Bachelorette party destinations: 18 places worth the trip

• Best forwild weekends, country fans, big groups
• TimeMarch to May, September to November
• WhereTennessee

Nashville is the default for a reason: live music starts before lunch, the honky-tonks on Lower Broadway sit next to each other and nobody looks twice at a group in cowboy boots. Because the city sees so many bachelorette groups, there's an activity for everything, from party wagons to line dancing lessons.

• Bar hop the honky-tonks on Lower Broadway, where bands play from late morning on
• See a show at the Ryman Auditorium or the Grand Ole Opry
• Eat hot chicken and pick a heat level you'll regret
• Book a line dancing lesson before your night out
• Catch a songwriter round, where the people who wrote the hits play them on acoustic guitar

Good to know: summers are hot and humid, and CMA Fest in June fills the city. If the bride hates crowds, stay in East Nashville or 12 South and visit Broadway for one night only.

• Best forwild weekends with culture, food lovers
• TimeFebruary to May, October to November
• WhereLouisiana

New Orleans is for the bride who wants a party with a story behind it. The food alone fills a weekend and the best music is often a few blocks away from Bourbon Street. It's also one of the few cities where you can hire a brass band and parade down the street with her.

• Hear live jazz in the small clubs on Frenchmen Street
• Book your own second line parade with a brass band (local companies handle the permit)
• Take a swamp tour and look for alligators
• Learn to cook gumbo or pralines in a Creole cooking class
• Ride the St. Charles streetcar through the Garden District, then eat beignets covered in powdered sugar

Good to know: Mardi Gras (February or early March) and Jazz Fest (late April into May) fill every hotel. Summer is hot and sticky, and hurricane season runs from June to November.

• Best formixed groups, foodies, swimmers
• TimeMarch to May, October to November
• WhereTexas

Austin works when half the group wants a night out and the other half wants to be outside. Daytime here means water, tacos and barbecue. Nighttime means live music and bungalow bars. It's also an easy sell for friends who've already done Nashville.

• Swim at Barton Springs Pool, a spring-fed pool that stays around 68 to 70°F all year
• Paddleboard on Lady Bird Lake with the skyline behind you
• Watch the bats fly out from under the Congress Avenue Bridge at dusk (spring to fall)
• Spend an evening on Rainey Street, where old houses became bars
• Take a day trip to the Hill Country wineries around Fredericksburg

Good to know: SXSW in March and Austin City Limits Festival in October push up demand for rooms. July and August are very hot, so plan for water every afternoon.

• Best fordance lovers, beach groups, wild weekends
• TimeNovember to April
• WhereFlorida

Miami is the pick for a bride who'd rather dance until 3 than sing country songs. It's also a winter rescue: when the rest of the country is gray, Miami is warm enough for a boat day. And the city has neighborhoods that feel completely different from South Beach.

• Spend a beach day in South Beach and walk the Art Deco district
• See the street art at the Wynwood Walls
• Take a salsa lesson, then go dancing
• Rent a boat with a captain on Biscayne Bay
• Have a cafecito in Little Havana and watch the domino players on Calle Ocho

Good to know: summer brings daily storms and hurricane season. Art Basel in early December makes the city busier and harder to book.

• Best forpool lovers, relaxed days with a lively night
• TimeOctober to April
• WhereArizona

Scottsdale is one of the best bachelorette party spots for a group that wants a resort pool by day and a busy night in Old Town. Everything is close, the weather in spring is about as reliable as it gets and there's a spa for every bridesmaid who needs a break from the group.

• Claim a cabana and spend a whole day by the pool
• Hike Camelback Mountain at sunrise (steep, start early, bring a lot of water)
• Float over the Sonoran Desert in a hot air balloon
• Go out in Old Town, where bars and restaurants sit within walking distance
• Watch a spring training baseball game in March

Good to know: summer temperatures regularly pass 100°F. Spring training in late February and March makes weekends busy and harder to book.

• Best forchill groups, design lovers, pool parties
• TimeOctober to May
• WhereCalifornia

In Palm Springs the rental house is the destination. Mid-century houses with pools, palm trees and mountain views are what the city does best, and you'll spend half the weekend in the water. It's roughly a two to three hour drive from Los Angeles and San Diego, so many West Coast groups can skip the flight.

