Best Time to Visit Nashville, Tennessee

Spring and fall are the sweet spots

September and October score best here, and they earn it. Days are warm without being heavy, and rain falls on only about nine days a month. Evenings are good for sitting outside on a Broadway patio or at the Bluebird Cafe's neighbours in the 12 South area. October feels crisp by the end, and the leaves turn in Percy Warner Park.

April is the other good bet. It's mild and green, though it's also one of the wetter months, so keep an umbrella handy. May gets warmer and stickier, and it rates only Fair. Still, it's a fine time for walking the Cumberland River greenway.

Summer: hot, sticky and busy

June is the best summer month. It's warm, sunnier than any other month, and drier than July. July is the one to think twice about. It's the hottest month, tied with August at 32°C, and it rains on 17 days. Those are usually short, steamy storms, not all-day drizzle.

Summer is also high season for visitors. Broadway's honky-tonks (live-music bars) are packed, and hotel rooms fill up. In early June, CMA Fest takes over downtown for four days of country music. It's a lot of fun if you love the music. If you don't, pick another week.

Travelling with kids? Plan around the heat. Visit the Adventure Science Center or the Frist Art Museum in the afternoon, and save Centennial Park for the evening.

Winter and early spring: quiet and grey

From December to February, it's cold, damp and gloomy, with only about four hours of sun a day. Snow is rare, but freezing nights happen. The upside is thinner crowds and easier tables at hot chicken spots like Prince's. You'll spend more time indoors, so it suits a music-focused trip: the Ryman Auditorium, the Country Music Hall of Fame and late shows in small clubs.

March is still Fair, with chilly, wet days. By November, things dry out again and feel pleasantly cool. It's a good month for a low-key city break, and December brings holiday lights at Opryland, a big hotel complex with indoor gardens.