DETAILED ITINERARY

Day 1: Fly to Nashville

Today fly from London to Nashville, Tennessee - the country music capital of the world, where aspiring singers come to follow in the footsteps of giants like Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton.

You will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. After checking in, you can head straight to Broadway to soak up the atmosphere.

Day 2: Explore Nashville

Today is free to explore Nashville and enjoy its music scene.

Start in Downtown, where you can walk down Lower Broadway and check out legendary music venues such as the Ryman Auditorium and Country Music Hall of Fame, before heading to the Johnny Cash Museum & Café. Also look out for the ‘Batman Building’. The Music Row District is home to famous record labels, radio stations and recording studios, including Historic RCA Studio B, where legends such as Elvis Presley and Dolly Parton recorded their hits. Then take a taxi to Centennial Park, where you can see a life-size replica of the ancient Greek Parthenon.

In the afternoon we suggest you visit the Grand Ole Opry, America’s longest running radio show that still hosts rising stars as well as famous musicians - playing not only country music but also folk, Americana, bluegrass and gospel. You can book ahead for a behind-the-scenes tour, and afterwards you can visit Madame Tussauds Nashville. If there is a performance at the Grand Ole Opry House, consider spending the evening there. Alternatively head to Printers Alley in Downtown, with its vibrant music scene, or quirky East Nashville for a night on the town.

Day 3: Fly to Memphis

Transfer to the airport for your flight to Memphis, another iconic music city, situated on the legendary Mississippi River.

In the evening enjoy dinner with some live music on Beale Street.

Day 4: Explore Memphis

You have a full day to explore Memphis, the birthplace of influential strains of blues, soul and rock and roll.

Be sure to visit Graceland, Elvis Presley’s famous mansion, as well as the legendary Sun Studio where Presley, Johnny Cash and B.B. King recorded albums. Other music landmarks include the Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum, Stax Museum of American Soul Music and the Blues Hall of Fame. 

Day 5: Embark on your Mississippi River Cruise

Embark today on your exciting Mississippi River cruise, sailing southwards from Memphis all the way to New Orleans – a relaxing journey of 640 miles, winding slowly along this mighty river.

Settle in to your cabin and explore the many facilities of your river boat, built in the style of a classic paddle wheeler, before enjoying a delicious dinner and recollecting some of Mark Twain’s famous children’s story - ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’.

Day 6: Mississippi Delta

Enjoy a relaxing day today, as we explore the small river towns of the fertile Mississippi Delta, which has provided inspiration for authors, musicians and artists for centuries.

The name Mississippi was derived from a French rendering of the native American word for ‘Great River’, and this name couldn’t be more appropriate. This natural delta at the confluence of the Yazoo and Mississippi Rivers consists of many large floodplains that are exploited for fishing and oil. The Mississippi Delta is also a refuge for hundreds of animal species, birds and fish.

Today will be a fascinating cultural experience based on agriculture, music and history.

Day 7: Vicksburg

In 1863, Vicksburg in Mississippi was the site of a pivotal battle during the American Civil War, so this southern town has a history unlike any other.

The Siege of Vicksburg is commemorated in the vast Vicksburg National Military Park, which has 1,400 memorials dotted throughout the battlefield’s hilly terrain. You can also see the salvaged remains of the USS Cairo, the only surviving wartime ironclad gunboat. The Old Court House has an interesting museum displaying Civil War artefacts, whilst the Lower Mississippi River Museum has an aquarium with interactive exhibits. Also be sure to savour the delicious southern cuisine. 

Day 8: Natchez

Up next is the charming town of Natchez which was founded in 1716, making it the oldest city on the Mississippi River. This quintessentially charming city was first inhabited by native American Indians and has, like many settlements along the Mississippi, subsequently been shaped by various cultures - including African, French, British, and Spanish.

It is known for its elegance, hospitality and impressive preservation of history – found on every street corner. Enjoy the unique shops, restaurants, museums and historic homes, including antebellum mansions such as the unfinished, octagonal Longwood and the Melrose estate, which is part of the Natchez National Historical Park.

Day 9: St. Francisville

The small town of St. Francisville in Louisiana is another testament to the lifestyle of a bygone era, with its plethora of charming antebellum homes and striking architecture. Described as ‘two miles long and two yards wide’ because of its compactness, this quaint town has a style all its own. It has over 140 historic buildings, beautiful plantation homes nestled in the rolling countryside and bustling Main Street shops.

When the nearby settlement of Bayou Sara was destroyed by floods and fire in the late 1790s, many of the structures and artefacts were hauled up the bluff into St. Francisville, where they still stand today.

Day 10: Baton Rouge

As the capital city of Louisiana, the energetic port of Baton Rouge is strikingly different from your earlier small town stops. 

In this bustling city you can visit antebellum landmarks such as the castle-like Old Louisiana State Capitol and the Magnolia Mound Plantation, with its French Creole house. You can view the USS Kidd, once a World War 11 destroyer, take a walk down the river path, visit a floating casino and enjoy authentic Cajun cuisine.

Day 11: Mississippi River

Today we visit Nottoway, a former sugar plantation dating from the 1850s. The original homestead is the largest standing antebellum mansion in the south and has some impressive details, as well as an array of original furniture and antiques. Here you will experience typical southern hospitality. 

Day 12: New Orleans

Disembark this morning at the end of your Mississippi River cruise in New Orleans - the birthplace of jazz. After checking in to your hotel, the rest of your day is free to explore the sights, sounds and flavours of ‘The Big Easy’, situated at the mouth of the Mississippi River at the point where it empties into the Gulf of Mexico.

Still in the process of being re-built following the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans is a vibrant city with a strong French and Spanish heritage. It has fabulous Creole cuisine, mesmerising live music, exotic cocktails, unique dialects and colourful annual celebrations - most notably Mardi Gras, which is held the day before Ash Wednesday just before Easter.

The historic heart of the city is the French Quarter, known for its French and Spanish Creole architecture and vibrant nightlife along Bourbon Street. Soak up the atmosphere on Jackson Square and enjoy a meal in one of its many cafes and restaurants. Seafood is a speciality, as well as red beans and rice, but there is much delicious Creole food to savour including ‘beignets’ (fried dough sprinkled with sugar, served for breakfast), ‘muffuletta’ (an Italian sandwich), ‘gumbo’ (a thick soup), ‘jambalaya’ (meat, vegetables & rice), ‘crawfish etouffee’ (a stew), shrimp po’boy (fried baguette filled with prawns) and ‘bananas Foster’ (ice cream dessert).

Top sights include the National World War II Museum, Preservation Hall jazz venue, the historic homes of the Garden District, and New Orleans City Park. You can take a horse-drawn carriage ride, or a quirky ‘Voodoo and Cemetery’ walking tour. In the evening head back to Bourbon Street or the bars, artists and music venues of Frenchmen Street.

Day 13: Fly Home

Transfer to New Orleans airport for your flight home, or add on a few extra nights in this city of jazz.

PRICING

Price is based on two adults sharing en-suite accommodation on a room only basis in the cities, and full board on the river cruise. Economy flights from London are included.

We offer a choice of hotels and river boats at different prices, so please discuss your requirements with us. All accommodation is subject to availability.

It is essential that you have personal holiday insurance. The FCO should also be consulted.