Nashville, Tennessee. The honkey-tonk capital of the United States. The hub of country music stardom. A really fun city for college seniors. Per tradition for most Midwest universities, me, a college senior, and 20 of my sorority friends drove 5 hours to Nashville for our Fall break. We went mid-October from a Thursday night to Sunday afternoon, and the weather was perfect — bright blue skies and temperatures in the 70s. Now, I must warn you, we mostly stayed around Broadway where all the crazy bars are. There is definitely more to do in Nashville than go to bars, but we did not explore much else because we are college seniors and everyone just wanted to let loose. And let loose we did. My goodness, I have never seen more rowdy people in my life! Not even just college kids, but middle-aged adults too! The scene is absolutely hilarious and something that everyone must see. Keep reading to learn how I spent minimal money (a total of ~$350) and still had the most fun weekend ever.

Travel Tips

I spent ~$350 total for 3 nights and 4 days in Nashville. That includes hotel, food, drinks, transportation, entertainment. Not too bad!

We stayed at the Courtyard Nashville Vanderbilt / West End Hotel and I would definitely recommend it. It is around a 25 minute walk to Broadway, and an easy Uber/Lyft ride. There are also lots of bars and restaurants less than a 3 minutes walk from the hotel, so the location is really good. I stayed with three other girls in a room with two queen sized beds and payed $165 for three nights and four days. I think that is a great deal for a clean hotel in a great location.

You can stay in an airbnb if you want, but we’ve heard lots of horror stories of airbnbs being broken into in Nashville, so for that reason we chose to stay at a hotel.

If you can drive to Nashville, do it. Ours was only 5 hours and it was an easy drive. Reserve a parking spot on SpotHero to park your car before you come because valet at hotels is super expensive.

Remember to bring your own drinks before you come to Nashville!! The drinks are so expensive, so please, for your wallet’s sake, bring a case of something so you can pregame a little before heading to the bars.

Ubers/Lyfts are very cheap, so I wouldn’t recommend driving anywhere unless it’s farther than a 40 minute walk.

Activity Tips

Go on a party tractor. I had the time of my freaking life. We used the company Off the Wagon Tours, and they were awesome. The premise is that you and all your friends are in a wagon being pulled by a green tractor through the streets of Nashville. You get to pick the music and it’s BYOB, so you’re dancing and drinking through the streets, having the time of your life. It was such a fun way to see the city, too! It cost $35 + tip per person for the tractor (we went with 17 people) and I think it’s 100% worth it. I will never stop raving about this experience. DO IT!!!

Walk around Broadway during the day and look in all of the western stores. There are thousands of cowboy hats, cowboy boots, and western clothing to peruse through. Though I didn’t get anything because they were expensive, it was fun to pop in and try on different hats and boots. I recommend the Trail West store to get you started! Just walking through Broadway is a trip. There are a million neon signs and bars, and the vibes are so so good.

Listen to as much live music as you can. That shouldn’t be a problem since there are live performers everywhere, and later I will give you names of places with great live music. But I was shocked at how good every singer is. There was not a single bad live performer, and it was SO nice to listen to live music and sing along to classic country covers and feel like you’re in a concert.

Food + Bars Tips

Just Love Coffee Cafe in Music Row is a lovely little coffee and breakfast spot with great vibes. My delicious iced latte was $5 and I had a great time people-watching and enjoying the aesthetic inside.

Go to Party Fowl restaurant in the Gulch area. They specialize in Nashville Hot Chicken and have a unique drink selection. If you go Monday-Thursday for happy hour, they have great deals on drinks and appetizers! I got the poutine for $14 and it was soooooo good. The restaurant itself had a fun staff and the ambience was great. It is more of a laid back place, so if you’re looking for genuinely good fried chicken where you can relax then go here!

Flying Saucer is a beautifully decorated restaurant/bar that I’d also recommend. There is tons of delicious beer on tap, live music, a cool tavern-like atmosphere, and good food. The blonde ale on tap is heavenly. We went with a large group and got bigger dishes to share, but I would definitely want to come back and be in the general dining area because of how cool it is. I spent only ~$12 because I kept getting free drinks somehow. That’s another thing — it is very easy to get free drinks in Nashville.

Go to Losers Bar and Grille. This is only a 3 minute walk from my hotel, and we had a fantastic time dancing to the awesome live band and chatting with new people. It is a huge bar with many floors, and it isn’t on Broadway so it’s more laid back than most the other ones I’ll be listing here.

Kid Rock Bar on Broadway is very fun, and I’d recommend going during the daytime. There is a beautiful rooftop bar and more than 7 floors to explore, with live music on each floor. It is a very well-designed space, and a fun spot to people-watch. It is a bit overwhelming, but oh so fun! We popped in here for less than an hour, explored a bit, then headed out.

The Jason Aldean rooftop on Broadway is SO fun during the day. We stayed here for hours, dancing to the live music and just having a great time. At nighttime, there is a ridiculously long line and it turns into a club, so I’d recommend going during the day.

Tootises on Broadway is SOOOOO fun. We came back to this place every night because the live music on the top floor was INCREDIBLE. It felt like a concert every night. Singing along and dancing to the awesome band was a blast. The rooftop here is also beautiful.

Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row bar on Broadway is a MUST during the daytime. I was having such a fun time here, the rooftop was probably the best out of all that I’d seen! The music and overall vibes kept me and my friends here a long time.

If you’re looking for a more relaxed time, try Johnny Cash’s Bar on Broadway. There are these beautiful stain glass windows and the live music is more of a sit down, relaxed ambience.

Underground bar is a MASSIVE bar at the end of Broadway with arcade games, a mechanical bull, and a fun rooftop. This place is super fun at night.

OKAY wow I know that was a lot. If you come away with anything from this article, it should be that all the live music in Nashville is amazing and you must go on the party tractor. Something about country music … it brings out the fun, crazy sides of people. Saddle up your cowboy boots and head to Nashville to let loose and dance the night away. I hope these tips help you to have as good of a time as I did!!

xx Gracie

If you enjoyed this article, then check out my others:

Gracie’s Guide to New York, New York (on a Budget)

Gracie’s Guide to Washington D.C. ( on a Budget )

Gracie’s Guide To A Day Trip In Sedona, Arizona ( On A Budget )