- Spend three nights in New Orleans and the colourful music scene of Bourbon Street
- Uncover Cajun culture and cuisine on a Mississippi riverboat dinner cruise
- Explore Memphis including Elvis' Graceland and Sun Studio
- Discover Nashville, the country music capital
![Southern Soul: New Orleans to Nashville](https://res.cloudinary.com/enchanting/q_80,f_auto,c_lfill,x_w_mul_0.5,y_h_mul_0.5,g_xy_center,w_360,h_270/exodus-web/2017/07/001576-Royal-Street-New-Orleans-USA_copyright-Tourist-Board-e1688132230930.jpg)
Southern Soul: New Orleans to Nashville
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- Southern Soul: New Orleans to Nashville
Reviews
Add your own reviewA wonderful trip across five states that immerses you in the music, cuisine and culture of America’s Deep South.
This trip promised a lot on paper, and delivered so much more in reality, exceeding my expectations. Our group leader managed to cram so much in, while at the same time allowing a nice degree of freedom for us to do our own exploration and choose our own optional activities. The tour began with a deeply moving and affecting look at the civil rights movement, covering the life of Martin Luther King Jr (where he was born, the church at which he preached, his memorial garden and tomb; later on we would visit the place where he was assassinated); the slave trade and its role in creating wealth for the plantation owners and the country as a whole; and the continued oppression of the freed slaves after the Civil War and their struggle for basic human rights. As we went on, the focus shifted toward the music that was created on the plantations, the way it developed and seeped into mainstream culture in America before spreading across the world. While this was very informative and educational, there were plenty of lighter moments too and we were a great group who had a lot of laughs along the way. As well as visiting sites that were significant to the music history, there were opportunities to hear live music – jazz, blues and country – at many locations from New Orleans to Nashville. A wonderful experience that we will continue to savour for a very long time.
Most Inspirational Moment
It has to be day 8 on the itinerary, which I named “Super Saturday”: the day we left Clarksdale for Memphis, going down to the Crossroads at Clarksdale where legend has it Robert Johnson sold his soul to the Devil for the gift of music; spending 4 hours at Graceland visiting Elvis’ house and the extensive collection of memorabilia on display in the adjacent museums; an emotional visit to the historic Sun Studios to see exactly where Elvis made his first recordings; a meal of dry-rubbed ribs at Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous restaurant, a favourite of Elvis’; a walk along bustling Beale Street in the evening before dropping into The Blues City Cafe to hear real Delta blues played by Blind Mississippi Morris, then riding the trolley car back to the hotel. Days don’t get any better than that!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Invariably one of things that makes an Exodus trip such a memorable experience is the quality of its group leaders, and this trip was no exception. I must confess one or two within the group wondered if Lana Haugberg would be up to the job: relative young, petite in stature, she would be working solo as both driver and guide throughout the long trip. But any initial doubts were soon dispelled: word got round that she had just completed an ultra race in which she ran 120 miles in 24 hours, and we also learned that she is a very experienced driver, having taken television film crews across America. In the course of the trip, Lana drove 1500+ miles as well as giving us detailed information about all locations and sites visited. Lana explained all options on offer, particularly for the free days, and made herself available to support individual choices. She was careful to advise on personal safety and ensure everyone knew the safest options for transport. Nothing was too much trouble, and Lana did everything within her power to make the trip run smoothly and to give us the best possible experience. A few examples: she had put together a Spotify playlist of music appropriate to each destination and leg of the itinerary; she purchased a folding step to facilitate access in and out of the minibus, which had a high drop; and while the group was enjoying a self-guided walking tour of Natchez, she checked everyone into the hotel, unloaded the luggage and took the bags to our individual rooms so that we could all go straight there to rest after a long day on the road. She was always cheerful, attentive and responsive, able to engage with everyone in our group, and always good company.
Advice for Potential Travellers
* the itinerary may change due to circumstances: embrace the options your group leader gives you. On our trip the Civil Rights Institute in Birmingham was closed, so we took a detour to Montgomery to visit the Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace & Justice, a very moving exhibition. It was not possible to book the Lynchburg option for the final day due to possible departure flight logistics, but our group leader came up with a pleasantly surprising alternative. * there will be plenty of opportunities to do your own thing at the different cities visited. * be prepare to be shocked by the amount of single-use plastics, particularly in hotels, and a lack of recycling facilities - maybe take your own travel cutlery. * try the local food and drink: have a Hurricane in NOLA, eat beignets, gumbo, jambalaya, and catfish (delicious!) there; try dry rubbed ribs in Memphis, or southern fried chicken; drink Jack Daniels in Tennessee. But there are plenty of alternatives if you fancy a change. * beware American sized portions: consider sharing with another person. Many portions are more than enough for two. * there are some long days on the road, but frequently broken up with comfort breaks and lunch stops at a variety of interesting places. Bring your own playlists and ear buds, if you like to chill out to your personal music along the way.
