Nashville skyline

Planning a Bachelorette Weekend in Nashville

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While I’m planning a bachelorette party for Alabama later this summer, many of you have emailed me saying you’re coming to Nashville soon to celebrate a pal’s upcoming wedding. So—in hopes that I’ll keep you from spending the entire three days camped out on Broadway—I figured I’d give you a rundown on how I would plan a bachelorette weekend in my own city if tasked with such a chore.

Nashville Batman building

Where to Stay

Let’s start with where to make your base. There are plenty of awesome Nashville hotels that I love like Loew’s Vanderbilt, the Hutton, Omni Nashville or the Hermitage, but as hot as Music City is right now—and the fact that there are far too hotel rooms than there are people visiting, particularly in summer months—there’s a chance they’re all going to be sold out, in which case you might want to consider Airbnb instead. If you’re a smaller group (say 6 people), you’ll likely be able to find a great place around Music Row/Vanderbilt/Belmont that would provide you a central jumping off point from which to explore the city. If you have more than that, you’ll probably want to find an actual house in East Nashville—the Williamsburg of Music City—which is still super close and convenient to downtown. Whatever you do, steer clear of staying in Brentwood or Franklin. While Williamson County is lovely, you’ll be so far from all the action that you’ll spend as much in cab fare as you would the extra dollars to stay in Davidson County.

How to Get Around Nashville

Nashville’s cab scene is hit or miss. It used to be that cabs would only hang out on Broadway and if you were trying to catch a ride to or from another part of town, you were screwed. Not to mention, they were quite pricey. Then, Lyft arrived and started to change that. Shortly after, Uber came to town. Personally, I prefer Lyft; the drivers always get there within minutes, and I’ve yet to have a bad experience. Plus, it’s way cheaper than Uber. But if you’re of the fancier persuasion and prefer black car service, Uber might be the choice for you. Just download either app before you arrive as you’ll probably want to Lyft or Uber it from the airport if you’re not renting a car.

If you’re staying at a hotel like Loew’s—in which case, I must insist you at least grab a drink at Mason’s—you’ll have complimentary shuttle service within a certain radius. Take advantage it. There are also B-cycles for those of you who are more adventurous.

Itinerary

Obviously, this depends on the bride and the tastes of those coming, but I do hate seeing first-timers come to the city I love and spend it all in the tourist traps of Lower Broad. Don’t get me wrong: Broadway is great, and there are plenty of places I do recommend you check out there; however, to spend your entire weekend on our tourist strip is pure blasphemy. Thus, this is what I propose:

Day 1

6pm. Dinner at Etch if you want a fancy meal. Deb Paquette has been hailed far and wide for her inventive cuisine like a cauliflower steak, not to mention noted on every “best of” list (like Zagat’s top restaurants in the country). The woman is a genius, and save room for the best part: desserts by pastry chef (and my former roommate!) Megan Williams.

Etch in Nashville

Or you can skip on down to The Farm House next door if you want more casual. If you want a taste of what upscale Southern is like, The Farm House your place.

The Farm House deviled eggs

Bonus: It’s a short walking distance from the next place I’ll recommend, which is…

8:30pm. Singer-songwriter show at The Listening Room Cafe. Sure, you could try to get tickets to the Bluebird Cafe, but it’s a crapshoot, and Listening Room always puts on a good show from an eclectic group of musicians.

But if you truly want the Nashville experience, you can head out east near the airport and take in a show at the Grand Ole Opry. Sure it’s one of the most well-known attractions in Nashville–but for a reason. Where else could you see the likes of Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, the Band Perry, Dustin Lynch, the Nashville TV stars and more perform all on the same night? And tickets are cheap, starting around $29.50. There are two shows every Friday and Saturday night: one at 7pm and one at 9:30pm. The only drawback is that it’s a ways away from the heart of the city so you’ll need to drive or take a Lyft.

Grand Ole Opry

11pm. Get a feel for East Nashville and its bars with a little bit of an EN pub crawl that includes Bar 308, Crying Wolf, Three Crow, Mad Donna’s and Lipstick Lounge.

