Feel the excitement build as your plane descends into Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Texas. Make your way to your hotel in nearby Grapevine, after which you have the rest of the day at leisure.

Grapevine is a welcoming city that oozes authentic Texan charm. It’s the perfect base from which to visit Fort Worth Stockyards and Dallas, before embarking on your road trip through Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Tennessee.

In the Historic Main Street District, you’ll find plenty of places to eat, though for a bite of infamy, head to Bonnie & Clyde’s Bar & Grill, which overlooks a lake where the bank robbers once had their hideout.

Dallas-Fort Worth Airport > Grapevine | 4 miles

Hilton Garden Inn Grapevine at Silverlake Crossings or similar

We suggest kicking off your day in Grapevine with a fresh coffee at one of the many local cafés around Main Street, then to get your bearings, ascending the Grapevine Observation Tower, from which you can see the skylines of Dallas and Fort Worth.

The Grapevine Botanical Gardens at Heritage Park are perfect for a post-lunch stroll, before visiting the Settlement to City Museum or perusing the shops, chocolatiers, glassblowers and galleries clustered downtown.

In the evening, check out who’s playing at the historic Palace Arts Centre, or try a glass or two of Texan wine at one of the several tasting rooms around Main Street.

Hilton Garden Inn Grapevine at Silverlake Crossings or similar

Collect your hire car this morning and make the short drive to the iconic Fort Worth Stockyards, where twice a day, Texas Longhorns are driven through the town by genuine cowhands.

At the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame you can relive the remarkable stories of more than 150 great Texans, before enjoying some of the Lone Star State’s best Tex-Mex or BBQ meats in the local eateries.

If you are in town on Friday or Saturday evening, don’t miss the Stockyards Champions Rodeo at Cowtown Coliseum, before letting your hair down at Billy Bob’s Texas, the largest honky-tonk in the World!

If you’d prefer to pick up your hire car a day later, Fort Worth Stockyards is a short taxi ride from Grapevine, or on Saturdays and Sundays a magical journey aboard the Grapevine Vintage Railroad.

Grapevine > Fort Worth | 6 miles

Hilton Garden Inn Grapevine at Silverlake Crossings or similar

Jump in your hire car this morning for a day out in Dallas, typically a thirty minute drive.

The city’s tallest buildings, including the 72 storey Bank of America Plaza, are located along Main Street, as well as a sculpture of a giant eyeball for these who like a quirky photo stop! Also worth getting your camera out for, is the impressive collection of 50 bronze longhorns at Pioneer Plaza, and the view of the city skyline from the Geo-Deck in the sphere-topped Reunion Tower.

President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas in 1963. A park and monument at Dealey Plaza, and the nearby Sixth Floor Museum commemorate his life.

In the Historic West End you can get a hat steamed to perfectly fit your head, or a pair of made-to-measure cowboy boots. And if you can persuade your designated driver to stay out late, the local saloons serve cold craft beers and margaritas.

Grapevine > Dallas | 23 miles

Hilton Garden Inn Grapevine at Silverlake Crossings or similar

If you haven’t had a Texas BBQ breakfast burrito yet, do so before you head to Oklahoma today! Tonight you’ll be staying in the state capital, Oklahoma City, with a choice of waterfalls to visit en route.

1 hour 45 minutes directly north of Grapevine is the 1,500 acre Turner Falls Park, the 77 foot waterfall is the tallest in Oklahoma. You can swim in the pool at the bottom of the falls or follow one of the hiking trails in the park in search of whitetail deer and wild turkeys!

Alternatively, you can stay in Texas a little longer, driving north west to Wichita Falls, home to a 54 foot manmade cascade and the ‘World’s Littlest Skyscraper’, before crossing the border near Duncan where you can explore the history of the American Cowboy at the Chisholm Trail Heritage Centre.

Grapevine > Oklahoma City > 200 miles

Hilton Garden Inn Oklahoma City North Quail Springs or similar

You have a full day to explore Oklahoma City. For an authentic cowboy experience head to Stockyards City, home to one of the largest cattle markets in the world. Auctions are held on Mondays and Tuesdays, but there’s plenty to see (and buy!) on other days of the week.

On the southern side of the Oklahoma River, is the First Americans Museum, which explores the history, culture and resilience of each of the 39 tribes that call Oklahoma home.

After a stroll through the Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory at Myriad Botanical Gardens, head to gentrified Bricktown to hop between trendy bars or ride the fun, but informative, water taxi.

On most evenings, live music can be found across the city. If you are in town on a Saturday, get yourself a ticket for the Rodeo Opry, Oklahoma’s ‘official country music show’ that features rising stars from around the state.

Hilton Garden Inn Oklahoma City North Quail Springs or similar

Take a step back in time this morning as you arrive in Guthrie, 40 minutes north of Oklahoma City. The original state capital, Guthrie has over 1,000 Victorian buildings, with some wonderfully quirky shops and museums to peruse.

Continuing east, join Historic Route 66 just outside Sapulpa, where classic car enthusiasts will enjoy the Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum – you can’t miss it, there’s a 66 foot gas pump outside! A lovingly restored Frisco 4500 Meteor Steam Engine at the Route 66 Historical Village lets you know you’re on the outskirts of Tulsa, where you’ll be staying two nights. Try the Arts District for dinner; there are numerous restaurants, as well as bars with live music.

