and their daily frequencies to BNA.

For our friends who are starting their journey from somewhere in the USA, it’s very accessible to get to Nashville. There are flights on American Airlines, Alaskan Airlines, Jet Blue, Delta, Frontier, Allegiant, Sun Country and Southwest from so many cities. You can check out each of these options on the StaffTraveler App!

Atlanta Delta Airlines & Southwest Airlines
Boston Southwest Airlines
Charlotte American Airlines & Southwest Airlines
Dallas American Airlines & Southwest Airlines
Washington, D.C. American Airlines, Southwest Airlines & United Airlines
New York American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines & United Airlines
Los Angeles American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines & Sun Country Airlines
Chicago American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Southwest Airlines & United Airlines
Toronto Air Canada & WestJet
Miami American Airlines, Jet Blue Airways, & Southwest Airlines

Where to Stay


The Blues and Boogie Bar for music in Nashville Tennessee

There are so many good areas around Nashville to stay in. I think it’s best to stay downtown since its central location allows you to explore the city and always be relatively close to your lodging. That being said, there are so many hotel chains, Airbnb, and rentals in Nashville.

Staying nearby is recommended because renting a car isn’t very practical; There are very few places to park your car and a majority of the sights and things to do are nearby. Also, the roads are very odd, and these odd roads make driving a bit of a stressful situation!

During my trip, I stayed in the Mint House which was perfect! It was very close to downtown, the restaurants, and some of the coolest areas in Nashville. I was able to take very inexpensive Ubers around the city, most of which were under $10.

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When you Arrive


When you land in Nashville, you’ll realize quickly why its nickname is “Music City, U.S.A.” From the time you disembark from your flight, you’ll hear local talent playing their instruments and setting up a wonderful ambiance of live music. Keep this in mind, this is common throughout the city!

From the airport, I highly recommend calling a taxi or ride share service from the airport to your lodging. As stated above, renting a car is a bit of a nuisance and ultimately unnecessary since services such as Lyft and Uber make getting around the city convenient, safe, and affordable. You can read our article on ride-sharing apps here! 

Additionally, there are relatively new scooter and bike sharing services offered from Lyft, JUMP, Bird, Lime and a few others. These are perfect for relatively short distances and are one of the most fun ways to get around a city! I love to zoom around on a scooter or bike! (At the time of posting this, the Mayor of Nashville banned the scooters with the possibility to return. Even with this ban, Ride-sharing and bike sharing services such as Uber’s JUMP and Lyft are still preferable to renting a car.)

The sign to Betty Boots in Nashville Tennessee

Let's Begin!


A shot of flowers for sale at Amelia's Flower Truck in Nashville
A shot of Barista Parlor Golden Sound from the outside in Nashville Tennessee

Be ready bright and early, this is going to be a long day! First things first: breakfast. When you wake up in the music city one of the nicest places for breakfast is Biscuit Love located in the Gulch area of the city. This area is a high-end uptown area where everything is well polished and expensive looking!

If you plan to come to Biscuit Love get up early! There is typically a queue out the door for this restaurant but the food is so delicious and well worth it! On my visit, Amelia’s Flower Truck was parked outside which made for a perfect activity while waiting for a table. They change their parking locations daily so check the site if you’d like to purchase some of their flowers or, take pictures of yourself as I did!

Afterward, I’d recommend taking the quick walk to a wonderful coffee shop called Barista Parlor Golden Sound. It’s a good place to de-stress and recharge from that breakfast with this relaxing coffee shop with chemist decor!

Now that we’re all recharged and ready to go, let’s head to Midtown. This area is mostly known for three things: clubs, Vanderbilt University, and The Parthenon. You read correctly! There is a full-sized replica of The Athenian Parthenon in Midtown Nashville! It is located in the center of Centennial Park and is one of the most notable items in the city.

Weather permitting, take a stroll in Centennial Park and take in the beautiful greenery, wonderful atmosphere of music on a walk along the trails of the park. Once you’re ready, head to The Parthenon and for a few dollars ($6.00 USD) you can see the 19th and 20th-century American art that the museum contains.

After the museum, head to 12 South to check out Draper James – a store by American Actress Reese Witherspoon and take pictures with the famous “I believe in Nashville) mural. The store is adorable and so is the surrounding area! You must visit to soak in the cool vibes, explore the shops, take some more photos, and grab the famous ice cream from Jenni’s Splendid Ice Cream – I highly recommend the Bumbleberry Crisp flavor!

After exploring you’ll be hungry and tired, so head back to your hotel for a quick siesta and get ready to grab dinner at Hattie B’s. This icon of a restaurant is famous for its fried chicken, in particular, their Nashville not chicken! KFC has got nothing on this joint! When I say I was in true heaven, I mean it. Do yourself a huge favor and don’t leave Nashville without sampling this favorite!

A sandwich from Nashville's Famous Hattie B's Chicken restaurant

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At this point you’ll certainly understand that Nashville is “Music City, U.S.A” and while here why not visit a venue? The Listening Room Cafe has live talent that includes some more notable names in country music and it will touch your soul! I wasn’t prepared and didn’t purchase tickets in advance, although fortunately there were tickets still available in the morning and I was able to purchase those!

Another local spot for live music is Blue Bird Cafe, but they do tend to sell out in advance so be prepared! For a good reference, here’s a list of other local venues to check out for music.

Three girls pose on the side of Draper James in Nashville Tennessee
A shot of Broadway during the evening in Nashville Tennesse

The last thing you’ll need to do is to check out Broadway. This road is the Mecca for American Bachelorette parties and has all the clubbing, live music, souvenirs, and honkey tonks! One of the most impressive things about this area is the bars here. A majority of them are three or more stories tall and each floor is playing different music! My favorite is Jason Andean’s Kitchen + Rooftop Bar. This place has over 6 different rooms each playing its own type of music ranging from country music on the first floor and a Disco on the third! This place cannot be missed!

From here, it’s time to head back! Hopefully, it’s about 2 am and you’re beyond ready to catch your flight! As long as you have stories to tell and remember Nashville as a vibrant city full of fun, flavors and an amazing time then you did it right!

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