Updated: September 2026
Four days in Nashville was enough time to see the classics, explore the trendier neighborhoods, and fit in a handful of reservations along the way. We stayed at The Joseph, a downtown hotel with a rooftop pool and a spa that turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip. Here is how the four days broke down, with links to full posts on the stops that get their own writeup.
Day 1: Arrival and Broadway
We landed early on a Thursday afternoon and checked into The Joseph in time for a quick refresh before heading out.
Robert’s Western World was our first stop, an old-school honky-tonk with live country music and no frills.
For dinner, we had reservations at Yolan, the upscale Italian restaurant inside The Joseph.
We closed out the night at the Bluebird Cafe, a Nashville institution for live songwriter sets. Reservations and timing matter here, so plan your Uber with room to spare.
Day 2: 12 South, the Opry, and a Speakeasy
Breakfast was included at the hotel, which made mornings easy before a full day out.
12 South was our stop for shopping and wandering. We spent time in Draper James, Emerson Grace, H. Audrey, Parnassus Books, Hill Center, Imogene + Willie, and White’s Mercantile.
Coffee and food options nearby are plentiful. We stopped by La La Land Grand Cafe and Frothy Monkey for photos, and tried Five Daughters Bakery for the 100-layer donuts and E+Rose for superfood smoothies.
In the afternoon, we headed to the Grand Ole Opry Backstage Tour. The tour covers dressing rooms, stage history, and artist stories at an easy pace, and runs about an hour.
We used the early evening to unwind at the hotel. Our group of seven split up, some refreshing in their rooms, others heading to the hotel bar for a cocktail. The Joseph also has The Rose Spa, twenty-one stories above downtown, with a Touch of Luxe facial that includes a neck-and-shoulder massage with rose, birch, and mint oils, a scalp massage, and a finishing lymphatic massage with rose quartz, worth booking ahead if a treatment sounds appealing. The rooftop saltwater pool, flanked by the Denim bar, is another option, with sweeping skyline views.
Dinner was at Henrietta Red, a seafood-forward New American spot, followed by drinks at The Four Walls, also inside The Joseph and named one of Esquire’s Best Bars in America. Reservations are strongly suggested for both.
Day 3: A Waymo Detour and a Food Tour
Another included breakfast, then on our way to The Gulch, one of us left a phone behind in the Waymo. The group split: four continued on to The Gulch, boutiques, murals, and all, while the rest of us spent the next two hours tracking down the phone.
We all regrouped in time for Secret Food Tours Nashville, a couple of hours of tastings around the city and a good way to sample several restaurants without committing to one sit-down meal.
We had not planned a dinner for that night, knowing the food tour would cover it. We headed up to our rooms to refresh before heading out again. From there, we stopped for a cocktail at L27 on our way to catch the 9:30 show at the Grand Ole Opry.
Day 4: Last Stops Before Departure
With an afternoon flight, our last morning was unhurried. We had coffee and breakfast at The Joseph, then started with a golf cart tour around the city, which dropped us off right in front of Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, where we enjoyed a couple more hours of live music. From there, it was back to The Joseph for a light bite before heading to the airport.
Nashville Close
Four days gave us a real feel for Nashville without rushing, though getting around the city was not always smooth. Between rideshares and a phone left behind in a Waymo, transportation ended up being its own small adventure, and also how we discovered Waymo in the first place.
— izzy