Shake, rattle and roll your way through the big hearted, musically influenced southern cities of America. Music is interwoven into the heart of each city and helps tell a bigger story of its past and present. From New Orleans’ jazz and Nashville’s country, to Memphis’ blues and Atlanta’s rap, you’re sure to enjoy the music and musicians who have defined these legendary cities.
Add a breakfast package to this tour for an extra £130 per person
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Welcome to New Orleans, Louisiana's most important port city. People from all over the world have been arriving in New Orleans since the Sieur de Bienville laid out the city's streets in 1718. The city today is a unique blend of Spanish, French, Caribbean, African and Anglo-Saxon influences. This is obvious in the food, architecture, and of course, the music. Your ATI Tour Director will be available to you in the evening to plan your stay in this charming and bustling city.
The day is yours to immerse yourself in the charm and excitement of one of America's most unique cities and for you to take in the French flavor & grandeur of New Orleans. May we suggest starting the day with a visit to a working plantation (optional). Explore the French Quarter with its trademark wrought iron balconies overlooking the narrow cobblestone streets.
This morning, we will travel to the capitol of Louisiana, Baton Rouge, and conduct a brief city tour. From there, we will travel via the historic Natchez Trace Parkway to Natchez. The parkway is a 444-mile drive through exceptional scenery and years of Native American and European history. Natchez is the oldest European settlement on the Mississippi River. Before the Civil War, wealthy plantation owners from Louisiana built magnificent Antebellum homes here because the area was considered safer from flooding. This afternoon, we will visit one of the homes and learn about the wealth of these 19th century millionaires.
Leave Natchez and drive on to Memphis, home of 'Sun Records'. As a large river port, it was one of the most important links in the cotton trade before the Civil War. Memphis is also known as the "home of the blues." A brief city tour will take you to the city's liveliest street, Beale Street, where the blues and other types of music are played nightly in almost a dozen clubs. Travel along historic Front Street, known as Cotton Row in the days when cotton traders and merchants conducted business here. Of course, no visit to Memphis would be complete without a visit to Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley (optional).
Continue on to Nashville, known as the capital of country music. The city earned its title with the very first airing of the WSM Barn Dance radio program, the forerunner of the Grand Ole Opry. The newly renovated Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville, once home of the Grand Ole Opry, the studios near Music Row, and Opryland itself attest to Nashville's reputation as the most important city in country music.
Begin your day in this dynamic and thriving cultural and state capital of Tennessee with a morning city tour. While exploring the city's landmarks, perhaps you'll discover a new country music classic before they even hit the charts while visiting one of the many recording studios around town. Perhaps enjoy dinner and a show in the evening as a optional excursion.
Leaving Music City, we head to Chattanooga, home to the famous Choo Choo and which has received national recognition for the renaissance of its beautiful downtown and redevelopment of its riverfront. In the afternoon, our trails lead us to Atlanta where you may want to check our one of the sites you were not able to experience at the start of the tour like the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca Cola, CNN Center.
Your tour ends today.