The American South — Self-Launched Edition
14 days · American South, USA
Omega Tours charges £2,820
No-markup version: ~£1,287 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched, backpacker-paced take on the 14-day Atlanta loop through Charleston, Savannah, Montgomery, Selma, New Orleans, Natchez, Memphis, Nashville and Chattanooga. Instead of a coach and a tour director, you'll use Greyhound/FlixBus and Amtrak's Crescent and City of New Orleans lines, stay in hostels and budget motels, and book the same museums, trolley tours and plantation visits directly or via GetYourGuide/Viator. The civil rights history on the Civil Rights Trail is the heart of this route — much of it is free or under £10. Costs below are rough per-person estimates for a solo traveller sharing a dorm or twin, excluding international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Fly into ATL (the world's busiest airport — from the UK, direct flights from Heathrow/Gatwick from around £550-750 return if booked early). Take the MARTA train from the airport into Downtown/Midtown for $2.50 (~£2) — no need for a taxi. Check into a hostel or budget hotel near Downtown, pick up a refillable water bottle and a MARTA Breeze card, and spend the evening walking Peachtree Street and grabbing cheap Southern food (fried chicken, collards) in Sweet Auburn or at a food hall like Krog Street Market.
🚌MARTA airport train ~£2
🛏Downtown/Midtown hostel or budget hotel, ~£45-60/night
- →MARTA into the city
- →Evening walk around Downtown/Midtown
- →Krog Street Market food stop
Atlanta: Civil Rights history & Gone With The Wind
Atlanta, Georgia
Do the operator's 'city tour' day on your own steam. Start at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park in Sweet Auburn — his boyhood home, Ebenezer Baptist Church and the visitor centre are all free. Then visit the National Center for Civil Rights (around $20/~£16, book online) for the famous lunch-counter sit-in simulation. In the afternoon, head to Jonesboro for the Road to Tara Museum ($8/~£6) and Stately Oaks Plantation (around $12/~£10) if you're into the Gone With The Wind angle — or swap for the Atlanta History Center instead.
🚌MARTA + local bus to Jonesboro ~£5
🛏Downtown/Midtown hostel or budget hotel, ~£45-60/night
- →MLK National Historical Park (free)
- →National Center for Civil Rights ~£16
- →Road to Tara Museum ~£6
- →Stately Oaks Plantation ~£10
Atlanta to Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
Travel day east. The smoothest budget option is a FlixBus or Greyhound from Atlanta to Charleston (roughly 5.5-6.5 hours, £25-40 one way if booked ahead; there's no convenient direct train). Alternatively fly ATL-CHS on a budget carrier for £40-70 if you book early. Arrive in Charleston, check into a hostel or budget inn on the peninsula, and take an evening stroll down King Street and the waterfront — the operator's 'evening activities' are really just you choosing a rooftop bar or a low-key dinner.
🚌FlixBus/Greyhound Atlanta-Charleston ~£25-40
🛏Charleston peninsula hostel/guesthouse, ~£50-65/night
- →Evening walk on King Street and the waterfront
- →Optional rooftop bar
Charleston walking tour & Boone Hall Plantation
Charleston, South Carolina
Book a small-group historic walking tour of the Holy City via GetYourGuide or Viator (around £20-30, 2 hours) covering the Battery, Rainbow Row and the French Quarter — this replaces the operator's locally guided tour. In the afternoon take the local CARTA bus or a rideshare out to Boone Hall Plantation in Mount Pleasant (admission around $32/~£25, open most days) to see the Avenue of Oaks and the enslaved-people exhibit.
🚌CARTA bus + rideshare ~£10
🛏Charleston peninsula hostel/guesthouse, ~£50-65/night
- →Guided historic walking tour ~£25
- →Boone Hall Plantation ~£25
Charleston to Savannah & trolley tour
Savannah, Georgia
Hop a Greyhound or FlixBus from Charleston to Savannah (~2-2.5 hours, £15-25). Savannah is a hostel-friendly city — there are a few well-run hostels in the historic district and Midtown, plus budget inns along Bay Street. In the afternoon, book an Old Town Trolley or hop-on hop-off tour via GetYourGuide (around £25-32) to cover the Historic District's squares, Forsyth Park and the riverfront, then walk it yourself with the free DOT express shuttle.
🚌Greyhound/FlixBus ~£15-25, local bus ~£3
🛏Savannah historic district hostel/budget inn, ~£50-60/night
- →Trolley tour of the Historic District ~£28
- →Walk Forsyth Park and the riverfront
Savannah to Montgomery
Montgomery, Alabama
This is the longest transfer of the trip. Take a Greyhound from Savannah to Montgomery (~8-9 hours with a change in Atlanta or Macon, £35-50). If you'd rather split it, break the journey in Atlanta overnight. Arrive in Montgomery, check into a budget hotel near Downtown (the operator's hotel was criticised for being far out — stay closer this time), and visit the Rosa Parks Library and Museum at Troy University (around $8/~£6) plus the adjacent Civil Rights Memorial.
🚌Greyhound Savannah-Montgomery ~£35-50
🛏Downtown Montgomery budget hotel, ~£50-65/night
- →Rosa Parks Library & Museum ~£6
- →Civil Rights Memorial (free)
Montgomery to Selma to New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
Rent a car for the day or join a Civil Rights Trail day tour (around £70-90) to drive the 50 miles west to Selma: walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge and see Brown Chapel AME Church, both free and deeply moving. In Montgomery beforehand, pop into Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church (donations) where Dr King was pastor. Then continue south — a late Greyhound from Montgomery to New Orleans (~5-6 hours, £30-45) gets you into NOLA in the evening. Check into a hostel in the French Quarter/Marigny area and grab a po'boy.
🚌Rental car or day tour for Selma leg, then Greyhound ~£40
🛏French Quarter/Marigny hostel, ~£35-50/night dorm
- →Edmund Pettus Bridge (free)
- →Brown Chapel AME Church (free)
- →Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church (donation)
New Orleans: French Quarter & riverboat jazz
New Orleans, Louisiana
Self-explore the French Quarter on a free walking tour (tip-based, $10-20), then wander Jackson Square, Royal Street and the Mississippi riverfront. Consider a working plantation visit (Whitney Plantation is the most worthwhile at around $32/~£25 plus transport — book a shuttle, ~£25). In the evening, book a Natchez steamboat dinner jazz cruise via GetYourGuide (~£55-70) or alternatively spend £10 on a beer and jazz on Frenchmen Street, which is far better value.
🚌Streetcar $1.25/ride (~£1)
🛏French Quarter/Marigny hostel, ~£35-50/night dorm
- →Free walking tour (tip £12)
- →Whitney Plantation shuttle + ticket ~£50
- →Frenchmen Street live jazz (free entry)
New Orleans to Natchez via Baton Rouge
Natchez, Mississippi
Take a morning Greyhound to Baton Rouge (~1.5 hours, £12-18) for a quick look at the Louisiana State Capitol and Downtown, then continue to Natchez (~2 hours, £15-20). Natchez itself is a small, walkable Antebellum town on the Mississippi — stay in a budget B&B or the local motel. In the afternoon, tour one of the antebellum mansions (Longwood or Rosalie, around $20-25/~£16-20); the operator's lavish mansion visit is easily replicated. The Natchez Trace Parkway starts right here — walk or cycle a stretch of it.
🚌Greyhound via Baton Rouge ~£30
🛏Natchez budget B&B/motel, ~£55-70/night
- →Baton Rouge quick stop
- →Antebellum mansion tour ~£18
- →Natchez Trace Parkway walk
Natchez to Memphis: civil rights & Beale Street
Memphis, Tennessee
Greyhound Natchez to Memphis is awkward (via Jackson or Baton Rouge) — allow 8-9 hours and around £40-55, or consider an overnight in Jackson. In Memphis, check into a hostel Downtown (there's good budget stock near Beale Street). Visit the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel (around $20/~£16, book online), where Dr King was assassinated, then walk Beale Street in the evening for blues bars and BBQ. Add Graceland if you're an Elvis fan (~$80/~£63, book in advance).
🚌Greyhound Natchez-Memphis ~£45
🛏Downtown Memphis hostel, ~£30-45/night dorm
- →National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel ~£16
- →Beale Street evening walk
- →Optional Graceland ~£63
Memphis to Nashville: honky tonk night
Nashville, Tennessee
Take the Greyhound from Memphis to Nashville (~4-5 hours, £20-30) — no direct train, so the bus is the budget option. Arrive, check into a hostel near Downtown/The Gulch, and spend the afternoon on a self-guided walk of the Ryman Auditorium exterior, Broadway and Printers Alley. In the evening, go honky-tonkin' on Broadway: live music is free entry in almost every bar, you just pay for drinks.
🚌Greyhound ~£25
🛏Nashville hostel near Downtown, ~£35-50/night dorm
- →Self-guided Downtown walk (Ryman, Broadway)
- →Broadway honky tonk bars (free entry)
Nashville: music & city day
Nashville, Tennessee
Morning city tour done independently: the Country Music Hall of Fame (~$30/~£24) and the Ryman Auditorium tour (~$35/~£28) both sit together Downtown. Or save money and do the free Tennessee State Museum and Centennial Park's Parthenon replica. In the evening, book a dinner-and-show at the Grand Ole Opry (tickets from ~£40, book direct) or a small venue gig on Lower Broadway.
🚌Local bus/rideshare ~£8
🛏Nashville hostel near Downtown, ~£35-50/night dorm
- →Country Music Hall of Fame ~£24
- →Ryman Auditorium tour ~£28
- →Optional Grand Ole Opry from £40
Nashville to Chattanooga to Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Greyhound Nashville to Chattanooga (~2.5 hours, £15-20), where you can see the Chattanooga Choo Choo complex (free to walk around) and the Tennessee Aquarium if time allows (~$40/~£32). Then continue by Greyhound Chattanooga to Atlanta (~2.5 hours, £18-25). Back in Atlanta, use the evening for one of the operator's optional sights — the Georgia Aquarium (~£32), World of Coca-Cola (~£17) or a CNN Center tour (~£16), all pre-bookable online.
🚌Greyhound via Chattanooga ~£35-45
🛏Downtown/Midtown Atlanta hostel or budget hotel, ~£45-60/night
- →Chattanooga Choo Choo (free)
- →Optional Georgia Aquarium ~£32
- →Optional World of Coca-Cola ~£17
Depart Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Final morning for anything you missed — the BeltLine Eastside Trail and Ponce City Market are a great free wander. Take the MARTA back to the airport (~£2) for your flight home. If your flight is late, luggage storage at the hostel or a downtown day locker costs a few dollars.
🚌MARTA to airport ~£2
🛏—
- →BeltLine walk and Ponce City Market
- →Souvenir shopping
Self-launched vs. Omega Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Omega Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,287 | £2,820 |
| Duration | 14 days | 14 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,533 per person (54%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Omega Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,287
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does The American South — Self-Launched Edition cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,287 per person for 14 days in American South, USA. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Omega Tours?+
Yes — Omega Tours charges around £2,820 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,287 — a saving of roughly £1,533 (54%) per person.
How long is the American South, USA trip?+
This itinerary runs 14 days, covering 14 day-by-day stops through American South, USA.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, city-breaks, budget trip through American South, USA, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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