Self-Drive Southern Belle

Tour Information

12nt Tour Begins & Ends Atlanta: 2nts Atlanta; 1nt Nashville; 1nt Memphis; 1nt Vicksburg; 1nt Natchez; 2nts New Orleans; 1nt Walton Beach; 1nts Tallahassee; 1nt Savannah; 1nt Charleston

Additional Pre-bookable excursion option: "Experience Package" which includes Graceland Estate Tour (Day 3), The Atchafalaya Experience (Day 5), Mardi Gras World Tour (Day 7), Savannah Ghost Tour Tour (Day 10), for €82 per person.

Day 1

Fly from Ireland to Atlanta
Arrive at the airport. pick up your car rental and proceed to your hotel. Enjoy your overnight stay in Atlanta, Georgia, “The Peach State.” While it is the State’s capital, Atlanta still welcomes visitors with the same southern hospitality of a small town. It is a bustling big city with the past and present colliding. Visit Atlanta neighborhoods like the quaint Midtown and luxurious Buckhead; both are filled with interesting shops and restaurants.
Standard: Days Inn Downtown Atlanta or similar
Superior: Westin Peachtree or similar

Day 2

Atlanta - Nashville (250 miles)
Depart Atlanta this morning and drive toward Nashville, better known as Music City, USA. Nashville is the heart and soul of country music. Take the time to visit the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. It presents a vast collection to illustrate the story of country music told through two centuries. Enjoy historic country video clips and recorded music, dynamic exhibits and state-of-the-art design. Also visit Historic RCA Studio B, “The Home of 1,000 Hits.” Get an up-close look at what was once the second home of music legends Elvis Presley, Chet Atkins, Dolly Parton and more. Over 35,000 songs were recorded here. For a slightly different side of Nashville, see the Parthenon, the world’s only full-scale reproduction of the famous Greek temple. Nashville’s Parthenon stands in Centennial Park and features both the city’s art museum and Athena Parthenos. At almost 42 feet in height, Athena Parthenos is the tallest indoor sculpture in the Western world. This evening consider a dinner cruise on a paddlewheel riverboat or a dinner theatre experience, both offering exceptional entertainment and cuisine.
Standard: Red Roof Inn or similar
Superior: Millenium Maxwell or similar

Day 3

Nashville - Memphis (213 miles)
Leave Nashville behind and travel to Memphis, home of the blues. Your first stop must be Graceland, Elvis Presley’s 14-acre estate. Visit the “Birthplace of Rock ‘n Roll” at Sun Studios. Enjoy a fascinating tour and listen to audio presentations of some of the earliest recordings made there. After that, visit the original studio itself, the exact same room where the likes of Johnny Cash and Elvis recorded their first tracks. City sightseeing tours are offered by paddleboat, carriage and motor coach. Stroll down historic Beale Street where blues has been playing for more than half a century. This historic entertainment capital has something for everyone, whether you want to listen to music or sample southern barbecue.
Standard: Quality Inn Memphis or similar
Superior: Elvis Heartbreak Hotel or similar
Today’s Optional Experience
Graceland Estate Tour (Experience Package): Tour Elvis Presley’s expansive 14-acre estate which includes the Graceland Mansion and grounds. Among the many exhibits are Elvis’ two custom airplanes, the Automobile Museum featuring his famous Pink Cadillac, the Elvis Lives: The King of Pop Culture Exhibit where you can experience how Elvis has influenced pop culture as we know it today and the Hollywood Exhibit for a look at the story of how Elvis transitioned from singer to an on-screen star. Other highlights include the amazing display of Elvis’ Gold and Platinum awards in the Hall of Gold and Elvis’ Trophy Building.

Day 4

Memphis - Vicksburg (243 miles)
This morning travel to Vicksburg. For over five decades of the 1800s, Vicksburg was the center for the aristocracy whose wealth was based on cotton and lumber. A glimpse of its former glory is evidenced by the preservation of many historic churches (two containing Tiffany stained glass windows), government buildings and grand homes, dating to the 19th Century. Visit the Old Court House Museum, home to over 15,000 artifacts dating from pre-Columbian times to present day. Take a tour of some of the magnificent historic homes and gardens that abound the area. For the history buff, there is the 1,800-acre Vicksburg National Military Park, America’s most monumented national military park. The Vicksburg Battlefield Museum, just east of the military park, features models of gunboats, the film “Vanishing Glory” which tells about civilian life during the siege as well as a diorama depicting the Siege of Vicksburg. Historic Downtown Vicksburg offers a variety of restaurants specialty shops and art galleries. You’ll also find The Corner Drug Store with an engaging collection of Civil War artifacts; the Biedenharn Coca-Cola® Museum where Coca-Cola® was first bottled in 1894; and the Antique Doll and Toy Museum.
Standard: Best Western Vicksburg or similar
Superior: Cedar Grove Hotel or similar