Day 2

11am. Brunch at The Southern. One of my favorite spots for any meal and they allow you to make group ressies. Score! That’s harder to find for brunch in these parts than you’d think.

The Southern in Nashville

And take a gander at the art, including the half-naked pin-up girl marking the bathroom entrance and the cowboy made out of Nashville street trash.

The Southern in Nashville

1pm. You’re already downtown, so might as well hit up some local attractions, no? You’ve got Hatch Show Print inside the Omni, which is a great spot for watching letterpress be made and picking up local art.

Hatch Show Print

There’s also the Johnny Cash Museum, Country Music Hall of Fame and RCA Studio B, the Frist and much, much more. (This wall below is actually not at the museum but across from The Farm House and makes a great photo opp for groups.)

Johnny Cash Museum

5pm. Drinks at Pinewood Social. If you have a group larger than eight (the max allowed for reservations), I recommend getting there on the earlier side, grabbing some cocktails at the bar, maybe eating dinner here and putting your name down for bowling. While bowling may normally be a later-in-the-evening kind of activity, it would be easier to nab a lane before the dinner crowd arrives and then you can move onto your next stop.

Patterson House in Nashville

Your other option is to arrive at the Patterson House, owned by the same team as Pinewood, and grab a booth in the dimly-lit speakeasy.

Patterson House in Nashville

If you go for this route, I’d recommend heading over to Rolf & Daughters in Germantown for dinner afterward. Obviously, you’ll want to book a table, but that goes for all the restaurants in Nashville right now.

Nashville, Tennessee | Planning the Ultimate Bachelorette Party
Nashville, Tennessee | Planning the Ultimate Bachelorette Party
Nashville, Tennessee | Planning the Ultimate Bachelorette Party

11pm. Once you’ve had dinner, get thyselves over to Broadway for some Honky Tonk fun. When I was in my early 20s, it used to be that no local would ever head down to Lower Broad, but now my friends and I go there at least once a month. You can’t deny the raucous fun that is the swingin’, line-dancin’, Honky Tonk bars. Two I’d recommend are Paradise Park and Robert’s Western World, though really they’re all kind of the same.

Robert's Western World in Nashville

Day 3

10:30am. Brunch at Tavern. There still aren’t a ton of places that serve brunch in Nashville compared to how many restaurants there are, and even fewer take reservations. This place will be an absolute madhouse if you get there any later than when it opens, so plan to arrive right then. The red velvet waffle with cream cheese drizzle is worth it, I assure you. Tavern also has one of my favorite burgers in town if you need more grease to soak up last night’s escapades.

Or if you’ve been jonesing for some Nashville hot chicken, belly up to the counter at Hattie B’s, which opens at 11am on Sundays, and see if you can take the heat. Or grab some quality BBQ at Edley’s (get the Tuck and thank me later). Or you can take your place in line at Fido Cafe, a Nashville staple, and see what the specials are for the day. Fido’s drinks are the bomb—yes, I’m bringing “the bomb” back, what of it—and I’ve never had anything Chef John has made that wasn’t stellar.

The Farm House in Nashville

12:30pm. Either way, all three spots are along the Vandy strip, and you can either head down 21st to Hillsboro Village, home to some of my favorite boutiques in town, for a little retail therapy or hit up Rebar, Loser’s and the surrounding dives for a little day drinking. Nearly all of them offer 2-for-1 deals all day on Sunday, and this has become my friends’ and my favorite way to celebrate birthdays. Who doesn’t love a little Sunday Funday?

And if you’re not a big drinker—or would rather have a more productive Sunday—you can head over to 12South for retail therapy.

Judith Bright

5pm. If you’re still around for the evening, Sunday Supper at City House is a must, but you need to make your ressie a couple weeks in advance as it’s also one of the harder-to-book tables in town (just on Sundays, mind you).

Nashville skyline

COMMENTS
  • June 3, 2014

    Kristin, this looks lovely! Not to mention totally fun! My bestfriend is getting married in three months, we’re thinking of throwing her a bachelorette party and I was thinking of doing some of the stuff you have here. I hope you don’t mind, they just look really awesome and I think my bestfriend would love to try these, especially the food! Great post, Kristin!

