Nashville is one of the most fascinating cities in the world, from its Southern charm and unique personality to its mouthwatering cuisine and unmatched music scene. However, it can be pretty intimidating deciding what to do first, with so many options available!

If you want to make the most of your time in the city, I highly recommend going on a proper tour with professional local guides to lead the way. I’ve gone ahead and reviewed the 5 top Nashville city tours, which are each well worth your time and money. Let’s jump right in!

Be sure to see our reviews of Nashville Bike Tours, Nashville Whiskey Distillery Tours and Nashville Food Tours.

Best Nashville City Tours

	Discover Nashville City Tour with Entry to Ryman & Country Music Hall of Fame	Explore the City of Nashville Sightseeing Tour by Golf Cart	Taste of Nashville Food & Sightseeing Tour
Duration:	3.5 hours	1.5 hours	3 hours
Departure:	108 1st Ave S, Nashville	833 9th Ave S, Nashville	330 Harrison St, Nashville
Start:	9:00 AM, 1:30 PM	Between 7:00 AM, 8:00 PM	10:00 AM, 2:00 PM
Includes:	3.5-hour Narrated Tour of Nashville, Admission to Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Admission to Ryman Auditorium for Self-Guided Tour, Enjoy Nashville’s iconic areas including Historic Downtown, Fort Nashborough, Parthenon, Music Row	90-Minute Nashville Sightseeing Tour by Golf Cart, See over 35+ popular Nashville locations including Music Row, Tootsie's, and Ryman Auditorium Live Commentary On Board, A unique way to experience Music City	3-Hour Food & Sightseeing Guided Tour of Nashville, Pass by sights such as Capitol, Bicentennial Mall, Sounds Stadium, Marathon Village, Nissan Stadium, Transportation by private vehicle, Food Tastings
	Tour Information & Booking	Tour Information & Booking	Tour Information & Booking

Quick Answer: The 5 Best Rated Nashville City Tours For 2026

1. Discover Nashville City Tour with Entry to Ryman & Country Music Hall of Fame
2. Explore the City of Nashville Sightseeing Tour by Golf Cart
3. Taste of Nashville Food & Sightseeing Tour
4. Open-Air Minibus Sightseeing Tour of Nashville
5. Walking Food & Drink Tour of Downtown Nashville

Nashville City Tour Reviews

1. Discover Nashville City Tour with Entry to Ryman & Country Music Hall of Fame

Let’s start things off on the right foot with the Discover Nashville City Tour with Entry to Ryman & Country Music Hall of Fame! Clocking in around 2.5 hours, you’ll dive right into the center of Music City on this curated, guided sightseeing excursion.

Take off from downtown Nashville and cruise through major landmarks like the state capitol, Bicentennial Capitol Mall Park, Music Row, and so much more. Depending on your group size, you’ll be traveling by either a trolley or a mini coach bus, but both ways are a ton of fun and feel very “Nashville”.

Our guide was a ton of fun and had grown up in the city, so he obviously knew Nashville like the back of his hand. With that, you can expect plenty of interesting anecdotes and expert guidance, touching on everything from how country music came to be to the different types of architecture found here.

With options for both morning and afternoon start times, the schedule works with most itineraries, and the included tickets mean you skip purchasing separate museum access. Admission to both the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum are must-haves, offering you the opportunity to do a self-guided tour of the amazing interactive musical experience.

For interesting info about the music industry, and more specifically country music, this tour is hard to beat! However, you’ll also learn plenty about the city’s history, bars, restaurants, Southern cuisine, and much more.

I suggest doing this tour early on in your trip, so you can take advantage of all the top-notch recommendations for activities and food spots from your guide!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

2. Explore the City of Nashville Sightseeing Tour by Golf Cart

If you’re short on time or simply have a packed schedule, walking tours can be a bit challenging if you really want to cover a lot. However, big bus tours can get overwhelming at times, as well as chaotic when you’re dealing with a ton of people.

A wonderful balance of feeling the city’s genuine vibe while still covering a lot of ground is doing a golf cart tour! The Explore the City of Nashville Sightseeing Tour by Golf Cart is the best way to do so – spanning 1.5 hours, you’ll get to see a ton of hidden gems and popular local landmarks with an expert guide at the helm.

There are also plenty of different start times available, so you can select which one works best with your schedule. Just remember that you ARE in an open-air golf cart, so if you select the earlier morning or evening tours, bring a jacket!

It’s crazy how much more you get to see of the city than if you were on a bus or walking tour – in the golf cart you get to explore hidden nooks and crannies you simply can’t get to with larger vehicles!

Aside from seeing the top sites, you’re guaranteed to check out spots that you wouldn’t have gotten to see on your own – it’s clear this itinerary was curated by a true local. Along the way, your guide is there to bring history to life with all kinds of stories and facts about different buildings, events, and architecture.