Oklahoma City > Tulsa | 125 miles

Hilton Garden Inn Tulsa South or similar

Folk music fans are spoilt for choice in Tulsa, with the Woody Guthrie Centre and Bob Dylan Centre just a block apart. The music of these two American icons continues to inspire today’s artists.

South of the city centre, set in a beautifully manicured 25 acre garden, is the Philbrook Museum of Art, home to an impressive collection of American, Native American and European paintings and sculptures. Nearby, the One OK Boathouse at Gathing Place offers a wonderful view of the Arkansas River and Downtown Tulsa from its top-level balcony.

For dinner, the food hall at Mother Road Marketplace offers a great selection of international and American cuisine.

For movie fans an hour’s drive north of Tulsa is the frontier town of Pawhuska where Martin Scorsese’s and Leonardo DiCaprio’s ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ was filmed.

Hilton Garden Inn Tulsa South or similar

This morning, grab a selfie at the Catoosa Blue Whale, a Route 66 icon, en route to the picturesque Sequoyah State Park where you can follow one of the walking trails or enjoy a dip in Fort Gibson Lake.

Your next stop, Tahlequah, the capital of the Cherokee Nation, is just 20 minutes further east. Here, you can learn about the culture and traditions of the United State’s largest tribe, and their forced settlement in Oklahoma following the Indian Removal Act of 1830, at the interactive Cherokee National History Museum in the town centre.

The pretty Tenkiller State Park, Oklahoma’s ‘Heaven in the Hills’ is worth a detour on your journey south, then east to Fort Smith in Arkansas, where you’ll spend the night.

Tulsa > Fort Smith | 148 miles

Wyndham Fort Smith or similar

The frontier city of Fort Smith is steeped in military and law-enforcement history. Pop into Ms. Laura’s Social Club, the official visitor centre, before exploring the restored courtroom of the ‘Hanging Judge’ Isaac Parker, the old jail house, and nearby gallows.

Native American history is reflected in many of the growing collection of murals in the city, which are well worth checking out before you depart for Hot Springs.

Here, after dropping your bags of at your hotel, follow the scenic West Mountain Drive into Hot Springs National Park, for a well-deserved soak in therapeutic waters at one of the bathhouses.

Fort Smith > Hot Springs | 125 miles

Hampton Inn Hot Springs or similar

Heading east out of Hot Springs, you will soon reach the city of Little Rock, home to the impressive William J. Clinton Presidential Library, on the banks of the Arkansas River. From here, you can also take a stroll through Riverfront Park, where you’ll find a sculpture garden, a ‘3D mural wall’ and a protected wetland and nature centre. Elsewhere in the Arkansas state capital, you may like to visit the award-winning Rocktown Distillery, to learn how corn, wheat and rye are turned into bourbon, vodka and gin.

From Little Rock, the musical Mecca of Memphis is just over a 2 hour drive. After checking in to your hotel, head out to see who’s playing on Beale Street!

Hot Springs > Memphis | 187 miles

The Peabody Hotel, Memphis or similar

You cannot come to Memphis without making the pilgrimage to Graceland. Over the 20 years that Elvis Presley lived in the mansion, he hosted the who’s who in American rock ‘n’ roll and recorded some of his best music. By joining a guided tour you’ll see various rooms where Elvis lived and spent time with his family, his extensive collection of stage costumes and gold records, his two private planes, and his ‘fancy rides’ in the car museum.

Squeeze in a spot of lunch at The Arcade, a favourite of ‘The King’ before continuing your musical journey to Sun Studios, where where Elvis, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis recorded some of their first tracks, the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum, or the Memphis Music Hall of Fame. Then, in the evening, get back to historic Beale Street for more live blues and rock ‘n’ roll!

Music aside, Memphis is home to the National Civil Rights Museum, housed in the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. It’s well worth a visit for the powerful exhibits and educational displays exploring the struggle for civil rights.

The Peabody Hotel, Memphis or similar

Today’s journey east to Nashville takes around three and a half hours on Interstate 40. Just less than half way is Jackson, where you’ll find plenty of options for a hearty American lunch, as well as the picturesque Cypress Grove Nature Park to stretch your legs afterwards.

If you enjoy the great outdoors, Jackson Falls is worthwhile detour. From the car park, a short but steep trail leads to the base of the waterfall, or a gentle quarter of a mile walk to the Duck River Overlook.

On arrival in Nashville we suggest returning your hire car and taking a taxi to your hotel, as the main museums and honky-tonks are in walking distance of each other.

Memphis > Nashville | 215 miles

Hyatt Place Opryland Hotel, Nashville or similar

Welcome to the home of country music. With three nights in Nashville you have time to both see the sights and experience the non-stop live music the city is famous for.

For enthusiasts, the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum takes you on a journey from the humble origins of the genre to the present day, where Taylor Swift and other megastars sell out stadia several times over.

At the more intimate Johnny Cash Museum you can learn about the fascinating life of one of America’s most influential singer-songwriters, and at Studio B, stand in the spot where Elvis recorded some of his most famous tracks.

As the afternoon turns into the evening, the neon lights of Lower Broadway start to glow (although the music starts much earlier!). Pull on your new pair of cowboy boots and hop from honky-tonk to honky-tonk, for a Nashville night to remember!

Hyatt Place Opryland Hotel, Nashville or similar

Sing along to your new favourite Country Music artist as you make your way to Nashville International Airport in time to return you car and check-in for your flight home, or on to your next destination.

Downtown > Nashville International Airport | 8 miles