The Deep South

What's Included

• Return flights from Heathrow with British Airways
• 12 nights in hotels of a great quality plus 1 night in flight
• 7 meals: 6 breakfasts, 1 brunch and welcome drink
• Travelsphere Tour Manager and Specialist Local Guide
• Overseas transfers, other transportation and porterage

• Atlanta, including the Martin Luther King Center
• Chattanooga, historically a major railroad hub
• Nashville, the city that "calls music home"
• Country Music Hall of Fame and Studio B
• Special performance by two of Waylon Jennings' band members
• Home of the blues, Memphis
• Elvis' former home Graceland and Sun Studios
• Explore the BB King Museum
• Live jazz brunch in New Orleans' French Quarter
• New Orleans tour
• Antebellum mansion tour

Not Included

Itinerary

• Day 1 UK - Atlanta
• You'll fly to Atlanta, Georgia, today. On arrival we'll transfer you to your overnight hotel, which is located downtown.​
• Day 2 Atlanta - Chattanooga
• Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before beginning your exploration of the Deep South in the company of your Tour Manager. Atlanta has been through many incarnations since it was founded as a railroad terminus in 1837. On your tour of the city you'll see its main highlights, including the Martin Luther King Center. This afternoon we're going to drive to Chattanooga, where the famous Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel is our unique base for the next two nights.​
• Day 3 Chattanooga - at Leisure
• You've a free day to explore Chattanooga at leisure. You could take a walk along one of the waterfront trails or explore downtown on foot. There's a wealth of historic buildings to discover and the Bluff View Art District is full of restaurants, coffee houses, art galleries and gardens. Alternatively, you could opt to take a trip on the incline railway to Rock City. These incredible rock formations and gardens sit atop Lookout Mountain and offer fantastic views of seven states including Alabama, North Carolina and Kentucky.
• Day 4 Chattanooga - Nashville
• Leaving Chattanooga, we're bound for Nashville today.  On arrival in Tennessee's capital, a short orientation tour with your Tour Manager will help you to find your bearings. You'll see plenty more tomorrow, when a full day of exploration is planned.​ If you want to experience a night out in the city that "calls music home", why not join an optional excursion which gives you the chance to enjoy dinner and an evening of live entertainment Nashville style!
• Day 5 Nashville
• We've a fabulous music themed day in store for you today. It begins as you step inside the hallowed halls of Studio B, which became famous in the 1960s for its part in the Nashville Sound. Here, more than 35,000 songs have been recorded by artists including Elvis Presley, and you'll step inside the studio where he recorded Are You Lonesome Tonight? As the lights are dimmed, just as they would have been for the King of Rock 'n' Roll, and you hear his incredible voice flowing from the speakers, you will be sharing a truly special moment. This is followed by a unique performance by two of Waylon Jennings' band members, sharing their personal stories of Walyon Jennings, Willie Nelson and the so called Outlaw artists from the 1970s. ​To round off the day you'll visit the Country Music Hall of Fame. There's one more exciting experience to come if you choose to join an optional excursion – an evening of live music at the Grand Ole Opry. This is one of the most important venues for live country music in the world.
• Day 6 Nashville - Memphis
• The next great musical city you'll visit is Memphis, standing proudly on the bluffs of the Mississippi River. On arrival in the afternoon, we're going to set off together to discover some of its many highlights. They include the Riverfront and Beale Street, the home of the blues. On this iconic street, music emanates from every open door, and street performers entertain the crowds.
• Day 7 Memphis
• Memphis is synonymous with Elvis Presley, and today we're going to find out about this connection. Our first visit is to Sun Studios, where the 'King of Rock 'n' Roll' made his first recordings back in 1954. This is followed by Graceland, where we'll take a fascinating guided tour of the opulent mansion that was his home from 1957 until his death in 1977. Here you can fully immerse yourself in his life and career as you go back to his roots. You'll see the living room, kitchen, TV room, pool room and the famous Jungle Room among other highlights. The tour ends at the Meditation Garden, where Elvis is buried alongside his parents. This is sure to be a wonderful highlight of your holiday, and there's more to come tomorrow.
• Day 8 Memphis - at Leisure
• Today has been left free for you to explore more of Memphis at leisure. Maybe you'll choose to visit one of the city's fascinating museums, which include the National Civil Rights Museum and the Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum. Alternatively, if you enjoyed your visit to Graceland yesterday, today's optional excursion is sure to be tempting. Why not come with us to Tupelo, where you'll see the house where Elvis was born. You'll also get to visit a fantastic museum displaying one of the most remarkable collections of Elvis memorabilia in the world.​
• Day 9 Memphis - Vicksburg
• We're going to take to the road today, leaving marvellous Memphis behind, and crossing the border into Mississippi. On the way to our base for the evening, Vicksburg, we're going to visit the BB King Museum. Here you'll learn all about the life and music of the legendary 'King of the Blues'.​
• Day 10 New Orleans
• As we head deeper south we're going to make a stop today in Natchez for a tour of an antebellum mansion. Our ultimate destination is the 'Big Easy', or New Orleans, home to another musical genre – jazz. Your hotel here is just steps from the famous French Quarter. This is the oldest district and the cultural hub of the city, so you're well placed to make your own discoveries. Alternatively, you may choose to join an optional walking tour of the French Quarter, taking in Jackson Square, Pirate's Alley and the world-famous Bourbon Street. Whichever way you explore, as you stroll past bars and cafés, you'll hear snatches of music.
• Day 11 New Orleans - at Leisure
• Your day begins with a buffet brunch accompanied by live jazz music, which is served in a pretty outdoor courtyard in the French Quater. Prepare to see even more of New Orleans' highlights on an included tour this morning. As we drive around the city we'll see St Louis Cathedral and cemeteries full of above-the-ground tombs, known as Cities of the Dead. The rest of the day is all yours to do just as you wish. You could discover the art galleries and boutiques of the French Quarter, stopping at a pavement café to enjoy a spot of people-watching. However, if you're still keen to discover more, your Tour Manager is hosting an afternoon optional trip on an authentic paddle steamer. Once the only way to travel along the waterways of the South, this trip will take you on a glorious journey back to the 19th century heyday of these iconic vessels.
• Day 12 New Orleans - at Leisure
• With so much to discover in New Orleans you might want to spend the day exploring at your own pace, with guidance from your Tour Manager. However, you can also join an optional excursion which shows you two very different sides of Louisiana. You'll head off into the swamps by boat, where you can look for plenty of wildlife, including alligators. You'll also visit a plantation house to learn all about traditional Southern-style farming methods.
• Day 13 New Orleans - UK
• Today we'll transfer you to the airport for your return flight to the UK via Atlanta.
• Day 14 UK
• ​You'll arrive back in the UK today.​

