American Music Cities

Starting in New Orleans and ending in Nashville, this tour across the southern states takes in the famous locations associated with the American music we know and love. There are too many inclusions in this tour to list in full but the itinerary below contains many of the highlights.

New Orleans Jazz Cruise • Elvis’s Graceland • Memphis Blues • The Grand Ole Opry!

Day 1 Fly from the UK to New Orleans, meet your local driver and transfer to your hotel for a three nights stay.

Day 2 Morning guided New Orleans city tour. Afternoon at leisure to explore the world-famous French Quarter.

Day 3 Morning Cajun swamp tour with a local Cajun Captain exploring the primitive beauty of the moss-draped cypress trees and seeing the American Alligator. Evening Jazz Cruise with dinner on a Mississippi Riverboat.

Day 4 Depart New Orleans and travel to Tupelo, Elvis Presley's Birthplace. Visit the little house Vernon Presley bought in 1934 and where the King of Rock n Roll was born on 8 January 1935. Also visit the church where Elvis was first exposed to the gospel music that influenced his music career. Explore the Elvis Presley Museum before departing Tupelo and travelling to Memphis to stay in the Guest House at Graceland.

Day 5 Explore Graceland, the mansion Elvis called home, as well as exhibits showcasing Elvis's career, his automobiles, his wardrobe, his gold records and much more from the Graceland Archives. Continue to Sun Studio, where, in 1954, an unknown Elvis Presley, grabbed a mic and sang his heart out making Sun the most famous recording studio in the world.

Day 6 Explore the sights and sounds that made Memphis the 'Home of the Blues' and the 'Birthplace of Rock 'n' Roll!' on a morning city tour. Visit Stax Museum of American Soul Music and see more than 2,000 interactive exhibits, films, artefacts, items of memorabilia, galleries, and of course Isaac Hayes' gold-plated, peacock blue Cadillac. While touring the museum, you will hear Stax hits including '(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay' by Otis Redding.

Day 7 Depart Memphis and travel to Jackson and the Legends of Tennessee Music Museum for a group tour. From the swinging tunes of rockabilly to the wailing melodies of blues to the unforgettable energy of rock-n-roll, this museum stands at the centre of music history. Depart Jackson and travel to Nashville for a Lyrical Legends Performance by one of Nashville's most successful songwriters.

Day 8 Morning city tour of Nashville through the heart of the downtown area and past many historic buildings. After lunch, visit the Ryman Auditorium beginning with 'Soul of Nashville', a state-of-the-art theatre experience that puts you at the centre of the Ryman's fascinating history as more than a century of legendary performances come to life all around you. Continue to the Johnny Cash Museum featuring the largest collection of Cash artefacts and memorabilia in the world! End the day on the General Jackson Showboat for a dinner cruise and show.

Day 9 Visit historic RCA Studio B, home of over 1,000 Top Ten hits! Explore the control room where the greats, like Chet Atkins, produced countless hits, and stars like Elvis, Dolly Parton, the Everly Brothers, and Roy Orbison have all recorded. Continue to the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum for a self-guided tour. Finally, attend the Grand Ole Opry! The world's longest running live radio show. What began as a simple radio broadcast in 1925 is today an entertainment phenomenon showcasing a mix of country music greats, new stars, superstars, and legends.

Day 10 Visit the Jack Daniels Distillery, oldest registered distillery in the United States, for a guided tour of the distillery and observe the famous whiskey-making process followed by a tasting of the famous whiskey.

Day 11 Transfer to Nashville International Airport and fly back to the UK.

All tours are tailored to your requirements and can be adapted for travel by coach and/or air as you prefer. Occasionally itineraries change. Please see our current brochure or contact us for the latest version.

Hotels

All hotels are a minimum standard of 4 star. Details will be provided with your quotation.

Your tour includes:

• Return flights from the UK to the USA

• Destination transfers and local coach services

• 10 Nights hotel accommodation with:
Porter service
19 Meals (10 Breakfasts, 1 Buffet luncheon and 9 Dinners)

• Guided tours of New Orleans, Memphis and Nashville

• Cajun Pride Swamp tour

• Jazz Cruise with dinner

• Visit to Elvis Presley's Birthplace

• Elvis Presley's Graceland Experience Tour

• Sun Studio tour

• Stax Museum of American Soul Music

• Legends of Tennessee Music Museum

• Casey Jones Railroad Museum

• Lyrical Legends Performance + dinner

• Ryman Auditorium

• Johnny Cash Museum

• General Jackson Showboat + dinner

• RCA Studio B

• Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum

• Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen + dinner

• Grand Ole Opry – Tier 2 Seating

• Jack Daniels Distillery – Flight of Jack Tour and Tasting

• Hotel baggage handling for one full size piece of luggage per traveller

• Taxes and included meal gratuities

For a quotation, or to enquire about this tour, fill in our online form, send us an email or call us on 01432 277666.