Best of the South: Atlanta to New Orleans

About this trip

Exactly what you do each day, where you sleep, and how it flows — written by us, from the real itinerary.

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   Day 1 · AtlantaAtlanta

   

   You'll arrive in Atlanta for a welcome meeting at 6 pm. The city's yours to explore beforehand – the Atlanta History Center spans 33 acres of historic houses and gardens, while the Martin Luther King Jr National Historic Site offers deeper context. Your leader will point you towards dinner spots afterwards.

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   Day 2 · SavannahSavannah

   

   An early drive takes you to Savannah, where you'll meet an expert guide for a tour of Bonaventure Cemetery, celebrated for its Southern gothic atmosphere and the way it's inspired poets, naturalists and filmmakers. The city's restored 18th and 19th-century mansions reveal layers of contradiction and hidden character.

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   Day 3 · SavannahSavannah

   After a leisurely morning, join an 11 am three-hour walking food tour blending Savannah's history with local flavours. You'll visit a pub, an award-winning honey store and a traditional British pie shop showcasing dishes from the city's earliest settlers, leaving your afternoon free to roam.

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   Day 4 · CharlestonCharleston

   

   Drive to Charleston and grab lunch before joining a Black History tour with an expert guide. You'll hear stories of the city's complex past while stopping at historic landmarks, then have the afternoon to explore independently – perhaps booking a food tour to dig into Southern flavours.

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   Day 5 · CharlestonCharleston to Asheville

   

   Spend the morning freely in Charleston, possibly strolling the historic district or visiting Fort Sumter National Monument. Then drive through the Blue Ridge Mountains to Asheville, known for its breweries, barbecue and folk music scene. Your leader will guide you through downtown's galleries and artist studios before suggesting brew houses for dinner.

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   Day 6 · AshevilleAsheville

   Visit Biltmore House and Garden to tour America's largest Gilded Age mansion. Stop for lunch and wine at the on-site winery, then spend the afternoon either exploring the grounds further or returning to town. An optional group dinner is available this evening.

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   Day 7 · AshevilleNashville

   Drive to Nashville, then join your leader for an orientation walk around Music City. Visit Nelson's Green Brier Distillery to taste award-winning Tennessee whiskey brewed using a family recipe from the late 1800s, with notes of brown sugar and vanilla. Dinner at a Broadway restaurant comes with live music and the option to explore further into the night.

8. 8
   Day 8 · NashvilleNashville

   You're free to explore Nashville – check out the murals, visit the Goo Goo candy store or the Johnny Cash Museum. At 6 pm, new travellers join for a welcome meeting, followed by a leader-led walking tour and optional group dinner.

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   Day 9 · NashvilleNashville

   Tour the Country Music Hall of Fame in its distinctive piano-shaped building, viewing memorabilia including Elvis' gold Cadillac. Head to Studio B where Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison and Elvis recorded, then get your own turn in a professional recording session to create the Nashville sound. The afternoon is yours to explore further.

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    Day 10 · MemphisMemphis

    

    Drive to Memphis and visit the Stax Museum of American Soul Music at the original Stax Records location. Learn about the Memphis sound and artists like Otis Redding and Isaac Hayes, then dance on the museum floor. The evening is free to explore Beale Street's blues clubs before rejoining the group for dinner.

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    Day 11 · MemphisMemphis

    Take an orientation walk downtown including a stop at the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel, where your leader discusses the museum and you can opt for a tour. Then visit Graceland, Elvis's former home and resting place, to experience 1970s glamour with its green shag-carpet ceilings and yellow vinyl walls.

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    Day 12 · MemphisNew Orleans

    

    Drive from Memphis to New Orleans, arriving in the afternoon. Join your leader for an orientation around The Big Easy and sample famous beignets. The evening is yours to explore further with your leader's recommendations for food and live music.

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    Day 13 · New OrleansNew Orleans

    After a leisurely breakfast and free morning, spend lunch learning Creole and Cajun cuisine at a local cooking school. Watch a demonstration of a beloved regional dish, then prepare and eat it yourself. The rest of the day is free to visit jazz clubs on Frenchman Street, Bourbon Street or St. Louis Cemetery.

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    Day 14 · New OrleansNew Orleans

    Enjoy a jazz brunch at The Court of Two Sisters in its gorgeous outdoor courtyard, with live jazz playing over brunch specialities. The trip ends here, though you can arrange to stay longer through your booking agent.

What's included

• Guide: All group trips are accompanied by one of our group leader or local representative. The aim of the group leader or local representative is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. Intrepid endeavours to provide the services of an experienced group leader or local representative however, due to the seasonality of travel, rare situations may arise where your group leader or local representative is new to a particular region or training other group leader or local representative. Your group leader or local representative will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense, you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the places visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious, and social aspects. At Intrepid we aim to support local guides who have specialised knowledge of the regions we visit. If you are interested in delving deeper into the local culture at a specific site or location then your group leader or local representative can recommend a local guide service in most of the main destinations of your trip. , NORTH AMERICAN LEADERS: Our leaders in the US and Canada are also responsible for driving the van and navigating across the country. The allowable driving times for drivers is strictly controlled in North America. This ensures our drivers are well rested and are not over-tired from too many hours on the roads. It's strictly forbidden for non-qualified rangers to present any information about some National Parks in North America, therefore we adopt a system (as requested by the park rangers) where our leader will encourage travellers to visit the information centres in the National Parks for details about the site.
• Meals: 13 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 3 dinners
• Activities: Savannah - Bonaventure Cemetery tour Savannah - Walking Food tour Charleston - Black History walking tour with a local guide Asheville - Leader-led walking tour Asheville - Biltmore Estate House & Grounds Nashville - Leader led walking tour Tennessee Whiskey Distillery Visit Nashville- Leader-led orientation tour Nashville - Country Music Hall of Fame Nashville - Studio B tour with recording session Memphis - Stax Museum of American Soul Music Memphis - Graceland, The Home of Elvis Presley Memphis - Leader-led orientation walk New Orleans - Leader-led Orientation New Orleans - Cooking Class New Orleans - Jazz Brunch
• Transport: AIRPORT TRANSFERS IN THE USA : & CANADA: We recommend taxis and rideshare services like Lyft and Uber when traveling to and from hotels in the USA : and Canada. These services are widely available across North America, offering convenient and accessible transportation options. Private transfers in North America incur high costs and present an increased risk of missed connections due to their fixed schedules. In contrast, taxis and rideshares offer both cost-effectiveness and flexibility, ensuring a smoother journey. With transparent pricing, GPS : tracking, and on-demand availability, we believe that taxis and rideshare apps not only offer a reliable alternative to private transfers but also provide a secure, trustworthy, and budget-friendly transportation option for our customers. , NORTH AMERICA VEHICLES: Our large fleet of 15-passenger vans are fully equipped with air-conditioning system, V8 engines and any camping or cooking equipment needed for your trip. Most have cloth-upholstered seats and carpeted interior with radio or CD players. Your luggage is typically transported in a trailer which is towed behind the van. The vans are regularly serviced by a well-established network of maintenance and service facilities throughout the continent. However, unforeseen maintenance problems can still occur while on the road and we appreciate the patience of our travellers as we make necessary repairs as quickly as possible. While your group will have a van for all included activities on the trip, the services of the van and leader may not be available for your use during free time, or after you have arrived for the day. If you need a special trip into town you may need to arrange transport or a taxi. Private vehicle
• Accommodation: The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation. Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available. Hotel (13 nights)

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