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 to Memphis. Spend the evening along world famous Beale Street.
Featured accommodation
Comfort Inn Downtown Memphis
Day 9 - Explore Memphis at leisure
Today, explore the legendary music landmarks of Memphis. Start with a visit to Sun Records, the renowned recording studio where countless iconic hits were created. Then, head to Graceland, Elvis Presley's famous home, where you can dive into his life and legacy while viewing an impressive collection of his personal artifacts.
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.
Hampton Inn Downtown Indianapolis
For a comfortable stay, a warm welcome and great value, check in to Hampton Inn Indianapolis Downtown Across from Circle Centre, a great hotel choice in downtown Indianapolis. Within walking distance of major corporations, shopping and dining destinations, and popular attractions, including the Indianapolis Convention Center, the Lucas Oil Stadium and Bankers Life Fieldhouse, the Hampton Inn Indianapolis hotel offers a convenient location.
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.
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 2026, 2027 Canada Holidays that may interest you. Remember, we tailor-make each holiday to your exact needs, so please call us on 0800 917 5724 and let one of our Travel Specialists design the perfect trip for you.
Talkin' Texan Self Drive Holiday
- Dallas
- Austin
- Fredericksburg
- Bandera
- San Antonio
- Corpus Christi
- Houston
- Iconic Texan Cities
- Working Cattle Ranch
- The Alamo
- Receive a free case of wine
- Save £250 per person book by 30 September
12 Nights from £3145pp
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
- Receive a free case of wine
- Save £250 per person book by 30 September
12 Nights from £3180pp
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
- Receive a free case of wine
- Save £250 per person book by 30 September
15 Nights from £2935pp
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
- Receive a free case of wine
- Save £250 per person book by 30 September
7 Nights from £1900pp
