Tennessee Music Trail to New Orleans

Welcome to Tennessee! Your adventure begins in Nashville – an energetic city celebrating boot-scooting, whiskey shooting and rootin’-tootin’ country music like nowhere else. Kick off your trip with a welcome meeting at 6 pm, where you’ll meet up with your local leader and the other travellers. After, head out on a leader-led walking tour of the city to get your bearings and then join your group for an optional welcome dinner.

This morning after breakfast, dive straight into the city’s history with a visit to the Country Music Hall of Fame. This fabulous piano-shaped building is a work of art and contains Elvis’ gold Cadillac (among other impressive memorabilia). Then, cruise across town to Studio B, where Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison and ‘The King’ Elvis Presley have all laid tracks – today, you’ll even be joining this prestigious list! Meet with a professional sound engineer for your own recording session and find out what it takes to create the Nashville sound. Enjoy a free afternoon to explore the city – you may like to check out the Nashville murals, visit the much-loved Goo Goo candy store, or swing by the Johnny Cash Museum.

Hit the road this morning and make tracks for Memphis – a city overflowing with musical history and legends. Your first stop is Sun Studio. This studio may be tiny, but its impact on the world of music is immeasurable. BB King, Johnny Cash, Howlin' Wolf and Elvis Presley have all recorded here, and the studio claims to be the 'Birthplace of Rock 'n' Roll' (and they may just be right!). The rest of the day is yours to discover the sights and sounds of Memphis. No visit to this city would be complete without checking out Beale Street, lined with traditional blues clubs – you can ask your leader where the locals hang out tonight so you can avoid the tourist hotspots.

After breakfast this morning, you’ll head to Memphis’s most iconic site – Graceland! Elvis’s former home and final resting place, a visit to Graceland is like stepping back into the 1970s, with a glamourous and kitschy twist. Explore a fascinating world of green shag-carpet ceilings and yellow vinyl walls while getting a sneak peek into the glitzy side of the Deep South. Then, it’s time for a change of pace as you leave Graceland and visit the National Civil Rights Museum at the former Lorraine Motel – where Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated – for a dose of history that is both confronting and inspirational.

Today you’ll be road-tripping from Memphis to New Orleans, arriving in the afternoon. Jazz is not just a part of the city’s history – it’s alive and kicking! When you arrive, join a local expert for a deep dive into the New Orleans music scene, hitting the local haunts and hotspots. Start with the popular French Quarter, explore the thriving Marigny neighbourhood and visit the famous Frenchman Street, where you’ll find the largest concentration of live music venues in the city. Your local guide will show you some of their favourite venues, with time to grab a beer along the way. The evening is yours to explore further – your leader will have some great recommendations on where to grab a bite to eat and listen to more live music.

This morning, enjoy a leisurely breakfast and a free day to explore New Orleans at your own pace. Then tonight, you’re in for a real treat – not only famed for its music scene, the food in New Orleans is some of the best in the country, and today you’ll learn about Creole and Cajun cuisine at a local cooking school. Find out how to create one of the region’s most beloved dishes with a demonstration, then get hands-on and try it yourself. Tuck into the finished product for dinner with your group.

This morning after breakfast, your trip comes to an end. If you’d like, you can book an optional jazz brunch at The Court of Two Sisters – a gorgeous outdoor courtyard dining area where you can enjoy some delicious brunch specialities while live jazz plays –a great way to end your music trail! If you’d like to stay longer, just speak to your booking agent.