Nashville Honky Tonk Cover Charges and Hours 2026

Booking choice: The honky-tonk walking crawl, from $31 per person. Check dates Compare the options below

Lower Broadway sells itself as Honky Tonk Highway, and the first surprise for most visitors is the door. Most of the famous bars do not charge anyone to come in. The money is spent on drinks, tips and the car park.

The rules below come from the bars' own websites and a nashvegas.com guide, with the exceptions called out. Hours and covers move by bar and by night, so treat every figure here as a reason to check the venue.

The quick answer

Most Broadway honky tonks charge no cover, and the doors open from about 10 am to 3 am. Rooftops, VIP rooms and headliner nights can charge. The honky-tonk walking crawl at $31 is a guide and a route, not a ticket you need to get in.

A group of friends in cowboy boots and denim walking down a neon-lit street at dusk past old brick buildings — Walking the strip at dusk, no ticket in anyone's hand.

Is there a cover charge at Nashville honky tonks?

Usually not. The best-known bars on Lower Broadway let you in at no charge, with the band paid by tips.

Tootsie's own FAQ says it does not charge a cover fee for general entrance. The Robert's Western World FAQ says the bar never charges an entry fee. The nashvegas.com guide says the vast majority of Broadway honky tonks work this way, including Legends Corner, Layla's and The Stage.

That is the honest starting point for any tour: you do not need one to get in.

A three-piece country band on a small bar stage with neon signs and drum kit behind them — A band on a Broadway bar stage. The music costs nothing to walk into.

When can a honky tonk charge a cover?

Rooftop sections, VIP rooms, headliner appearances and special events can carry a charge, mostly at the large multi-storey celebrity bars.

The nashvegas.com guide lists those three exceptions. One other guide lists a $20 cover at some venues on some nights. Big festival weekends are the likeliest time for a ticket requirement, and the CMA Fest ran June 4 to 7 in 2026, per the CMA Fest report.

No price is fixed here. The door staff post it on the night, so look at the sign before you commit.

What time do the honky tonks open and close?

Roughly 10 am to 3 am, every day, though each bar posts its own hours and they differ by half an hour or more.

Robert's lists 10 am to 3 am daily. Tootsie's FAQ says 9:30 am opening and a 2:30 am close, while the same site's footer shows 3 am, which is a good example of why to check. The calmest window is Monday to Thursday before 3 pm.

Bar	Opens	Closes	Cover at the door	After 6 pm
Tootsie's Orchid Lounge	9:30 am	2:30 to 3 am	None for general entrance	21 and over
Robert's Western World	10 am	3 am	Never charged, per the bar	21 and over
Rooftops and VIP rooms	Varies	Varies	Can charge	Check the venue
Headliner nights	Varies	Varies	Can charge	Check the venue

Four Broadway stops with the cover and the line already sorted for a Saturday night.

Check dates for the VIP bar crawl

Can anyone under 21 go into a honky tonk?

It depends on the bar and the hour. Two of the big names let families in during the day and require 21 and over after 6 pm.

Robert's Western World FAQ says the bar is all ages until 6 pm and 21 and over after. Tootsie's own FAQ welcomes families every day until 6 pm. Other bars set their own rules, and Tennessee law bars anyone under 21 from drinking in any of them. The WPLN guide to nightlife under 21 is a useful second source.

Every party bus and tractor ride on this site is 21 and over.

Two guests holding drinks at a bar under a glowing yellow Save a Horse Ride a Duck sign — A guest photo at a bar under a neon sign.

How much do drinks cost and what should you tip?

Plan on $5 to $10 per drink, plus at least $1 or $2 per drink for the bartender and $5 to $20 for each band you stay to hear.

Those are the figures in the nashvegas.com guide, which also says a group shoutout from the stage runs $50 to $100. Cash is the easiest way to tip, and many bands take Venmo. The full rundown is in the etiquette guide.

How much does parking cost near Broadway?

On event nights downtown surface lots run $30 to $50, and garages are often cheaper.

The nashvegas.com guide says The Gulch, SoBro and Music Row cost less and sit a 10 to 15 minute walk away. Late-night public transit is limited. Rideshare zones near Broadway were reported as running Thursday to Sunday evenings, per the Fox 17 report, so check the app for today's pickup spot.

A multi-storey brick bar with an illuminated Lucky Bastard Saloon sign and a crowd outside at night — A crowd at the door of a multi-storey Broadway bar at night.

What does a tour add when entry costs nothing?

A route, a guide, some history and, on the VIP crawl, a skipped line with the cover paid.

The walking crawl puts you in four or five bars with a comedian guide, about half an hour each, at $31. The guided pub crawl runs 2.5 hours across five stops for $29. The VIP bar crawl at $59 includes the cover and several shots. Drinks and tips are extra on almost every option.

Four or five bars on foot, a comedian guide and the history between stops.

★ 4.9 313 reviews · 3 hours · from $31

Explore the honky-tonk walking crawl

Who should skip a tour and who should book one?

Skip it if you like picking bars by ear. Book one if it is your first night, you are on your own or Saturday queues put you off.

Go alone: daytime visitors, anyone happy to wander and anyone on a tight budget.
Book a walking tour: first-timers who want the story of the street, as in the honky-tonk walking crawl.
Book the VIP crawl: a Friday or Saturday night when lines form, with the VIP bar crawl covering the door.

The longer comparison is in the crawl or go on your own guide.