Welcome to Memphis, the birthplace of ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll’. Make your way from the airport to the Guest House at Graceland, for a two night stay before your Mississippi River cruise.

Tomorrow will be all out Elvis, so tonight, why not take a stroll along Beale Street, where you’ll find live music into the early hours. Famous venues include B.B. King’s Blues Club, Lafayette’s Music Room and Blues City Café, but there are plenty to choose from.

Guest House at Graceland

Don your blue suede shoes for today’s tour of Graceland! Your experience starts with an exclusive presentation by the Graceland Archives Department, who you will show you items belonging to Elvis, not regularly shown to the general public.

You can then explore Elvis Presley’s mansion and its grounds, see his gold records, jewelled jumpsuits, classic cars, custom planes and so much more.

In the evening, you could dine at the Guest House, in EP’s Bar & Grill or Delta’s Kitchen, or head back into Downtown Memphis, around a 15 minute taxi ride.

Guest House at Graceland

Breakfast

This morning, enjoy a guided tour of Memphis, concluding by the riverfront, ready for you to board your Lower Mississippi cruise.

After you’ve settled into your cabin, get to know your fellow passengers over cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and live music by local performers, then enjoy a relaxing afternoon’s cruising along the majestic Mississippi, a river woven into the fabric of American history and culture.

Your Mississippi River cruise is all-inclusive, with meals served in the restaurant, and a selection of alcoholic and soft drinks available 24/7.

Your choice of cabin

Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Your first port of call along the Mississippi is Vicksburg; the battle for control of the town a turning point in the American Civil War.

You can explore independently, or join a guided excursion of Vicksburg National Military Park, which stops at the impressive, Romanesque Illinois Memorial, and concludes at the Visitors Centre where artifacts from the Union Army’s 47 day siege are on display.

A shuttle bus will also be running from your riverboat to Downtown Vicksburg, stopping at the Old Courthouse Museum, Jackson Street Gallery and Vicksburg Civil War Museum, amongst other points of interest.

Your choice of cabin

Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Today is yours to unwind and enjoy the sights and sounds of the Lower Mississippi, as your riverboat glides effortlessly past cottonwood trees and inquisitive blue herons.

You can relax on your private balcony or the rooftop sundeck, watch a cooking demonstration, join a mixology class or get creative at an art workshop. There is plenty to do on board.

In the words of Mark Twain, it’s a day with “nothing to hang a worry or a fret upon.”

Your choice of cabin

Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Next stop, Natchez. Sitting 200 feet above the banks of the Mississippi, the bandstand on the Natchez Bluff offers a wonderful view of the river, and is a great place to start your tour of the town.

Jumping back on the complimentary shuttle, head down to Main Street and Franklin Street, to find a collection of beautiful restored historic buildings, or Rosalie House, a pre-war mansion that offers guided tours.

You may also like to join an optional excursion to Longwood, the only octagonal mansion in the region. As the Civil War began, construction ceased and the house was never completed. The finished lower level is still adorned with original family furnishings, whilst the upper stories and rotunda are still a work in progress.

Your choice of cabin

Breakfast, lunch, dinner

A small town, sitting by the Bayou Sara Bend of the Mississippi, St. Francisville has several fascinating historic sites to discover.

Join a complimentary excursion to the Myrtles, an 18th Century plantation house, surrounded by mature oaks set in sweeping grounds. On a guided tour, you’ll see the mansion’s hand-painted stained glass, Aubusson tapestry, Baccarat crystal chandelier, and gold-leafed French furnishings, as well as learn about the lives of its former owners… and the ghosts that haunt the site!

Optional excursions to the Port Hudson Historic Site, the Rosedown and Catalpa Plantations, or the Audubon Historic Site are also available.

Your choice of cabin

Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Welcome to Baton Rouge, the bustling capital of Louisiana.

Disembark your riverboat for a complimentary city tour and trip to the LSU Rural Life Museum where you can learn what life was like in the 18th and 19th Centuries for the Louisianans who didn’t live in the mansions and plantation homes you’ve seen so far on your Mississippi cruise.

Alternatively, you could visit the Louisiana Art & Science Museum, home to Irene W. Pennington Planetarium, or enjoy a stroll through Spanish Town, the oldest neighbourhood in the city, and Capitol Gardens, which are overlooked by Baton Rouge’s distinctive, Art Deco Capitol Building, the tallest in the United States.

Your choice of cabin

Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Oak Alley Plantation takes its name from its tree-lined avenue that stretches towards the Mississippi River. The Greek Revival was built in the early 19th Century, and is now a designated National Historic Landmark.

It’s estimated around 110 to 120 slaves worked at Oak Alley, most in the sugar cane fields, but others as blacksmiths, carriage drivers or gardeners. You will learn about this community on your tour, as well as the ‘downfall’ of the estate after the American Civil War.

Alternatively, excursions to Laura Plantation or Houmas House & Gardens, and a Louisiana swap tour are available.

Your choice of cabin

Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Your final port of call on the Lower Mississippi is the colourful city of New Orleans, where a transfer will take you to your hotel, the boutique Maison Dupey.

Check in, then head out to explore the ‘Big Easy’. You’ll probably recognise the French Quarter from photos or travel shows; its colourful buildings with cast iron balconies. In the centre, St. Louis Cathedral overlooks Jackson Square, where musicians and street performers delight passers by.

At least one night, make sure to try the city’s culinary delights, including gumbo, po’boys and beignets.

If you would like to stay at a different hotel in New Orleans, just let your Travel Consultant know.

Maison Dupuy, French Quarter (or similar)

Breakfast

A short ride from the French Quarter on the St. Charles Streetcar are the mansions and treelined streets of the Garden District, perfect for a morning stroll. By the Mississippi River is Mardi Gras World, where you can watch floats being crafted for the city’s world-famous carnival. Nearby, the National WWII Museum houses an impressive collection of 1940’s planes, boats and Jeeps.

In the evening, you’ll find buskers and jazz bars along Frenchman Street and Royal Street, though if you want to go ‘out out’, Bourbon Street won’t disappoint!

Maison Dupuy, French Quarter (or similar)

If you have time this morning, enjoy a final stroll through the French Quarter before making your way to the airport for your flight home.