Rock & Soul

On arrival check into your hotel then meet your Contiki Crew & fellow travelers this evening to get ready for this 12 day adventure.

Hotel Dinner

This morning, we head to Navy Pier, a central hub of activity on the waterfront. Besides great views and a prime location, Navy Pier has fun rides, restaurants and shops selling trinkets. From here, it’s easy to get out and explore more of Chicago.

Use your free time and jump on two wheels to get a wide-ranging overview of the city’s core sights with a Local Guide in a fun optional activity. Or, there’s a chance to learn about the famous architects who helped design the world’s tallest skyline on an architectural cruise. With unrestrained views from the river, you’ll get a good look at the towering buildings.

For a dose of some of Chicago’s ground-breaking culture, visit a world-class museum, like the Art Institute of Chicago. For a bit of sporting action, check out if the White Sox or Cubs are playing, and spend an afternoon at the stadium watching a game.

If you’re hungry, make sure you order a deep dish pizza, Chicago’s iconic dish, at an Italian restaurant. Otherwise try a hot-dog, Chicago style, from a street vendor.

Other ideas for your free time include a visit to Lincoln Park, a favorite local hang out. With its beaches, sculptures, a free zoo and big green spaces it’s a great place to relax among the locals.

Shopping-wise, a return to the Magnificent Mile is totally recommended. It’s packed with 8 blocks worth of stores and boutiques – in other words over 460 stores to rummage through.

Hotel Breakfast

This morning we make a stop in Abraham Lincoln’s hometown & Illinois’ capital, Springfield, for lunch before heading to the ‘Gateway City’, St. Louis.

Hotel Breakfast, Dinner

Take a trip to the top of the Gateway Arch for panoramic city views, then visit the home of Budweiser for a tour of one of the world’s largest beer breweries. Later, cross America’s heartland into the Blue Grass state, Kentucky.

Hotel Breakfast

Tuck into a hearty Southern-style breakfast at Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby, while watching thoroughbreds train. Visit the Derby Museum afterwards before visiting Louisville’s downtown attractions. Later, it’s a trip up the Bourbon Trail to Nashville.

Hotel Breakfast

Learn about the music legends that made Nashville a musical mecca at the Country Music Hall of Fame this morning, before a free day to explore. Tonight, maybe go local & tap into some live music performances in a cool bar or club.

Hotel Breakfast, Dinner

Experience a slice of the legend that is “The King” as you tour his home, Graceland. Tonight, maybe get into the city’s nightlife in the downtown party hub, Beale Street, after a delicious Memphis’ BBQ dinner.

Hotel Breakfast, Dinner

Jump start the day with a tour of Graceland and pay homage to the King of Rock’n’Roll. Your Tour Manager will tell you Elvis’ story before you tour his 70’s style mansion and get up close to his lifestyle, gold records and jumpsuits.

After Graceland, you’ve got free time to explore Memphis.

If you’re keen, we’ll drop you at the Civil Rights Museum. Housed in the Lorraine Motel, this is where Dr Martin Luther King was assassinated. You can find out more about the American Civil Rights movement and its legacy here.

Stop by at Memphis’ signature site, Sun Studios, where Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash all recorded. If you want to find out more about Memphis musical heritage, have a look around and even make your own record!

If you’re hungry while your here, make sure you try out some Memphis BBQ, as this place is known for it.

Later, head to Memphis’ core and former hub of African American culture, Beale Street. Birthplace of the blues, stomping ground of famous singers like B.B. King and Tina Turner, this historic street is a major landmark and a great place to listen to live music, kick back with a beer and party.

Hotel Breakfast

Drop by Jackson, Mississippi, and then cross Lake Pontchartrain on the longest causeway in the world.

A meeting point of European style and Caribbean flavors, swinging New Orleans is busy with soul, flamboyance, festivities and a whole lot of jazz!

Get your first taste of the city’s romance as the group looks into New Orleans’ spiritual heart: the historic French Quarter. See New Orleans’ main drag, the city’s original coffee shop Café du Monde, the French Market and thriving Jackson Square, with its pretty wrought iron balconies.

Later, join an optional excursion on a traditional Mississippi riverboat and head out along the famous river. With a live Dixie jazz band and loads of Creole cooking, you’ll soon get into life in the “Big Easy”. Then turn the energy levels up with a visit to Bourbon street. Humming night and day, it is all about music and bars.

Hotel Breakfast, Dinner

A free day means time to absorb the atmosphere and lose yourself in the energy and diversity of New Orleans.

Hop on a historic street car and head to the southern end of the Garden District, where you can soak up the rundown elegance and old-world charm of the quarter’s Victorian mansions.

Experience more of the stunning French Quarter, made up of hidden courtyards, soul-kitchens and jazz clubs. Hang out in Jackson square and watch musicians, fortune tellers and artists.

For a taste of tradition, sit down in historic Café du Monde and order the only two things on the menu: café au lait (milk coffee) and beignets (French donut).

To learn more about local flavours, sign up for the New Orlean’s Cooking School optional and have a go at making classics like gumbo (a type of stew), shrimp Creole and bread pudding.

Other ideas for your free time include rummaging through the farmers and flea markets on the square, visiting the Voodoo Museum for a look into more spellbinding traditions or reliving Mardi Gras at the Mardi Gras Museum.

Make sure you try some oysters or jambalaya (rice dish with meats) before you head out tonight then check out a different part of the French Quarter with a visit to Frenchman’s Street. The buzzing nightlife is as vibrant on the streets as it is in the bars and clubs. So make sure you live the New Orleans’ motto “Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler” - let the good times roll!

Hotel Breakfast, Breakfast

Our tour ends after breakfast. It’s time to say goodbye to your new friends and Contiki Crew.