Day 5

Vicksburg - Natchez (84 miles)
Continue to the town of Natchez, the oldest permanent settlement on the Mississippi River. Natchez is known for the preservation of many antebellum homes. Tour Stanton Hall built circa 1857. It is one of the most magnificent palatial residences of antebellum America. The interior contains original furnishings and Natchez antiques. Make sure to taste a local favorite, the pecan. Below the town lies Natchez Under-the-Hill, once a haven for all things inappropriate, now home to many bars and restaurants. Here you will also find a riverboat casino.
Standard: Monmouth Plantation or similar
Superior: Monmouth Plantation or similar

Day 6

Natchez - New Orleans (178 miles)
This morning travel into Louisiana. Along the way, consider a stop in Baton Rouge. Situated on the banks of the Mississippi River, Baton Rouge is Louisiana’s capital. Learn about the colorful history filled with controversial politics at the Capitol Building and the Old Governor’s Mansion. Sample some of the fine Cajun-Creole cuisine at one of the local eateries. Continue to New Orleans, a modern city with a historic soul. The oldest neighborhood in the “Crescent City” is the French Quarter. Established by the French in 1718, the architecture reflects Spanish, French, Creole and American influences. Around every corner you will find eclectic shops and fine dining. Visit the French Market and find treasures of food, antiques and crafts. Make sure to sample a beignet, the state doughnut of Louisiana. The center of the French Quarter is Jackson Square. Musicians, artists, mimes, tarot card readers and entertainers set up in front of St. Louis Cathedral on the square each day, creating an animated street scene. At night stroll down famous Bourbon Street, where the heart of jazz lives in New Orleans. You will likely hear this music in the streets and pouring out of the many nightclubs and bars. If you’re feeling fortunate, you might want to visit the casino and try your luck at Las Vegas style gambling.
Standard: Pelham New Orleans or similar
Superior: Maison Dupuy or similar
The Atchafalaya Experience (Experience Package): Enjoy this expedition on North America’s longest river swamp on board a state-of-the-art aluminum vessel. Photographers, birders, and nature lovers will appreciate The Atchafalaya which ranks among the top 10 wilderness areas in the U.S. Guided by Louisiana ecosystems’ fauna and flora experts, his tour takes you on an encounter with 38 different species of birds and mammals such as beaver, nutria, otters, mink, squirrels, and deer; depending on the season, alligators are also seen.

Day 7

New Orleans
Today, venture out of the city’s center to the Garden District. This elegant neighborhood is home to lovely southern homes and lined with parks and cafes. Some of the historic homes are available for tours. If you are feeling more adventurous, consider an escapade in the swamp. Many guided swamp and wildlife tours are offered along the bayous. In these mysterious waterways that surround the city, you will get intimate with alligators and other exotic creatures. You never know what you’ll see! For marine animal viewing, visit the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, one of the top museums of its kind in America. Find 15,000 sea creatures, representing nearly 600 species. In the evening, learn about voodoo and the city’s haunted past on a walking tour of the French Quarter. Your guide might take you to a cemetery or passed one of the many buildings that make New Orleans “America’s Most Haunted City.”
Today’s Optional Experience
Mardi Gras World Tour (Experience Package): Take a peek behind the scenes and see Mardi Gras Magic in the making! This tour will allow you to see the sculptors, costume makers and float builders at work in their shops. Walk among towering figures of fantasy. Marvel at the skill and technology that animate mega-floats. Acquire an insider’s appreciation of the history and traditions of Carniva and take home Mardi Gras memories you’ll cherish forever.
Standard: Pelham New Orleans or similar
Superior: Maison Dupuy or similar

