Nashville, Tennessee is best known today as America’s capital of country music. Music City, as it’s affectionately known, draws musicians of all genres to play in its acclaimed venues and historic streets. But as one of the great southern cities of the United States, Tennessee has also long been a center of education and commerce. Since its 18th century roots, many a cultural and historical landmark has been built around the city. The historic core of Downtown Nashville is a joy to explore, particularly in a suitably traditional manner: by horse and carriage.
Nashville carriage rides come in a variety of shapes and sizes, such as the more traditional open carriage or the fanciful Cinderella-style, gilded pumpkin approach. They are a great, and occasionally romantic, way to explore Nashville, with narration often provided by your driver as you pass the city’s landmarks. Here are three of the best Nashville carriage rides, taking into account previous guest reviews, treatment of the horses and the value for your money.
From $65/ per group
Get a glimpse of Downtown Nashville from the back of this open, horse-drawn carriage. Your group of up to four people can enjoy a private ride past landmarks such as the Country Music Hall of Fame, Hard Rock Cafe, the Ryman Auditorium, and the Johnny Cash Museum. Your guide will provide narration along the way to add context to the sights. As with all tours on this list, the carriage rides of Nashville are only available from Thursday to Sunday each week, roughly between the hours of 1pm and 10pm (and from 6pm on Fridays).
From $65/ per group
A flashier and certainly more fantastical way to do things is to ride the Cinderella carriage around Downtown Nashville. Lit up with fairy lights at night and looking every inch like something a Disney princess would be carried around in, you can get a unique view of Downtown Nashville and draw a couple of stares of your own. During this 20-minute ride, expect to pass by the Bridgestone Arena, home of NHL side the Nashville Predators, Riverfront Park and the impressive neoclassical Schermerhorn Symphony Center.
From $125/ per group
If the above tours are too short at 20 minutes and you’d like to get a more thorough introduction to Downtown Nashville by horse-drawn carriage, then there’s also a 45-minute tour carrying up to six people. You’ll get guided narration as you pass all the highlights of the shorter tours, plus get the chance to see many of the impressive museums and institutions of Nashville such as the Tennessee State Capitol Building, the War Memorial Building, Printers Alley, and Nashville Performing Arts Center. These tours all depart from a pre-arranged, central point in the city.
