Planning sucks, and bachelorette parties are a ton of work. So we’re taking all the guesswork out of planning a bachelorette party by breaking down top bachelorette destinations. Our guides will tell you where to stay, eat, party, how to get around, and give you a sample itinerary that you can follow. You’re welcome.
If you only know Nashville because of country music and hot chicken, get your sh*t together. This magical land of southern hospitality, hipsters, amazing music (of all kinds), and a lot of really f*cking good food is going to be your new fav Bachelorette party destination. Yes, there are a LOT of bachelorette parties in this Tennessee city already, but like, it’s for a reason. Between rows upon rows of bars and clubs and some of the best hungover brunches ever, Nashville has a ton to offer for your bride tribe.
How To Get There
Nashville is an easy drive from places places like Charlotte, Atlanta, Memphis, and other Southeast spots. Everyone else, hop a plane and set your sights on Nashville International Airport. Since it’s a decent-sized hub, roundtrip non-stop flights from major airports in and around NYC start at around $300, and flights from Chicago elsewhere in the Midwest are priced about the same. Dallas and deep South travelers are looking at around $250, and West coast people can snag a flight for about the same.
Once you get to the airport in Nashville, you can grab an Uber as easily as other airports in major cities to bring you to the center of Nashville, where I assume you’ve booked somewhere to stay. Speaking of…
Where To Stay
Like Atlanta, where you end up staying in Nashville is based on the kind of bachelorette party you want to have. Are you a non-stop partier? Do you want an authentic country music experience? Are you really just interested in food? Or do you want to party with a bunch of Vanderbilt kids? The choice is yours.
Downtown is the first, best, and most obvious spot you may want to look into. From downtown, you’ll have the easiest access to sh*t like Lower Broadway where all the bars and honky-tonks are. You also won’t have to Uber f*cking everywhere since it’s super walkable (unless like, you wore those sky-high heels that you KNOW kill your feet but your butt just looks so good in them). From downtown, too, it’s an easy ride to other neighborhoods that you may want to explore during the day. A few hotels like the The Westin Nashville (has a GREAT rooftop bar) and Bobby Hotel are great options just based on location. Plus, they’re hella stylish and will make for great Instas.
If you can’t get a hotel right in the downtown area (esp if it’s like, bachelorette party season), look for anything in the neighborhood called The Gulch. It’s super close to downtown and has a few noteworthy hotels like The Thompson.
There are also, of course, lots of Airbnbs, so pick whichever better suits your party’s needs.
How To Get Around
If you’re staying downtown, you’ll have great access to walkable spots, but if you’re looking to explore some other neighborhoods, you’ll probably have to Uber a few times. Luckily, Uber is super cheap in Nashville compared to somewhere like NYC, so yay for that.There’s also a pubcycle, so you can travel around the heart of the city in a way that makes every local hate you while you drink and shout at strangers! Just saying, it’s a great option when you’re already blackout (or planning to be).
Where To Eat
There are a few things you must eat while in Nashville and they include hot chicken, meat and three (which is an old Southern-style meal consisting of a meat and three sides), and a brunch that includes biscuits and/or grits to soak up all the alcohol from last night’s honky-tonk bullsh*t.
With these must-eat things in mind, you’ll want to hit a few restaurants for sure. First up, Prince’s, one of the most popular spots for hot chicken and the originator of the bird. When they say it’s hot, they mean it’s f*cking hot. Literally, the entire premise of Nashville hot chicken is built around the semi-urban legend that a woman was so pissed at her dude for cheating on her that she made his fried chicken insanely spicy. The plan backfired, cause that two-timing asshole enjoyed it. Allegedly, the recipient (and two-timer) was Thorton Prince, whose family still owns the joint. Anyway, if you can’t get a table at Prince’s (it’s literally always mobbed and has a line out the door most days and it’s a bit outside town), Hattie B’s, Bolton’s Spicy Chicken and Fish, and Party Fowl are all solid hot chickenoptions.
Barbecue and a meat and three (remember, three sides) are also must-haves and, may I say, do rather nicely when you’re chugging booze all day. Make sure your stops include a pop in at either Martin’s Bar-B-Que (it has an amaze outdoor beer garden and is literally right in downtown) or Edley’s Bar-B-Que which has locations in East Nashville, Sylvan Park, or south of downtown. In Nashville, the name of the game is whole hog barbecue, so don’t f*ck up and order something like smoked chicken. It’s good, but that’s an amateur move in Nashville. If BBQ isn’t your thing (weird but okay), skip that and head to what I feel is the best cafeteria-style meat and three place in town: Arnold’s Country Kitchen. Get the Mac and Cheese and the banana pudding, you can thank me later.
If hot chicken isn’t your thing and small plates, cocktails, and fancier sh*t is (I mean, on every bachelorette itinerary there’s a “nice” dinner night), Black Rabbit in the Printer’s Alley neighborhood in downtown is hella cool (and has amazing dishes ranging from rabbit rolls to the cutest, tiniest grilled quail), as is The Green Pheasant, which offers upscale modern Japanese dishes and sake so you can appreciate the drink you abused in college.
For brunch, you absolutely do not need to stand in line for two or three hours at Biscuit Love. Yah, it’s really good, but it’s biscuits fam—you can find a lot of them in this city and, like, in the south in general. Instead, head to Woolworth on 5th for a few really well executed brunch classics in a darling historic space, Pinewood Social for brunch, bowling, and a lot of breakfast cocktails (omg yayy), or The Southern for a blood orange mimosa (YAAAS) and an S.O.S. breakfast.
