Escorted Tours 2020 & 2021 - 2nd Edition - Mercury Holidays

For full tour itineraries, please visit us online at www.mercuryholidays.co.uk/tours NORTH AMERICA 89 MEAL PLAN: 3 dinners ACCOMMODATION Nashville 3 nights 3 ★ Gaylord Opryland Memphis 2 nights 3 ★ Holiday Inn Memphis New Orleans 3 nights 3 ★ Royal St Charles Hotel or AC Hotel New Orleans Houston 1 night 4 ★ Sheraton Suites Houston HOUSTON 2 nights 3 ★ B&B from £269 Houston is home to some of the finest museums, performing arts and entertainment in the United States. Extend your stay in this sprawling city to experience the culture. Visit our website to learn more about our extensions. EXTEND YOUR TOUR DEPARTURES & FROM PRICES 2022 DEPARTURES AT 2021 PRICES CONTACT US FOR DATES • Prices based on flights from London Heathrow to USA with British Airways • Regional departures available • A single supplement starts from just £619 Saint Louis Cathedral, New Orleans INCLUDES DIRECT FLIGHTS TO THE USA 01 Mar 21 £2,439 17 May 21 £2,689 06 Sep 21 £2,439 20 Sep 21 £2,379 04 Oct 21 £2,299 11 Oct 21 £2,199 PACE: DAY 1: UK TO NASHVILLE Depart London on your scheduled direct flight to Nashville. On arrival, you will be met by a local tour director and transferred to your hotel. Enjoy the evening at leisure. DAY 2: NASHVILLE D This morning, embark on a tour of Tennessee’s rhythmic capital, your tour begins with a visit to the Country Music Hall of Fame; a huge museum of all things country and western and home to films, videos, costumes and Elvis Presley’s solid gold Cadillac. DAY 3: NASHVILLE D Begin today’s Nashville exploration at the Johnny Cash Museum to admire historical documents, awards and costumes before delighting in the chance to visit one of Nashville’s famous honky-tonks playing live country music, as well as the impressive Parthenon - the only full-scale replica of the Greek Parthenon and the reason behind Nashville’s nickname ‘Athens of the South’. This evening, we’ve arranged dinner at BB King’s Blues Bar Nashville for a great night of Southern food, musical sounds and hospitality. DAY 4: NASHVILLE TO MEMPHIS Begin the day with a visit to Studio B, Nashville’s oldest surviving recording studio. The tour will head for Memphis, yet another highlight of this Southern Musical Medley tour. On arrival in Memphis you will take a trip to the National Civil Rights Museum built on the spot where Martin Luther King was assassinated in 1968. DAY 5: MEMPHIS Today’s tour of Memphis’ music greats starts with a morning visit to Sun Studio where Elvis recorded his first hit. Next, experience another first for the music lovers – a visit to Graceland, the iconic home of Elvis and final resting place of The King. Continue on through central Memphis and admire architectural landmarks such as Court Square Fountain, the Lincoln American Tower, and Calvary Episcopal Church. Enjoy the evening at leisure. DAY 6: MEMPHIS TO NEW ORLEANS D Today the tour leaves Memphis and follows the path of the mighty Mississippi River and travels deep into the heart of the Mississippi Delta. Driving across Lake Pontchartrain, you will arrive in New Orleans. We’ve arranged to take you to the New Orleans School of Cooking this evening for an entertaining demonstration from one of their Creole/Cajun experts with dinner included. DAY 7: NEW ORLEANS In the morning, visit some of New Orleans’ highlights including the famous French Quarter. From here you will take a visit to a local distillery and savour the tastes of up to three different spirits. The rest of the day and evening is at leisure. DAY 8: NEW ORLEANS Today is a free day for you to enjoy New Orleans in your own time. DAY 9: NEW ORLEANS TO HOUSTON This morning it’s time to leave New Orleans and travel to Houston to catch your return flight to the UK the next day. There will be a stop along the way in Lake Charles for an hour or so for you to stretch your legs and have some lunch. Arriving in Houston in the early hours of the evening there will be a short orientation tour before returning to the hotel. DAY 10/11: HOUSTON TO THE UK The final day includes a visit to the Houston Space Centre, you’ll also see Mission Control that guided the first moon landings as well as original Saturn, Mercury and Apollo rockets. Depart for the airport to catch your overnight flight back to the UK, or continue on to your chosen extension. B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner FOR YOU TO KNOW: An ESTA visa and travel insurance are required when travelling to the USA and must be obtained before travel. Tips: We recommend you allow approximately $110pp for the duration of your tour. Optional excursions are subject to availability. Our tour encompasses the highlights and tragic lows of this era through the country music of Nashville, the rock ’n roll and jazz of Memphis and the rhythmic blues of New Orleans before concluding at the Houston Space Centre. ELVIS’ GRACELAND & AMERICA’S DEEP SOUTH 11 days from £2,199pp TOUR HIGHLIGHTS ✔ Johnny Cash Museum and Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville ✔ Tour of Elvis Presley’s Graceland ✔ National Civil Rights Museum ✔ Tour a local whisky distillery ✔ Mission Control and Apollo rockets at NASA’s Houston Space Centre ✔ French Quarter and Bourbon Street in New Orleans 1 Number of nights Tennessee Mississippi Texas < 3 2 3 1 • < Louisiana Georgia Alabama Arkansas Nashville Memphis Jackson New Orleans Houston Lake Charles      • Coach