Holiday Overview
Travel from North to South on this music themed self drive, combining Blues, Jazz & Country. Also take time to savour some fine Whiskey/Whisky along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Visit Plantations and Civil War battle sights and take a dinner cruise on the mighty Mississippi River.
Start: Chicago
Finish: New Orleans
Highlights of this USA road trip include:- Visit 4 giants of the US music scene - Chicago, Nashville, Memphis & New Orleans
- Sample fine Whisky on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail
- Visit historic Plantations and Battlefield sites
- Take a Dinner Cruise on a Mississippi Paddleboat.
Blues & Booze USA Road Trip includes:
- Return flights from the UK
- Compact Car with Gold Cover - Unlimited mileage, Full tank of fuel, 3 additional drivers, Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), $1 million liability coverage, Zero excess in the USA, Self drive directions (we recommend Sat Nav)
- 2 nights accommodation in Chicago
- 1 night accommodation in Indianapolis
- 2 nights accommodation in Louisville
- Please note sample accommodation can be changed to suit requirements
- 2 nights accommodation in Nashville
- 2 nights accommodation in Memphis
- 1 night accommodation in Vicksburg
- 2 nights accommodation in New Orleans
- New Orleans Jazz Cruise Dinner
Day 1 - Arrive in Chicago
Arrive Chicago. Check-in to hotel.
Day 2 - Chicago - Explore the Windy City
Day at leisure to explore Chicago perhaps take an architectural river cruise, tour Oak Park, Visit the Frank Lloyd Wright or Ernest Hemingway sites.
Unmissable Experiences
Chicago Experiences
Day 3 - Chicago-Indianapolis 183 miles
Explore Indianapolis's historic Fountain Square. Why not dine in the trendy Wholesale District?
Featured accommodation
Hampton Inn Downtown Indianapolis
Day 4 - Indianapolis - Louisville 114 miles
Visit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway; Tour and taste along Whiskey Row in Louisville.
Featured accommodation
Brown Hotel
Day 5 - Explore Louisville and its surrounds
Visit Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby, visit distilleries along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail
Featured accommodation
Brown Hotel
Unmissable Experiences
Louisville Experiences
Day 6 - Louisville - Nashville 174 miles
On arrival why not check out the Country Music Hall of Fame or just explore at leisure
Featured accommodation
Millennium Maxwell House Hotel
Day 7 - At leisure in Nashville
Suggested options: Tour Ryman Auditorium, see a show at the Grand Ole Opry (payable locally).
Featured accommodation
Millennium Maxwell House Hotel
Unmissable Experiences
Nashville Experiences
Day 8 - Nashville - Memphis 212 miles
Visit Belle Meade Plantation en route. Spend the evening along world famous Beale St.
Featured accommodation
Comfort Inn Downtown Memphis
Day 9 - Explore Memphis at leisure
Visit Sun recors and Elvis Presleys Graceland Mansion (payable locally)
Featured accommodation
Comfort Inn Downtown Memphis
Unmissable Experiences
Graceland
Day 10 - Memphis - Vicksburg 250 miles
Visit a Civil War battlefield at the National Military Park
Featured accommodation
Courtyard Hotel Vicksburg
Day 11 - Vicksburg - New Orleans 207 miles
Travel through Plantation Country en route to New Orleans
Featured accommodation
Royal St Charles
Day 12 - Enjoy a day at leisure in New Orleans
Tour the Garden District/Arts District/French Quarter at leisure
Take a Paddlewheeler dinner cruise on the Mississippi (included)
Featured accommodation
Royal St Charles
Day 13 - Depart from New Orleans
Drop car at aiport and return to the UK, if flight times allow enjoy a traditional Louisiana Creole Jazz Brunch.
Raffaello Hotel Chicago
Raffaello Chicago offers boutique accommodations centrally located on Michigan Avenue and the famed Magnificent Mile in the heart of the Gold Coast. The hotel offers modern amenities with rooftop terraces, surrounded by all that downtown Chicago has to offer. The trademark personalized service from the warm staff ensures your downtown Chicago stay will be memorable. We are at your service at the Raffaello.
Brown Hotel Louisville
An iconic destination inextricably woven into the fabric of the city, The Brown Hotel is opulent yet approachable – like a fine Kentucky bourbon that never overwhelms you with its history but instead entertains you with a lifetime of colourful stories.
Millennium Hotel Nashville
Stay at Millennium Maxwell House Nashville and experience Southern Hospitality in the Heart of Music City. We couldn't agree more with President Theodore Roosevelt when he stated that the original Maxwell House Coffee brewed and served in the Maxwell House Hotel was “good to the last drop.” From the rich history of Maxwell House Coffee to the spacious suites and exceptional service, the hotel is “good to the last drop”.