    • June 3, 2014

      Exactly why I wrote it! Let me know what you wind up doing and if you have any additions to this itinerary 😉 I could write for daaaaays about what to do in Nashville, so it’s tough consolidating into one weekend!

  • June 3, 2014

    Kristin, this looks lovely! Not to mention totally fun! My bestfriend is getting married in three months, we’re thinking of throwing her a bachelorette party and I was thinking of doing some of the stuff you have here. I hope you don’t mind, they just look really awesome and I think my bestfriend would love to try these, especially the food! Great post, Kristin! More power to you and your blog!

  • June 3, 2014

    Love this post! Rolf & Daughters was one of the best meals I had in a while, and the BIKING NASHVILLE was the best.

    Such a great idea!

    • June 13, 2014

      I’ll have to try it sometime. Come back and do it with me 😉

  • June 3, 2014

    What a fun destination to hang out in…I love all your foodie shots, i want to go just for the food!

  • June 4, 2014

    Paradise Park is my fav! Love the house band on late Friday and Saturday nights!

    • June 13, 2014

      The. Best. But it’s become SO crowded!

  • June 11, 2014

    what a great post!!! I was just in Nashville and loved it. I wish I would have read this one too, but I had already left Nashville when you posted it 🙂 Lots of great info and rec’s for next time.
    I laughed so hard when I saw the title because as soon as I got to the strip on Saturday night, I couldn’t believe the amount of bachelor and bachelorette parties everywhere lol. I guess this is the season, plus it’s a great place to party for the weekend (well, if i was still really young and into the party thing haha). I did try the Edgehill Cafe for breakfast you’d mentioned in an earlier post (or on FB, I can’t remember which) and loved it. THANK YOU!! Nashville sure does rock! Can’t wait to get back.

    • June 13, 2014

      YAY! Glad you had such a good trip. Hit me up next time you are here if you need more info or additional things to do =)

  • June 11, 2014

    I’ve never been to Nashville or the American South just the West coast, but I looove what it has to offer and your photos are amazingly detailed. The cowboy made out of Nashville street trash looks hilarious and Rolf and Daughters looks like the time of place that I would frequent.

    Book me in next time we’re in the US!

  • June 11, 2014

    Ooops. I meant to say, the type of place that I would frequent!

  • June 12, 2014

    This looks super fun!! I have never been to Nashville but it looks like it would be a really cool place to go!

  • November 8, 2014
    Hayley

    This sounds amazing…I’m having my sister’s bachelorette party here in January, but we only have 2 days (Fri/Sat, leave early Sun). What are the restaurants and bars we should not miss?? Thanks!!!

    • November 8, 2014

      It sort of depends on the age range of your group and whether you like casual bars or more boisterous dancing bars. You could always do one night where you do dinner at the Southern or Farm House and then walk to Broadway and go out from there to the Stage, Robert’s and Acme. You could do the other night at Pinewood Social for dinner and then head over to the bars in East Nashville and Five Points for a more laid-back bar crawl night.

      • November 11, 2014
        Hayley

        Thanks! That sounds good…the group is younger, around 27 mostly, so this sounds perfect.

        • November 14, 2014

          Not my favorite kind of crowd to be honest, but it’s fun for drinks with a group. Maybe drinks there then dinner at Virago or Moto next door or Adele’s across the street?

  • November 13, 2014
    Hayley

    What do you think of Saint Anejo??

    • March 22, 2015

      Hi Hayley! Sorry, I’m just seeing this. I like Saint Anejo a lot for brunch or for a pre-dinner cocktail spot (the margs are soooo good). I wouldn’t use up a dinner there if you only have a weekend, though. Just my two cents =)

  • March 22, 2015
    Mya

    Hi, this is fabulous! We are def going to check out the 7 pm show at the Grand Ole Opry on Friday night but I was struggling with where to get dinner near there? I was originally planning for an early dinner (maybe 5 pm?) so that we could hit the bars right after the show. Would love to hear what you recommend. Thanks!

