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11-Nights Country Roads of the Deep South from $4,501
Insight Vacations
OFFER ID 1509060
Country Roads Of The Deep South - Classic Group
Fall in love with the Deep South during this 12-day guided tour. Let the lights and music of Nashville wash over you as you walk down Broadway. Take a guided tour of Studio B, Nashville's oldest remaining recording studio. Then head to the Country Music Hall of Fame which preserves, celebrates, and shares the important cultural asset that is country music. In Memphis, enjoy a private tour of the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, a former record studio where Nashville greats recorded their music. Get the chance to explore the mansion which was the private retreat of the King of Rock 'n Roll on your own. Embrace Cajun Country and take a crawfish farm tour, where a Local Expert will help you catch your lunch. In New Orleans walk the city with a Local Expert, who will guide you through its vibrant art scene and unique architecture. Then end your trip with a bang and learn all about Mardi Gras, during an exclusive behind the scenes tour of Mardi Gras World, where the magic happens and the extravagant floats are built each year.
Dining Summary
- 4 Dinner with Wine (DW)
- 11 Breakfast (B)
- 1 Dinner (D)
- 1 Lunch (L)
- Choose between two carefully selected activities
- Nashville: Visit Nelson’s Green Brier, Nashville's most historic distillery and home of the Original Tennessee Whiskey. Learn more about the process that creates this drink's unique taste.
- Nashville: MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® with a visit to the National Museum of African American Music, the only museum dedicated to preserving and celebrating the many music genres created, influenced, and inspired by African Americans. For music lovers of all generations, this museum inspires, educates, and transforms the appreciation of American music all while celebrating the central role African Americans play in creating the American soundtrack.
- Our highly-skilled Travel Director will ensure your journey is seamless, serving as your expert guide, consummate organiser, and friend overseas.
- Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary.
- We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.
- Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.
- From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.
- Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).
- Nashville: Relax and unwind before meeting your Travel Director and fellow guests to mingle before sitting down to a Welcome Dinner with wine.
- Memphis: Dinner this evening will be served at The Beauty Shop, a former beauty parlour turned whimsical New American eatery, where Elvis’ ex-wife, Priscilla, was said to get her hair done.
- Greenwood: Dine on a mouthwatering dinner at Fan and Johnny’s. The restaurant’s chef is a James Beard Award finalist and dishes include soul-food inspired creations featuring produce local to area.
- Lafayette: You will be joined by a Local Expert who will help you catch your lunch the old-fashioned way, using hand nets (Seasonal). Later enjoy an authentic Cajun meal.
- : Embark on a culinary adventure at the New Orleans School of Cooking for a captivating lunch and demonstration. Delve into the heart of Creole and Cajun cooking as you're treated to live demonstrations on the preparation of iconic dishes like gumbo, jambalaya and pralines. As you learn secrets behind these classic recipes, indulge in a tasting of their rich, local flavors.
- New Orleans: End your day with a Celebration Dinner with your fellow travelers.
- Nashville: Visit Nelson’s Green Brier, Nashville's most historic distillery and home of the Original Tennessee Whiskey. Learn more about the process that creates this drink's unique taste.
- Nashville: MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® with a visit to the National Museum of African American Music, the only museum dedicated to preserving and celebrating the many music genres created, influenced, and inspired by African Americans. For music lovers of all generations, this museum inspires, educates, and transforms the appreciation of American music all while celebrating the central role African Americans play in creating the American soundtrack.
- New Orleans: Enjoy an exclusive behind the scenes tour of Mardi Gras World, where the magic happens and the extravagant, vibrant floats are built each year. One of the Mardi Gras World certified artists will lead you through designing your very own Mardi Gras mask and creating your masterpiece, premium felt backed mask with glitter, feathers and more to take back as an eclectic memento of your time in The Big Easy.
- Memphis: End your day with an exclusive after-hours private tour at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music. The Stax Museum of American Soul Music is the world’s only museum dedicated to preserving and promoting the legacy of Stax Records and American soul music. The museum is part of The Soulsville Foundation, which aims to help young people prepare for life success and inspire future artists. Your experience advances UN Global Goal 4: Quality Education.
