Texas, Presley's Memphis & New Orleans

Original Price

US$3,399.39

Total from

US$3,399.39

OFFER EXTENDED - SAVE 15% ON LONG HAUL DESTINATIONS WITH CODE: OFFER15

Take an extraordinary journey through the southern states, crammed with fascinating musical highlights and interest. Combine the magic and musical wonders of the Southland with the Big Country sights and sounds of the Lone Star State, Texas, on this wonderful escorted tour of America. Take in jazz-city New Orleans, Space City Houston and Tex-Mex capital San Antonio. Visit colourful, bohemian Austin, cattle-town Forth Worth and oil-rich Dallas, and explore two of America’s greatest music cities – Elvis's beloved Memphis and Country Music capital, Nashville.

Highlights

Spend two nights in New Orleans, the laid-back Big Easy
Discover Nashville, world capital of Country Music
Spend two nights in Memphis, Tennessee, home of Elvis Presley
Visit Muscle Shoals and its world famous recording studios
Enjoy the atmosphere on Memphis’ famous Beale Street
Catch a cattle drive at the Fort Worth Stockyards
Explore historic Dallas and visit the Sixth Floor Museum
San Antonio, the capital of Tex-Mex culture
Relive the heroics of Davy Crockett at The Alamo
Visit Houston, home of the NASA Space Center

Inclusions

12 nights' room-only accommodation in a series of good-quality hotels in Houston (1 night), New Orleans (2), Muscle Shoals (1), Nashville (1), Memphis (2), Little Rock (1), Fort Worth (2) and San Antonio (2), plus one night on the aircraft
Return flights to Houston
Entry to Sun Studios and Elvis' beloved Graceland in Memphis
Comfortable, air-conditioned coach travel and transfers throughout
Fully escorted by a friendly, experienced tour manager

Day 1

Fly to Houston, meet your Tour Manager and transfer to your hotel in the Galleria area for your first overnight stay in the USA.

Day 2

Head east into Louisiana and Creole Country to the great city of New Orleans, the unmistakable Big Easy. Enjoy your first of two evenings in this intoxicating place exploring the city, or perhaps joining our optional Steamboat Dinner Jazz Cruise.

Day 3

This morning's optional guided city tour introduces the Big Easy, and will include the famous French Quarter's time-warped, iron-balconied buildings, which radiate out from Jackson Square. This afternoon, join our optional Louisiana Swampland excursion to explore the surrounding countryside, and later head back to the Quarter to enjoy the night-time atmosphere of the place that gave the world jazz.

Day 4

Head north, today, through sleepy Alabama to our next stop, Muscle Shoals. This town is home to Rick Halls' Fame Studios, which put the likes of Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin on the map, as well as the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, where Bob Dylan, Paul Simon and the Rolling Stones all recorded.

Day 5

Discover the musical legacy of the Muscle Shoals studios on two included visits, before we head to Nashville, the undisputed capital of country music, and home to “1352 guitar-pickers” and songwriters.

Day 6

An optional excursion will introduce the legendary Studio B - where countless country standards and a galaxy of Elvis's RCA hits were recorded - and the Country Music Hall of Fame. This afternoon, we'll journey to the great city of Memphis on the bank of the Mississippi. Elvis's hometown boasts a musical heritage to match any world city and a host of historic landmarks.

Day 7

Today's full-day Memphis Sounds excursion will include a visit to legendary Sun Studio and to Elvis's beloved Graceland, home and final resting place of The King.

Day 8

Enjoy a free morning exploring the heritage of Elvis's hometown, perhaps visiting the Stax Records Museum or the more sombre Museum of Civil Rights, then soak up the atmosphere of famous Beale Street. Later, we'll travel west from Memphis to Little Rock, Arkansas, home to the William J Clinton Presidential Library and Museum, which honours the work of the state's most famous son. This evening, why not visit the restaurants and bars of the colourful River Market District?

Day 9

Journey west, today, into the Lone Star State and to the cattle‑town of Fort Worth, the starting point of the famous Chisholm Trail, and still home to authentic Western culture. The famous Stockyards are the focal point of the Historic Quarter, where wooden boardwalks and old-fashioned store fronts recreate the days of the Old "Wild" West.

Day 10

Spend this morning at the Stockyards, perhaps witnessing a Texan cattle-drive, before you continue to glittering Dallas, forever associated with the tragic events of November 1963. Today the Sixth Floor Museum of the Texas Schoolbook Depository overlooking Dealey Plaza - unchanged since the Kennedy assassination - recreates the hideout from which the fatal shots were fired. You'll return to Fort Worth via Southfork Ranch (entrance payable locally), and tonight you'll have the chance to visit Billy Bob’s Texas, the world’s most most rip-roarin', all-singin', all-line-dancin' Western Saloon.

