Nash Trash Tours

Nashville’s most notorious tour guides are Sheri Lynn and Brenda Kay Jugg, sisters who ferry thrill-seekers around Nashville in a big pink school bus. The Nash Trash Tour (615/226-7300 or 800/342-2123, www.nashtrash.com, $30) is a raunchy, rollicking, rib-tickling tour of city attractions.

Be prepared to be the butt of some of the jokes yourself; their “I Got Trashed” T-shirts have a double meaning. You’ll snack on canned cheese and there’s a pit stop to buy beer. Not appropriate for children or adults who aren’t comfortable laughing at themselves and others. As Sheri Lynn says: “If we haven’t offended you, just give us some time.”

Gray Line Tours

Nashville’s largest tour company, Gray Line (2416 Music Valley Dr., 615/883-5555 or 800/251-1864), offers no fewer than 12 different sightseeing tours of the city. The three-hour Discover Nashville tour costs $40 per adult and includes entrance to the Ryman Auditorium, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and stops at other city landmarks.

The three-hour Homes of the Stars tour takes you past the homes of stars including Alan Jackson, Vince Gill, Dolly Parton, and the late Tammy Wynette for $35. There is also a one-hour downtown trolley tour for $12 and a 90-minute downtown walking tour for $20.

General Jackson Showboat

Enjoy lunch or dinner, live entertainment, and a cruise along the Cumberland on the General Jackson Showboat (2812 Opryland Dr., 615/458-3900, www.generaljackson.com). Midday tickets range $30–50 and include lunch. Evening tickets are $35–90 and include a three-course dinner. You can cruise and skip the meal at midday or in the evening for $17.

Tennessee Central Railway

The Tennessee Central Railway Museum (220 Willow St., 615/244-9001, www.tcry.org) offers an annual calendar of sightseeing and themed railway rides in central Tennessee. Excursions include fall foliage tours, Christmas shopping expeditions, and trips to scenic small towns. All trips run on the Nashville and Eastern Railroad, which runs east, stopping in Lebanon, Watertown, and Cookville, and terminates in Monterrey.

Trips sell out early, so book your tickets well in advance.

Nashville Black Heritage Tours

Call ahead to book a tour for your family or group with Bill Daniel of Nashville Black Heritage Tours (5188 Almaville Rd., Smyrna, 615/890-8153), who will craft a tour of the city’s most important African-American heritage sites.

© Susanna Henighan Potter from Moon Tennessee, 5th Edition