Welcome to Nashville, the capital of Tennessee and the USA’s glittering centre stage. From the Everly Brothers’ “Bye Bye Love,” to Roy Orbison’s “Oh, Pretty Woman,” the streets are paved with talent. Your airport transfer will whisk you to your hotel. Relax and unwind before meeting your Travel Director and mingling with your fellow travellers followed by a Welcome Dinner with wine.

The Banker’s Alley Hotel, Tapestry Collection by Hilton

Dinner with wine

Start your day with an orientation tour of music city. You’ll visit the picturesque Riverfront Park, Tennessee State Capitol and Centennial State Park, where you’ll encounter an exact replica of the Parthenon. Pass by the city’s lively honky-tonks and street performers on Broadway. Make your way to historic RCA Studio B, Nashville’s oldest remaining recording studio for a guided tour. Studio B became a cradle of the Nashville Sound in the late 1950s and early 1960s with songs recorded here by iconic artists such as Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, and even more recently, Martina McBride and Carrie Underwood. On this guided tour, you will hear the fascinating stories behind the legendary recordings and view some of the original instruments used in producing over 1,000 hit records. We then continue to another home to Nashville royalty, The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum for a self-guided tour. Tonight, head to the famous Grand Ole Opry, the world-renowned country music stage and longest-running radio broadcast in U.S. history.

The Banker’s Alley Hotel, Tapestry Collection by Hilton

Breakfast

Around lunch time, we make a stop at the Nashville Farmers Market and Market House to explore its artisanal crafts and produce. You can then choose between two guided visits; a guided tour and tasting at Nelson’s Green Brier, a local Tennessee distillery and home of the Original Tennessee Whiskey; or a visit to the National Museum of African American Music, the only museum dedicated to preserving and celebrating the many music genres created, influenced, and inspired by African Americans.

The Banker’s Alley Hotel, Tapestry Collection by Hilton

Breakfast

This morning you’ll head to Memphis. Whether it’s your first or hundredth time visiting this vibrant city, you’ll be drawn in by the lively melodies coming from Beale Street.

Spend the morning on a sightseeing tour of the city, followed by a tour of the National Civil Rights Museum. While there, you’ll be guided through five centuries of The Civil Rights Movement history and its continuing impact today.

End your day by joining a private evening at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music. The museum is part of The Soulsville Foundation, which aims to prepare young adults for life success and inspire future artists.

The Guest House at Graceland

Breakfast

This morning it’s off to Graceland, where you will get to explore the mansion, the private retreat of the King of Rock ‘n Roll, where he went for reprise when not on the stage or in the movies. The tour of Graceland Mansion includes the living room and the famous Jungle Room. Then visit the Entertainer Career Museum with hundreds of artefacts and photos from significant events in Elvis’ life as well as the Presley Motors Automobile Museum. Then we continue onto Sun Studios for an authentic guided tour led by a local musician. Learn all about the recording studio where Elvis got his start along with so many of the greatest and therefore known as “The Birthplace of Rock’n’roll.” Dinner this evening will be served at The Beauty Shop, a former parlour turned New American eatery where Elvis’ ex-wife, Priscilla, was said to get her hair done.

The Guest House at Graceland

Breakfast, Dinner with wine

Travel through the Mississippi Delta down the Mississippi Blues Trail, a route that tells the stories of businessmen and women. Your Travel Director will give you background information on Greenwood’s significance in the Civil Rights Movement, being a centre for protests and voter registration struggles from 1962 to 1965.  We then head to the Viking Cooking School, for a hot-tamales cooking class where we learn how it became a regional specialty. Later dine at James Beard restaurant that features southern inspired dishes that include local produce.

The Alluvian, Greenwood

Breakfast, Dinner with wine

Learn more about Southern history and hospitality as you head to Natchez. Tour the historic mansions, and discover the preservation efforts of later generations to tell the story of African-Americans through the decades, understanding that slavery and cotton allowed plantation owners to build these mansions. Test your mixologist skills as you concoct a traditional Southern cocktail, the Mint Julep. Arrive at the Natchez Grand Hotel where you will enjoy an evening at leisure . Ask your Travel Director for restaurant suggestions and discover one of the wonderful options in town.

Natchez Grand Hotel

Breakfast

Move on to Lafayette for a taste of the Cajun and Creole countryside. Start with a boat tour through moss-draped cypress trees, where graceful egrets perch just out of the reach of lingering alligators! While on the excursion, you’ll explore the diverse natural beauty and rich ecological systems of America’s largest and most mysterious swamp ecosystem, the Atchafalaya Basin Swamp. A Native Cajun tour guide will explain from personal experience what it is like to live on a houseboat or survive off the swamp, while pointing out the abundant plants of the area and getting you up close and personal with the wildlife. Then learn about Cajun and Zydeco music from a local Cajun accordion maker and musician at Martin Cajun Accordions. Martin Jr. has been building accordions for more than three decades. Listen to the sounds of Cajun music, country music, Gospel and Zydeco and get taken back to the early 1900s with  authentic accordion music.

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Lafayette

Breakfast

Start the day with a crawfish farm tour just outside the city. You will be joined by a local expert who will help you catch your lunch the old-fashioned way, using hand nets. You’ll be taught how to prepare a traditional boil, before sitting down to enjoy your authentic meal. If crawfish are out of season, you’ll take part in a boil experience with seasonal seafood. Then it’s onto the Acadian Cultural Center to learn more about the people, music, and sounds that give Lafayette its distinct and charming character. The Center tells stories of the origins, migration, settlement, and contemporary culture of the Acadians (Cajuns).

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Lafayette

Breakfast, Lunch

New Orleans is a lively and dynamic city, known for its vibrant culture and electric jazz festivals. On the way down south, take a spicy stop at the Tabasco Factory for a self-guided tour and discover how the world-famous red hot pepper sauce is made. A family recipe – Tabasco Brand products are made by the McIlhenny Company, founded by Edmund McIlhenny in 1868 on Avery Island, Louisiana. This afternoon, enjoy a regional meal highlighting the flavours of New Orleans. The rest of the day is at leisure.

New Orleans Marriott

Breakfast, Lunch

Get to know the city with a local expert, as you discover each neighbourhood’s unique architecture and explore the vibrant art scene. Enjoy an exclusive behind the scenes tour of Mardi Gras World, where the magic happens and the extravagant, vibrant floats are built each year. One of the Mardi Gras World certified artists will lead you through designing your very own Mardi Gras mask. Show off the piece of art you just made by enjoying a masquerade themed dinner on the Mardi Gras Plaza, which boasts a stunning view of the Mississippi River.

New Orleans Marriott

Breakfast, Dinner with wine

It’s time to say goodbye to your fellow travellers as your adventure comes to an end. Departure to the airport will be at leisure.

Breakfast