- Memphis: Visit the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, and embark on a poignant and important tour through five centuries of the Civil Rights Movement. Pay your respects to the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and learn about hi
11 nights from $4,501 per person
Insight Vacations: Country Roads of the Deep South - Classic Group
Day 1 - Arrive in Nashville
Welcome to Nashville, the capital of Tennessee and the USA’s glittering center stage. From the Everly Brothers' “Bye Bye Love," to Roy Orbison’s “Oh, Pretty Woman," the streets are paved with talent. Relax and unwind before meeting your Travel Director and mingling with guests at 18:00 followed by a Welcome Dinner with wine.
Accommodations: Hotel Fraye, Nashville
Meals: Dinner with Wine
Day 2 - Take center stage in Nashville
Start your day with an orientation tour of music city. You'll visit the picturesque Riverfront Park, Tennessee State Capitol and the 132-acre Centennial State Park, where you'll encounter an exact replica of the Parthenon. Pass by the city's lively honky-tonks and street performers on Broadway. Make your way to historic RCA Studio B, Nashville’s oldest remaining recording studio for a guided tour. Studio B became a cradle of the Nashville Sound in the late 1950s and early 1960s with over 35,000 songs being recorded here by iconic artists such as Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, and even more recently, Martina McBride and Carrie Underwood. On this guided tour, you will hear the fascinating stories behind the legendary recordings and view some of the original instruments used in producing over 1,000 hit records. We then continue to another home to Nashville royalty, The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum for a self-guided tour. The museum helps to preserve, celebrate, and share the important cultural asset that is country music. Along with changing exhibitions, you'll discover the enlightening "Sing Me Back Home: Folk Roots to the Present." Which tells the story of country music from its pre-commercial roots in the 19th century through its life today. See original artifacts, photographs and recordings. Tonight, head to the famous Grand Ole Opry, the world-renowned country music stage and longest-running radio broadcast in U.S. history for even more Country fun.
Accommodations: Hotel Fraye, Nashville
Meals: Breakfast
Day 3 - Choose your Nashville Exploration
Today we make a stop at the Nashville Farmer’s Market to explore its artisanal crafts and produce. You decide how to discover Nashville this afternoon with Insight Choice. Choose to visit Nelson’s Green Brier, a local Tennessee distillery and home of the Original Tennessee Whiskey for a guided tour of the distillery and tasting of the product. Or join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience with a visit to The National Museum of African American Music, the only museum dedicated to preserving and celebrating the many music genres created, influenced and inspired by African Americans. This is for music lovers of all generations, inspiring, educating and transforming your appreciation of American music - all while celebrating the central role African Americans play in creating the American soundtrack.
Accommodations: Hotel Fraye, Nashville
Meals: Breakfast
Day 4 - Heading back home to Memphis
This morning you'll head to Memphis. Whether it’s your first or hundredth time visiting this vibrant city, you’ll be drawn in by the lively melodies coming from Beale Street. Spend the morning on a sightseeing tour of the city, followed by your first of two MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences today. The first is a visit to the National Civil Rights Museum for a guided tour through centuries of the Civil Rights Movement and its impact on our culture today. The second is your private evening at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music. The museum is part of The Soulsville Foundation, which aims to prepare young adults for life success and inspire future artists.
Accommodations: The Guest House at Graceland, Memphis.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 5 - A day dedicated to the King
This morning it's off to Graceland, where you will get to explore the mansion, the private retreat of the King of Rock 'n Roll, where he went for reprise when not on the stage or in the movies. The tour of Graceland Mansion includes the living room and the famous Jungle Room. Then visit the Entertainer Career Museum with hundreds of artifacts and photos from significant events in Elvis’ life as well as the Presley Motors Automobile Museum. Then we continue onto Sun Studios for an authentic guided tour led by a local musician. Learn all about the recording studio where Elvis got his start along with so many of the greatest and therefore known as "The Birthplace of Rock'n'roll." Dinner this evening will be served at The Beauty Shop, a former parlour turned whimsical New American eatery where Elvis’ ex-wife, Priscilla, was said to get her hair done.
