Brewery Hop-On Hop-Off Trolley Tour of Nashville

Nashville has more to offer than Broadway bars. This six-hour trolley outing links six brewery stops around East Nashville and beyond, giving you a simple way to sample local beer without choosing a designated driver. I like the hop-on, hop-off freedom, and I like that guides such as Trevor, Mel, and Randy add music, local tips, and plenty of personality. The main catch is simple: this is not a lesson in brewing. You visit breweries and buy drinks at your own pace.

The $36 price is fair if you use several stops, especially since you would otherwise need several rideshares. I also like the comfortable, climate-controlled vintage trolley and the chance to explore parts of Nashville away from Broadway. Still, six breweries in one afternoon can be a lot, so pacing yourself with food and water is essential.

Key points to know before you book

• Six brewery stops in about six hours: You choose which locations deserve your time and can skip stops if the day starts to feel too full.
• A designated driver is built in: The trolley carries you between locations, so you can sample beer, mead, cocktails, or seltzers without driving.
• East Nashville gets the spotlight: The route shows you neighborhoods and taprooms beyond the usual downtown circuit.
• Trevor, Mel, and Mel are part of the appeal: Guides have been praised for their music, brewery suggestions, humor, and ability to keep groups moving.
• TailGate is a useful food stop: Its pizza gets repeated praise, and StokeHaus is another stop noted for barbecue.
• This is a brewery-hopping service, not a brewery class: You will not receive a detailed explanation of brewing methods at each location.

What the $36 ticket really buys you

The ticket costs $36 per person and lasts about six hours. That works out well if you visit several stops, since a day of separate rideshares between breweries could quickly cost more. You are paying for transportation, convenience, and access to a ready-made route rather than for beer flights or meals.

Plan on buying your own drinks and food at each stop. The experience works best when you treat the $36 as your transportation budget, then set aside extra money for tastings, pints, flights, cocktails, seltzers, and meals.

The value improves for people who want variety. You might sample a beer flight at one stop, try mead at another, eat pizza later, and then settle in at a final taproom. You are not tied to one brewery or one style of drink.

The 4.9 rating from 326 reviews and 97 percent recommendation rate suggest that the basic idea works very well for most people. The praise is strongest for the drivers, the easy transportation, the range of stops, and the social feel on the trolley.

Starting at the Omni Nashville Hotel

The tour begins at noon on the 5th Avenue side of the Omni Nashville Hotel. This is a practical starting point if you are staying downtown or already spending the morning near the convention center and Broadway area.

Arrive ready for a full afternoon. The route is designed as a rolling brewery day, not a quick two-hour outing. The trolley is climate-controlled, which matters in Nashville’s hot or changeable weather, and the vintage style gives the ride more character than an ordinary shuttle.

Your driver is more than a person behind the wheel. Trevor has been praised for his music, timing, brewery suggestions, and friendly handling of groups. Mel has earned similar praise for energy, humor, and flexibility, while Randy is noted for recommendations that helped people decide how to spend their time.

The exact mix of people on your trolley will vary. That is part of the fun, but it also means the social mood is not entirely in your control. You may meet a friendly birthday group, couples, families, or people celebrating with friends. If you prefer a quiet private tour, this shared outing may not suit you.

Stop 1: Honeytree Meadery

Honeytree Meadery gives the route a useful change of pace. Mead is made with honey rather than the grain base used for beer, so this stop can broaden your idea of what a brewery day includes.

You might find sweeter or fruit-forward options here, though the available drinks can change. The stop is particularly helpful for anyone in your group who does not want six rounds of beer.

One point needs care: not everyone chooses to visit the meadery. That is perfectly reasonable if your group has limited time or a strong preference for beer. Still, including it adds variety and makes the route feel less repetitive.

This is also a good reminder that the tour is about local drink spots, not only traditional breweries. You can use the hop-on, hop-off format to decide if the meadery fits your taste.

