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Atlanta · Georgia · United States
Small Group Best of the South: Atlanta to New Orleans - 12D/11N
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From $6,681.00 per person
Current Project Expedition rate
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Project Expedition
The Experience
What your day looks like
This twelve-day Atlanta to New Orleans tour takes you deep into the heart of America’s past for an in-depth look at how it shaped today's movement for human rights. Immerse yourself in the history and culture of famous cities where you’ll dig deeper to learn more about the mansions of Savannah, land which once housed vast cotton plantations, the refined elegance of Charleston, and the toe-tapping tunes of Nashville, the heartland of country and western music. If you want to do more than just see the sights, this immersive historic tour is calling your name.
At a Glance
The experience, in brief
- Experience a twelveday Atlanta to New Orleans tour
- Learn more about the mansions of Savannah
- Visit Martin Luther King Jr National Historic Site
- Explore Nashville
- Jump on a HopOn HopOff trolley tour around town Savannah town
- Enjoy the McLeod Plantation and Historic Site in Asheville
- Stop at Sun Studio which is tiny, but its music is immeasurable in Memphis
- View the most iconic site – Graceland
- Spend time in National Civil Rights Museum
- Chance to admire handmade sculptures and local photography
- Learn about Creole and Cajun cuisine
- Join the Whitney Plantation & learn about what life
Your Itinerary
Your day, step by step
Day 1
Atlanta
Sightseeing. Day 1: Atlanta. Welcome to Atlanta! At 10am there’ll be a group meeting where you’ll get to meet your leader and get an overview of the next couple of days. After the meeting, it’s time to immerse yourself in 33 acres of historic houses, gardens and award-winning exhibitions with a specialist guide at the Atlanta History Center where you’ll explore the past like never before.
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Local Flavor. The center is part of a global network of historic sites and museums that connect past struggles to today’s movements for human rights.
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Atlanta
Sightseeing at Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park. Next, head to the Martin Luther King Jr National Historic Site where you’ll learn more about where Martin Luther King was born and where he lived and worked, as well as his legacy as a leader. Wrap up the day with a welcome dinner – the perfect chance to get to know your group better.
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Atlanta
Accommodation in Hotel.
Day 2
Savannah
City/Town Tour. Day 2: Savannah. Mornin' sunshine! Hit the road bright and early and make the five-hour journey to Savannah. In 1946, Lady Astor referred to Savannah as 'a beautiful lady with a dirty face', in reference to the crumbling, faded majesty of the city's 18th- and 19th-century mansions. Due to plenty of restoration work, Savannah's face may no longer be dirty, but she's still a city of contradictions.
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Relaxation & Fun. Enjoy free time for the rest of the day. In the evening, perhaps head out on a ghost tour of old Savannah, then maybe seek out spirits of a different kind at one of the city’s many local haunts.
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Accommodation in Hotel.
Day 3
Atlanta
City/Town Tour. Day 3: Savannah. Take it easy this morning before meeting up at 11am for a three-hour walking tour which blends the city’s history with some of its best and most delicious eats.
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Local Flavor. This fascinating food tour visits spots like a not-so-ordinary pub, an award-winning honey store, and a traditional British pie shop highlighting dishes consumed by some of Savannah’s earliest settlers.
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City/Town Tour. This afternoon is all yours so make the most of it! You could join a walking tour to learn more about the town’s slave and cotton trade, immerse yourself in its underreprented history or jump on a Hop-On Hop-Off trolley tour around town.
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Atlanta
Accommodation in Hotel.
Day 4
Charleston,SC (SC)
City/Town Tour. Day 4: Charleston. Leave Savannah in the rear-view mirror and drive two hours to Charleston. On arrival, you might like to grab some lunch before joining a Black History walking tour with an expert local guide. Discover the ‘lost stories’ of Charleston's rich history as you stroll around town and immerse yourself in its complex past. If time permits, you could get to know Charleston's spooky side on a ghost tour, or join a food tour and check out the local drinking and dining scene.
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Atlanta
Accommodation in Hotel.
Day 5
Charleston,SC (SC)
Sightseeing at McLeod Plantation. Day 5: Asheville. Bid farewell to Charleston and drive to the McLeod Plantation and Historic Site where everyone’s stories are given their due. Here you can learn about the daily lives of those who were free – and the people who were not - and those who worked here before and after slavery. Tracing the struggle for freedom at this site provides a deeper insight into American history as a whole. From here, it’s a five-hour drive through the Blue Ridge Mountains to the charming town of Asheville.
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Atlanta
Sightseeing. Home to the country’s best breweries and some of North Carolina’s finest barbecue, Asheville also boasts an incredible folk music scene. Arriving in the mid-afternoon, you’ll be given an orientation tour by your leader to help you get your bearings. Tonight, you may like to join your group for a good ol’ fashioned BBQ dinner.
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Accommodation in Hotel.
Day 6
Atlanta
City/Town Tour. Day 6: Nashville. Rise early and make the scenic drive to Nashville, the USA’s country music capital.
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Local Flavor. On arrival, tuck into a finger lickin’ good lunch on a barbecue and bourbon foodie adventure with an expert guide. Think house-smoked meats, southern-inspired spirits and traditional southern sides – the perfect way to toast the end of your trip!
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Nashville
Sightseeing at Tennessee State Museum. After lunch, you’ll be introduced to this famous toe tapping town with an orientation tour. Get your bearings and then enjoy a free afternoon exploring this famous town. You might like to visit the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, explore the Tennessee State Museum, or drop into a distillery for a tasting or two.