    • March 22, 2015

      Yeah, unfortunately there’s nothing near the Opry. I usually tell people to eat somewhere in East Nashville that’s easy to get in and out (like the Silly Goose or Pharmacy Burger, which is open all afternoon) and then hop on Briley from there and make it out to the Opry.

      • March 25, 2015

        Thanks so much Kristin, appreciate it!

  • April 21, 2015
    JULIA

    Hi! This post is amazing and super helpful. You mentioned the Hutton Hotel and I just wanted to ask about it’s location. It looks like it’s about 1.5 miles from downtown.. is that correct? Can you walk to places from it? We’re coming in for a bachelorette this summer with 15 ladies and I have reservations there but was wondering if the Renaissance might be better due to the location? Thanks so much!!

    • April 21, 2015

      Nah, you’re fine—you don’t want to be spending the whole weekend around Broadway anyway (SO touristy). The Hutton’s really nice and about a three-minute ride from downtown or about the same to Vandy/Midtown bars. You’ll probably need to take Uber anywhere you go so I think you’re safe to stay where you are =)

  • August 4, 2015
    Mickey

    Hi! Thanks for writing this, incredibly helpful. I’m doing a bachelorette party in Nashville in October. One thought we’d had for our last, winding-down day was to get manicures and then take the bride shopping for her wedding night, sort of a girly, kitschy thing. Can you recommend places for both of those? Maybe areas where we can find nail salons and ladies salons in close proximity?

    Thanks again!

    • August 5, 2015

      Ugh, I don’t actually know a good manicure place! That’s always been the dilemma with my Nashville friends and me (there aren’t many). We did Venetian out in Green Hills for the last bachelorette I organized. It was nice for a large party and does include unlimited champagne but my nails smudged pretty quickly afterward (boo). My favorite new salon discovery is Lucy Pop in Hillsboro Village but they might just do hair and makeup.

      If you did the Venetian, you’d be in Green Hills and then could pop into the mall/Nordstrom for lingerie shopping. For non-lingerie, Hillsboro Village is the best for fun girls’ boutiques.

  • December 15, 2015
    Megan

    Hi! I know I’m finding this quite a while after you posted, but I’m planning a Nashville bachelorette party for this spring. One of the things we had thought about doing was a line dancing class (a skill to show off at the wedding?)– any recommendations for us?! Thanks!

    • December 15, 2015

      I don’t, unfortunately! I know there’s a studio—the Chrome Bar—that does burlesque, pole dancing, etc. that a lot of bachelorette groups seem to like. Maybe not exactly what you’re looking for 😉

      Sorry I can’t be of more help! I tried some web searching for you but didn’t really come up with anything. I will say that at one point the Wildhorse Saloon did have regular instruction throughout the day, and I believe it was free at that! So maybe start there?

  • January 18, 2016
    Becky

    Hi! We are planning a bachelorette party for June 11down in Nashville but just saw that the CMA Music Festival is that weekend. Should we come anyway or is it super crazy and expensive that weekend?

    • January 18, 2016

      I’d do the weekend before or the weekend after if you can. CMA Week is INSANE and everything will be double the price and it will be really hard to get into restaurants and bars. Most other weekends in June are relatively chill, though =)

  • May 27, 2016
    Anna

    Any recommendations for non-country type clubs? Do they exist?

    • May 27, 2016

      Actual clubs? Not that I know of. We have plenty of music venues that aren’t country like Marathon Music Works, The Basement and Basement East, Crying Wolf, 12th and Porter, Play (drag shows)…but not like your big city clubby clubs you’d find in NYC.

      • May 27, 2016
        Anna

        Thanks! That gives me some ideas.

  • October 3, 2016
    Michele

    Hi Kristin,

    My ladies and I are heading to Nashville NEXT weekend for my bachelorette. We are staying in east Nashville, so are planning to do dinner and those bars Thursday night. Friday during the daytime we plan to venture to 12south for yummy tacos and good shopping. Friday night, would we have fun in that neighborhood or do you recommend another place? (Josephine is full!) Saturday we have to do the pedal tour downtown, and will see the “things you have to see” some that day. Restaurants for that night seem impossible with a large group! Any Saturday night restaurant recommendations would be appreciated–we really love cheese plates (I mean duh, who doesn’t?)

