Music of America Nashville to New Orleans

Day 1  Nahville      
Arrive in Nashville and transfer from Nashville International Airport. For those arriving early, you can walk past the Honky Tonk Highway on Lower Broadway, pop in for a tasting of Nashville's famous hot chicken or visit the Mother Church of Country Music at Ryman Auditorium. Tonight, meet your fellow travelers during a welcome reception and dinner at your hotel.    

Day 2  Nashville    
Welcome to Nashville, Tennessee's capital city, built on a foundation of music. Home to legendary Ryman Auditorium, the United Record Pressing – the largest producing vinyl record plant in North America and Bluebird Café. Take an early-morning guided tour of the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum, the world's largest repository of country music artifacts. Following lunch at the museum, you're off for a guided sightseeing tour across Nashville by motor coach, where over 200 years of music history is on full display. Tonight, join us for a live performance of the Grand Ole Opry. Celebrating its 100th year anniversary in 2025, the Grand Ole Opry is the longest-running radio broadcast in radio history and is sure to be a highlight of your time in Nashville!    

Day 3  Nashville to Memphis    
Enjoy a tour of Belle Meade, including its illustrious gardens, as well as a tasting of its home distilled bourbon followed by a traditional southern lunch. Next, stop at Casey Jones Village & Railroad Museum for a self-guided tour. If you wish, you can also explore the farm, church, old country store, and a collection of over 15,000 southern country artifacts. Dinner tonight will be served at the hotel followed by a choice of either a Tour Director-led orientation walk of Beale Street or an evening to explore Memphis on your own.    

Day 4  Memphis    
Learn the rhythms of this historic city on a guided motor coach tour led by a local musician where you'll learn all about Memphis' history and connections to the music that echo throughout. Drive past the National Civil Rights Museum, built on the grounds of the former Lorraine Motel, where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968. Visit Sun Studio, the birthplace of rock & roll where many musical legends were discovered including Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis. You'll have some free time this afternoon to explore Memphis as you wish before an after-hours guided tour of Graceland - Elvis' former estate. Explore the mansion followed by a dinner at the Presley Motors Automobile Museum.

Day 5  Memphis to Jackson    
A short drive this morning brings you to your next stop, Clarksdale, home of storied musician Ike Turne. Your time here begins with a self-guided visit to the Delta Blues Museum, chronicling the story of blues across its many exhibits. Continue along Highway 61 en route to lunch at the historic Club Ebony in Indianola, one of the most famous Blues venues in Mississippi, where legendary musicians such as Ray Charles, B. B. King and Willie Clayton made their mark. Next, continue your foray into the history of Blues with a stop at the B.B. King Museum, highlighting the life and legacy of the "King of the Blues."    

Day 6  Jackson to New Orleans      
Depart early this morning en route to New Orleans, driving along Louisiana's "River Road," culminating with a visit to the Houmas House and Gardens, located along the "big bend" of the Mississippi River. You'll have an opportunity to travel through time on a guided tour of the estate and its spectacular gardens. Later this afternoon, depart for the final leg of your southern music adventure – New Orleans. Tonight, join us for dinner at a New Orleans staple, Tujague's, located in the historic French Quarter.  

Day 7  New Orleans    
Welcome to New Orleans! Pass by Canal Street, the Central Business District, City Park and the French Quarter, New Orleans' oldest neighborhood. Following your sightseeing, head over to the New Orleans School of Cooking for a cooking demonstration and lunch. A private jazz performance by local artists at historic Preservation Hall precedes time to enjoy the magic of this historic city as you wish.    

Days 8-9  New Orleans  
The final day of your journey begins with a guided visit and time on your own at the National World War II Museum. Tonight, join us at Galatoire's, a New Orleans fine-dining institution, for a farewell reception followed by dinner. On day 9 a transfer is included from your hotel to New Orleans International Airport.