As it is a small vehicle, your group sizes will always also be compact and intimate, which makes it feel more like a group of longtime friends venturing around instead of people who just met!

You’ll have the opportunity to ask all the questions you want – in fact, we even wanted to see a relatively “obscure” recording studio that wasn’t on the regular tourist route and our guide took us right to it!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

3. Taste of Nashville Food & Sightseeing Tour

I don’t know about you, but I personally find Southern food to be some of the most flavorful, hearty, and indulgent in the world. Nashville in particular does Southern cuisine justice, from its iconic hot chicken to slow-roasted barbecue.

If you want to do it right and avoid the tourist traps, you have to take advantage of the Taste of Nashville Food & Sightseeing Tour! The 3-hour experience is the perfect alternative to going out to eat – not to mention, you’ll get to see a ton of the most famous landmarks in the city along the way!

You usually either have a 10:00 am or 2:00 pm start time available, which is perfect for lunch or breakfast! You have a comfortable van for the day with your expert local guide leading the way, offering educational commentary and plenty of funny anecdotes throughout the adventure!

You’ll meet up with your guide in downtown Nashville, which is very easy to access no matter where you’re staying in the city. Hop on board your high-roofed tour van and set off to try some tasty food!

Making a stop to try the local classic Bushwhacker cocktail was an experience in itself – it’s like a milkshake, boozy cocktail of creamy coffee and coconut flavors! On top of that, we even sampled some fine small-batch bourbon at a renowned distillery, which was incredible.

If you have a sweet tooth, you’ll love the treats at the Five Daughters’ Bakery and the Cupcake Collection, which were simply divine! Overall, they cover a great balance of flavors and types of indulgences, offering a great look into the best Nashville has to offer.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

4. Open-Air Minibus Sightseeing Tour of Nashville

Experience the sights, sounds, and smells of Nashville while still maximizing your ground coverage in a comfy minibus! The Open-Air Minibus Sightseeing Tour of Nashville will take you not only to Music City’s biggest hits, but its hidden corners full of gems and legends you won’t get anywhere else.

Expect to cruise through landmarks like the Tennessee State Capitol, Printer’s Alley, Music Row, and even the impressive Nissan Stadium! If it’s your first time in Nashville, this is a wonderful way to explore the city – do yourself a favor and hop on the top deck and soak in the skyline and the vibe that’s unlike anywhere in the world.

If you’re looking to get a lay of the land, this is also a super effective way of doing so, as you get an unobstructed view of the different neighborhoods with a guide there to answer all of your questions. This relaxed tour is easy breezy yet full of useful information, no matter what your interests are!

Whether you’re a solo traveler or bringing the entire family along for the ride, this tour will suit you perfectly. Our guide did a great job of entertaining the preteens and teenagers in our group, which is honestly no easy feat!

Planning is also minimal, so the tour itself is quite easy to incorporate into your day, with seamless planning and notable punctuality from every staff member involved.

If you’re looking to get your Nashville bearings before the honky-tonks call, or simply want a general overview to decide where to go back and explore deeper, this is a smart match. It’s a leisurely excursion full of laughs, and won’t hog your entire day.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

5. Walking Food & Drink Tour of Downtown Nashville

Last but certainly not least, is the Walking Food & Drink Tour of Downtown Nashville! This culinary stroll is perfect for soaking up the views, the delicious smells wafting through the air, and the music sounding around every corner.

Clocking in at around 3 hours, it’s the perfect alternative to going out to lunch and lets you try plenty of dishes and drinks you may not have had the chance to by just heading to an eatery on your own.

From smoky Southern BBQ to local hot chicken or sweet treats, you’re about to taste and learn about a comprehensive history of the city. If you’re on the hunt for the best Nashville food tour downtown, this one comes in at the top of the list.

You’re not just munching on hot chicken, but are learning about how the dishes came to be, how local culture and history have influenced them, and so much more. Not to mention, that you’re going to the gems that locals frequent – the good stuff, not the tourist traps!

If you have a few hours to commit to really learning Nashville, a walking tour really is the way to go. You simply won’t get as up close and personal on a bus tour as you would at street level, where you get to absorb it all in every sense.

Oh, and if that weren’t good enough already, your guide is there to bring history to life, share personal anecdotes and fascinating stories like only a local can. There’s no bus rides, no waiting around, no trying to fit into the side streets – just you and your small group going at a leisurely pace through the beautiful downtown area.

Oh, and even if you aren’t a huge beer fan, you’re sure to enjoy trying the different local brews to wash all that tasty food down with! This highly curated experience is one I hope everyone gets to have – no matter your age or background.

If you’re a solo traveler, you’re sure to make friends out of the other group members and your guide like we did – we gained a lot of perspective, happy bellies, and new friends!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience