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1. Music Row Walking Tour
Even after several years of growth and development in Nashville, Music Row is still one of the city’s most talked-about destinations. The otherwise unassuming cluster of houses and office buildings is an epicenter for culture and history, where everyone from Bob Dylan to Garth Brooks have recorded radio hits and chart-topping albums. Music Row Walking Tour, which is the neighborhood’s first-ever guided walking tour, provides unprecedented access and a behind-the-scenes looks at the recording studios and offices that put Nashville on the map. Walk in the footsteps of your favorite singer songwriters, while showing support for the preservation of Music Row—a place that’s kept Nashville rockin’ and rollin’ for 60-plus years.
$35; letsgotravelin.com or trustedtours.com
2. Walk Eat Nashville
Walk Eat Nashville tour guides do the hard work of sifting through the hundreds of restaurant options now available in Nashville and choosing only the top five or six to hit along their routes. Author Jennifer Justus, who penned Nashville Eats (and writes regularly for Nashville Lifestyles), now runs a tour through downtown that gives tour-goers a taste of hot chicken, biscuits, and barbecue, with stories about the Ryman, food lore, and even playlists mixed in. All Walk Eat Nashville tours—covering East Nashville, Midtown, and SoBro—feature a diverse blend of forgotten classics and exciting new spots. Aside from great food, the tour guides educate visitors on the history of the area, and facilitate meet-ups with restaurant owners and chefs, giving visitors a chance to hear from the movers and shakers of Nashville’s culinary scene.
$59.95; walkeatnashville.com
3. Nashville History on Tour
Ninth generation Nashville native, David Ewing, is the ultimate history buff. A lawyer by trade, Ewing has served on the board of several historic institutions like the Parthenon and Cheekwood. Last year, he decided to turn his hobby into a full-time job, which resulted in the launch of Nashville History on Tour. This upscale experience is tailored to fit the interests and needs of each customer, so the possibilities are endless. From the civil rights movement to The Hermitage, Ewing offers tours around just about any historical topic that comes to mind. Relying on his own knowledge, as well as extensive research, his approach is passionate and personal. “I tell [people] the stories they don’t hear, and they don’t know.”
Ticket prices vary; nashvillehistoryontour.com or email nashvillehistorian@gmail.com