Music Meccas – Nashville & New Orleans  

Sounds of the USA

Listen to the country crooners of Nashville and the jazz bands of New Orleans in a music-inspired trip

Pack your cowboy boots and Mardi Gras beads and pair up Nashville and New Orleans on this two-tone trip that hits all the right notes. First up is the Honky Tonk Highway for the Nashville Sound, then it’s on to the French Quarter in New Orleans to hear jazz done right as The Second Lines weave their way through the neighbourhood.

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Nashville, New Orleans

Listening to some of the best music in the USA in the places where it’s made.

Recommended itinerary

Nashville

Welcome to Music City

Get swept up in the home of country music and hot chicken. First stop: a whirlwind education at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Music is inescapable in Nashville, but beyond the Honky Tonk Highway, there’s a lesser-discovered Nashville. Explore the parks and boutiques tour craft breweries and distilleries before choosing a sophisticated restaurant from a growing and impressive gastronomy scene. Even with all that, you will inevitably end up in a Honky Tonk for more boot-stompin' music before the day is out.

What to do in Nashville

Broadway and beyond

Nashville has a lot going on. Music City is a big place, but at its heart is vibrant Broadway and the famous Honky Tonk Highway. This live music mecca centres the city and divides Downtown: to the north of Broadway is the cultured Arts District, whereas SoBro - South of Broadway - is where many of the city’s biggest attractions are found.

Where to stay in Nashville

The neighbourhoods to know

Consider staying in a one-time forgotten neighbourhood, The Gulch. Now regentrified, it’s one of Nashville’s most desirable locales. While it’s a hotspot for design hotels and high-end restaurants, it’s not all shiny and new – The Station Inn has been here since the 70s and is still one of the best places in town to hear bluegrass musicians perform. Or look in the SoBro area to find the newest openings, the swishest restaurants, and the hippest bars. It’s also where the Nashville Symphony is – be sure to check what’s showing.

New Orleans

Fly south

Swap Nashville for New Orleans, hopping on a 90-minute flight south to Louisiana. It’s best known for Mardi Gras and cacophonous jazz parties along Bourbon Street, but the truth is, New Orleans is a far more nuanced city than its reputation suggests. Discover its voodoo and witchcraft, feast on Cajun and Creole cuisine, hang out with artists in the Warehouse District or admire the faded architectural elegance of the French Quarter.

What to do in New Orleans

Explore the French Quarter

New Orleans is a diverse mix of neighbourhoods, each with a micro-culture to explore. If you’re in town for the first time, there’s no doubt the fascinating French Quarter will tempt you. If Bourbon Street isn’t your bag, there’s a more sophisticated nightlife here, too – try Downtown or the artsy Warehouse District for the trendiest spots or ask a local where you can hear the most authentic jazz.

Where to stay in New Orleans

Stylish stays

The iron lamps, balconies, and courtyard gardens of the historic French Quarter, or Vieux Carré, ooze charm. Its fading but beautiful architecture is the NOLA of Instagram. Its most famous street, the bar-lined Bourbon Street, is the party zone that’s the epicentre of Mardi Gras celebrations. Downtown NOLA sits a little south of the busy French Quarter. It has an energy and vibrancy that’s more refined than you’ll find around Bourbon Street. There’s a smattering of beautifully restored theatres here, with award-winning restaurants for pre-dinner suppers.