There is no better way for Blues fans to experience the Mississippi Delta than travelling by car down Highway 61, known as The Blues Highway. Travel through the Delta with its endless cotton fields, small towns and meandering riversYou can travel any day of the week, but we recommend trying to plan your holiday around the days of the week set out below to ensure you experience the live blues in Cleveland, Clarksdale and Greenwood.

Day 1 (Monday) – Memphis, TN

Arrive in Memphis, renowned as the ‘Home of the Blues’ and the ‘Birthplace of Rock ’n’ Roll’, for your two night stay. Spend your evening 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.

Day 3 (Wednesday) - Memphis to Clarksdale, MS, approx. 75 miles

Drive south on historic Highway 61 to Clarksdale in the heart of the Delta, where you will spend one night. Names like Muddy Waters, Charley Patton and Robert Johnson dot the musical landscape here. There is a thriving live music scene with clubs open every weekend and festivals scattered throughout the year. Enjoy a night of Blues in one of the local Juke Joints: Ground Zero, Annie Bell Lounge or the Hopson Plantation Commissary.

Day 4 (Thursday) - Clarksdale to Cleveland, MS, approx. 35 miles

Tutwiler is the burial site of famed Blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter Sonny Boy Williamson. Visit the grave site and the Tutwiler Murals denoting the site of the train station where W. C. Handy had his first taste of the Blues in 1903. At Ruleville visit the Dockery Plantation, known throughout the "Blues World" as the true birthplace of the Blues. On the way you will pass Parchman Penitentiary, mentioned in a number of Blues songs and housed some of those very Bluesmen. Visit the Delta State University Center for Culture and Learning in Cleveland to view the life-masks of award winning blues musicians and drive by Po' Monkeys, one of the last remaining authentic juke joints in the Delta. Spend one night in Cleveland.

Day 5 (Friday) - Cleveland to Greenville, MS approx. 35 miles

Head south on Highway 61 to Greenville for one night. Nelson Street was a historic strip of blues clubs that drew crowds in the 1940s and 1950s to the flourishing club scene, listening to Delta blues, big band, jump blues and jazz and where record companies looked for talent. It was the equivalent of Beale Street in mid-1900s Memphis.

Day 6 (Saturday) - Greenville to Greenwood, MS approx. 55 miles

Travel to Indianola, the home of Riley B. King to visit the new BB King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center. Nearby, Club Ebony was frequented by many famous Blues artists. BB King, Count Basie, Ray Charles, James Brown, Ike Turner, Bobby Blue Bland and Howlin' Wolf were among the musicians who have played here since 1945. This authentic Juke Joint, in BB King's hometown is now owned by the great Blues Man himself. In historic downtown visit The Greenwood Blues Heritage Museum and Gallery. Stay two nights in Greenwood.

Day 8 (Monday) - Greenwood to Memphis, TN, approx. 130 miles