Cultural and Historical Tour of the Deep South
The Deep South has a history rooted in jazz and rock, whiskey, the Mississippi River and the Civil Rights Movement. This over-50s cultural and historical tour of the USA’s deep south takes you from Nashville to New Orleans. Visit Elvis’ birthplace in Tupelo and his home at Graceland, explore Nashville, New Orleans and Memphis, and take in a show at the Grand Ole Opry. Go aboard a Mississippi River paddle steamer for a jazz cruise. Visit the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site. USA Deep South holidays can take you to all of these legendary sites and more in one epic adventure.
Your Tour Includes
TRAVEL
Return flights and transfers
Included travel insurance
VIP door-to-door travel service from anywhere on the UK mainland
ACCOMMODATION
12 nights in hotels and 1 in flight
Porterage at all hotels
EXPERIENCES
Tour Manager
Ride the Incline Railway up Lookout Mountain
Tour of Jack Daniel's Distillery
Tours of Nashville and Atlanta
Orientation tour of Memphis
Audio tour of Graceland
Show at the Grand ole Opry
Explore the Delta Blues Museum
Visit Oak Alley plantation
FOOD & DRINK
Welcome drink
12 meals: 12 breakfasts
Day 1 UK-Atlanta
Depart for your flight to Atlanta. Stay for one night at the locally rated 4-star Atlanta Marriott Buckhead Hotel (4Q).
Day 2 Atlanta-Chattanooga
Travel to Chattanooga (118 miles, two hours). Take an included trip on the Incline Railway up Lookout Mountain – the world’s steepest passenger railway – where you can enjoy views over the mountains.
Stay overnight at the 3-star Holiday Inn & Suites, Chattanooga Downtown (3Q). Facilities at the hotel include a restaurant, bar, indoor swimming pool and fitness centre. Each of the 139 air-conditioned bedrooms are equipped with a television, telephone, tea and coffee-making facilities, microwave, mini fridge and hairdryer.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Day 3 Chattanooga-Lynchburg-Nashville
Travel to Lynchburg (91 miles, one hour and 40 minutes).
Join an included tour of the Jack Daniel’s distillery, and enjoy a tasting of its famous whisky.
Continue to the 4-star Gaylord Opryland Hotel (4Q), where you stay for two nights. Take in a show at the Grand Ole Opry, where many country legends – from Patsy Cline to Dolly Parton – have performed. The Gaylord Opryland Hotel is located ten miles south of the city centre. The hotel is a vast complex with a choice of restaurants, indoor and outdoor pools, gardens, waterfalls and even an indoor river with a replica steamboat! The 2,881 rooms have a television, direct-dial telephone, coffee maker, hairdryer and ironing facilities.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Day 4 Nashville
Enjoy an included morning tour of Nashville, known as the country music capital of the world. You’ll also visit the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Day 5 Nashville-Tupelo-Memphis
Travel to Memphis (212 miles, four hours). Stop at Elvis Presley’s birthplace, Tupelo, and see the shack where the young Elvis lived, visit the museum with its collection of Presley memorabilia, as well as explore the greater complex which also houses a chapel and the Assembly of God church where the Presley family would worship.
Continue to Memphis for a two-night stay at the 3-star Crowne Plaza Memphis Downtown (3Q).
Meals Included: Breakfast
Day 6 Memphis
After a short included orientation tour this morning, visit Elvis Presley’s legendary home, Graceland, where he lived from 1957 until his death in 1977. Enjoy an audio tour of the mansion and grounds.
The afternoon is free for you to spend at leisure.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Day 7 Memphis-Natchez
Travel south and cross the border into Mississippi to Natchez (304 miles, five hours). En route stop at the Delta Blues Museum.
Stay overnight at the 4-star Hotel Vue (3Q) situated on the outskirts of the town, close to the river. The hotel has a restaurant and bar, outdoor pool, exercise room and free Wi-Fi. Each of the 91 air-conditioned rooms has a television, telephone, microwave, fridge, iron and ironing board, and hairdryer.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Day 8 Natchez-New Orleans
Continue to New Orleans (176 miles, three hours), pausing en route to visit the Oak Alley Plantation.
Enjoy an included orientation tour in New Orleans and stay three nights at the 4-star New Orleans Marriott (4Q) on the famed Canal Street. The hotel has a restaurant, wine bar, burger bar, outdoor heated pool and fitness centre. Each of the air-conditioned rooms has a television, telephone, hairdryer, iron and ironing board, coffee-maker, a safe and Wi-Fi (extra charge).
Meals Included: Breakfast
Day 9 New Orleans
Enjoy the day at leisure. Perhaps shop at the Riverwalk, visit the Jackson Square museums or ride on the St Charles streetcar. Perhaps take an optional city tour.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Day 10 New Orleans
Spend a further day at leisure exploring the city. Be sure to explore the historic French Quarter, the oldest neighbourhood in the city. Despite the name most of the buildings were built during Spanish rule, after two fires destroyed much of the original French architecture, but the charming area is still a joy to explore. The quarter is home to the celebrated 'House of the Rising Sun' and the delightful Cathedral of St Louis. Perhaps join an optional cruise around the Louisiana swamps and bayous. In the evening you might like to hop aboard a traditional paddle steamer on the Mississippi River for an optional jazz cruise with dinner included.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Day 11 New Orleans-Birmingham
Leave New Orleans and head to Birmingham in Alabama (343 miles, six hours). Martin Luther King pioneered the civil rights movement from Alabama and your coach tour includes the sights of the Civil Rights District and also takes in a replica of the Statue of Liberty.
Spend the night at the 4-star Hyatt Regency Birmingham-The Wynfrey Hotel (4Q) on a bed-and-breakfast basis. The hotel has a restaurant and lobby bar.
Day 12 Birmingham-Atlanta
Travel back to Atlanta (160 miles, two hours and 30 minutes) and in the afternoon enjoy an included city tour. The USA’s self-proclaimed ‘Capital of the South’, Atlanta was founded as a railroad town in the mid-19th century. Your tour includes a visit to the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site, which comprises King’s birthplace, the Ebeneezer Baptist Chapel where he preached, and his grave.
Your final night is at the 3-star Atlanta Marriott Buckhead Hotel (4Q).
Meals Included: Breakfast
Day 13 Atlanta-UK
Enjoy some time at leisure before travelling to the airport for your overnight flight back to the UK overnight.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Day 14 UK
Arrive in the UK for your included door-to-door travel service.
