Rhythms of the South

Day 1 - Fly from the UK to Atlanta, GA

Explore this outstanding city, home to the World of Coca Cola, and the Georgia Aquarium, the largest aquarium in the world. Visit the Martin Luther King Center where you can take the Civil Rights Walk of Fame, past the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, into the Visitor Center. Visit the Georgia State Capitol building, where Ray Charles played when honoured by the state, making his version of ‘Georgia On My Mind’ the official state song.

Stay two nights in Atlanta

Day 3 - Drive to Nashville, TN, approx. 245 miles

Drive north through Chattanooga to Nashville. Known as ‘Music City’, Nashville’s music history goes back to the late 1700s, but is more recently associated with country music. Today you can hear all genres of music in the variety of venues in the city, from the back-street honky-tonks to the newly constructed Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Take a free dance lesson at the Wild Horse Saloon, tour the Country Music Hall of Fame and RCA’s Studio B, or take a river cruise on the Cumberland River.

Stay two nights in Nashville.

Day 5 - Drive to Memphis, TN, approx. 210 mile 

Memphis is renowned as the ‘Home of the Blues’ and the ‘Birthplace of Rock ’n’ Roll’. Spend your evenings on Beale Street, where W.C. Handy first penned the Blues music of the Mississippi Delta. Stretching for several blocks, you can enjoy bars, nightclubs and restaurants offering a variety of food and live music, including traditional Blues, Rhythm and Blues, Jazz and Rock ‘n’ Roll. Be sure to hear live Blues at BB King’s or Rum Boogie Café.No trip to Memphis is complete without a visit 'Graceland', the home of Elvis Presley, who is the biggest influence on country, blues and rock and roll music.

Day 7 - Drive to Natchez, MS, approx. 295 miles

On your way take a detour onto the scenic Natchez Trace Parkway, to Port Gibson. Situated on the Mississippi River, Port Gibson has a fascinating 19th Century historic district, with lavish homes and old storefronts, and nearby battlefields all recall the days of plantations and old Southern hospitality. The original capital of the Mississippi Territory, Natchez, was at the heart of the slave trade and is the birthplace of the Mississippi Riverboat.

Stay two nights in Natchez

Day 9 - Drive to Lafayette, LA, approx. 145 miles

Lafayette mixes all the amenities of urban life with the unmistakable influence of the region's venerable Cajun and Creole cultures. Lafayette is said to have more restaurants per capita than any other American city. Numerous music clubs feature home-grown talent, including both traditional and contemporary Cajun and Zydeco performers.

Stay two nights in Lafayette

Day 11 - Drive to New Orleans, LA, approx. 135 miles

New Orleans is a city that marches to the beat of its own drum. A stop at the French Quarter Visitor Center unit of the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park introduces you to the traditions and life in the area. Rangers lead daily walks to tell the story of this special place and its ties to the Mississippi River. There is music playing every evening in the French Quarter.

Stay two nights in New Orleans

Day 13 - Drive to Jackson, MS, approx. 185 miles

Jackson is the capital city of Mississippi, and known as the ‘City with Soul’. The first thing to do here is to visit the new Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, which promotes a greater understanding of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement and its impact by highlighting the strength and sacrifices of its peoples. The state wide Mississippi Freedom Trail runs through the city, encompassing a number of historic sites that were significant in the Civil Rights Movement. These include the Medgar Evers Home Museum and the landmark Mississippi State Capitol building.

Stay one night in Jackson

Day 14 - Drive to Montgomery, AL, approx. 265 miles

In Montgomery tour the Rosa Parks Museum, named after the woman who refused to move to the back of a city bus. With the help of Dr. King and other civil rights activists, a year long boycott started the Civil Rights Struggle in America. Visit the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church – the 1883 church is a World Heritage Site nominee because of its status as the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement. It is the only church where Martin Luther King Jr., served as senior pastor. See the home where he and his family lived and tour the Civil Rights Memorial.

Stay one night in Montgomery 

Day 15 - Return to Atlanta, GA, approx. 270 miles Drive along Georgia’s Antebellum Trail and enjoy the scenery en route to Atlanta and drop-off your car in time to check-in for your flight.