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 two nights in the Muscle Shoals area.

The northwest corner of Alabama known as ‘The Shoals’, brings you a cluster of cities bursting with musical talent – Tuscumbia, Florence, Sheffield and Muscle Shoals lining the banks of the Tennessee River. Visit the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in Tuscumbia which showcases some of the state’s famous music icons including WC Handy, Jimmie Rodgers, Sam Phillips, Hank Williams, Nat King Cole, The Temptations, Alabama and the Commodores. 

The Shoals region also boasts some of the most influential recording centres in America. Renowned for their huge contribution to rock, country and R&B music throughout the 60’s and 70’s, the Muscle Shoals Sounds Studio and FAME Recording Studio were used frequently by superstars like Aretha Franklin, The Rolling Stones, Paul Simon and Otis Redding. Both studios are active recording studios but are open for public tours (check ahead for visiting times).

There is also a wide variety of outdoor recreation to enjoy at Pickwick Lake, Wheeler Lake, Wilson Lake and Coldwater Falls.

Stay two nights in the Montgomery area.

Moving south to Montgomery, Alabama's State Capital is the birthplace of both the Civil War and Civil Rights. It was here in the State Capitol, where the breakaway Confederate States of America were born, leading to the U.S. Civil War. Alabama is also famous for its role in the struggle for equality between black and white Americans. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. preached, marched and changed history across Alabama, including in Montgomery where Rosa Parks challenged segregation by refusing to give up her bus seat to a white man.

This is where Hank Williams lived from 1937 to 1948. The Hank Williams Museum documents the life of this Country Music pioneer. You will find numerous restaurants and live music at the new ‘Alley’ entertainment district, and in the Riverfront Park area you can watch outdoor concerts and live performances during the summer.

Stay two nights in the Mobile area

En-route make a stop in Monroeville, once home to writers Truman Capote and Harper Lee, who famously used the city as the basis for the fictional town of Maycomb, AL in her critically acclaimed novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Today, the town features a bronze monument dedicated to Atticus Finch, the novel's protagonist. 

The historic port city of Mobile is one of the oldest cities in America. Part of Mobile Bay, the city offers an abundance of history and entertainment and boasts the original Mardi Gras which started in 1703 and is still celebrated every year two weeks before Lent. Learn more about the tradition and see some amazing floats and costumes at the Mardi Gras Museum. Admire the buildings on Cathedral Square or take a drive through the nearby Oakleigh Garden Historic District allows you to take a look at some of the city's finest late 19th Century residences. History and military fans will enjoy touring the USS Alabama at Battleship Memorial Park. 

Mobile features delicious seafood and an array of bars, restaurants and live music venues - just what you would expect from Jimmy Buffet's hometown. The Lo Da Entertainment District has over 20 establishments with live music on different nights of the week. 

Stay two nights in the Gulf Shores area

Relax on 32 miles of white-sand beaches that stretch as far as the eye can see in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. These two beachside cities are a spring and summertime haven for families seeking fun in the sun and a winter playground for the annual influx of snowbird travellers. The destination is a mecca for world-class food with award-winning chefs, culinary festivals and international food sport competitions. Outdoor activities abound with nature trails, back bays and eco-tourism opportunities. The Alabama Gulf Coast is also steeped in military history and is home to a masonry fort built in 1819, where several significant battles took place.

Stay two nights in the Birmingham area

As you head back north, make sure you stop in Selma, which marks the starting point of the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery March, a landmark development in the U.S. civil rights movement, when hundreds of civil rights advocates marched over 50 miles on Highway 80 from Selma to Montgomery to campaign for equal voting rights. Visit the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute in Selma, see the march’s starting point at the Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church & King Monument and follow the route the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. led across the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

Alabama's largest city was named after Birmingham, England, and is known for its foodie scene, lively entertainment districts, arts and attractions. The Barber Motorsports Museum showcasing the world’s largest collection of motorcycles, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute which details the city’s role in the movement which changed America and Red Mountain Park, with nature hikes and a series of zip lines through treetops, are just some of the must do attractions.  

Stay one night in the Lookout Mountain area

Known as the Gateway to the Appalachian Mountains, the Lookout Mountain area is all about the outdoors, beautiful landscapes and stunning scenic drives, including the Lookout Mountain Parkway which crosses into Georgia and Tennessee. Within the parkway’s 93-mile span, you will find waterfalls, canyons, scenic vistas, unique towns and villages, parks and preserves, and many more natural wonders. Enjoy hiking, climbing, kayaking, swimming holes and much more! 

Stay two nights the Huntsville area

History and southern hospitality meet high-tech innovation and a progressive community in Huntsville. Known as ‘Rocket City’, Huntsville is famous for the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and its part in the race to the Moon. It is home to industries in aerospace, defence and biotech, attracting a diverse range of people to live and work in the city, and giving the downtown a lively buzz, with unique shops, craft breweries and restaurants offering cuisine from traditional southern fare to international fine-dining. 

Step back in time at Burritt on the Mountain, featuring a historic mansion, open-air exhibits and nature trails. Around town, see historic antebellum homes and their gardens, or stroll through the gorgeous blooms at the Huntsville Botanical Garden. And exploring the outdoors is easy, being nestled in the Tennessee River Valley there are plenty of places to work-up an appetite and get some fresh air – head to Round Top Mountain (also known as Monte Sano Mountain), home to Monte Sano State Park, to enjoy the tranquil Japanese garden, or to hike trails blanketed with azaleas in the spring and colourful leaves in the Autumn. If water is more your thing, you can swim, fish or paddle on the Tennessee River.