48 Hours in Nashville

Day One

Morning

Start out right with breakfast within the hotel at Omni’s own Kitchen Notes. In addition to a breakfast buffet, diners can enjoy Southern-inspired starters, like a variety of breakfast sandwiches on buttermilk biscuits, pancakes, waffles or egg dishes like the Honky Tonk Omelet or the egg white frittata. 

For a comfort food breakfast off-property, head to The Southern, a steak and oyster restaurant by night that serves up breakfast or brunch each morning. Enjoy a variety of specialty dishes, like the T for Texas, which combines smoked brisket with jalapeno cheddar grits and fried eggs, or the Highway, where fried chicken is drizzled in maple syrup and served atop a waffle. 

Get oriented with an introduction to the city via horse-drawn carriage. Leaving from Broadway Street in downtown Nashville, various groups host narrated tours that include famous landmarks or casual rides to simply take in the sights. 

Another way to gain perspective of the city as a whole is with a relaxing walk across the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge, a truss bridge that crosses the Cumberland River and connects the west to the residential areas to the east and offers views of downtown as you go. 

If you prefer to head indoors, the Tennessee State Museum is less than a mile from the hotel, and it offers a glimpse into the city’s past, spanning 15,000 years. Especially interesting is the museum’s display of Civil War artifacts like weapons, uniforms and flags.

Afternoon

Near the waterfront, Acme Feed & Seed makes the perfect place for a fun lunch. The multi-level restaurant features fast-casual Southern food on the first floor, a sushi bar on the second floor (as well as a lounge, a photo booth and vintage games) and a rooftop bar offering views of the city and cocktails like a blackberry margarita.

The Ryman Auditorium is a must-visit in Nashville. The historic live performance venue, which was built in the 1800s, has hosted some of the most famous country musicians of all time. With a variety of tours, choose to head backstage, create your own song in the on-site recording studio and more.

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is adjacent to the hotel lobby. This special spot offers a permanent exhibit detailing the history of country music, but there are temporary exhibits featuring specific artists like Shania Twain and Loretta Lynn as well. Also in the area are individual museums dedicated to huge names like Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline and George Jones.

Evening

For a high-class meal in downtown Nashville, visit Etch, an eclectic restaurant with an extensive wine list. Pair your glass with entrees like venison, Peruvian tuna ceviche, carrot enchiladas, Greek kataifi and more as you watch your meal being prepared in the open kitchen setting.

Or, opt for a trendy dinner at Pinewood Social on your first night in town. This New American restaurant offers a variety of shared platters, like smoked trout fritters and roasted garlic hummus and lobster mac ‘n’ cheese. On top of that, the innovative environment offers six bowling lanes to enhance your experience further. 

While music is much more at the forefront of Nashville than sports, the evening is the perfect time to attend a Nashville Predators hockey game, or a minor league baseball game. The Nashville Sounds, a farm team for the Oakland Athletics, play at First Tennessee Park, which also has suites, picnic areas and a nine-hole miniature golf course.

Another option is to head over to the esteemed Grand Ole Opry. Deemed “The Show that Made Country Music Famous,” this weekly concert series offers a little something for everyone, from beloved traditional artists to new-coming chart-toppers.

Day Two

Morning

The next morning, make the five-minute walk to The Diner, a 24-hour eatery serving up classic diner cuisine in a contemporary space. The restaurant’s breakfast menu blends classic favorites with modern offerings like Nutella waffles, avocado toast and waffle sliders with home-style potatoes.
 
Another great choice is Makeready Libations & Liberation, which offers either breakfast or brunch every day of the week. If you can’t make it for breakfast, this hip American tavern also serves lunch and dinner.

After breakfast set out for Centennial Park. Located just a couple miles from downtown, this spot is an impressive 132 acres of trails, gardens and historical monuments. The main highlight is the Parthenon, a to-scale replica of the Greek structure, which, in Nashville, houses an art museum.

Or stick close to the hotel and opt for a relaxing morning after you eat. Omni Nashville Hotel is home to a rooftop pool deck with a seasonal bar as well as the Mokara Spa, where guests can enjoy facials, massages and other body treatments in addition to hair, makeup and nail services. 

Afternoon

Trendy coffee shop Milk and Honey is the perfect place to enjoy a mid-day meal, with fresh superfood salads, wood-fired pizzas and sandwiches like the short rib grilled cheese or the curried smoked chicken salad sandwich. For dessert, opt for the house-made gelato or fruit popsicles, or grab a milkshake, smoothie or cold-pressed juice to go.

Whiskey Kitchen is another lunch spot, offering an intimate, sophisticated setting, with reclaimed wood and crocodile leather covering the walls. The world-renowned whiskeys and bourbons pair well with the Southern favorites and pub fare on the menu.

Nashville is also home to a fully-functioning urban winery, called City Winery, where visitors can enjoy wine tastings, a tour of the facility or even take part in the process by creating a private barrel or designing a custom wine label.

Evening

Ambiance is everything when you’re enjoying a nice dinner, and Black Rabbit provides just that. Listen to the tune of drifting jazz and piano music as you dine on dishes created on a wood-fired grill in the open kitchen.
  
Also nearby is Skull’s Rainbow Room is a 1948-esque speakeasy eatery offering culinary treats like lobster bisque, crab cakes, empanadas, charcuterie, prime rib, lamb and fish. In addition, guests can enjoy live jazz music as well as burlesque shows.

After dinner, head to Lower Broadway to check out a quintessential Nashville activity: honky tonking. Lovingly known as Honky Tonk Highway, this street offers a variety of bars with lively country music and cocktails. Some of the standouts include Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, which has four different stages, and Robert’s Western World, which combines traditional country with Latin-inspired tunes. Another favorite is Layla’s Bluegrass Inn, which features performances in Americana, bluegrass, rockabilly and other genres in addition to country.

If you have more time...

Check out the thriving and eclectic East Nashville neighborhood across the river. This trendy area has plenty of great bars, shops and art galleries to explore.  

Get off the beaten path and visit the historic Bluebird Café. This iconic spot, which has featured some of the most significant songwriters and artists, also showcases up-and-coming artists.

For Civil War buffs, Stones River National Battlefield, the site of one of the war’s bloodiest conflicts, is only 30 miles away.  

The Omni Nashville Hotel concierge team contributed to this article.