What To Do
There’s a lot of sh*t to do in Nashville and, depending how you want to spend the day, you can enrich yourself with culture or enrich yourself with alcohol and music! Really, the limit does not exist. Obviously, you can book one of the many, MANY drinking tours or pubcycles circling town, but I’d recommend doing that sh*t toward the afternoon since it tends to get hot and sitting on a moving, drinking tour bus sounds better than wandering the streets of Nashville in the heat.
First, you’ll want to stop by the Country Music Hall of Fame. It’s like, kind of touristy, but it’s pretty cool and you don’t even have to like country music to enjoy it. I mean, Elvis’ solid gold Cadillac is in there, and if that doesn’t make you feel bougie, IDK what will. I’d recommend doing this early in the day so that you have time for drinking and eating later.
If you’re cool with heading out of the city for a day, def check out Arrington Vineyards. It’s about 35 minutes outside Nashville and is owned by Kix Brooks of Brooks and Dunn. I’ll fully admit, I don’t know these people’s music, but I’m sure he’s yee-haw-tastic.
You’ll also definitely want to make time to pop in at Pinewood Social. We mentioned it for brunch, but this spot also has wading pools outside, the aforementioned bowling alley (reserve that sh*t WEEKS in advance, tho), and food at all hours.
You’ll also want to take a break from day-drinking at some point to shop. Nashville has a ton of cute boutiques, some of which are owned by celebs (omg, yay). Stop in at Draper James, Reese Witherspoon’s store in the 12 South area, or Uncommon James, Kristin Cavallari’s store in The Gulch. MODA Boutique in 12 South is also super cute, but really, any of the stores you stumble into are going to be hella adorable when you’re drunk (which you will be).
Where To Party
Ohhhhh boy. I mean, it’s the reason you came to Nashville, right? There are bars on bars on clubs on clubs in this city, so you need to pick the best ones and pace yourselves or else, before you know it, you’re passed out on a mechanical bull and a budding songstress is using you as a muse for her next single.
As a note, honky-tonks don’t have a cover charge, so you can hop from one to the other without feeling like you just wasted all your drinking money. Plus, it makes for less cash to carry around. The best thing about Nashville’s Lower Broadway area is that you can kind of wander into any honky-tonk and have a great time. They all have live music, cheap beer, and a spot to dance/stare at other people’s cowboy boots.
Most, if not all, bachelorette parties spend a ton of time on Lower Broadway—the go-to spot with lots of neon, shouting cowboys, and other bridal parties. There are a few that you absolutely must visit, though. Acme Feed & Seed is a classic stop you’re going to need to hit for great music, comfy chairs (great for when the room is spinning) and multiple floors of debauchery. Full disclosure: I was nearing blackout stage when we stopped here, but I remember it was like, super fun.
After that, Tootsies is a fav because a) the purple building is chill and easy to find when you’re stumbling around and b) it has a weird, fun vibe perfect for dancing and getting a lil sloppy. Robert’s Western World also needs to be on your list. It’s one of the only honky-tonks in downtown on Lower Broadway that locals will actually give the time of day, which tells you that the drinks, music, and flashing lights are not to be missed. Pro tip: if you’re drunk, eat one of the fried bologna sandwiches. They’re f*cking amazing.
While it’s still light out, you may also want to hit up some of the rooftop bars. There’s one at the Bobby Hotel that has some pretty legit tacos (seriously) and then there’s Rare Bird, part of the Noelle Hotel, which serves up some absolutely delicious cocktails while you look out over the small people below.
Friday, Day 1
- Land at Nashville International Airport
- Arrive at the hotel/Airbnb and unpack, chill for a few minutes, then head to Hattie B’s so you can grab a literal bite of hot chicken and cold beer. You won’t be able to eat enough to ruin your dinner, so it’s fine.
- Dinner (literally just order all the apps) and drinks at Merchant’s
- Walk across the street to Tootsies and then down the block a bit to Tequila Cowboy for the rest of the night
- Sleep in preparation for tomorrow.
Saturday, Day 2
- Well, howdy, bitches!
- Brunch at The Southern. Get a pitcher of the blood orange mimosas and start your day buzz, sweetie.
- Walk or Uber to The Country Music Hall of Fame and show some goddamn respect for country music while sipping out of a flask in the bathroom. You can also hit the Nashville Farmers Market if you’re hipsters that love fine crafts and food.
- Time for lunch and afternoon drinks at Pinewood Social. Dip your feet in the pool or hit the bowling lanes (must reserve in advance).
- Head back to the hotel/Airbnb to get ready for a nice dinner at The Green Pheasant where you’ll all wear black dresses and the bride wears a white dress and everyone secretly hates you.
- The time has come to take over Lower Broadway (aka LoBro). Start the night at Rare Bird‘s rooftop bar, then meander to Robert’s Western World. From there, head into whichever bar seems to have the most people in it and wherever the music sounds best. Bonus points if you find a mechanical bull and get the bride to ride it.
- Stumble back to the hotel/Airbnb and sleep it off, sweetie.
Sunday, Day 3
- Brunch at Sun Diner where you think hard about life and the choices you’ve made. Also, you learn that sunglasses can really go with anything, as can biscuits.
- Head back to the hotel/Airbnb to pack and trek to the airport.
- Call out sick from work tomorrow. You’re gonna need a day (or three) to recover
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