Music Cities of the South
Music Cities of the SouthNew Orleans, Memphis and Nashville 9 nightsFrom £1475 per person
Price includes: Flights, accommodation and car hire
Day 1 Fly from the UK to New Orleans
New Orleans is a city that marches to the beat of its own drum. A stop at the French Quarter Visitor Center unit of the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park introduces you to the traditions and life in the area. There is music playing every evening in the French Quarter. Try the Maison Bourbon Jazz Club or the House of Blues for music. Also check to see if there are performances scheduled for Preservation Hall. Magazine Street is a great place for shopping, including antiques.
Stay three nights in New Orleans
Day 4 Take Amtrak from New Orleans to Memphis
Memphis is renowned as the ‘Home of the Blues’ and the ‘Birthplace of Rock ’n’ Roll’. Spend your evenings on Beale Street, where W.C. Handy first penned the Blues music of the Mississippi Delta. Stretching for several blocks, you can enjoy bars, nightclubs and restaurants offering a variety of food and live music, including traditional Blues, Rhythm and Blues, Jazz and Rock ‘n’ Roll. Be sure to hear live Blues at BB King’s or Rum Boogie Café.
During the day visit 'Graceland', the home of Elvis Presley, who is the biggest influence on country, blues and rock and roll music. Also worth visiting is Sun Studio which opened in 1950 and a place where many great names have passed through. Outside of music, you may also like to pay a visit to the National Civil Rights Museum located in the former Lorraine Hotel, where Martin Luther King was assassinated or visit the Gibson guitar factory to completely immerse yourself in the fascinating musical heritage of this city.
Stay three nights in Memphis
Day 7 Take the Vonlane premium bus service from Memphis to Nashville
Known as ‘Music City’, Nashville’s music history goes back to the late 1700s, but is more recently associated with country music. Today you can hear all genres of music in the variety of venues in the city, from the back-street honky-tonks to the newly constructed Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Take a free dance lesson at the Wild Horse Saloon, tour the Country Music Hall of Fame and RCA’s Studio B. Visit the Grand Ole Opry, the world's longest running radio show and a recommended highlight, and also the Ryman Auditorium, the original home of the Grand Ole Opry.
Stay three nights in Nashville
Day 10 Fly from Nashville back to the UK
N.B. This holiday could also be done with car hire rather than Amtrak and Vonlane bus service.
