View of Nashville's iconic AT&T Building and downtown skyline.

Nashville International Airport (BNA) · USA

3-Hour Layover in Nashville: What To Do

By AirConnect Editorial

Things to do in Nashville

Tours, tickets & day trips

Photo: MINEIA MARTINS on Pexels.

Quick answer

Can you leave the airport on a 3-hour layover in Nashville?

Entry

Same USA rules — ESTA or visa required. Hub for low-cost carriers + Delta connection.

Into town

WeGo Public Transit route 18: 40 min, USD 2.

Time outside

Stay airside — 3h is too tight

Times from BNA arrivals. Check entry rules for your passport before you fly.

Top Nashville: Where to Go

The sights in Nashville worth leaving the airport for.

Broadway (honky-tonk bars + Country Music Hall of Fame) (Broadway (Nashville, Tennessee))1

Broadway (honky-tonk bars + Country Music Hall of Fame)

Nashville's iconic 5-block downtown strip with live country music in every bar (free cover). Free walking + tipping bands. Lower Broadway is the move.

Photo: dconvertini, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Country Music Hall of Fame (Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum)2

Country Music Hall of Fame

Premier country music museum. USD 32. 2-3 hours. Pairs with Johnny Cash Museum (USD 25) + Patsy Cline Museum (USD 20) nearby.

Photo: Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

landmark

Grand Ole Opry House + Opryland Hotel

World's most-famous country music venue. Backstage tours USD 35. The Opryland Hotel next door is iconic (free to walk through).

neighbourhood

The Gulch + 12 South + East Nashville

Hip Nashville neighbourhoods. Free walking. The Gulch for cocktails + 12 South for craft retail + East Nashville for craft beer.

Itinerary ideas for Nashville

Pick the plan that fits the time between your flights.

Insider tip

BNA is 13km from downtown — WeGo route 18 (USD 2, 40 min) or Uber (USD 30-50). For 4+ hour layovers: Uber + Broadway honky-tonk crawl + hot chicken + Country Music Hall of Fame is iconic.

Into Nashville

Getting to Nashville City Centre

ModeCostTime
WeGo Public Transit route 18USD 240 min
Taxi / Uber / LyftUSD 30–5015–25 min
Eat like a local

Eat Like a Local in Nashville

Hot chicken (Nashville invention) at Hattie B's Hot Chicken (the original) or Prince's. BBQ at Edley's. Biscuits + gravy at Biscuit Love. Beverages: Yazoo + Tennessee whiskey (George Dickel).

3 hours in Nashville

3-Hour Itinerary

1230h1h2h3h
1. Stay airside and find your departure area2. Eat, rest or use a lounge airside3. Go to your gate
1

0–30 min

Stay airside and find your departure area

With 3 hours, leaving Nashville International Airport is risky: passport control, the trip into Nashville and security on the way back take most of the time.

2

30–120 min

Eat, rest or use a lounge airside

Check the departures board for your gate before you settle in.

3

120–180 min

Go to your gate

Allow at least 30 minutes for security checks and the walk to the gate.

Your questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a visa for a 3-hour layover in Nashville?

Same USA rules — ESTA or visa required. Hub for low-cost carriers + Delta connection. Check the rules for your own passport before you fly.

Is 3 hours enough to leave Nashville International Airport?

Stay airside — 3h is too tight. Getting into Nashville by WeGo Public Transit route 18 takes 40 min each way.

How do I get from Nashville International Airport to Nashville centre?

WeGo Public Transit route 18: 40 min, USD 2. Taxi / Uber / Lyft: 15–25 min, USD 30–50.

Trains & buses from Nashville

Compare overland routes — often cheaper, more scenic and skip the airport queue.

Also useful for your Nashville trip

Stay connected abroad — no roaming bills

Buy a travel eSIM before you fly and install it by QR code.

Get eSIM

Airlines that fly to Nashville

See each airline’s route map: where else it flies from BNA.

Airport lounges at Nashville Airport

Wait for your flight in a lounge — one membership covers lounges at airports across the country and worldwide.

Nashville travel deals

Weekly layover, flight + hotel deals. No spam.

How a layover in Nashville works

Passport and a phone with a booking on a red suitcase

01

Check you can leave

Same USA rules — ESTA or visa required. Hub for low-cost carriers + Delta connection.

Photo: Jacob on Pexels.

A car on a country road heading towards the mountains

02

Head into town

WeGo Public Transit route 18: 40 min, USD 2.

Photo: Artem Yellow on Pexels.

03

Back in time for your flight

Allow at least 30 minutes for security checks and the walk to the gate.

Ready for Nashville?

Tours, tickets and day trips that fit between your flights.

Daylight on the ground

Daylight in Nashville runs from about 9.6 hours in Dec to 14.4 in Jun. Enough of a difference that a winter stopover gives you noticeably less usable time outside than a summer one.