Accommodation

• • Sheraton Atlanta
  • Sheraton Atlanta Hotel is a downtown hotel located in the heart of Atlanta, Georgia''s capital city, minutes from the Georgia World Congress Center, Georgia Aquarium, Philips Arena, Centennial Park and the Georgia Dome. All rooms come with air conditioning, an iron, refrigerator & flatscreen TV. Hotel facilities include a fitness centre & pool.
• • Chattanoogan Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton
  • A modern hotel consisting of contemporary rooms with pillow-top mattresses, 32-inch flat-screen TVs, coffeemakers and free WiFi. There''s a fitness center with an indoor heated pool, steam and sauna rooms, plus a spa and outdoor fire pits. Other amenities include a lounge with live weekend music, a grill and a sidewalk cafe.
• • Drury Plaza Hotel Nashville Downtown
  • Attractively set in the centre of Nashville, Drury Plaza Hotel Nashville Downtown features air-conditioned rooms, a fitness centre, free WiFi and a terrace. Featuring a restaurant, the property also has a bar, as well as a hot tub. The rooms are fitted with a fridge, microwave, a coffee machine, a shower, toiletries and a desk.
• • Crowne Plaza Memphis Downtown
  • Modern rooms come with Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, room service and sitting areas. Amenities include an informal restaurant/bar, an outdoor pool and a fitness room.
• • La Quinta Inn & Suites Vicksburg
  • The La Quinta Inn & Suites is situated in Vicksburg.
    
    Hotel facilities include a swimming pool. Bedrooms have private facilities, hairdryer, complimentary Wi-Fi, tea/coffee-making facilities and a TV.
• • Sheraton New Orleans Hotel
  • The Sheraton New Orleans Hotel is a contemporary hotel located near to the French Quarter. Hotel amenities include a bistro which serves New-Orleans inspired cuisine, a bar, fitness centre and rooftop pool.

Optional Excursions

• ​Ascend Lookout Mountain on Chattanooga's Incline Railway
• Nashville night out with dinner and live music
• Grand Ole Opry evening
• Visit Tupelo – Elvis's birthplace
• New Orleans' French Quarter walking tour
• Take a journey on a New Orleans' paddle steamer
• Louisiana's swamps and a Southern plantation​
  
  

Further Information