Music Trails of Tennessee
A tale of two cities, both musical legends, this tour is your chance to immerse yourself in the all-Americanatmosphere of Tennessee's famous twin cities: Memphis, the home of the Blues and of the 'King' of Rock & Roll, and Nashville, the Country music capital of the world. With bags of time for visits to Mississippi-side Mud Island and the Grand Ole Opry, in 'Music City USA', this is a lively tour at a leisurely pace. Think Tammy and Dolly, Graceland.
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■ Memphis ■ Graceland Tour ■ Rock and Soul Museum ■ Sun Studios ■ Country Music Hall of Fame ■ Opryland Hotel Tour ■ Dinner at the Opryland Hotel ■ Nashville ■ Ryman Auditorium ■ Grand Ole Opry ■ Nashville Tour
Day 1 - UK / Memphis
A daytime flight to Memphis marks the start of this wonderful week away, where you are met on arrival
and transferred to your hotel for a three night stay. Freshen-up, settle-in, then head out on the town
to catch the mood of this unique city of sights and sounds. Much more than just a shrine to Elvis
Presley, Memphis is a major landmark in the civil rights story of Martin Luther King, it's the
legendary Home of the Blues, and its heritage is a character-forming accumulation of Mississippi cotton
trading, riverboats on the 'mighty muddy' and a history of southern culture. If you're not
sure where to start, dive in at the deep end - among the Blues clubs and bars of world-famous Beale
Street. Make your first night one to remember.
Hotel: Days Inn Graceland
Day 2 - Memphis
Today, put on your holiday agenda a visit to the places you find most intriguing. It may be the Mud Island
river park, a 52- acre presentation of the mighty Mississippi, its lifestyles and locals, its past and
present. The Libertyland theme park might be your thing, an all-action fun day out for a real change of
pace and mood. There are tours of Coors Brewery, historic houses in the Victorian Village district,
exhibits of everything from Peruvian to graffiti art at the Brooks Museum, natural and cultural history in
the Pink Palace Museum & Planetarium, Botanic Gardens and the Lichterman Wildlife Sanctuary. Explore Beale
Street on foot for the Walk of Fame - where the sidewalk is embossed with musical notes and the names of
famous Blues singers. As the second largest city in Tennessee, Memphis has more than a dozen pedestrian
malls and shopping centres - among them Main Street, one of the longest in the country. With restaurants
tucked between trees and fountains, it's a great place for lunch and a little leisure time while you plan
your personal route through a variety of metropolitan venues. Meals: B
Day 3 - Memphis
Your second full day in this decidedly different city could become very full indeed. We start the day with the
big one - an included morning tour to Graceland. An eye-opener in every sense, this is the place where Elvis
Presley lived, died and is buried. The tour takes in part of the Mansion and the Meditation Garden, and gives
you the chance to shop for schmaltzy souvenirs in the entertainment complex across the road, where the Sincerely
Elvis Museum is home to many items of his personal memorabilia. After free time exploring Graceland, we return
back to downtown Memphis for an included visit to the Rock and Soul Museum followed by a tour of Sun Studios,
known as the birthplace of Rock and Roll and where Elvis began his recording career. At the end of the tour,
the remainder of the day is yours to do as you please. Meals: B
Day 4 - Memphis / Nashville
An early departure this morning sees us swapping the Blues for Country 'n Western and the Mississippi for
the Cumberland River as we travel halfway across the state, heading for irrepressible Nashville. The city boasts
a full size replica of the Parthenon of Athens in its Centennial Park, burgeoning business in banking and Bible
printing, and a fine reputation for colleges of further education but its the undisputed epithet of 'Music City
USA' that brings the visitors here. If Tammy, Dolly, Garth and Johnny need no further introduction for you
you're going to love the Nashville experience. We start with an included visit to the Ryman Auditorium. Built
at the end of the 19th century, its stage has been graced by Sarah Bernhardt, Enrico Caruso, Orson Welles and Mae
West. For thirty years, from 1943, it was home to the Grand Ole Opry, and renovation of the wooden seated auditorium
has not detracted from the character of the building. This afternoon there's time to stroll and sightsee
independently. Tonight join us for an included visit to the legendary Grand Ole Opry.
Hotel: Holiday Inn Select Vanderbilt (08) Holiday Inn Express Downtown (09) Meals: B
Day 5 - Nashville
With two full days at leisure in effervescent Nashville, we will start you off with an included city tour visiting
sights such as the Parthenon, the Capitol, Star's homes and much more. The city tour ends with a visit to the
Country Music Hall of Fame - where Elvis Presley's 'solid gold' Cadillac takes pride of place among
exhibits of glitzy Country star costumes and music memorabilia. From here, you can plot your own course and set
your own pace for an afternoon of independent exploration. This evening, we will visit the Opryland hotel for an
included tour and dinner. Within the Opryland Hotel, you'll be surrounded by nine acres of lush indoor gardens,
winding rivers and pathways. You will even see an amazing 44-foot indoor waterfall before our return to downtown
Nashville. Meals: B
Day 6 - Nashville
The locals are friendly, the food's good and cheap, and there's a range of city attractions to match you mood
for mood, so make the most of your time in this uninhibited city and plan your day to include a mix of shopping,
sightseeing and entertainment. You could stroll through Riverfront Park to see the replica Fort Nashborough, visit the
historic 'Hermitage' home of 7th US President Andrew Jackson or sample the stalls of the Farmers Market for
snacks on the hoof. Shopping minded? You could spend hours (and a fortune) at the old Opryland theme park - now
transformed to the much more up-market Opry Mills Mall, with an IMAX cinema, themed restaurants and enough retail
therapy for the most inveterate shopper. And don't miss The District, where converted Victorian warehouses now house
shops and eateries, nightclubs and underground bars, and where the cobbled Printers Alley has been a nightlife focus for
sixty years or more. With comfy shoes for daylight discovery and glad rags after-dark, you'll have a fabulous last day
of free time in Nashville. Meals: B
Day 7 - Nashville / UK
You will be transferred to the airport, arriving in comfortable time to check-in for your overnight return flight
to the UK. Meals: B
Day 8 - Return Landing
Morning arrival at your chosen UK airport. Times vary.



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