Begin your adventure in America's Music City and start a leisurely journey of discovering the best of what Nashville has to offer. Visit RCA’s Studio B for an exclusive performance from a member of Johnny Cash’s family. Later, stop by the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum to see Elvis' Solid Gold Cadillac limousine and Jim Reeves' tuxedo jacket. After exploring the Johnny Cash Museum, enjoy time at leisure and choose to take a hop-on-hop-off trolley, or stroll through Broadway's honky-tonk scene or enjoy the flavours of homemade chicken.

Get up and close with the birthplace of blues, soul, and rock'n'roll, and meet a musician to learn about the musical heritage of Memphis. After, continue your sightseeing with a visit to the Lorraine Motel where civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was tragically assassinated and now one of the most significant locations of the Civil Rights Movement. The museum is devoted to the thousands of people who were a part of the entire American Civil Rights Movement. Cap off your tour of Memphis, past and present, with a regional dinner of Southern cuisine.

Head to Graceland, paying tribute to the man who changed the face of American popular music and culture. Explore the lavish mansion and private retreat of Elvis Presley and get an intimate look into his rock‘n'roll life. Later, a local musician will take you on a guided tour of Sun Studios, which sought to immortalize the raw energy of Beale Street, recording the first rock'n'roll single in 1951. Opened a year before that, this storied studio is where Elvis got his start, along with many other all-time greats.

Take a trip to the Memphis' Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum and explore the birth of rock and soul music, before travelling to Natchez on the banks of the Mississippi. Natchez boasts a rich culture and heritage shaped by people of African, French, British, and Spanish descent, and it is host to more than 500 antebellum structures inside its city limits. Get a taste of Southern hospitality by having a meal at one of the region’s beautiful historic, private homes. Connect with your local hosts, who have lived in the area for generations. Hear their stories while you enjoy dinner and backyard cocktails like Planter’s Punch paired with elevated Southern fare.

Today your travels take you deeper into an important part of Southern history. On this morning’s visit to a working cotton plantation, discover how they preserve their Mississippi Delta cotton plantation heritage with costumed guides at the Frogmore Plantation. You will learn how cotton was made and most importantly gain a better understanding of slavery in the South. Next up: The Big Easy, where we are introduced to Creole cuisine at the New Orleans School of Cooking. Learn to make iconic southern dishes such as gumbo, red beans, dirty rice, étouffée and a creole bread pudding, before tucking into your creations.

Trace the cosmopolitan history of one of America's oldest cities with a local specialist - from the Garden District to the French Quarter, Uptown to Treme, you'll get to know and better understand what makes this vibrant city tick. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure but opt to visit The National WWII Museum or enjoy a freshly prepared dinner while taking in lovely views of downtown New Orleans aboard the newly minted City of New Orleans steamboat for a jazz dinner cruise (both at extra cost).

Enjoy more free time to discover New Orleans at your leisure. Choose to take a Swamp & Bayou Tour (extra cost) and witness the nesting grounds of alligators, egrets, raccoons, nutria, and many other species. Enjoy plenty of free time for shopping before joining your new friends for a final dinner before saying “a bientot” to the Crescent City the following day.

For more inspiration, take a look at our holidays to the South.