    • October 3, 2016

      12South is more where you begin your night, not where you stay all evening. You could do shopping, then drinks at Urban Grub + tacos at Bartaco on the earlier side, then take a cab (i.e. Lyft) to Bastion for drinks (or can the idea of tacos and do dinner there) then head downtown later night.

      Since you’re staying in East Nashville, how about a Five Points night on Saturday? Start with wine (and cheese plates!) at Bar Luca, then venture over to Butcher & Bee for dinner, then you can do some of the bars in that area like Five Spot, end your night at Bar 308 (and burgers at Dino’s next door if you’re still hungry!). Also in East Nashville: Lockeland Table, Tree House and Edley’s if you’re going more casual.

      • October 3, 2016
        Michele

        Your advice has been so helpful! It really looks like there are a ton of amazing restaurants in east Nashville. We’ll likely stick to those for dinner! Have you heard any recommendations for Margot? Thank you so much for your help!

        • October 10, 2016

          Margot was one of the staples before Nashville became a culinary town. I can’t say I’ve been there since the restaurant boom of the past few years, but I’m sure it’s still great!

  • December 6, 2016

    Hey, there is a ton of great info in here. I started trying to plan my friends bach in nashville for july of next year. And we just booked our airbnb house. The address is 713 South 11th Street. It seems to be close to east nashville. The bride definitely wants dancing in boots (I was thinking coyote ugly), Is there anywhere that has like a mechanical bull? I added some of your must sees in our itinerary already!

    • December 8, 2016

      I believe Tequila Cowboy on Broadway *might* still have a bull. Last I heard, it was the only one in town. I recommend the Stage, Robert’s and Paradise Park for dancing =)

  • January 16, 2017
    Sarah

    Hi Kristin!

    I am having my Bachelorette party in Nashville the last weekend in Feb. All the recommendations you stated sound amazing!! You really know your city! We are coming from Minneapolis and will just be happy to get out of that kind of cold. Do you think it will be too cold to do a pedal pub or anything like that. I will have 12 girls with me and we are all in the range of 25-31! We are actually staying near the grand ole ophry and are just planning on possibly getting a limo since transportation may be a little tough with that many girls and about 20 min out of the city. If you have any other suggestions other than the ones you’ve given relating to size, age, and time frame that would be greatly appreciated!! (I also realize you wrote this post in 2014 so possibly your suggestions have changed) Thanks for all your help!

    • January 23, 2017

      It’s hard to know that this far out, Sarah. We’ve been having a balmy 60-degree January like much of the country, but that could always turn. February is the most unpredictable month here!

      You could always wait a week or so out and see what it’s looking like and if it’s going to be cold, you could do your own pub crawl of Broadway, Midtown or the Gulch instead?

      Newer places that are fun for a group: Le Sel, Butcher & Bee, LA Jackson, Biscuit Love.

      And here’s a more updated post:

      https://www.camelsandchocolate.com/2016/02/bachelorette-nashville/

      Hope that helps!

    • January 23, 2017

      P.S. Happy bachelorette weekend! That’s also my birthday weekend 😉

  • January 17, 2017
    Jodi Allen

    Hi Kristin! You seem to be the go to gal for things to do for girls trips in Nashville. There are 6 of us coming the last weekend in Feb. and we are all in our 40’s. I am in charge of the itinerary but am stressing out about it. I was wondering if I could send you my itinerary and you could help me out?
    We are staying in Historic German town in an Airbnb home.
    Thurs: arrive and head to Pinewood Social for dinner and drinks
    Fri: Brunch at Southern Steak or Biscuit Love
    Then Hatch Show Print
    Drinks at Patterson House
    Dinner at Rolf & Daughters
    then Roberts Western World

    Sat: brunch at 5th and Taylor
    Then Hall of Fame
    Then shopping/day drinking but where from HOF?
    Where for Dinner?
    Trying to get tickets to Little Big Town for that night.

    Sun: Brunch at Tavern
    Shopping Vandy Strip or what?
    Blue Birds at 5pm
    Dinner?

    Monday:
    we need to be at the airport by 3:30? so what should we do Monday?

