Nashville quick facts: airports, hubs and maps

Plan your days with these essential details for Nashville Tennessee. Even in a car friendly city, a clear sense of geography helps you link music landmarks, historic mansions, and zoo time into one smooth trip.

• State/Region/Country: Nashville is the capital of Tennessee in the Southeastern United States, a key hub between the Midwest and the Deep South.

• Airports: Nashville International Airport BNA is the primary air gateway serving domestic and growing international routes.

• Main stations/hubs: Greyhound and intercity coaches use hubs close to Downtown Nashville and Lower Broadway, handy for walking tours and Old Town Trolley stops.

• Public transport: Local buses and regional connections focus on Downtown corridors that link to major Nashville attractions highlighted in tickadoo products.

• Paying fares: Visitors typically combine pre booked Nashville passes and attraction tickets with rideshare or taxi payments by card or app for flexible movement.

• Coordinates: Nashville sits near 36.1627° N latitude and 86.7816° W longitude on the Cumberland River.

• Popular neighbourhoods: Downtown Nashville, Lower Broadway, Printer’s Alley, the area around the Grand Ole Opry House, Belle Meade, and Belmont University surroundings.

• Additional context: The city is known for live music venues, historic estates like Belle Meade and Belmont Mansion, and green spaces around Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage and Nashville Zoo at Grassmere.

Recent visitors often combine rideshare with Old Town Trolley hop on hop off tours rather than navigating unfamiliar roads, which keeps parking hassles low and lets you focus on music and history instead.

Top things to do in Nashville

Start with the music icons, layer in historic mansions and green spaces, then use guided tours and passes to unlock more Nashville experiences.

• Country Music Hall of Fame tickets Nashville: Explore exhibits tracing the story of country music, then join the guided RCA Studio B tour for a behind the scenes look at legendary recording sessions.

• Grand Ole Opry House tour tickets: Use attraction pass access to join a backstage tour of this world famous venue, pairing live performance history with exclusive photo spots.

• Ryman Auditorium tickets Nashville: Walk the “Mother Church of Country Music” on a self guided tour and soak up stories of classic performances in this intimate, beautifully restored hall.

• Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage tickets: Wander the mansion, gardens, and trails, visit the Andrew Jackson Center museum, and enjoy discounted wine tasting at Natchez Hills Winery with a Hermitage Grounds Pass.

• Nashville Zoo at Grassmere tickets: Add a relaxed wildlife stop that works well for families, especially when bundled on the Nashville Attraction Pass.

• Belle Meade Mansion: Use a sightseeing pass that includes this historic estate, then stroll oak shaded grounds and learn about regional history through guided storytelling.

• Belmont Mansion tour Nashville: Take a self guided tour of this elegant home and gardens, a quieter counterpoint to busy music venues.

• Travellers Rest Historic House tour Nashville: Step into 1799 at this preserved house museum on a one hour guided visit that highlights early Tennessee life.

• Downtown Nashville walking tour: Join an expert led 1.5 hour walk through the War Memorial Building area, Printer’s Alley, and Lower Broadway for context on the streets behind the neon.

• Nashville hop on hop off Old Town Trolley tickets: Use flexible boarding to link the Grand Ole Opry, Ryman Auditorium, Country Music Hall of Fame, and more without driving.

• Evening on Lower Broadway: After structured sightseeing, hear live bands spill out of honky tonks while keeping your schedule free for early tours the next morning.

Tickets and city passes in Nashville

Booking Nashville attraction tickets in advance saves time, controls costs, and helps you secure limited capacity tours at peak times.

• Nashville Attraction Pass: This bundled option includes highlights like Nashville Zoo at Grassmere, the Grand Ole Opry House tour, and the Country Music Hall of Fame, ideal if you want several big name sights on one purchase.

• Nashville Sightseeing Flex Pass: Choose 3 to 7 attractions such as Belle Meade, Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage, Country Music Hall of Fame, and more, useful if you prefer flexibility over a fixed schedule.

• Country Music Hall of Fame & RCA Studio B combo: A single ticket covers both the museum and the guided studio tour, simplifying booking for Nashville music tours focused on recording history.

• Individual mansion and museum tickets: Hermitage Grounds Passes, Belmont Mansion self guided tickets, and Ryman Auditorium entry can be reserved separately if you are mixing free walks with one or two paid experiences.

• Skip the line and timed entry: Many Nashville museum tickets and popular tours use timed slots or priority entry, reducing waiting at busy periods around weekends and holidays.

If you plan to visit two or more paid Nashville attractions in a short stay, a city pass or flex bundle often beats separate tickets, especially when you add a music venue tour and a historic mansion.

Getting around Nashville by trolley, tour and rideshare

Nashville is spread out, yet combining hop on hop off trolleys, guided tours, and app based rides makes it straightforward to reach the main clusters of attractions.

• Old Town Trolley routes: This hop on hop off circuit connects Downtown Nashville, the Grand Ole Opry House, Ryman Auditorium, Country Music Hall of Fame, and other stops, so you can sightsee without parking stress.

• Airport to city links: From Nashville International Airport BNA, visitors typically take taxis, hotel shuttles, or rideshare into Downtown Nashville and Lower Broadway, then switch to walking tours or the trolley.

• Using rideshare: Rideshare works well for reaching Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage, Belle Meade Mansion, Belmont Mansion, and Travellers Rest Historic House where direct bus links may be limited.

• Walking friendly zones: Once you are in Downtown Nashville, the War Memorial Building area, Printer’s Alley, and Lower Broadway cluster close together, so guided walking tours become an efficient way to explore.

• Planning around traffic: Aim for popular Nashville attractions early in the day or later in the afternoon to avoid heavier traffic on approaches from BNA and outer districts.

• Combining routes with passes: Many visitors ride Old Town Trolley for a full loop first, using commentary as orientation, then return to preferred stops using their Nashville passes on second visits.

• Accessibility considerations: Self guided and guided options at sites like the Hermitage and Country Music Hall of Fame work for different mobility levels, with outdoor trails suited to a wide range of ages.

For a smooth Nashville itinerary, cluster Downtown Nashville music tours on one day, then reserve a second day for a mansion like Belle Meade plus Nashville Zoo at Grassmere, using rideshare to bridge longer gaps.