Day 11

Today you'll make your way to the Texan State Capital of Austin, where the city's thriving music scene has given rise to a wealth of great clubs and bars, including the famous Broken Spoke. After some time here, we'll continue to San Antonio, our base for the next two nights.

Day 12

San Antonio, capital of Tex-Mex culture and one of the USA's most attractive cities, is yours to explore, today. Relive the siege of The Alamo - when Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie held out heroically for almost two weeks before finally succumbing to the overwhelming forces of Mexican general Santa Anna, and discover the famous River Walk that snakes its way across the city.

Day 13

Journey back to Houston to visit NASA's world-famous Lyndon B Johnson Space Centre. This was the heart of the moon landings 50 years ago, and remains a working base for the International Space Station. The site offers an incomparable taste of modern history, with its restored Mission Control and the sight of the towering Saturn V rocket that fired the Apollo astronauts into orbit. You'll then continue to the airport to catch your overnight flight home.

Day 14

Arrive back in the UK, after a wonderful journey through America's fascinating Southern heartland.

Further Information

Passports and visas

When travelling to the USA, British citizens require passports with an integrated chip (shown on the front by a small rectangular symbol beneath the word PASSPORT), valid beyond the return date from the USA. Visas are not normally required for entry, but visitors must apply for an ESTA online with US Immigration at least 72 hours before departure at www.cbp.gov/esta. The current charge is $14 for British Citizens. British subjects and anyone who has a criminal record or has ever been arrested should consult the US Embassy as a visa may be required. Note too that if you have visited North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Syria, Libya, Somalia or Yemen since March 2011, or have dual nationality with any of these countries, you do require a US visa and cannot travel on the Visa Waiver Program.

Hotel transfer times

The transfer time from the airport to your hotel is approximately two hours.

Foreign Office travel advice

Visit www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice to find out the latest Foreign And Commonwealth Office travel advice for your holiday destination, as well as information about passports and visas.

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted on any coach forming part of your holiday; regular stops will be made though for your comfort en route. The majority of hotels in North America are non-smoking throughout including in all bedrooms. In general smoking outside is acceptable, but do look out for signs prohibiting this close to public entrances or bus stops.

Tipping

Gratuities are a way of life in North America, and it is generally accepted that they form part of a person's earnings. The customary gratuity for a coach driver or Tour Manager is about $5 per person per day. It is normal to tip 15-20 per cent of the bill for a taxi or in a restaurant, and to leave a dollar or so per drink in a bar.

On your flight

All outbound flights depart and arrive on the same day. All return flights leave in the evening and land in the UK the next day. On-board meals will usually include lunch and a snack on outward flights, and dinner and breakfast on flight home. Soft drinks are complimentary, but some airlines will charge for alcoholic drinks.

Luggage allowance

You are permitted to take one suitcase per person on the aircraft, which should not exceed 23kg.

Special requirements

If you have notified us of any special requirements, please check that they have been noted and acknowledged. This is especially important with any dietary needs you may have.

Disabled access

The majority of our tours involve a certain amount of walking, including a short walk from the coach stop to the town, attraction or venue you're visiting. If you are bringing a wheelchair, please let us know at the time of booking so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

Itinerary changes

Occasionally, for operational reasons, we may have to change the order of the excursions on your holiday. The final day-by-day itinerary will be confirmed on your Final Travel Documents, which you will receive approximately three weeks prior to your departure.

Changes to your hotels

Should circumstances require, we reserve the right to accommodate you in alternative hotels, of a similar standard, nearby. Full details of your hotels will be sent with your Final Travel Documents.

Hotel rooms

Standard hotel rooms in North America will contain one or two double- or queen-sized beds, and it is not possible to add extra beds to the room. Parties consisting of more than two travellers, but who have only booked one room, will be expected to make use of the two beds provided. If this is a concern, you may wish to consider booking more than one room for your group.

Terms and conditions

15% Offer applies to new bookings only on air-inclusive holidays to destinations outside of the UK and Europe booked between 4th January and 8 March 2021 inclusive. The Offer does not apply to holidays with late availability pricing and cannot be combined with any other concession. Prices shown when booking do not include the discount which will be applied to your booking once the promo code OFFER15 has been entered and will be confirmed before purchase. The discount applies to your final holiday price (excluding holiday insurance) at the time of booking. The Offer is subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time.