Southern Sounds & Elvis

Welcome to New Orleans! Your Tour Director is on hand from 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. this afternoon to answer any questions. After settling into your hotel, perhaps head out and start exploring this lively city full of character, interesting shops, delicious Cajun and Creole cuisine, and music!

Discover the rich history, distinctive neighborhoods, and vibrant culture of New Orleans on a guided sightseeing tour. Explore the historic French Quarter, where you’ll see the iconic St. Louis Cathedral overlooking Jackson Square. Visit one of the city’s famous above-ground cemeteries to learn about New Orleans’ unique burial traditions, then enjoy a drive along elegant St. Charles Avenue, known for its grand historic homes and the city’s beloved streetcars. The rest of the day is at leisure. Return to the French Quarter to admire its wrought-iron balconies, browse local boutiques, art galleries, and antique shops, or indulge in a local treat like a praline or beignet. This evening, join an optional jazz dinner cruise aboard a classic paddle-wheel riverboat on the Mississippi River where live New Orleans Jazz and local cuisine come together for an unforgettable evening.

Depart New Orleans and travel north to Indianola, hometown of the legendary blues musician B.B. King. Visit the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center to trace B.B King’s remarkable journey from a Mississippi Delta sharecropper to international music icon. Explore exhibits featuring personal artifacts, photographs, interactive displays, and a hands-on guitar studio while learning about his breakthrough performances on Beale Street and the lasting influence of his music. You’ll also discover why the Mississippi Delta is widely recognized as the birthplace of the blues and how the region shaped generations of American musicians. Continue to Memphis, where you spend the next three nights exploring one of America’s most influential music cities.

Discover the rich musical heritage of Memphis on a sightseeing tour led by an expert Local Guide. Hear fascinating stories about the city’s history and the musicians who helped shape blues, soul, gospel, and rock ‘n’ roll. Later, you may choose to go on an optional excursion to Sun Studio, widely known at the birthplace of Rock ’n’ Roll, and the legendary recording studio where Elvis Presley launched his career and where others like Johnny Cash recorded some of their earliest hits. Then enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. Later this evening, consider exploring iconic Beale Street where live blues, jazz, rock ‘n’ roll, R & B, and gospel continue to fill one of America’s most celebrated music districts. (B)