Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville self-guided walking tour.
An original loop through downtown Nashville: the Tennessee State Capitol, Printers Alley, the Ryman Auditorium, Lower Broadway, Fort Nashborough, the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge and the Country Music Hall of Fame. Read the stops here, then open the mapped route on your iPhone.
Start at the Tennessee State Capitol
Begin on the hilltop grounds of the Tennessee State Capitol at the west edge of downtown. The loop heads downhill to Printers Alley and Broadway, runs along the riverfront, then climbs back to the Capitol, so the last stretch is uphill. Bring water in summer. The route follows mapped pedestrian paths, but it has not been walked on site by DailyWander.
- On iPhone, get DailyWander if you do not have it.
- Return to this page and tap Open the tour in DailyWander. Check the preview, then choose Open in DailyWander.
- In the app, review the route and choose Start this route or Save route. Keep this guide handy for the stop notes.
Museum visits, tickets and meals are separate and are not included in the walking time. Follow local signs, closures and diversions.
Seven stops, in walking order
The route uses public viewpoints. Check the linked sources for current access before planning a visit inside.
Stop 1
Tennessee State Capitol
Begin on the hilltop grounds of the Tennessee State Capitol. Philadelphia architect William Strickland designed this Greek Revival statehouse, built between 1845 and 1859, with a tower modelled on an ancient Athenian monument instead of a dome. Strickland is entombed in the building’s walls, and the tomb of President James K. Polk and Sarah Childress Polk stands on the grounds. It is a working government building; the walk uses the public grounds.
Stop 2
Printers Alley
Walk downhill and east toward 4th Avenue North, then turn into Printers Alley, which runs between Church and Union Streets. Its name comes from the printers and publishers, including the city’s two big newspapers, that filled these buildings in the early 1900s. Since the 1940s the alley has been a nightlife strip, so expect a livelier scene after dark.
Stop 3
Ryman Auditorium
Continue south to the red-brick Ryman Auditorium. Riverboat owner Thomas Ryman led its construction, and it opened in 1892 as the Union Gospel Tabernacle. From 1943 to 1974 it was home to the Grand Ole Opry; today it is a National Historic Landmark and a working concert hall. Looking at the building is free; check the venue for tours and show tickets.
Stop 4
Lower Broadway (Honky Tonk Highway)
Step around the corner onto Broadway and walk east toward the river. This stretch, nicknamed Honky Tonk Highway, is lined with honky-tonks, boot stores and souvenir shops, often with live music spilling onto the sidewalk. The Broadway Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Expect crowds in the evening and at weekends.
Stop 5
Fort Nashborough
Turn left onto 1st Avenue North and follow the riverfront to Fort Nashborough. Settlers led by James Robertson and John Donelson arrived here in 1779 and 1780 and built a log stockade near the Cumberland River, the start of the settlement that became Nashville. The original fort stood a short distance away; today’s site, which reopened in 2017, has interpretive exhibits and a plaza on Native American history.
Stop 6
John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge (west end)
Head back south past Broadway to Symphony Place beside the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, where the west end of the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge meets downtown. The steel truss span opened in 1909 as the Sparkman Street Bridge, closed to cars in 1998 and was later rebuilt for people on foot and bike. It was renamed in 2014 for journalist John Seigenthaler. The tour turns back here rather than crossing.
Stop 7
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Walk south and west to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, which moved into this building in 2001. Look at the façade: front windows that resemble piano keys, a sweeping roofline that recalls a 1950s Cadillac tailfin, and a tower echoing the WSM radio mast. A 2014 expansion doubled the complex. The galleries have their own hours and admission; this stop is the exterior. The last leg climbs back to the Capitol.
Keep the route with you
The tour link opens a route preview with an iPhone handoff. You can also download the GPX and open it from Files → Share → Daily Wander. The app shows the route; this page supplies the stop descriptions.
Nashville walking-tour questions
How long is this Nashville walking tour?
The mapped loop is about 2.4 miles (3.9 km). That is roughly 50 minutes of moving time at 3 mph; allow 1½–2½ hours with stops.
Can I go inside the Ryman and the Country Music Hall of Fame?
Both are separate visits with their own hours and admission; check each venue before you go. This route passes their exteriors, which you can see from the sidewalk.
Does the route cross the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge?
No. The tour stops at the bridge’s west end by the Schermerhorn Symphony Center and turns back into downtown. You can add the crossing over the Cumberland River on foot; the round trip adds roughly 2 km.
Can I follow the route on my iPhone?
Yes. Tap Open the tour in DailyWander, check the route preview and choose Open in DailyWander. If you need the app, install it first and return to this page. The page supplies the stop notes; the app shows the walking route.
Does the walk return to the start?
Yes. The loop starts and finishes at the Tennessee State Capitol grounds.
Can I download the GPX instead?
Yes. Download the GPX from this page, save it in Files on iPhone and share it to Daily Wander. The route geometry is available under the Open Database License.
Make another walk from your hotel
For a different distance or a loop from another starting point, use the US walking-route planner. DailyWander can suggest a separate loop from the location you choose.
More self-guided tours: Charleston, Savannah, New Orleans French Quarter, New Orleans Garden District, Washington DC, New York and Amsterdam.
Original itinerary by VANTH Studio. Reviewed October 10, 2026. Route geometry from OpenStreetMap via the FOSSGIS pedestrian router; distance measured along the track. Actual time depends on your pace, stops and diversions. Access to venues is controlled by their operators.