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Atlanta
Accommodation in Hotel.
Day 7
Nashville
City/Town Tour. Day 7: Nashville. After breakfast it’s time to dive straight into the city’s history with a visit to the Country Music Hall of Fame. This fabulous piano-shaped building is a work of art in itself, and contains Elvis’s gold Cadillac among other impressive memorabilia. While here you’ll pay a visit to Studio B – Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison and “The King” Elvis Presley have all laid tracks in this studio, and today you’ll be joining this prestigious list. Meet with a professional sound engineer for your own recording session and find out what it takes to create the Nashville sound.
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Nashville
Local Flavor at Johnny Cash Museum. Enjoy a free afternoon to explore the city – you may like to check out the Nashville murals, visit the much-loved Goo Goo candy store, or swing by the Johnny Cash Museum.
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Get back together in the evening for an optional dinner with your group (at own expense) and leader at a local restaurant.
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Accommodation in Hotel.
Day 8
Memphis
Sightseeing at Sun Studio. Day 8: Memphis. Hit the road this morning and make tracks for Memphis, Tennessee, a city overflowing with musical history and legends. Your first stop on arrival will be Sun Studio. This studio may be tiny, but its impact on the world of music is immeasurable. BB King, Johnny Cash, Howlin' Wolf and Elvis Presley have all recorded here, and the studio claims to be the 'Birthplace of Rock 'n' Roll' (and they may just be right!).
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Memphis
Sightseeing at Beale Street. The rest of the day is yours to discover the sights and sounds of Memphis. No visit to this city would be complete without checking out Beale Street, lined with traditional blues clubs – ask your leader where the locals hang out so you can avoid the tourist hotspots.
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Atlanta
Accommodation in Hotel.
Day 9
Memphis
Sightseeing at Graceland. Day 9: Memphis. After breakfast this morning, head to Memphis’s most iconic site – Graceland! Elvis’s former home and his final resting place, a visit to Graceland is like stepping back into the 1970s, with a glamourous and kitschy twist. Explore a fascinating world of green shag-carpet ceilings and yellow vinyl walls while getting a sneak peek into the glitzy side of the Deep South.
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Memphis
Sightseeing at National Civil Rights Museum. Then it’s time for a change of pace as you leave Graceland and visit the National Civil Rights Museum at the former Lorraine Motel – where Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated – for a dose of history that is both confronting and inspirational. The rest of the afternoon is free for your own discoveries – your leader will have some tips on how to get the most out of this lively city.
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Accommodation in Hotel.
Day 10
Atlanta
Sightseeing. Day 10: New Orleans. Today you’ll be road-tripping from Memphis to New Orleans, enjoying some charming Southern scenery along the way. Stop off en route to tuck into some classic Southern food for lunch, then arrive into New Orleans in the early afternoon. Jazz is not just a part of the city’s history – it’s alive and kicking today.
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Local Flavor. On arrival, join a local expert for a deep dive into the New Orleans’ music scene, hitting up local haunts and hotspots. Start from the popular French Quarter, explore the thriving Marigny neighbourhood and visit the famous Frenchman Street, where you’ll find the largest concentration of live music venues in the city. Your local guide will show you some of their favourite venues, with time to grab a beer along the way.
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Local Flavor. Finish the tour at a nighttime art market, where you’ll have the chance to admire handmade sculptures and local photography. The evening is yours to further explore this fascinating city – your leader will have some great recommendations on where to grab a bite to eat and listen to more live music.
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Accommodation in Hotel.
Day 11
Atlanta
Cooking Class. Day 11: New Orleans. You’re in for a real treat – not only famed for its music scene, the food in New Orleans is some of the best in the country. Today you’ll learn about Creole and Cajun cuisine and a local cooking school and find out how to create one of the region’s most beloved dishes, a crawfish boil, then tuck into the finished product for lunch.
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Tree Planting. This afternoon, pay a visit to the Whitney Plantation with a local Black-owned tour company, where you’ll learn about what life was like for those enslaved on a Louisiana sugarcane plantation. With a focus on the lives of slaves rather than the opulent house the slave owners lived in, exploring this plantation is a sobering and eye-opening experience.
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This evening, perhaps take the chance to join your group for a final dinner and reminisce about all you’ve seen, heard and tasted on your adventure.
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Accommodation in Hotel.
Day 12
Atlanta
Day 12: New Orleans. Just like a good song, your adventure must come to an end, with things wrapping up this morning. If you’d like to spend more time exploring New Orleans, just get in touch ahead of time and we can arrange additional accommodation (subject to availability).
Before You Go
What to know before booking
Included
Private vehicle Atlanta - Martin Luther King Jr National Historic Site Atlanta - Atlanta History Centre – Curated private tour Savannah – Walking Food tour Charleston – Black History walking tour with a local guide James Island - McLeod Plantation and Historic Site guided tour Nashville - BBQ and Whiskey lunch Nashville – Leader-led walking tour Nashville - Country Music Hall of Fame Memphis - Sun Studio Visit Memphis - Graceland, The Home of Elvis Presley Memphis - National Civil Rights Museum New Orleans - Jazz Music Tour New Orleans - Cooking Class New Orleans – Plantation Tour
Meeting & Pickup
The tour starts in Atlanta, United States. Finish New Orleans, United States.
Languages Offered
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Planning Notes
Minimum age: 15 Hotel pickup offered: No Confirmation: Manual By PE
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