U.S. City Breaks: Nashville
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Nashville skyline at night ©Nashville CVC
Grab your guitars and cowboy hats as it’s time to head to Music City.
Join Greatdays on this US city break to Nashville. The ultimate pilgrimage for song-writers and country music fans alike. Nashville celebrates its incredible relationship with the musically inclined all over this city. From the Country Music Hall of Fame to the revered Grand Ole Opry, music is deeply entrenched in the heart of this city.
Begin your tour on a showboat cruise along the Cumberland River. Become mesmerised by the eclipsing sky scrapers that project an array of flickering lights glittering the tranquil waters, providing a beautiful panoramic scene. This is sure to get your break off to a great start. Furthermore, you will be treated to a show and dinner on the General Jackson.
As well as this, spend some time exploring all the sights celebrating Nashville’s intriguing evolution of culture. Experience the city’s heritage at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Bicentennial Mall State Park. As well, pay homage to the “Man in Black” at the Johnny Cash Museum. Furthermore, don’t miss the opportunity to get a personally-guided tour of the Jack Daniels Distillery. One of the oldest registered distilleries in the United states. Also, visit the Hermitage, built as the home of the country’s seventh president, Andrew Jackson. This includes a wine tasting at the Winery at Belle Meade Plantation.
Furthermore, extend your exploration of Nashville’s antiquity. Firstly, visit Cheekwood Estate to spend some time exploring the mansion and it’s nurtured gardens. Furthermore, take some time in the afternoon to enjoy the lush green landscape of Centennial Park that features the Parthenon replica, built to scale. Commissioned for Nashville’s celebration of the nation’s 100th birthday, it also commemorates Nashville’s reputation as the “Athens of the South” because of its many universities and arts scene.
Do not miss this great opportunity to see the pride of American culture and experience the beauty of this great city. Also, if you wish to extend your stay, see the optional extras for some ideas.
Dates
Dates on request
Suggested Itinerary by Air
Day 1
Arrive & Entertainment Cruise
Arrive in Nashville and transfer to your hotel. Begin your Tennessee adventure with a stunning showboat cruise along the Cumberland River. Start our Nashville city break in style and enjoy the beautiful riverside scenery on one of the outdoor or indoor decks. Onboard the General Jackson showboat, you will be treated to a show with a live Orchestra and talented dancers with a traditional southern meal with true southern hospitality, in a Victorian style theatre.
Day 2
Hop on/hop off trolley bus – Jack Daniels Distillery Tour
Today is your chance to get out and about and see what makes Nashville such an incredible city.
Here, you will get the opportunity to choose where and how you see all the sights of Music city. Explore “Music City” at your own pace. Nashville is filled with exciting attractions, famous live entertainment venues, renowned restaurants and interesting specialty shops. From its days as a frontier fort to being christened the “Country Music Capital of the World”, Nashville celebrates its culture throughout the city. Take in a show at Opryland, the renowned Ryman Auditorium, and the Bluebird Café or at one of the legendary honky-tonks along Broadway like Tootsies’ Orchid Lounge. Experience the city’s heritage at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Bicentennial Mall State Park and pay homage to the “Man in Black” at the Johnny Cash Museum.
After you’ve had chance to explore the city, we can offer you the opportunity to see the world famous Jack Daniels Distillery, one of the oldest registered distilleries in the United States and among the most prestigious listed on the National Register of Historic Places. You will receive a personally-guided tour of the distillery and observe the famous whiskey-making process Mr. Jack Daniel perfected back in 1866.
Day 3
Historic Tennessee – Grand Ole Opry
After spending the last few days experiencing modern-day Nashville and the delicacies of multi-generational recipes, it is time to see where it all began. Take a journey back in time to visit two of the most extraordinary and historic homes in the United States. Visit the Hermitage, built as the home of the country’s seventh president, Andrew Jackson. Stop for lunch at historic Hermitage House Smorgasbord, a full southern buffet, then travel to Belle Meade Mansion, formerly a world-renowned thoroughbred horse farm. The day ends with a wine tasting at the Winery at Belle Meade Plantation.
In the evening experience the thrill of a live concert at Nashville’s premier country music stage, the world-renowned Grand Ole Opry. See new stars, superstars and the legends of country music all in one evening. Unlike a typical concert, the Grand Ole Opry presents eight or more artists at each show, giving the audience a variety of musical styles to enjoy at one event.
Day 4
Nashville Cheekwood Estate and Gardens – Centennial Park Tours
Today you will travel to the Cheekwood Estate and to spend some time exploring the mansion and the gardens. Make your way to the Georgian mansion and its 55 acres (22.3 hectares) of nurtured gardens. As well as this, a garden-scale outdoor exhibition; one of the estates’s many art exhibits are waiting to be explored. Experience the house where Joel Cheek invented Maxwell House Coffee back in 1892 and then see some amazing artwork on the Carell Woodland sculpture trail. You will also get time to look around the mansion, which provides visitors the opportunity to step back in time and see life from the view point of the Cheeks.
As well as this, take this time to enjoy the lush green landscape of Centennial Park. All of America’s great cities have a fantastic urban park; New York’s Central Park, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, and Nashville’s Centennial Park. Like all the great parks of the USA, Centennial Park provides a perfect tranquil alternative to bustling city and towering skyscrapers. The most notable and possibly most out-of-place feature of the park is the Parthenon replica, built to scale. Commissioned for Nashville’s celebration of the nation’s 100th birthday, it also commemorates Nashville’s reputation as the “Athens of the South” because of its many universities and arts scene.
Day 5
Departure
The time has come to depart from Nashville to the airport for your return flight to the UK.
Optional Extras
Discover Nashville
Start today with an incredibly delicious walking tour of Nashville, as you will see what makes Nashville cuisine so famous worldwide. On this tour, your foodie guide will take you on a walking tour down Broadway, one of Music City’s main arteries, lined with cafes, restaurants and bars. Learn about the history of Nashville and how it became the city it is today. See important landmarks such as The District, Printer’s Alley and Tootsie’s World-Famous Orchid Lounge. Over the course of the 1-mile (1.6-km) stroll; stop at five eateries for tastings of Nashville specialties such as barbecue and pralines. As well as this, you will visit several off-the-beaten-path spots that many travellers don’t know about.
Walking food tour
Begin your day with a 3 and ½ hour tour of Music City. This educational and entertaining tour, given by an experienced guide, rolls past some of the city’s most famous landmarks including the historic Riverfront Park, Ryman Auditorium, Schermerhorn Symphony Center and not forgetting the Country Music Hall of Fame. Here, you’ll have time to wander through the permanent Sing Me Back Home exhibit; an exciting, multi-layered journey through the life of Country music. Through artefacts, photographs, original recordings, archival video, newly produced films, touch-screen interactive media, and beautifully rendered text panels you will be immersed into the history and sounds of country music, its meanings, and the lives and voices of many of its honoured personalities.
Graceland/Memphis tour
Why not extend your tour for an extra night in Memphis allowing for a full day to explore everything Elvis on a tour of Graceland, the famous home of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll himself. Look through a plethora of memorabilia, like photos, personal mementos, costumes and jewellery. Tour the Graceland Mansion’s exhibits that highlight Elvis’ rise to stardom. This is an opportunity to see the man who is idolised around the world up close and personal. As well as this, why not visit the Elvis Presley Automobile Museum, featuring some of his favourite cars, including his 1955 pink Cadillac.