• Rent a mid-century house with a pool and plan a pool party at home
• Ride the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway up Mount San Jacinto, where it's much cooler at the top
• Take an architecture tour of the mid-century neighborhoods
• Spend a day in Joshua Tree National Park, about an hour away
• Try a date shake from one of the Coachella Valley date farms

Good to know: summer is extremely hot. Modernism Week in February and the Coachella festival in April fill the whole valley.

• Best foroutdoorsy brides, wellness fans, small groups
• TimeMarch to May, September to November
• WhereArizona

Sedona is one of those cool places for a bachelorette party that feels nothing like the usual weekend. Red rock towers, trails right outside town and spas with a view. Nightlife is quiet, which some brides see as the main selling point.

• Take an open jeep tour on the red rock trails
• Hike Cathedral Rock or out to Devil's Bridge (go early, both are popular)
• Book a spa afternoon with a view of the rocks
• Go stargazing: Sedona is a certified International Dark Sky Community
• Taste wine in the Verde Valley, a short drive south

Good to know: it's about two hours by car from the Phoenix airport, so plan three nights. July and August are hot with afternoon monsoon storms.

• Best forchill groups, foodies, mixed ages
• TimeMarch to May, October to November
• WhereSouth Carolina

Charleston is the bachelorette party destination for groups that include the bride's mom or aunt. The historic district is made for walking, the food scene is serious and Folly Beach or Sullivan's Island is about half an hour away.

• Walk past the pastel houses of Rainbow Row to the Battery
• Take a horse-drawn carriage tour of the historic district
• Spend a beach afternoon on Folly Beach or Sullivan's Island
• Go on a sunset sail in Charleston Harbor
• Eat Lowcountry classics like shrimp and grits

Good to know: summers are humid and hurricane season applies here too. Spring weekends book up early.

• Best forchill with a party side, history fans
• TimeMarch to May, October to November
• WhereGeorgia

Savannah is Charleston's more relaxed cousin, about two hours down the coast. Think oak trees with Spanish moss, a grid of leafy squares and one unusual rule: in the historic district you can walk around with a drink in a plastic to-go cup (glass and cans are out, and the city sets a size limit).

• Stroll the squares and take photos at the Forsyth Park fountain
• Join a ghost tour after dark (Savannah takes its ghosts seriously)
• Walk River Street along the water
• Spend a day at the beach on Tybee Island
• Do a progressive dinner across three squares with one course each

Good to know: the St. Patrick's Day celebration in March draws huge crowds. Azaleas bloom in spring, which is the prettiest time to go.

• Best forbeach groups, laid-back party
• TimeDecember to April
• WhereFlorida

Key West sits at the very end of the Overseas Highway and feels like a small island town with a big bar street. The trip there is part of the fun: fly into Miami and drive about three to four hours down the Keys over a string of long bridges, or fly straight into Key West.

• Bar hop on Duval Street
• Watch the sunset celebration at Mallory Square
• Go snorkeling or on a sunset sail
• Visit the Hemingway Home and meet its six-toed cats
• Take a day trip to Dry Tortugas National Park by ferry or seaplane

Good to know: the island is small, so rentals fill up fast in winter. Hurricane season runs from June to November.

• Best forwine lovers, chill groups
• TimeApril to June, September to October
• WhereCalifornia

Napa is the classic wine weekend. Sonoma, next door, is often more relaxed and spread out. Either way, the plan is simple: one tasting day, one active day and a long dinner. Groups from the Bay Area can drive up in about an hour or two.

• Plan a tasting day at two or three wineries (most ask for reservations)
• Take a hot air balloon ride over Napa Valley at sunrise
• Ride the Napa Valley Wine Train with lunch on board
• Try a mud bath in Calistoga
• Bike between tasting rooms around Healdsburg or Sonoma Plaza

Good to know: harvest season from late August to October is the busiest. Late summer and fall can bring wildfire smoke, so keep a plan B indoors. Book a driver for the tasting day.

