Explore this outstanding city, home to the World of Coca Cola, and the Georgia Aquarium, the largest aquarium in the world. Visit the Martin Luther King Center where you can take the Civil Rights Walk of Fame, past the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, into the Visitor Center. Visit the Georgia State Capitol building, where Ray Charles played when honoured by the state, making his version of ‘Georgia On My Mind’ the official state song. See the house where Margaret Mitchell wrote Gone with the Wind or unwind in Piedmont Park or at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. The city boasts some fantastic restaurants and array of nightlife including plenty of spots where you can find live music.

Stay two nights in Atlanta

Drive north through Chattanooga 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, or take a river cruise on the Cumberland River. Visit the Grand Ole Opry, the world's longest running radio show and a recommended highlight.

Stay two nights in Nashville.

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.

No trip to Memphis is complete without a 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 two nights in Memphis

On your way take a detour onto the scenic Natchez Trace Parkway, to Port Gibson. Situated on the Mississippi River, Port Gibson has a fascinating 19th Century historic district, with lavish homes and old storefronts, and nearby battlefields all recall the days of plantations and old Southern hospitality.

The original capital of the Mississippi Territory, Natchez, was at the heart of the slave trade and is the birthplace of the Mississippi Riverboat. Why not go for a self-guided tour through the streets of Natchez' historic district with over 50 antebellum homes and historic churches. Worthy of a visit is the "Under the Hill" area made famous by Mark Twain or explore one of the most interesting cemeteries in the South. 

Stay two nights in Natchez

Lafayette mixes all the amenities of urban life with the unmistakable influence of the region's venerable Cajun and Creole cultures. Lafayette is said to have more restaurants per capita than any other American city. Numerous music clubs feature home-grown talent, including both traditional and contemporary Cajun and Zydeco performers.

Cajun Country Swamp Tours are available from nearby Breaux Bridge. These eco-swamp tours travel through Cypress Island/Lake Martin Swamp, famous for its impressive scenic beauty and wildlife. See alligators, egrets, herons, bayous, ancient cypress trees covered with Spanish moss and more of what you envision a Louisiana swamp to be. 

Stay two nights in Lafayette

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. Rangers lead daily walks to tell the story of this special place and its ties to the Mississippi River. There is music playing every evening in the French Quarter. Exploring the Garden District which gets its name from the huge homes and gardens that fill block after block. 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 two nights in New Orleans

Jackson is the capital city of Mississippi, and known as the ‘City with Soul’. The first thing to do here is to visit the new Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, which promotes a greater understanding of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement and its impact by highlighting the strength and sacrifices of its peoples. The state wide Mississippi Freedom Trail runs through the city, encompassing a number of historic sites that were significant in the Civil Rights Movement. These include the Medgar Evers Home Museum and the landmark Mississippi State Capitol building. Jackson also boasts a vibrant music scene and places throughout the city where you can find live music, as well as a range of dining options, from small ‘mom and pop’ restaurants to nationally renowned chefs.

Stay one night in Jackson

In Montgomery tour the Rosa Parks Museum, named after the woman who refused to move to the back of a city bus. With the help of Dr. King and other civil rights activists, a year long boycott started the Civil Rights Struggle in America. Visit the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church – the 1883 church is a World Heritage Site nominee because of its status as the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement. It is the only church where Martin Luther King Jr., served as senior pastor. See the home where he and his family lived and tour the Civil Rights Memorial. Also downtown is the Alabama State Capitol where protesters marched to demand the right to vote. 

Enjoy The Alley entertainment area of downtown Montgomery which includes a baseball field, basement jazz club, two performance facilities, an outdoor riverfront amphitheatre, several restaurants, bars, a New Orleans-style alley and a riverboat cruise.

Stay one night in Montgomery 

Drive along Georgia’s Antebellum Trail and enjoy the scenery en route to Atlanta and drop-off your car in time to check-in for your flight.