Accommodations: The Guest House at Graceland, Memphis.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 6 - Memphis to Greenwood
Travel through the Mississippi Delta down the Mississippi Blues Trail, a route that tells the stories of local businessmen and women. Your Travel Director will give you background information on Greenwood’s significance in the Civil Rights Movement, being a center for protests and voter registration struggles from 1962 to 1965. Head to the Viking Cooking School for a hot tamales cooking class. Later, enjoy a delicious three course meal with wine before returning to the hotel.
Accommodations: The Alluvian, Greenwood.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 7 - Moving on to Natchez
Learn more about Southern history and hospitality as you head to Natchez. Tour a historic Antebellum mansion and discover the preservation efforts of later generations to tell the story of African-Americans through the decades, understanding that slavery and cotton allowed plantation owners to build these mansions. Test your mixologist skills as you concoct a traditional Southern cocktail, the Mint Julep. Minty, cooling and with a touch of sweetness, you're sure to learn a few party tricks to bring back home with you. Arrive at your hotel where you will enjoy an evening to yourself. Ask your Travel Director for restaurant suggestions and discover one of the wonderful options in town.
Accommodations: Monmouth Historic Inn and Gardens, Natchez
Meals: Breakfast
Day 8 - Natchez to Lafayette
Move on to Lafayette for a taste of the Cajun and Creole Countryside. Get ready for a boat tour of a lifetime through moss-draped cypress trees, where graceful egrets perch just out of the reach of lingering alligators. Explore the diverse natural beauty and rich ecological systems of America's largest and most mysterious swamp ecosystem, the Atchafalaya Basin Swamp. A Native Cajun tour guide will explain from personal experience what it is like to live on a houseboat or survive off the swamp, while pointing out the abundant plants of the area and getting you up close and personal with the wildlife.
Accommodations: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Lafayette.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 9 - Lafayette for food lovers Relaxed Start
After breakfast, start the day with a visit to the Acadian Cultural Center to learn more about the people, music, and sounds that give Lafayette its distinct and charming character. This evening you will join a Local Expert for a tour of their crawfish pond. If you visit during Crawfish season, catch your dinner the old-fashioned way, using hand nets, then enjoy a cooking demonstration before your authentic Cajun meal.
Accommodations: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Lafayette.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 10 - Welcome to the Big Easy
New Orleans is a lively and dynamic city, known for its vibrant culture and electric jazz festivals. On the way down south, take a spicy stop at the Tabasco® Factory for a self-guided tour and discover how the world-famous red hot pepper sauce is made. A family recipe - TABASCO® Brand products are made by McIlhenny Company, founded by Edmund McIlhenny in 1868 on Avery Island, Louisiana. This afternoon, enjoy a regional meal highlighting the flavors of New Orleans. The rest of the day is at leisure.
Accommodations: New Orleans Marriott, New Orleans
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 11 - Festivities in New Orleans Relaxed Start
Get to know the city with a Local Expert, as you discover each neighborhood's unique architecture and explore the vibrant art scene. See how the community comes together through celebration. Enjoy an exclusive behind the scenes tour of Mardi Gras World, where the magic happens and the extravagant, vibrant floats are built each year. One of the Mardi Gras World certified artists will lead you through designing your very own Mardi Gras mask and creating your masterpiece, premium felt backed mask with glitter, feathers and more to take back as an eclectic memento of your time in The Big Easy. Show off the piece of art you just made by enjoying a masquerade themed dinner on the Mardi Gras Plaza, which boasts a stunning view of the Mississippi River.
Accommodations: New Orleans Marriott, New Orleans
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 12 - Depart New Orleans
It’s time to say goodbye to your fellow travelers as your adventure comes to an end. Departure to the airport will be at leisure.
Meals: Breakfast
Vacation Details
* This departure has been designated a guaranteed departure by the operator, meaning that the minimum number of guests has been met, although still subject to weather and other conditions.
Fine dining, on-site bars or lounges and room service with extended hours are characteristic of deluxe establishments. Guest services usually include valet parking, concierge services, baggage assistance and laundry services. Other on-site facilities often include shops and boutiques, full service spas, full fitness facilities with pools and tennis courts. Business amenities may include available up-to-date technology and support staffs available for services. Attention to detail is apparent in the guestrooms which typically have stylish furnishings, quality bedding and bath products and often provide an evening turn down service.
All fares are quoted in US Dollars.
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North Bay Travel Group
(707) 484-3836