Stop 2: TailGate Brewery East Nashville

TailGate is one of the strongest choices for food. Pizza receives repeated praise, and several people treat this as the stop where you should eat rather than simply drink.

That advice is practical. A full afternoon of tastings can catch up with you, and eating earlier is smarter than waiting until you feel unwell. If your group wants to stay longer at one stop, TailGate may be the natural choice because it combines food with a broad beer selection.

The brewery is also useful for sampling flights. A flight lets you try several beers without committing to a full pour of each one. That is a sensible approach when you still have multiple stops ahead.

Do not assume you must finish every drink at every location. The best day is the one you can enjoy from noon through the final stop, not the one where you attempt to prove your stamina.

Stop 3: Southern Grist in East Nashville

Southern Grist adds another East Nashville beer stop and helps create the route’s variety. The appeal here is less about checking off a famous sight and more about trying a different local taproom in a neighborhood away from Broadway.

You can use this stop to compare brewery styles. If TailGate gave you a familiar starting point, Southern Grist may be a chance to choose something less predictable. The guides can help point you toward options, though drinks and menus are purchased directly at the stop.

The East Nashville focus is one of the tour’s best features. You get to see a side of Nashville that many first-time visitors miss when they stay around Broadway. This is not a formal city tour, but the trolley connects you with places you might not reach on foot from downtown.

Stop 4: East Nashville Beer Works

East Nashville Beer Works keeps the route firmly rooted in the local beer scene. It is another useful place for a flight, a single pint, or a pause with food.

By this point, the value of the trolley becomes clear. You do not need to study maps, call for another car, or ask one person in your group to stay sober. You can step off, spend time at the brewery, and return to the trolley according to the posted schedule.

The schedule matters. Pickup and drop-off times are posted on the back of the driver’s seat, which makes it easier to plan your time. You still need to watch the clock. Hop-on, hop-off does not mean the trolley waits indefinitely if you miss the return time.

This is also a sensible point to skip a stop if your group is tired. The tour allows flexibility, and using it is wiser than forcing yourself through all six locations.

Stop 5: Bearded Iris Brewing

Bearded Iris gives craft beer fans another reason to stay curious. The route includes different brewery names rather than sending you to six nearly identical bars, so you have a chance to compare taprooms and drink menus throughout the day.

Flights are again a good idea. People who tried them at several stops were able to sample a wider range of Nashville beer without drinking a full serving each time.

The weakness is that the tour does not promise a formal explanation of how each beer is brewed. If your main goal is learning about fermentation, ingredients, equipment, or production, this may feel too light. You are visiting breweries, not taking a behind-the-scenes brewing course.

For most people, that is not a serious flaw. The strength of the experience is choice: you can drink, eat, listen to music on the trolley, and talk with the group instead of sitting through a technical presentation.

Stop 6: Monday Night Brewing, Preservation Co.

Monday Night Brewing, Preservation Co. is the final listed brewery stop. It can be a good place to finish the route if you still have energy and want one more drink before the afternoon ends.

But check your plans for getting back. If you remain at the final pub rather than riding back with the trolley, you may need an Uber. That detail is easy to miss and matters if you have dinner reservations, an evening show, or a hotel far from the final stop.

Some people choose five stops instead of all six and find that plenty. Others use the full route. The right number depends on how much you eat, how slowly you sample, and whether your group prefers long visits or quick stops.

The trolley format gives you room to make that decision during the day. You are not locked into a rigid tasting schedule.

Why the guides matter so much

The drivers are consistently described as a major part of the experience. Trevor is praised for being safe, friendly, entertaining, and full of useful suggestions. Mel receives similar credit for keeping the mood lively and helping groups choose the right pace. Randy is noted for good recommendations.

That matters because a brewery route can otherwise feel like a collection of disconnected stops. A good driver gives the day a rhythm, plays music, answers questions, and helps you decide where to eat or what to skip.