Day 8

New Orleans - Ft. Walton Beach (241 miles)
Continue on your journey to the famous sugar-white sands and emerald waters of Fort Walton Beach. Endless strings of recreational fishing fleets, water activities, and gorgeous beachside parks await you at this jewel on the Florida Emerald Coast. Undeniably fresh seafood is served in watrefront restaurants and seaside cafes. Spend a day lounging beside a sparkling pool, play a quiet round of golf and watch the sun set into gorgeous Gulf waters.
Standard: Inn at St. Thomas Square or similar
Superior: Hilton Sandestin Hotel or similar

Day 9

Ft. Walton Beach - Tallahassee (170 miles)
Depart Ft. Walton Beach this morning and drive toward Tallahassee. As the capital city of the State of Florida, Tallahassee is the regional center for trade and agriculture. Tallahassee offers visitors the chance to experience "The Other Florida." Home to several universities, as well as a center of aeronautics and engineering, Tallahassee is proud of its scientific contributions, showing off with a 5-story IMAX theater and planetarium, and the Mary Brogan Museum of Arts and Science. Have dinner out this evening; from fast food to five-star, Tallahassee serves up an excellent selection of tantalizing restaurants. Tickling the taste buds are specialties ranging from homemade country sausage and melt-in-your-mouth steaks to wild game and succulent seafood fresh from the Gulf.
Standard: Red Roof Inn or similar
Superior: DoubleTree Tallahassee or similar

Day 10

Tallahassee - Savannah (300 miles)
Drive into Georgia this morning. Southern hospitality is alive and well in charming Savannah. The Historic District has twenty-two squares and cobblestone streets that will take you back in time. Explore the city by trolley and learn the fascinating past. By night, haunted walking tours are also available. Each piece of lovely Victorian architecture has a story, some sad and mysterious. Other sights to visit are the Telfair Museum of Art, Forsyth Park and Factor’s Walk. For delicious southern cooking, visit the restored Waterfront area which is lined with shops and restaurants. An overnight stay has been arranged here.
Standard: Quality Inn Midtown or similar
Superior: Inn at Ellis Square or similar
Today’s Optional Experience
Savannah Ghost Tour (Experience Package): Do you believe in the supernatural? Then take a seat aboard the Trolley of the Doomed for a ride through Savannah that you won’t soon forget. Savannah’s original fright-seeing tour takes you on a journey to the city’s most haunted sights. Listen intently to your Gravedigger Guide as you enjoy an adventure through Savannah’s spooky past. It is an evening of history, adventure and entertainment…with an eerie twist.

Day 11

Savannah - Charleston (115 miles)
Continue exploring the traditions of the Old South as you drive toward Charleston. Along the way, visit Beaufort. This little town claims nearly one hudred antebellum and pre-Revolutionary houses. Continue to Charleston. A fantastic way to see this city is by a horse-drawn carriage. See the Old South in the architecture and gardens of the many historic homes and buildings. Visit the shopping district of King Street in Downtown. See Civil War memorials at the Battery, a garden that boast live oaks and palmettos. Venture slightly outside the city and visit Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. Tour the house and learn about life on the plantation. The gardens offer extensive varieties of camellias and azaleas. Enjoy an overnight stay here.
Standard: Days Inn Patriot Point or similar
Superior: Marriott Charleston Hotel or similar

Day 12

Charleston - Atlanta (319 miles)
Depart Charleston and head to Atlanta. Explore all this great southern city has to offer. Visit the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site and Sweet Auburn District. Here you will find The King Center and the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church. Exhibits tell the story of the Civil Rights Movement. The Roswell Historic district has a visitor center and several antebellum homes that can be toured. Taste the past and present of Coca-Cola products at the NEW World of Coca-Cola. Enjoy a movie experience and taste brands from around the world. Experience Inside CNN Atlanta and see global news in the making. Take a tour and go behind the scenes to see how a production comes together. View television broadcast innovations and the technology that makes global news-gathering a reality. Just east of the city lies Stone Mountain. This is the world’s largest exposed granite monolith with a relief carving of Confederate heroes, surrounded by attractions and recreation in a natural environment.
Standard: Days Inn Downtown Atlanta or similar
Superior: Westin Peachtree or similar

Day 13

Atlanta - Atlanta International Airport (14 miles)
Enjoy this final day of taking in the charm and hospitality of the Deep South. Depart at leisure for the Atlanta International Airport.

Day 14

Arrive back in Ireland