Deep South - the story of the Blues and music of America
If you’re into music (especially The Blues) and want to understand where it all started and developed, this is the trip for you. Starting with the background of the Civil Rights movement and visiting iconic sites such as the bridge at Selma and the museums in Atlanta and Birmingham, we followed the development of the Blues from New Orleans through Clarksdale, Memphis and finally Nashville. We experienced a wide range of live music – gospel, blues, jazz, country, rockabilly, bluegrass etc and saw the places where it all began. It was a truly entertaining and memorable trip from the beginning to the end made even more special by our awesome guide, Jay.
Most Inspirational Moment
Historically - walking over the bridge at Selma, which although not on the original itinary, was made possible by our guide. Musically - listening to great Blues band at a Juke Joint called 'Reds' in Clarksdale.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Top bloke. On a scale of 1-10 we would score him 12 Jay Burleson knew his music, knew the history and did all he could to make the trip special for us. (eg he found out one of the worlds best blues guitarists was playing in a cafe on the outskirts of Nashville and helped us get to see him play!)
Advice for Potential Travellers
Embrace it all - every day and every night - you can always rest when you get home!
Good music trip
This is a great trip if you’re keen to experience the USA Deep South Music and history. Great experience of New Orleans, Martin Luther King and the civil rights movements, Elvis and the music history of Memphis and Nashville. The trip is with Grand American Adventures- Exodus sister Company. You travel in a small tour bus driven by your guide. We were lucky we had 9 people on the trip as any more would have been a squeeze. A few early starts and longest drives on the road were 5-6 hours but had plenty of rest stop breaks. There’s a lot to see and do plus the music & dvds on the van helped get us in the mood and educate us to each area.
Most Inspirational Moment
New Orleans is great and the included steamboat dinner on the Mississippi was fantastic. Would also highly recommend the Honey Island swamp tour, we saw much more wildlife than just alligators. Elvis Birthplace & Graceland also amazing.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader Nicole was fantastic, she went above and beyond and was really helpful. There were a few timing issues which meant a couple of important sights were rushed. Sadly her boyfriend turned up for the last 4 days which turned the trip a little sour and spoilt the group dynamic.
Advice for Potential Travellers
It’s a great trip but do your research. If you’re not into the music scene then this trip might not be for you. Food is great and atms are everywhere.
Start
Finish
Availability
Land Only Trip Price
Optional Single Supplement
Monday Monday
11 Nov 2024 11 Nov 2024
Wednesday Thursday
20 Nov 2024 21 Nov 2024
Availability
Guaranteed (Available)
Land Only Trip Price Usually USD 6,448Now USD 6,150Saving USD 298 Usually USD 7,918Now Saving USD 298
Optional Single Supplement +USD 1,500
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings and has reached the minimum number of passengers required to go ahead. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
19 Apr 2025 19 Apr 2025
Monday Tuesday
28 Apr 2025 29 Apr 2025
Availability
Guaranteed (Limited)
Land Only Trip Price USD 7,200 Book with USD 1,800 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +USD 1,763
Availability
This departure is guaranteed to go ahead but there are only 3 spaces left. Do not delay your booking!
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
21 Jun 2025 21 Jun 2025
Monday Tuesday
30 Jun 2025 01 Jul 2025
Availability
Available
Land Only Trip Price USD 7,200 Book with USD 1,800 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +USD 1,763
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
16 Aug 2025 16 Aug 2025
Monday Tuesday
25 Aug 2025 26 Aug 2025
Availability
Available
Land Only Trip Price USD 7,200 Book with USD 1,800 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +USD 1,763
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
11 Oct 2025 11 Oct 2025
Monday Tuesday
20 Oct 2025 21 Oct 2025
Availability
Available
Land Only Trip Price USD 7,200 Book with USD 1,800 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +USD 1,763
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
18 Apr 2026 18 Apr 2026
Monday Tuesday
27 Apr 2026 28 Apr 2026
Availability
Available
Land Only Trip Price USD 7,950 Book with USD 1,987 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +USD 1,988
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
20 Jun 2026 20 Jun 2026
Monday Tuesday
29 Jun 2026 30 Jun 2026
Availability
Available
Land Only Trip Price USD 7,950 Book with USD 1,987 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +USD 1,988
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
29 Aug 2026 29 Aug 2026
Monday Tuesday
07 Sep 2026 08 Sep 2026
Availability
Available
Land Only Trip Price USD 7,950 Book with USD 1,987 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +USD 1,988
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
07 Nov 2026 07 Nov 2026
Monday Tuesday
16 Nov 2026 17 Nov 2026
Availability
Available
Land Only Trip Price USD 7,950 Book with USD 1,987 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +USD 1,988
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesWould you like to include flights with your booking?
- ATOL protected
- Competitive flight prices
- Full refunds in the event of FCDO cancellations or major disruption at your UK departure airport
- Specialist support to rearrange flights and transfers
- Regional flights available from many UK airports
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