The driver also sets the tone among people who may have arrived as strangers. Several reviews describe meeting new friends on the trolley and at the breweries. You should not expect a private group atmosphere, but the shared ride can make the outing more social than ordinary bar hopping.

The downside is that the experience depends partly on the driver and the group. The listed guides have received warm praise, but the exact personality of your day will vary.

How to pace six stops without ruining your afternoon

Six stops sound manageable on paper. In practice, a beer, mead, or cocktail at each place can become too much. One person who enjoyed the tour stopped after four breweries because the full route felt overwhelming.

I recommend treating the day as a sampler rather than a drinking contest. Consider these simple habits:

• Eat at TailGate or another stop with food.
• Drink water between alcoholic drinks.
• Choose flights instead of full pours when possible.
• Skip a stop if you are tired or already satisfied.
• Keep an eye on the posted pickup times.
• Do not assume the last stop is the best place to leave the trolley.

Comfortable clothing is sensible for a six-hour outing. You will be getting on and off the trolley, sitting for stretches, and spending time in several different venues.

Who will enjoy this Nashville tour most

I would recommend it most strongly to craft beer fans, couples, friend groups, birthday parties, and anyone who wants to drink without driving. It also suits people who have already seen Broadway and want a less obvious way to spend an afternoon.

The flexible format helps groups with mixed interests. One person can try mead, another can choose a beer flight, and someone else can focus on food. You are not required to order the same thing or stay equally long at every stop.

Families can participate, and service animals are allowed. Most people can take part, and the tour is near public transportation. The available information does not provide specific mobility details for the vintage trolley, so contact the operator if you need help with boarding arrangements.

I would not choose this for a quiet educational brewery tour. You will not receive a detailed brewing-process talk at each location. I also would not choose it if you dislike shared group outings or want complete control over every minute.

Weather, booking, and cancellation details

The tour starts at noon, and confirmation arrives when you book. Mobile tickets make entry simple, and the experience is offered in English.

Because the outing depends on good weather, poor conditions can lead to a new date or a full refund. You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the start time. Cancellations or changes made within 24 hours are not refunded or accepted.

The tour is often booked about 24 days ahead. That does not guarantee a sellout on your date, but it is a useful reason to reserve early if you are visiting Nashville for a birthday, weekend, or fixed itinerary.

Should you book the Brewery Hop-On Hop-Off Trolley Tour?

Book it if you want an easy, social way to visit several Nashville breweries without driving. The strongest reasons are the flexible route, the climate-controlled trolley, the East Nashville stops, and drivers who help turn transportation into part of the fun.

I would plan on four or five stops rather than treating all six as compulsory. Eat at TailGate, consider a flight, carry water, and confirm how you will return if you remain at Monday Night Brewing.

Skip it if you want technical brewing instruction, a private tour, or a quiet afternoon. For everyone else, $36 is a sensible price for a full afternoon of local drinks, food options, neighborhood exploring, and safe transportation.

FAQ

How much does the Brewery Hop-On Hop-Off Trolley Tour cost?

The price is $36 per person. Drinks and food are purchased at the individual brewery stops.

How long does the tour last?

The experience lasts approximately six hours and begins at noon.

Where does the tour begin?

The starting point is the Omni Nashville Hotel, on the 5th Avenue side of the building.

How many brewery locations are included?

The route includes six brewery or drink locations, plus the starting point at the Omni Nashville Hotel. Stops include Honeytree Meadery, TailGate Brewery East Nashville, Southern Grist, East Nashville Beer Works, Bearded Iris Brewing, and Monday Night Brewing, Preservation Co.

Can I skip a stop?

Yes. The hop-on, hop-off format lets you choose where to stop, and you can skip locations if you prefer.

Is this a guided brewing-process tour?

No. It is a trolley service that connects you with local breweries and drink spots. It does not provide detailed instruction about the brewing process at each location.

What is the cancellation policy?

You can cancel at least 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Changes or cancellations within 24 hours are not accepted or refunded. If poor weather cancels the tour, you will be offered another date or a full refund.