Comfort Inn Memphis
The newly renovated Comfort Inn is located in the heart of Downtown Memphis in an extremely characteristic and lively area within short walking distance to all the sites such as Mud Island, The Cotton Museum, The FedEx Forum, The Bass Pro Shop and the famous Beale Street just to mention a few. This downtown treasure is also surrounded by the extraordinary beauty of churches, buildings, shops, monuments as well as some of the best restaurants.
Courtyard Hotel Vicksburg
The Courtyard by Marriott Vicksburg is centrally located in historic Vicksburg. The City of Vicksburg is rich in history with Civil War sites, Antebellum Homes, Multi-Cultural Diversity, and traditional cuisine and music. The Courtyard by Marriott Vicksburg is an award winning hotel. The hotel received the Chairman's Award and Platinum Award for it's high quality of guest service. The Courtyard by Marriott Vicksburg offers travellers the highest level of accommodations and amenities with state of the art facilities. Each guest is treated to an "over the top" experience at the Vicksburg Courtyard. Business and leisure travelers enjoy the conveniences of home and office while taking advantage of the Vicksburg National Military Park, the Mighty Mississippi River, and Casinos. The Courtyard by Marriott Vicksburg is located near Cooper Lighting, Batesville Casket, Ergon Refinery, International Paper, River Region Health System, Grand Gulf Nuclear Plant and The Outlets of Vicksburg.
Royal St Charles Hotel
Step into the Royal St. Charles Hotel and you'll enter into a lobby dazzling with the colour of parade floats, glass bead chandeliers and daily King Cake tastings. Step outside and you'll be standing on the famed St. Charles parade route where the major parades "roll". The hotel will tell you about its own traditions and point you to attractions and locations to learn about the Royal Balls, Mardi Gras floats and the heritage of the Mardi Gras Indians.
Image Gallery
Memphis Beale Stret
Chicago
Nashville
Graceland
New Orleans
Chicago River
Chicago
Louisville
Nashville
Nashville
Nashville
Memphis
Memphis
Memphis / Graceland
Plantation House
New Orleans French Quarter
New Orleans
New Orleans
USA Holiday Stopovers
Why not add in the 'Land of Fire and Ice' - Iceland -on your way to your holiday in the USA. We have put together a great stopover in Iceland for 2 or 3 nights which includes accommodation and the Golden Circle Trip which includes visits to the Gullfoss Waterfall, the geo thermal area of Geysir and Thingvellir National Park.
If you are travelling to the west coast of America, why not add a couple of nights stay in New York which includes accommodation and tickets for the 'Top of the Rock' observation platform for an iconic view of the city skyline. This can be done either on your way out or on the way back.
Alternative Holidays That May Interest You
Below you will find a small selection of 2024, 2025 holidays that may interest you. Remember, we tailor-make each holiday to your exact needs, so please call us on 0800 270 0009 and let one of our Holiday experts design the perfect trip for you
Blues & Booze USA Road Trip
- Chicago
- Indianapolis
- Louisville
- Nashville
- Memphis
- Vicksburg
- New Orleans
- Visit 4 giants of the US music scene
- Kentucky Bourbon Trail
- Visit historic Plantations and Battlefield sites
12 Nights from £3255pp
Talkin' Texan Self Drive Holiday
- Dallas
- Austin
- Fredericksburg
- Bandera
- San Antonio
- Corpus Christi
- Houston
- Iconic Texan Cities
- Working Cattle Ranch
- The Alamo
12 Nights from £3459pp
A Southern Trail Road Trip
- New Orleans
- Baton Rouge
- Lafayette
- Lake Charles
- Houston
- Austin
- Vibrant New Orleans
- Abundant nature in lake Charles
- Cajun & Creole cuisine and culture
- Austin's live music and foodie scenes
10 Nights from £2305pp
Route 66 Fly Drive Holiday
- Chicago
- St Louis
- Springfield
- Oklahoma City
- Amarillo
- Albuquerque
- Holbrook
- Williams
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- An epic journey across the USA
- Visit 8 States
- See the awesome Grand Canyon
- Hit the bright lights of Las Vegas
15 Nights from £3020pp
Explore Kentucky
- Newport, KT
- Lexington
- Bowling Green
- Paducah
- Owensboro
- Louisville
- Steamboat Cruise along the Ohio River
- Learn about the history of Bluegrass Music
- Visit the National Corvette Museum
7 Nights from £1965pp
Great Lakes to Great Plains
- Minneapolis
- Fargo
- Bismarck
- Medora
- Minot
- Grand Forks
- Bemidji
- Duluth
- The Great Lakes
- Explore Theodore Roosevelt National Park
- Visit the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St Paul
12 Nights from £2125pp