Best of the South: Atlanta to New Orleans

Welcome to Atlanta! At 10am there’ll be a group meeting where you’ll get to meet your leader and get an overview of the next couple of days. After the meeting, it’s time to immerse yourself in 33 acres of historic houses, gardens and award-winning exhibitions with a specialist guide at the Atlanta History Center where you’ll explore the past like never before. The center is part of a global network of historic sites and museums that connect past struggles to today’s movements for human rights. Next, head to the Martin Luther King Jr National Historic Site where you’ll learn more about where Martin Luther King was born and where he lived and worked, as well as his legacy as a leader.

Mornin' sunshine! Hit the road bright and early and make the five-hour journey to Savannah. In 1946, Lady Astor referred to Savannah as 'a beautiful lady with a dirty face', in reference to the crumbling, faded majesty of the city's 18th- and 19th-century mansions. Due to plenty of restoration work, Savannah's face may no longer be dirty, but she's still a city of contradictions with hidden delights to explore. On arrival, you’ll join an expert guide for a tour of Bonaventure Cemetery, widely regarded as one of the world’s most beautiful cemeteries in the world. Take in its Southern gothic glory as you learn more about this famous spot that has inspired everyone from poets to nature lovers and filmmakers. After the tour, you may like to check out Savannah’s antebellum mansions, towering oak trees and colonial buildings on a stroll around town. In the evening, perhaps head out on a ghost tour of old Savannah or seek out spirits of a different kind at one of the city’s many lively bars.

Take it easy this morning before meeting up at 11am for a three-hour walking tour which blends the city’s history with some of its best and most delicious eats. This fascinating food tour visits spots like a not-so-ordinary pub, an award-winning honey store, and a traditional British pie shop highlighting dishes consumed by some of Savannah’s earliest settlers. This afternoon is all yours, so make the most of it! You could join a walking tour to learn more about the town’s slave and cotton trade, immerse yourself in its underrepresented history or jump on a Hop-On Hop-Off trolley tour around town.

Leave Savannah in the rear-view mirror and drive two hours to Charleston. On arrival, you might like to grab some lunch before joining a Black History walking tour with an expert guide who is an educator, historian and writer. Discover the ‘lost stories’ of Charleston's rich history as you stroll around town and immerse yourself in its complex past. If time permits, you could continue your exploration with a ferry trip to Fort Sumter to see where the Civil War started or join a food tour and check out the local drinking and dining scene.

Bid farewell to Charleston and sit back and relax on the five-hour drive through the Blue Ridge Mountains to the charming town of Asheville. Home to the country’s best breweries and some of North Carolina’s finest barbecue, Asheville also boasts an incredible folk music scene. Arriving in the mid-afternoon, you’ll join your leader for a guided walking tour of the downtown area which is packed with galleries and artist studios. Tonight, you may like to check out one of the town's boutique brew houses or join your group for a good ol’ fashioned BBQ dinner at Buxton Hall, a popular local hangout.

Make the scenic drive to Nashville, arriving in the country music capital in the late morning. On arrival, you’ll be introduced to this famous toe tapping town during an orientation tour with your leader. Then take some free time for lunch and to explore on your own. Perhaps check out the Country Music Hall of Fame or search for the perfect pair of cowboy boots on Broadway. In the late afternoon come together again to taste world-famous Tennessee whiskeys and moonshine on a distillery tour, followed by a true-blue Nashville hot chicken dinner. This Tennessee twist on fried chicken originated right here in Nashville during the Great Depression and has been a local favorite ever since. Order it extra spicy for a real kick, but don't worry, you can turn down the heat if you're not feeling the burn.

After breakfast join the meeting at 10am to meet any new travellers joining your tour. Then dive straight into the city’s history with a visit to the Country Music Hall of Fame. This fabulous piano-shaped building is a work of art in itself, and contains Elvis’s gold Cadillac among other impressive memorabilia. Then cruise across town to Studio B where Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison and “The King” Elvis Presley have all laid tracks, and today you’ll be joining this prestigious list. Meet with a professional sound engineer for your own recording session and find out what it takes to create the Nashville sound. Enjoy a free afternoon to explore the city – you may like to check out the Nashville murals, visit the much-loved Goo Goo candy store, or swing by the Johnny Cash Museum. Get back together in the evening for an optional dinner (at your own expense) with your group and leader at a local restaurant.

Hit the road this morning and make tracks for Memphis, Tennessee, a city overflowing with musical history and legends. Your first stop on arrival will be Sun Studio. This studio may be tiny, but its impact on the world of music is immeasurable. BB King, Johnny Cash, Howlin' Wolf and Elvis Presley have all recorded here, and the studio claims to be the 'Birthplace of Rock 'n' Roll' (and they may just be right!). The rest of the day is yours to discover the sights and sounds of Memphis. No visit to this city would be complete without checking out Beale Street, lined with traditional blues clubs – ask your leader where the locals hang out so you can avoid the tourist hotspots.

After breakfast this morning, head to Memphis’s most iconic site – Graceland! Elvis’s former home and his final resting place, a visit to Graceland is like stepping back into the 1970s, with a glamourous and kitschy twist. Explore a fascinating world of green shag-carpet ceilings and yellow vinyl walls while getting a sneak peek into the glitzy side of the Deep South. Then it’s time for a change of pace as you leave Graceland and visit the National Civil Rights Museum at the former Lorraine Motel – where Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated – for a dose of history that is both confronting and inspirational. The rest of the afternoon is free for your own discoveries – your leader will have some tips on how to get the most out of this lively city.

Today you’ll be road-tripping from Memphis to New Orleans, arriving in the afternoon. Jazz is not just a part of the city’s history – it’s alive and kicking today. On arrival, join a local expert for a deep dive into the New Orleans’ music scene, hitting up local haunts and hotspots. Start from the popular French Quarter, explore the thriving Marigny neighbourhood and visit the famous Frenchman Street, where you’ll find the largest concentration of live music venues in the city. Your local guide will show you some of their favourite venues, with time to grab a beer along the way. The evening is yours to further explore this fascinating city – your leader will have some great recommendations on where to grab a bite to eat and listen to more live music.

This morning, pay a visit to the Whitney Plantation where you’ll learn about what life was like for those enslaved on a Louisiana sugarcane plantation. With a focus on the lives of slaves rather than the opulent house the slave owners lived in, exploring this plantation is a sobering and eye-opening experience. Then you’re in for a real treat – not only famed for its music scene, the food in New Orleans is some of the best in the country. Today you’ll learn about Creole and Cajun cuisine at a local cooking school and find out how to create one of the region’s most beloved dishes, then tuck into the finished product for dinner.

Just like a good song, your adventure must come to an end, with things wrapping up this morning. If you’d like to spend more time exploring New Orleans, just get in touch ahead of time and we can arrange additional accommodation (subject to availability).