Travel dates:
Includes:
- Meals - 6 breakfasts
- Transport - private vehicle
- Accommodation - hostel (2 nights), hotel (6 nights)
- Activities mentioned in itinerary (excluding optional activities)
- Memphis - Sun Studio tour
- New Orleans - Two Day Jazz Fest Ticket
Itinerary:
Day 1: Atlanta
Hey y’all! Join your fellow travellers at 6.00pm for a welcome meeting at the hotel. Later, take part in an optional group dinner or head out on your own to explore. Atlanta is a popular tourist city with a fascinating history and a booming music and arts scene. If you arrive with time to spare before the welcome meeting, why not visit the Martin Luther King Jr National Historic Site and learn more about Atlanta and the USA's turbulent recent history.
Day 2: Nashville
Hit the road and drive approximately four hours to Nashville, Tennessee, with an optional tour of the Jack Daniel’s Distillery on the way. On arrival, take an orientation walk with your leader around Broadway in the downtown area and then enjoy free time for the rest of the afternoon. There's a reason Nashville is known as Music City: maybe check out some iconic venues like the Grand Ole Opry or the Ryman Auditorium. In the evening you can choose to visit the famous Wildhorse Saloon to try your hand (or feet) at line dancing, or enjoy a night out on the Honky Tonk Highway – a road packed with live music venues and bars playing country music and open for business all day, every day.
Optional activities:
- Lynchburg - Jack Daniels Distillery Tour - USD15
- Nashville - Wildhorse Saloon cover charge & line dancing - USD10
Day 3: Nashville
Today's free for you to continue exploring the home of country music. Why not visit the Country Music Hall of Fame, or take a tour of RCA Studio B? This historic studio was instrumental in the development of the ‘Nashville Sound’ and artists like Dolly Parton, Roy Orbison, The Everly Brothers and Willie Nelson have all recorded here. The King himself, Elvis Presley, is said to have taped over two hundred songs in the hallowed halls. Afterwards, maybe take a break to grab a beer and treat yourself to some fried chicken. In the evening perhaps check out a show with a cocktail in hand at The Listening Room Cafe.
Optional activities:
- Nashville - Door Cover, The Station Inn & The Listening Room Cafe - USD12
- Nashville - Grand Ole Opry Tour - USD40
- Nashville - Country Music Hall of Fame - USD26
- Nashville - Ryman Auditorium Tour - USD14
- Nashville - Johnny Cash Museum - USD17
Day 4: Memphis
Say farewell to Nashville and howdy to Memphis, the only place where it feels good to get the blues. On arrival take an orientation walk with your leader through historic Beale Street, which Congress declared ‘Home of the Blues’ in 1977. Then choose whether to join the group during a visit to the former home of Elvis Presley, on an optional tour to Graceland to see the famous Jungle Room. After paying respect to the King, feast like a king on Memphis-style barbecue – Memphis is home to the annual World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest and dinner is included in your trip, so all you need to bring is a good attitude and an empty stomach.
Optional activities:
- Memphis - Graceland, The Home of Elvis Presley - USD45
- Memphis - Peabody Hotel Duck March - Free
Day 5: Memphis
In the morning, visit Sun Studio – another legendary studio and the setting for the well-known photo of Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins gathered around a piano. Following the tour, there are several optional activities to choose from including a visit to the National Civil Rights Museum, the Gibson Guitar Factory or the Stax Museum of American Soul Music. Chat to your leader for details on these. Hungry? Perhaps grab some fried chicken with a side of slaw and history at Gus' World Famous Fried Chicken. In the evening, maybe form a crew and hit up iconic Beale St for all your music and nightlife needs.
Optional activities:
- Memphis - National Civil Rights Museum - USD16
- Memphis - Stax Museum of American Soul Music - USD13
Day 6: New Orleans
Today involves a long drive through Mississippi to reach The Big Easy – New Orleans. Check into the hotel on arrival, then it's free time for dinner and a walk around the buzzing French Quarter and the world-famous strip of hedonism: Bourbon Street. It's a never-ending party here and the party is wild, so it can be equal parts exhilarating and overwhelming. But with bars, restaurants and serious people-watching opportunities, there's no denying it's a damn good time.
Day 7: New Orleans
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival begins today. With more than ten stages showcasing a diverse range of musical styles, Jazz Fest isn’t just about jazz – it’s a raucous celebration of the city where the genre was born. Since its inception in 1970 the festival has hosted a huge variety of local and international musicians, from small local acts to global superstars. Beyond the music, there’s sizzling Cajun food and southern delicacies aplenty (smoked brisket anyone?), cultural exhibitions and a palpable buzz in the air. Make sure you’ve got your schedule sorted and dive on in!
Optional activities:
- New Orleans - Bourbon Street - Free
- New Orleans - Preservation Hall Jazz - USD40
- New Orleans - Cemetery Tour - USD25
- New Orleans - Mississippi River Steamboat Jazz Dinner Cruise - USD85
Day 8: New Orleans
Cruise the festival food stalls and the stages where you can catch old favourites and discover new ones, then hit Bourbon Street or choose to take an optional jazz dinner cruise on a steamboat down the Mississippi River. If the festival has got you all fired up with the spirit of jazz, make sure you check out an act in Preservation Hall, an historic venue dedicated to intimate acts and keeping the city’s legacy alive.
Day 9: New Orleans
There are no activities planned today. Can’t get enough of NOLA? Why not nurse the post-festival blues with a Cocktail Tour
Excludes:
- Optional activities
- International flights
- Visa
- Travel insurance
- Anything not specifically mentioned in the itinerary
Things to consider:
You'll be travelling in a van with a group. All part of the adventure of road travel in the USA, and friendships form fast in tight quarters. Keep in mind that conditions can be cramped.
You're in the Deep South of the USA, so expect a lot of (delicious) fried food and barbecue. Vegetarians may have fewer options, as a lot of southern cuisine is meat-based.
Conditions
Valid from Apr 19, 2019
Expires Apr 27, 2020
Limit: 4 per user and 2 as gift for others
Bookings essential and must be made within 7 days of purchase or by 8 November 2019. Subject to availability. Passports to be supplied at the time of booking. NZ passport holders require an ESTA visa to visit the USA. Visas are the responsibility of the traveller. International flights included not included. Travel dates: 19 -27 April 2020. Must be used in 1 visit. Deal valid for one person on a twin share basis i.e. two vouchers must be purchased at this price. Single supplement surcharge of $350 applies, payable direct to merchant. Includes: Meals - 6 breakfasts, Transport - Private vehicle, Accommodation ( 2 nights at Hostels, 6 nights at Hotels), activities mentioned in itinerary, Memphis - Sun Studio tour, New Orleans - Two Day Jazz Fest Ticket. Excludes: Optional activities, international flights, visas, travel insurance, and anything not specifically mentioned in the itinerary. Please note: You'll be travelling in a van with a group. Keep in mind that conditions can be cramped. You're in the Deep South of the USA, so expect a lot of (delicious) fried food and barbecue. Vegetarians may have fewer options, as a lot of southern cuisine is meat-based. Travel insurance recommended. Value of deal is based on current rates, which are subject to change. No refunds unless required by law. No cashback. Not to be used with other offers.
See the rules that apply to all deals.
