'I broke my one and only holiday rule on a trip to Nashville - it was worth it'

Whenever I plan a holiday, I only take one thing into consideration, can I sit on a beach chair with a Piña colada in hand? If the answer is no, then I'm going somewhere else where I can. 

When a trip to Nashville came across my desk, I wasn't so sure about it being a go-to holiday spot. 

I was used to sun-kissed beaches in Greece, not cowboy hats and country music. Would this trip be a holiday that I would enjoy?

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Things to do in Nashville

We started the trip by visiting a whole range of different museums, including the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. 

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There were thousands of awesome items from musicians whom I recognised, despite not being a huge country music fan. 

The collection included guitars, outfits and artefacts from hundreds of music icons, including country-turned-pop star Taylor Swift and Aussie country singer Keith Urban. 

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We followed up the tour with a visit to Hatch Show Print, a letter print shop in Nashville that has been operating since 1879. 

For anyone really interested in the history of the shop, a behind-the-scenes tour is available, which also offers the chance to use a print machine and make your own poster as a keepsake. 

The National Museum of African American Music provides a robust education on how African-American musicians hugely influenced popular music today, while the Musicians' Hall of Fame has a huge range of musical artefacts across all genres of music. 

There's also the option to visit the Historic Ryman Auditorium and the world-famous Grand Ole Opry for a real insight into Nashville's own musical history, more on that below.

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Best shopping in Nashville

Okay, so Nashville has a lot to offer musically and culturally… but every girl knows a good holiday isn't complete without a bit of shopping. 

The shopping scene (to my delight) was made up of vintage thrift stores, handmade leather goods, and the gosh-darn cutest (yet expensive) cowboy boots I have ever seen. 

We stopped into a unique store called Garage Sale Vintage, which offered up thrifted items from the '80s and '90s, as well as some more recent finds.

For a fun, light-hearted experience, stop at Hat World to try on outrageously large, southern-style visors and hats, or pick up a handmade leather cowboy hat.

Stroll down 12th and South where you'll find high-end boutiques with stacks of incredible local jewellery shops, boot spots and clothing stores.

Stores around Broadway and inside the Assembly Food Hall offer a slightly more affordable, very quintessentially Nashville style.

There is also no lack of incredible cowboy boots along the Honky Tonk strip, where you can buy any type of boots you want.

Nashville Nightlife

What about the nightlife? What can Nashville offer that the clubs in Mykonos can't? 

On our first night in Nashville, we visited a local spot called the Listening Room, where we saw local musicians performing songs they had written, some not released yet, and it absolutely blew me away. 

The sheer talent of these local musicians was mind-boggling to me, plus the room was PACKED on a random Monday night. There was standing room only. 

It really surprised me how much the locals support and love small musicians in Nashville, I really couldn't think of anything like it in Sydney, or anywhere else for that matter. 

A personal favourite night-time activity was seeing the Nashville Ice Hockey team, the Nashville Predators, take on the Seattle Kraken at Bridgestone Arena.

I'm hardly a sports fan, nor do I understand Ice Hockey, but I seriously had the best time ever.  

If you are considering a trip to Nashville, make sure you add an Ice Hockey game to the itinerary. 

Another absolute must-do spot for anyone visiting Nashville is the Grand Ole Opry, a historic and iconic radio show performed live every night in a massive, sold-out theatre. 

We went on a Wednesday night and once again, it was packed, and offered a line-up of huge Grammy-nominated names in country music. 

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There's also a massive amount of incredible local spots for other genres of music, like The Blue Room Bar in Third Man Records. 

It is the only recording studio in the world that records shows live onto acetate, which then gets turned into a vinyl.  

Best Nashville bars and Honky Tonks

Nashville also has a range of cool cocktail bars like Fox Bar & Cocktail Club, which makes delicious drinks and freshly baked cookies that are made to order. 

For a dive bar brimming with locals and great music, swing past Skinny Dennis and join in as locals swing dance to live country music (yes, really!). 

Lastly, when talking about Nashville's nightlife, you can't forget the Honky Tonks along Broadway. 

Each venue offers something unique, but all of them offer live country music, covers and insanely fun vibes. 

We had the time of our lives dancing to Pink Pony Club by Chappel Roan, which was being sung by a country band's drummer inside of Morgan Wallen's Bar. 

I also loved Layla's, which feels more cosy than Wallen's, with customers encouraged to bring in a number plate to add to the bar's collection.

Where to stay in Nashville

The best places to stay in Nashville are within walking distance of the Honky Tonk strip, but still far away enough to get a good night sleep.

For people who love boutique hotels, The Noelle is an incredible spot with a built-in gift shop and cafe.

The hotel also boasts a delicious Mexican restaurant called Lona.

For those looking for a more funky, unique stay, consider The Bobby.

With a vibey rooftop bar and hidden speakeasy, the hotel offers up its own list of things to do without leaving its walls.

The verdict

After just five days in Nashville, I was convinced there was heaps to do and there was NEVER one dull moment in that city… plus if you were a music lover, there was no better trip to take. 

Nashville started to morph from a city I couldn't see myself visiting to a place I didn't want to leave. 

It may not have any beaches, but Nashville is so alive and bustling that I can't discount it as an incredible holiday spot with something for everyone to enjoy. 

The writer travelled as a guest of Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp.