Itinerary: (Subject to change due to local conditions, unforeseen events, or more interesting, as-yet unplanned awesome experiences that become available)
The Guest House at Graceland
Graceland ~ Elvis’s Birthplace
Four Day Tour ~ March 21-24, 2021
Highlights: Nonstop Round Trip Airfare from Newark to Memphis • Three Nights’ Accommodations in The Guest House at Graceland • Graceland • Graceland Exhibition Center • Stax Museum of American Soul Music • Sun Studio • Mississippi River Boat Ride • Peabody Hotel & The Ducks • Belz Museum • Elvis Presley’s Birthplace & Childhood Church in Tupelo, Mississippi • Mud Island River Walk • Round Trip Shuttle to Beale Street One Evening • Three Breakfasts • One Lunch • $75.00 Meal Credit For Dinner in Our Hotel • And More! ~ Fully Escorted
In addition to the full admission package to Graceland, we visit many other exceptional area attractions. In Sun Studio we listen to recordings made on the night when Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis held a jam session that later inspired the Broadway hit musical Million Dollar Quartet. The Stax Museum relays the story of where over 160 top 100 pop chart’s songs and a staggering 243 hits in the Top 100 R&B charts were recorded. No visit to Memphis is complete without a visit to The Peabody Hotel to see its world-famous ducks. On Beale Street in Memphis, we enjoy the feel of Bourbon Street, as there are many bars with free live music to enjoy. Other outstanding included attractions are too numerous to list here.
Day 1. Welcome to Memphis, a city seated alongside the muddy Mississippi River, steeped in history and an exciting place to visit. We begin our visit to this historic city with a tour of the Belz Museum. This world- class area gem boasts 24,000 square feet of exhibition space with over 1,400 objects of priceless art. Prepare to be overwhelmed by the beauty of the finest collections of Imperial Japanese jade, ivory, decorative art and precious stones on this continent. After lunch on our own on Beale Street with its many restaurants, we enjoy a sightseeing cruise that takes us on the mighty Mississippi River. This is a great way to learn about the history of the river and see the sights while cruising on our paddle wheeler. Next, we visit the Peabody Hotel to witness the Duck March in the lobby of the hotel. In this elegant hotel, ducks swim around in the lobby fountain and are escorted to and from their plush rooftop accommodations in an elaborate parade. From here it’s a short ride to our home for the next three nights at The Guest House at Graceland, rated Four- Diamond by AAA. Located steps from the Graceland Mansion, our resort reflects Elvis’s personal style with designs inspired by the Graceland Mansion. Enjoy an included dinner in the comfort of our hotel. We will receive a $75.00 food credit that may be used in any of the restaurants in our hotel.
Day 2. This morning we travel to Tupelo, Mississippi, where we visit the birthplace of Elvis Aaron Presley. It is one of the many unique places that we visit on this tour. Time is provided to visit his boyhood home, a nearby park, the museum and the chapel he attended as a child. It was moved here and where he was first exposed to Southern gospel music that greatly influenced his career. After time to visit the downtown and an included lunch, we return to our hotel with an afternoon at our leisure so that we may enjoy our resort, its grounds and many other amenities.
Day 3. Many have dreamed about visiting Elvis Presley’s Graceland. Today that dream comes true. Our entire day’s itinerary includes time at the Graceland campus and our hotel. All are within a few minutes walk from our hotel, and the use of the hotel’s free shuttle is another option. This morning we are treated to an excellent audio tour of the mansion, outbuildings and grave site that will provide a unique insight into Elvis’s personality, and how much he was loved by his family, friends and fans. Our visit also includes seeing Elvis’s cars, planes, his wardrobe and gold records. No visit to the campus is complete without admission to the new Graceland Exhibition Center, that includes rotating special exhibits and the Jungle Room restaurant, inspired by Elvis’s man cave in the Graceland Mansion. Our hotel’s free shuttle and nearby location allows us time to return to see some of these places if you want to take a break in our hotel. Tonight, for who that want, a round trip shuttle ride is included to take us from our hotel to exciting Beale Street with its many nightclubs, restaurants and shops line this lively street.
Day 4. Our full day’s itinerary begins with a visit to the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, the true birthplace of soul music. This museum is housed in an authentic, circa-1906 Mississippi Delta church. It houses more than 2,000 cultural artifacts, celebrating the music made famous by Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, Al Green, Aretha Franklin, Earth, Wind & Fire and many more. No visit to Memphis is complete without a tour of Sun Studio. This is our next stop. It’s where Johnny Cash, B.B. King, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins began their music careers. It is one of the most influential and historic music studios in the world. We will listen to recordings made here by many artists, visit its museum and view the numerous autographed pictures that adorn the walls. After lunch on our own in the downtown, we enjoy a stroll along the Mud Island River Walk, an exact scaled down replica of the lower Mississippi River. From here it’s a short drive to the airport to board our nonstop flight home.
Roundtrip air transportation is provided by United Airlines. A surcharge will apply if United Airlines increases the price of its airfare. One piece of luggage per person (baggage fee by United is not included) and one small carry-on are permitted. A valid government issued picture ID is required to board the plane.
Sunday, March 21: Flight #3703 departs Newark at 9:30 AM and arrives in Memphis at 11:45 AM.
Wednesday, March 24: Flight #3638 departs Memphis at 5:40 PM and arrives in Newark at 9:19 PM.
Price per person: $1,675.00 Twin & $1,995.00 Single. No reservations accepted without a deposit of $250.00 per person. Make checks payable to “Group Tours & Travel”, and mail to the address below. Final payment is due December 15, 2020. Deposits are fully refundable if cancelled on or before December 15, 2020. No refunds will be granted if cancellation occurs after December 15, 2020. Group Tours & Travel reserves the right to change the tour itinerary and cannot be held responsible for delays, injuries, cancellations, surcharges or circumstances beyond its control. All trip components are subject to change in accordance with Government, State, and Local guidelines and/or mandates. Travel protection/cancellation coverage is available and recommended, but not included. It costs approximately 10% of the cost of the tour.
Methods of Payment:
Pay by check: make payable to Group Tours & Travel, mail to 1710 E. Lancaster Ave. #319, Paoli, PA 19301
Call 973-513-9001 to pay by credit card over the phone (Credit Card payments have a 4% surcharge)
Venmo @educatedwanderer
Please contact us with any questions regarding your payment.
