The Ultimate Nashville Travel Guide

I finally had the opportunity to take a trip to Nashville for the first time. I was so excited to see this city and also have some time with my blogger friends!

If you’re anything like me, Nashville has been on my list of places to visit for years! I sadly missed one of my girlfriend’s bachelorette parties there several years back and since then, I’ve been dying to get there. I also have been lucky enough to develop friendships with several other bloggers who live there, so when I was invited to come on this trip I couldn’t say no!

To help you navigate this lively destination, I’ve put together the Ultimate Nashville Travel Guide to help find great hotel and travel deals, learn where to shop (and what to wear), and where to eat while you’re there.

Accommodations

A house rental company graciously hosted me and my friends Julianna, Bailey, Katy, and Ashley for three nights in one of their three bed, 2.5 bath properties. If you’re headed to Nashville for a bachelorette party or even weekend away with friends, VRBO has nearly 5,000 vacation rentals throughout the city.

The house we stayed in was brand new and a mid century modern style. Super clean and welcoming, as well! They also provided towels, dishes, shampoo and conditioner, and basically any amenity you’d get at a hotel (aside from room service!).

It was conveniently located in the Gulch neighborhood (tons of restaurants, bars, and gyms close by).

On the flip side, there are great hotels in the Nashville area!

Expedia might be the easiest way to find a location of your choice at a great deal. With over 5,000 hotels in the Nashville area, the hotel hunt can be a little daunting. Expedia has hotel deals starting as low as $60 per night and you can hone in on the area you would like to stay in.

Vacation packages can sometimes offer the best deals, not to mention the easiest way to book flights, hotels, and transportation all in one click. Hotwire offers packaged deals in Nashville, with some offers including 100% off your flight (that’s not a typo, that means flights cost nothing!). Check out deals on Nashville Vacation Packages here.

Shopping in Nashville

We actually didn’t do too much shopping (I know, shocking for us all being bloggers!). The only stores we were all dying to go to were Kittenish and Uncommon James. Both are Nashville based stores (Kittenish is owned by Jessie James Decker and Uncommon James is owned by Kristen Cavalleri).

Kittenish had SUCH cute clothes! I didn’t end up getting anything, because the few pieces I loved were sold out in my size, but I found them online! I expect they will be coming out with a ton of new clothes, so you’ll probably see me wearing them more often! Her price points are really great, as well (mostly between $30 and $100).

Uncommon James, on the other hand, was my kryptonite! If I could have, I would have left with literally everything! They have the cutest dainty jewelry, which is timeless and well priced. I ended up with three necklaces and wear them all together. I spent under $200 and can’t recommend their products enough! They also have kids and home products, which I’m closely eyeing!

Where to Eat in Nashville

Sunda Sushi

The first night Julianna, Ashley and I went to Sunda Sushi. The food and drinks were so good, and we had a really nice time! Our waitress was super nice and the food came fast. They were also extremely accommodating on my food allergies (which is not always the case, and is extremely important when I eat out).

Milk and Honey

We went to Milk & Honey for Brunch on Tuesday and it was incredible! I had the avocado toast and was blown away. Katy and Ashely got the same thing and we all loved it. Their drinks were delish, too! Some of us got mimosas, but I got the “L.I.T”, which was a cold brew drink. Despite it being 20 degrees outside, I had to try this coffee infused drink! It was seriously so good.

Barcelona

Katy and Bailey raved about Barcelona, so we made reservations and met up with our girlfriend Natalie for dinner. You guys…. if you go to Nashville do NOT miss Barcelona! It was by far my favorite meal of the trip (and Sushi is my favorite food!). Barcelona has tapas, and we ordered the steak, meatballs, potatoes, a cheese and meat board, and drinks. Not to mention the olive oil cake… I’m not a cake person but this melted in my mouth! SO GOOD! The prices were also extremely reasonable. We each spent $50 and had multiple drinks.

Tootsies on Broadway 

When you think of Nashville, you think of Broadway! We headed to Tooties for live music and drinks. I had a Blue Moon and it was $8.

The Thompson Hotel

We stopped at the Thompson Hotel for cocktails and fries before heading out, right after going to Tooties. The rooftop bar is breathtaking! You can see the entire city skyline from there. I highly recommend going!

Bartaco 

We went to Bartaco for lunch on Wednesday and met up with some other friends. OMG you guys… This place had the BEST spicy margaritas (by the way, they’re all “skinny” margs), and their tacos were to DIE for. The best part is, you can substitute the taco with a lettuce wrap. I tried the rock shrimp, the falafel, the tuna poke bowl, and the plantains. I didn’t love the falafel, but all of the others were amazing!

It’s located by some super cute stores, as well. We walked by Draper James and I shopped at Outdoor Voices (this is the set I got – so cute!).

Shop the outfit pictured above:

Workout – Barry’s Bootcamp

We went to Barry’s Bootcamp on Tuesday and Wednesday to get a sweat sesh in before starting our days. It honestly felt SO good! To be completely transparent, I was terrified of this class. I am not a runner, and when they assigned me a treadmill I was scared. Once the class got started, I realized I would be fine! The trainer had us walk, run, and sprint in 30-60-90 second increments. It was a great HIIT workout! They do a few rounds of cardio on the treadmill and weights in between. I absolutely loved this class and wish we had a Barry’s in Scottsdale!

Shop the outfit pictured above:

Frog coffee

Katy and Bailey had an earlier flight than I did, so Ashley, Julianna and I stopped at the infamous Frog Coffee for a coconut milk latte before I took off. It was delicious, but I was surprised by the $6+ price tag!

Travel Must Haves

I also need to mention that I will NEVER travel without these things:

1. Whitenoise Maker – We own two of these just in case one of us is traveling without the other! I swear I started getting a full night sleep once we got this.
2. Calpak Suitcase Set – These suitcases are the perfect set! I love the color (they have a few options) and they’re very durable. They’re also extremely light weight, so I can fill up my pretty gold suitcases with extra shoes and clothes!
3. Extra travel bag – Let’s be honest, I’m no light packer and I shop anytime we travel. I always throw in an extra travel bag, just in case my bag is over weight!

If you liked this post, you can check out my recent travel post HERE and shop my looks on the LikeToKnow.It app!

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xoxo, Melissa