Music Cities: Nashville & Memphis

From colonial settlements and Civil War sites to the magnificent Blue Ridge Mountains and the stunning Great Smoky Mountains, this southern U.S. tour features historic sites, spectacular scenery, and fun experiences all along the way. You’ll overnight in the Washington DC area; Gettysburg; Shenandoah National Park; Beckley; Lexington, Kentucky; Gatlinburg; Asheville; Lexington, Virginia; and Williamsburg. History buffs will enjoy visits to the Gettysburg Battlefield, where Abraham Lincoln delivered his immortal speech in 1863; Harper’s Ferry, where John Brown made his ill-fated raid on the U.S. Arsenal in 1859; the Lincoln Museum; Sinking Spring Farm, the one-room cabin where Lincoln was born; the Civil War Museum, the fourth-largest Civil War museum in the United States; Biltmore Estate; Monticello Estate, Thomas Jefferson’s home; Mount Vernon, home of George and Martha Washington; and Colonial Williamsburg, where life in the 18th century is recreated. Throughout this southern U.S. tour, you’ll witness fascinating landscapes. Beautiful views await you in Shenandoah National Park, with its 200,000 acres of protected lands. Marvel at the green pastures, white-board fences, and columned estates in Kentucky bluegrass country. Spend two nights in Gatlinburg, a popular mountain retreat, and drive through the centre of the Smoky Mountains, with the winding roads, striking wildflowers, and animal diversity. In Virginia, stop at tranquil Mabry Mill, an old water-driven grist mill that is one of the country’s most photographed spots, and visit Natural Bridge, a 215-foot-high limestone arch sculpted by nature in a wooded setting. These are just some of the many highlights of this southern U.S. tour featuring stunning national parks, historic sites, and fun-filled experiences. Grab your camera and get ready for a once-in-a-lifetime holiday!

Love music? Then this is the tour for you. You’ll begin your tour with a two-night stay in New Orleans, where an expert Local Guide will show you the sights and sounds of the ‘Big Easy’. You’ll then travel to Tupelo, Mississippi, to see the Elvis Museum and birthplace – a small, two-room shack built by Elvis’s father, Vernon, that’s filled with fascinating memorabilia from The King’s childhood. Explore Memphis on a three-night stay with an expert Local Guide, who will unpack the city’s musical history – including ‘backstage’ stories from the folks who were there. You’ll visit the Stax Museum and learn about the origins of soul; trace the cultural and musical part of Memphis at the Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum; and see the famous Sun Studio, where the first ever rock ‘n’ roll record was cut. Naturally, you’ll spend time at Graceland, grand estate where Elvis spent time working, playing and writing music. You’ll get to board his private jet and walk through the same rooms he once did – and pay your respects to the legend at his resting place in the Meditation Garden, where he often went to spend time alone. You’ll spend two nights in Nashville, the home of country music, and discover RCA Studio B – America’s oldest surviving recording studio. You’ll also visit the Country Music Hall of Fame, home of Elvis’s famous ‘solid gold’ Cadillac, before taking your reserved seats at the world-famous Grand Ole Opry for an unforgettable live country performance. The perfect memory of an unforgettable music tour of the Deep South.

On this Southern US tour, visit the cities and landmarks that have influenced America’s musical heritage—country, rock-n-roll, soul, blues, and jazz with Elvis Presley also thrown into the mix. Start in Nashville and visit the Country Music Hall of Fame; RCA Studio B, one of the country’s most important recording studios; and the Grand Ole Opry, where you have reserved seats. In Memphis, visit the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, celebrating the great Memphis soul music; Sun Studio, the most famous recording studio, which launched the careers of Elvis, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, and more; and Elvis Presley’s Graceland. Travel deep into the heart of the Mississippi Delta, the “Birthplace of the Blues,” and visit the Delta Blues Museum, dedicated to the blues. Other musical landmarks on this tour include the B.B. King Museum and the Louisiana Delta Music Museum, where you will learn more about Louisiana Delta musicians such as Jerry Lee Lewis, Mickey Gilley, and more. In New Orleans, visit the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park. But that’s not all…in addition to musical heritage, you’ll also have the opportunity to learn about life on a plantation and cruise through the swampy waterways of Atchafalaya Basin. Plus, Globus has arranged unique experiences for you throughout this Southern US tour. Enjoy a special lunch at Ground Zero Blues Club, owned by actor Morgan Freeman, and dinner at an antebellum mansion in Natchez. A special treat is the opportunity for you to make a recording at RCA Studio B that you can take home with you! It’s a holiday no music lover should miss!