DAY 1 - ARRIVAL IN ATLANTA Arrive at the airport for your flight to Atlanta. On arrival you transfer to the Hilton Hotel for one night. (2017 departures stay at the Holiday Inn Express Downtown)
DAY 2 - ATLANTA & CHATTANOOGA Atlanta is home to two of America’s best known companies: CNN and Center for Civil and Human rights. We enjoy a fascinating behind- the-scenes tour of the world’s first 24hr news channel, looking into the TV studios and newsrooms (2016 tours only), followed by a tour of the Center for Civil and Human rights. This afternoon we transfer to the charming small town of Chattanooga for a one- night stay at the three- star superior Choo Choo Hotel, aptly converted from the original railway station.
DAY 3 - NASHVILLE Enjoy a ride on the ‘world’s steepest passenger railway’ to the top of Lookout Mountain before driving to Lynchburg to visit its claim to fame: the Jack Daniel Distillery. Jack Daniel’s whisky has been made here since 1884 and a tour (and tasting!) is a great experience. We continue to Nashville for a two-night stay
at the three-star superior Hyatt Place Opryland. Tonight you have the opportunity to attend a country music concert at the Grand Ole Opry. (For overnight stays on Fri/Sat only).
DAY 4 - NASHVILLE We visit the Country Music Hall of Fame, a museum of all things ‘Country & Western’, with fascinating exhibits from the earliest days of country music to the megastars of today. We also visit the legendary RCA Studio B, where Elvis recorded many of his greatest hits, followed by a ‘who’s who’ of recording superstars such as Roy Orbison, the Everly Brothers and Dolly Parton. Lower Broadway is Nashville’s nightlife centre, - there’s a fantastic atmosphere along the entire street and an evening here is a real ‘must’!
DAY 5 - MEMPHIS We head to Memphis and America’s artery, the Mississippi. We stay here for two nights at the three-star superior Holiday Inn Select Downtown or Comfort Inn Downtown Hotel, just a few blocks from the lively blues bars and restaurants of Beale street (2017 departures stay at the DoubleTree by Hilton).
DAY 6 - GRACELAND This morning we have a guided tour around the renowned Sun Studio, where Elvis recorded his first hit. This 1950s building was also the starting point for Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and Roy Orbison. Next we visit one of America’s biggest tourist attractions, Elvis’ Graceland. One of the most iconic houses in America, Graceland’s Meditation Garden is also Elvis’ final resting place.
DAY 7 - AMTRAK TO NEW ORLEANS An early start today as we catch the ‘City of New Orleans’ Amtrak train service to New Orleans. The classic, silver-coloured double-decker train carriages feature comfortable reclining armchairs, a panoramic glass observation deck and dining car. We stay three nights at the four-star Wyndham French Quarter Hotel. (2017 departures stay at the Courtyard by Marriott Downtown)
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DAY 8 - NEW ORLEANS This morning we have a walking tour of New Orleans’ famous French Quarter. We see the galleries and antique shops along Royal Street, St Louis Cathedral, Jackson Square and walk up the iconic Bourbon Street, centre of the city’s nightlife. This afternoon you have the option of a fascinating boat tour of the nearby Louisiana swamps, known for their alligators and moss-draped cypresses.
DAY 9 - FREE DAY A free day to relax in the ‘Big Easy’. Alternatively, you may choose to visit some of the most fascinating Antebellum Plantations outside New Orleans. Oak Alley Plantation is a National Historic Landmark and is considered to be the Deep South’s most spectacular mansion.
DAY 10 - HOUSTON Drive from New Orleans to Houston to visit the NASA Johnson Space Centre, still a working NASA base. We visit ‘Mission Control’, now restored to its 1965 look with all original equipment and furniture – a unique experience. We stay at the three-star superior Hilton NASA Clear Lake Hotel.
DAY 11 - SAN ANTONIO Today we visit a 23,000-acre Texas cattle ranch. The cowboy demonstration is particularly fascinating as you see how calf-roping, cattle sorting and dipping worked from the 1940s (2016 tours only). We arrive in San Antonio this afternoon. Site of the Alamo, it was here in 1836 that an outnumbered group of settlers, including Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie, were attacked and overrun by the Mexican army. We stay at the three-star superior Menger Hotel, including breakfast.
DAY 12 - DALLAS We travel to Dallas and visit the infamous Dealey Plaza where President John F. Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald. The floor in the Texas Book Depository from where the fatal shots were fired has been converted into the excellent 6th Floor Museum. We stay overnight in the four-star Sheraton Hotel in Fort Worth (2017 departures stay at the Courtyard by Marriott Downtown).
DAY 13 - RETURN FLIGHT A free morning in Fort Worth to explore the historical Stockyard District with its daily cattle drive before our afternoon overnight flight direct to the UK (2017 departures change aircraft at Atlanta).
DAY 14 You arrive home.
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