• Best foroutdoorsy groups, beer fans
• TimeApril to June, October
• WhereNorth Carolina

Asheville is a mountain town with a big brewery scene and an art district. It suits a bride who wants hiking boots in her suitcase next to the dress for dinner.

• Drive part of the Blue Ridge Parkway and stop at the overlooks
• Tour the Biltmore Estate and its gardens
• Go on a brewery crawl downtown and in West Asheville
• Hike to a waterfall in Pisgah National Forest
• Browse the studios in the River Arts District

Good to know: Hurricane Helene hit the region hard in 2024. Much has reopened since, but check that the trails and businesses you want are open before you book. October brings fall colors and the biggest crowds.

• Best forchill groups, art fans, East Coast friends
• TimeMay to October
• WhereNew York

A farmhouse in the Hudson Valley is the low-stress answer for a group in and around New York City. Trains run up the river from the city, so nobody has to fly and the bridesmaid with a Saturday shift can still come up for Sunday.

• See giant outdoor sculptures at Storm King Art Center
• Visit Dia Beacon, a museum in an old factory by the river
• Go apple picking and taste hard cider in the fall
• Book a farm-to-table dinner or a private chef at the rental
• Walk the Walkway Over the Hudson at Poughkeepsie

Good to know: fall foliage weekends book out early. Small towns like Beacon and Hudson have good restaurants but early closing times, so book dinner ahead.

• Best forbeach groups, resort lovers
• TimeNovember to May
• WhereBaja California Sur, Mexico

Los Cabos is a common choice for a destination bachelorette party from the US: direct flights from many US cities, resorts where nobody has to plan a meal and a coastline that looks great from a boat.

• Take a boat to El Arco, the rock arch at Land's End
• Go whale watching from about December to April
• Snorkel in one of the calm bays along the Corridor
• Spend a day at a beach club or an all-inclusive pool
• Drive to Todos Santos for galleries and a slower afternoon

Good to know: everyone needs a valid passport. Hurricane risk is highest from August to October.

• Best forwine lovers, theater fans, small groups
• TimeMay to October
• WhereOntario, Canada

A small, very pretty wine town near the falls. It's an easy trip from Toronto and from the Buffalo area across the border, and the region is famous for icewine.

• Bike or take a guided tour between wineries
• Taste icewine, the region's sweet specialty
• See a play at the Shaw Festival, which runs from spring to fall
• Take a boat ride to the foot of Niagara Falls

Good to know: guests from the US need a passport (or another valid border document). The Icewine Festival in January makes a fun winter alternative.

• Best forlake lovers, outdoorsy groups
• TimeJune to September
• WhereBritish Columbia, Canada

Kelowna is the Canadian answer to a lake and wine weekend. Okanagan Lake is the center of everything, wineries line the hills above it and summer is hot and dry.

• Rent a boat or paddleboards on Okanagan Lake
• Visit wineries on the hills above the lake
• Bike over the old railway trestles in Myra Canyon
• Spend a lazy afternoon at a city beach

Good to know: late summer can bring wildfire smoke to the Okanagan. Have an indoor plan ready.

• Best forchill groups, spa lovers, mixed ages
• Timeall year, December for the Christmas market
• WhereSomerset, England

For UK groups or Americans who want to go further, Bath is a gentle, very elegant weekend. The city has been about hot water since Roman times and you can still swim in it, on a rooftop, looking out over the honey-colored stone of the old town.

• Swim in the rooftop pool at Thermae Bath Spa, fed by the city's natural hot springs
• Visit the Roman Baths
• Walk to the Royal Crescent and have afternoon tea
• Do a Jane Austen walk or visit the Jane Austen Centre

Good to know: trains from London take about an hour and a half. The Christmas market makes late November and December busy.

• Best forAustralian hens, wine and surf fans
• TimeOctober to April
• WhereWestern Australia

For Australian hens, Margaret River packs wineries, surf beaches and caves into one region. It's about three hours' drive south of Perth, so a long weekend makes sense.

• Do a winery tour with a driver
• Take a group surf lesson
• Explore one of the region's limestone caves
• Walk a section of the Cape to Cape Track
• Look out for whales along the coast between roughly June and December

Good to know: a car or a driver is essential, because the wineries are spread out.