USA: Rhythms of the Deep South

Sunday 6th October

Journey to Nashville and transfer to our hotel. Enjoy a relaxing evening ready for our adventure to begin.

Overnight in Nashville.

Monday 7th October

Located in the State of Tennessee, Nashville has a heritage which is woven into the fabric of music heard across the world. This morning we’ll walk from our hotel and head to Downtown Nashville to visit the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, an institution dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American vernacular music.

The afternoon is at your leisure to explore Downtown Nashville and enjoy the multitude of entertainment and music options on offer, alongside some tantalising American soul food.

Breakfast included. Overnight in Nashville

Tuesday 8th October

Take time this morning to enjoy breakfast at your own pace and a stroll around Nashville before we head over to the iconic venue that made country music famous – the Grand Ole Opry. Over the years the Opry has played host to Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, and Johnny Cash – to name but a few – and to this day, is still the best-known country music venue in the world.  We will take a backstage tour of this classic music house, hanging out behind the scenes, listening to stories about the Opry and the country music legends that made it great.

Breakfast included. Overnight in Nashville.

Wednesday 9th October

A free day to enjoy at your leisure in Nashville. You can venture back to Downtown Nashville and explore Centennial Park where there’s a full-size replica of the Parthenon in Athens, a plethora of honky-tonk music venues and a museum dedicated to music icon, Johnny Cash, that uncovers the enigma behind ‘The Man in Black’.

Alternatively, you can head out of town to Davidson County and visit Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage. Andrew Jackson served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837, following a career as an American soldier and statesman. The Hermitage is a historical mansion surrounded by tranquil Tennessee countryside that tells the story of this American legend. The museum is also a shining example of an antebellum southern mansion that has been restored to its 1837 heyday and helps showcase the history of plantation and slavery that was prevalent in this region in the 19th century.

Breakfast included. Overnight in Nashville.

Thursday 10th October

This morning we’ll depart Nashville and head west to the other side of Tennessee to our next base, Memphis. We’ll travel straight to Graceland and tour the home of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Elvis Presley. Bought for $100,000 by an already famous 22-year-old Elvis Presley, the colonial-style mansion was extensively renovated to his personal tastes, with glorious 70’s décor, and is now a living memorial to the musical legend. On our tour of the house, we’ll discover why, even decades after the singer’s death, Elvis Presley is still regarded by many around the world as ‘The King’, and how he has an unprecedented and enduring legacy on music.

Following our tour, we’ll drive to Downtown Memphis and check into our central hotel.

Breakfast included. Overnight in Memphis.

Friday 11th October

Located close to the mighty Mississippi River, the city of Memphis has a long and colourful past which stretches across a broad spectrum of social and cultural nuances. Legendary forefathers of American music such as Louis Armstrong, Muddy Waters and Memphis Minnie all brought their jazz and blues to this town and helped to put the clubs and bars of the legendary Beale Street on the musical map of 20th century America.

Today we’ll discover Memphis on foot with a guide, beginning with the famous March of the Peabody Ducks, a tradition dating back to the 1930s that sees a family of ducks swim in the lobby fountain of the famous Peabody Hotel. We’ll then stroll down Beale Street, focusing on the renowned blues bars and honky-tonks where Elvis first made a name for himself, and where locals relax with a cold beer, the sounds of soul music, and the smell of smoky ribs sizzling on a barbecue.  There might even be a small taster of this most famous of American foods for us.

Our tour will conclude at the Rock and Soul Museum, also located on Beale Street, where you can explore the critical story of the musical pioneers who overcame racial and socio-economic obstacles to create the music that changed the cultural complexion of the world.

Breakfast included. Overnight in Memphis.

Saturday 12th October

Today is yours to pursue your own interests at leisure in Memphis. You may wish to visit the National Civil Rights Museum which traces the Civil Rights Movement in the United States from the 17th century to the present day. The complex is built around the historic Lorraine Motel, where Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated on the 4th of April 1968.  Alternatively, you might want to visit Sun Studios, not only the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll, but also the recording studio of choice for many blues, country and rock ‘n’ roll artists. Iconic singers such as Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, and Jerry Lee Lewis all passed through these doors.

Breakfast included. Overnight in Memphis.

Sunday 13th October

An early start this morning sees us depart from Memphis Central Station to head south. We’ll travel across state lines, through Mississippi and on to Louisiana and one of the most distinctive cultural centres in North America – New Orleans.

Arriving mid-afternoon, we’ll spend 3 nights in this diverse and exciting city, soaking up the eclectic mix of European, Creole, and Cajun culture that manifests itself in every aspect of New Orleans life – from the architecture and cuisine, to the thriving music scene. We’ll celebrate nightfall surrounded by a sparkling blend of sounds, delicious cooking aromas and the colourful character of this seaport where the American mainland meets the Gulf of Mexico. In this most perfect of settings, we can enjoy one of the many live music performances which set pulses racing in this vibrant city nightly.

Breakfast included. Overnight New Orleans.

Monday 14th October

We’ll start today with a walking tour of this magical city, marvelling at the sights and sounds of the legendary Bourbon Street, relaxing in the Garden District, and absorbing the quaintly poetic ambience of the French Quarter. Following this, we’ll board the Steamboat Natchez for a two-hour cruise with traditional live jazz played by the talented Steamboat Stompers.

What better way to enhance this unique experience on the waters of the Mississippi River than by tucking into a typical New Orleans lunch, complete with southern classics like biscuits, grits, gravy, patties, gumbo and beignets. Our cruise will finish in the late afternoon, leaving us with the rest of the evening to explore some of the city’s music venues and bars.

Breakfast and lunch included. Overnight in New Orleans.

Tuesday 15th October

Today will be yours to continue experiencing the many aspects of life in beautiful Louisiana. You may opt to take an excursion to the Honey Island Swamp for a kayak tour, or visit the historic Hermann-Grima House, a 19th century New Orleans home that has been restored and preserved in its original state. Or, join a local ghost, vampire, voodoo and witchcraft tour to learn about the dark side of New Orleans including the infamous tale of Madame Delphine LaLaurie, a New Orleans socialite and serial killer who is believed to have tortured and murdered slaves in her household!

In the evening, you may wish to queue up outside Preservation Hall, an historic music venue in the French Quarter that serves to protect, preserve, and perpetuate the spirit of traditional New Orleans Jazz. Their daily shows are performed by passionate jazz players and the packed venue is seated on a first come, first served basis on wooden benches, which only adds to that old-fashioned magic. What better way to round off your final evening in this exquisite city?

Breakfast included. Overnight New Orleans.

Wednesday 16th October

This morning will be free for a final exploration of New Orleans and a lovely southern lunch before we transfer to the airport for our journey home.

Breakfast included.  Overnight in flight.

Thursday 17th October

Arrive back in UK.