    Thanks so much for your help! I would be willing to buy you dinner or a drink or two for your help. 🙂 You should start charging for this! 🙂

    Sun:

  • February 27, 2017
    Alyssa Heider

    Hi Kristin!
    I am so happy I found this post! I’m headed to Nashville in late April for a Bachelorette party I’m throwing. This is everybodies first time to visit and we are all so excited. The bride wants to do some tourists activities. We are staying at Music City Lofts in the heart of downtown. 6 girls arriving Wednesday night and leaving early Monday, so we have a solid 4 days for activities. Can you advise me what we should do/visit for sure..I’m trying to make an itinerary.

    Tours?
    Restaurants?
    Pub craw?
    Misfit academy?
    Blue bird cafe?

    Thanks in advance!

    • March 3, 2017

      Favorite tour = Walk Eat Nash
      Bluebird Cafe = impossible to get into (try Listening Room instead)
      Pub crawl = if you like breweries, go to Yazoo, TN Brew Works and Jackalope; if you like distilleries, hit up Nelson’s Green Brier and Corsair in Marathon Village
      Outdoors stuff = Cheekwood Botanical Garden, Centennial Park, the Shelby Bottoms Greenway, Riverfront Park along the river (you can do a kayak tour if you like), Percy Priest (rent a boat or SUPs), or rent Bcycles and bike from bar to bar

      have fun!

  • April 4, 2017
    Liz Vazquez

    Hi Kristin! We’re doing a Bachelorette-Sweat in Nashville the week of June 18th! Your recommendations are awesome! Here’s the thing, most of that week the girls and I will be sweating off some wedding weight outside town about 20 minutes at a place called Fit Farm (heard of it?) – anyways, they had this going for brides and bridesmaids here –> http://fit.farm/bacheloresweat …and I wanted to do something unusual with a twist… but anyways, we only get one day off during the week to come into town on Wednesday, and if I only had ONE DAY to do maybe 3 things from your list, what would you recommend? (It’s hard for me because it all looks so great!) I’m so excited! Never been to Nashville before! thanks for such a great collection of activities! just what I was looking for!

  • February 10, 2018
    Mikala Hazard

    What do you think of Germantown area for an AirBnB?

  • April 20, 2018
    monique

    HI!

    I am planning a bach weekend for 10 girls. I am thinking of doing a spa/rooftop pool day.. do you have somewhere you could recommend?

  • May 15, 2018
    Mariah

    Hi Kristin!

    I will be going to nashville next weekend for my sisters surprise bachelorette! I’m a bit nervous about what to do during the day besides eat and sight see? The pedal tour is booked..

    I would like to do some country line dancing and bar hopping as well, do you have a list of fun bars that are walking distance apart?

    Any recommendations on wine tours for during the day?

    Thanks so much for your help!! If able of course.

    Much love,
    Mariah

    • May 22, 2018

      The only real winery is Arrington, which is fantastic, but a ways out of town. Here’s a post I wrote on more adult things to do for a bachelorette:

      https://www.camelsandchocolate.com/nashville-bachelorette/

      All the bars are open during the day, so you can walk to everything on 2nd Ave and Broadway with no trouble. They’re all pretty much the same, but I love Robert’s and the Stage and Acme, and I would say to steer clear of Tootsie’s.

  • October 3, 2018

    How do you find time to discover these things? I got engaged last fall and still don’t know what venue we’re going to use – let alone themes or bachelorette party plans. The food looks amazing BTW.

    • October 5, 2018

      Ha! For all my Nashville posts, I accumulate content over the course of a year (or sometimes, yearS) and put together itineraries when I have some downtime 😉

  • May 20, 2019
    Katlyn

    Hi! Loved your post. There is 6 of us girls headed down for my best friends bachelorette in Nashville the weekend of June 13-16. She is a big seafood lover, any suggestions?! She saw they had Joes Crab Shack but EWE! Anything possibly better?

    • May 20, 2019

      Yes! Green Pheasant is EXCELLENT, and Marsh House and Fin & Pearl are also good. Henrietta Red and Le Sel both have raw bars.

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