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Nashville & Franklin route inspiration

Nashville & Franklin

Opryland lights and a Dickensian Main Street

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4 days through Nashville, Franklin.

Nashville & Franklin is a 4-day curated route with 2 destinations and 18 places to eat, see, and do. Preview stops and timing, then plan it in TripsCircle.

  1. 1
    Nashville on the Nashville & Franklin route

    Destination 01

    Nashville

    9 places

    Music City in Christmas mode; 3 nights for Opryland, the Ryman and Broadway.

    • Gaylord Opryland Resort near NashvillePhoto: Patrick Pelletier · CC BY-SA 4.0

      Gaylord Opryland Resort

      Huge glass-roofed resort whose indoor gardens are strung with lights for A Country Christmas, with the ICE sculpture exhibit.

      Tip The atriums are free to walk; ICE and the dinner shows need tickets.

      DoMusic Valley$$3 hrEvening
    • Grand Ole Opry House near NashvillePhoto: Antony-22 · CC BY-SA 4.0

      Grand Ole Opry House

      Home of the Grand Ole Opry, the long-running country music radio show; December brings Opry Country Christmas shows.

      Tip Backstage tours run most days and include the stage circle cut from the Ryman's floor.

      DoMusic Valley$$2.5 hrEvening
    • Ryman Auditorium near NashvillePhoto: Daniel Schwen · CC BY-SA 4.0

      Ryman Auditorium

      1892 tabernacle known as the Mother Church of Country Music, hosting Christmas concerts and New Year's Eve shows.

      Tip Daytime self-guided tours are a good backup if evening shows are sold out.

      SeeDowntown$$2 hrEvening
    • Lower Broadway near NashvillePhoto: dconvertini · CC BY-SA 2.0

      Lower Broadway

      Strip of neon-lit honky-tonks with live bands playing from late morning until late at night, no cover at most bars.

      Tip Afternoons are calmer and the musicians are just as good.

      DoDowntown$2.5 hrAfter dark

    • Robert's Western World

      Classic Broadway honky-tonk with traditional country bands, cold beer and a fried bologna sandwich.

      DrinkDowntown$1.5 hrLate afternoon
    • Belmont Mansion near NashvillePhoto: Warren LeMay · CC BY-SA 2.0

      Belmont Mansion

      1850s Italianate villa on the Belmont University campus, decorated in period style for the Christmas season.

      Tip Guided tours run through the house; check holiday hours before you go.

      SeeBelmont-Hillsboro$75 minAfternoon
    • Cheekwood Holiday LIGHTS near NashvillePhoto: Vandore · CC BY-SA 4.0

      Cheekwood Holiday LIGHTS

      Cheekwood's botanical garden and 1930s mansion lit with about a million lights on a mile-long winter walk.

      Tip There are fire pits and s'mores along the path; bring gloves.

      DoBelle Meade$$1.5 hrAfter dark
    • Loveless Cafe near NashvillePhoto: Gourneau · CC BY-SA 4.0

      Loveless Cafe

      Roadside cafe at the start of the Natchez Trace, serving biscuits, country ham and fried chicken since 1951.

      Tip Weekend waits are long; go on a weekday morning.

      EatBellevue$$75 minBreakfast
    • The Hermitage Hotel near NashvillePhoto: Warren LeMay · CC BY-SA 2.0

      The Hermitage Hotel

      Beaux-Arts hotel from 1910 near the State Capitol, with a marble lobby that is trimmed for the holidays.

      StayDowntown$$$$
  2. 2
    Franklin on the Nashville & Franklin route

    Destination 02

    Franklin

    9 places

    Victorian Main Street 30 minutes south; 1 night for Dickens of a Christmas.

    • Dickens of a Christmas near FranklinPhoto: Ichabod · CC BY-SA 3.0

      Dickens of a Christmas

      Two-day street festival on Main Street with costumed Dickens characters, carolers, artisan stalls and food vendors.

      Tip Park in the free downtown garages early; Main Street is closed to cars during the festival.

      DoDowntown FranklinFree3 hrSecond weekend of December

    • Franklin Theatre

      Restored 1937 Main Street movie house that screens holiday films and hosts Christmas concerts in December.

      DoDowntown Franklin$$2 hrEvening

    • Carnton

      1826 plantation house that served as a field hospital during the 1864 Battle of Franklin, with the McGavock Confederate Cemetery.

      Tip A combined ticket covers Carnton and the Carter House nearby.

      See$$1.5 hrMorning
    • Lotz House near FranklinPhoto: Skye Marthaler · CC BY-SA 3.0

      Lotz House

      1858 house museum on Columbia Avenue that stood at the center of the Battle of Franklin.

      See$$60 min

    • Gray's on Main

      Southern restaurant and bar in the old Gray's pharmacy building, under its landmark neon sign.

      Tip The upstairs bar is a good stop after the Dickens crowds thin out.

      EatDowntown Franklin$$1.5 hrDinner

    • Puckett's Franklin

      Offshoot of the old Puckett's grocery in Leiper's Fork, serving barbecue, Southern plates and live music downtown.

      EatDowntown Franklin$$75 minLunch
    • Leiper's Fork near FranklinPhoto: Sardonic G · CC BY 2.0

      Leiper's Fork

      Village of galleries and old clapboard shops in the hills west of Franklin, with a homespun Christmas parade in December.

      Tip Drive out on the Natchez Trace Parkway and back on Old Hillsboro Road for the countryside.

      DoFree2.5 hrAfternoon

    • Arrington Vineyards

      Hillside winery in the countryside east of Franklin, with tastings and wine by the glass on its wooded slopes.

      DrinkArrington$$1.5 hrAfternoon

    • The Harpeth

      Downtown Franklin hotel a block from Main Street, within walking distance of the Dickens festival.

      StayDowntown Franklin$$$

The moments that shape this trip.

Planning Nashville & Franklin.

Start with three nights in Nashville: the Christmas atriums and ice sculptures at Gaylord Opryland, a holiday show at the Ryman or the Grand Ole Opry House, and live music on Lower Broadway. Spend an evening walking Cheekwood's lit gardens and an afternoon touring Belmont Mansion dressed for Christmas. Then drive 30 minutes south to Franklin, where Main Street fills with Victorian carolers and street vendors for Dickens of a Christmas. Finish with a country drive to Leiper's Fork and a glass of wine at Arrington Vineyards.

Good for Couples and families who want Christmas shows, country music and a historic small town in one easy long weekend.

When to go

Gaylord Opryland's A Country Christmas and Cheekwood Holiday LIGHTS both run from mid-November into the first days of January. Franklin's Dickens of a Christmas is held on the second weekend of December, and the Leiper's Fork Christmas parade falls on a Saturday in mid-December. Nashville throws a free downtown New Year's Eve concert with fireworks at midnight. Snow is rare; expect cool, often grey days around 5-10 C.

Getting around

Fly into Nashville International (BNA), 15 minutes from downtown and about 15 minutes from Gaylord Opryland. A car is easiest: Franklin is 30-40 minutes south on I-65, Leiper's Fork is 15 minutes west of Franklin, and Arrington Vineyards is 25 minutes east. Downtown Nashville, Broadway and the Ryman are walkable from each other.

Tips for your crew

  • Book Gaylord Opryland's ICE and Christmas dinner shows weeks ahead; December weekends sell out.
  • Go to Dickens of a Christmas on the Sunday if you want Main Street with smaller crowds.
  • Buy Cheekwood Holiday LIGHTS tickets for a timed entry just after dark and dress for an hour outdoors.

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