Tastes and Sounds of the South — Self-Launched
10 days · Southern USA (Nashville to New Orleans)
Trafalgar charges £2,980
No-markup version: ~£1,850 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched take on Trafalgar's 10-day music-and-food trail from Nashville to New Orleans. You'll hit the same landmarks — RCA Studio B, Country Music Hall of Fame, the Grand Ole Opry, Beale Street, the National Civil Rights Museum, Graceland, Sun Studio, Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum, a Mississippi plantation, and New Orleans' City Park and above-ground cemeteries — but independently: hostel or budget-hotel beds, self-booked museum tickets and music-venue shows, and the Greyhound/Amtrak/local bus network instead of a coach. Note that this is the USA, so costs are markedly higher than Asia or Latin America rates — budget £175–205 per day including accommodation, food, transport and entry tickets. Flights to/from the US and travel insurance are excluded.
Day-by-day
Arrive Nashville — settle into Music City
Nashville, Tennessee
Fly into Nashville International (BNA) and take the WeGo Route 18 bus downtown (~$2 / £1.60) or a shared rideshare (~$20/£16). Check into a hostel or budget motel near downtown or Music Row — the Gaylord Opryland is a resort, so swap it for something like a Music Row hostel dorm or a budget chain hotel outside the Gulch. Spend the evening walking Lower Broadway's honky-tonk strip, where bars have free live music all night; a cover charge only appears for headline acts. Grab cheap Nashville hot chicken or a meat-and-three plate for dinner (~£14).
🚌BNA airport bus WeGo Route 18 (~£1.60) or shared rideshare (~£16)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget motel, downtown/Music Row (~£55/night)
- →Evening walk of Lower Broadway honky-tonks (free entry, tips only)
- →Nashville hot chicken dinner
Studio B, Country Music Hall of Fame & the Grand Ole Opry
Nashville, Tennessee
Book the Country Music Hall of Fame combo ticket online (includes RCA Studio B, where Elvis, Dolly and the Everly Brothers recorded) — around $55/£44 via the museum site. Studio B is reached by shuttle from the museum, so do them back to back. Afternoon: walk to the Johnny Cash Museum ($28/£22) or save it for tomorrow. In the evening, catch the Grand Ole Opry — buy the cheapest tier online in advance (from ~$50/£40) rather than a package. Trafalgar's private Johnny Cash family performance can't be replicated, but the Opry's live radio show gives you a similar intimate-music fix.
🚌Walk / WeGo city bus (~£1.60 per ride); short rideshare to Opry (~£14)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget motel, downtown/Music Row (~£55/night)
- →Country Music Hall of Fame + RCA Studio B combo ticket (~£44)
- →Grand Ole Opry live show, cheapest tier (~£40)
Johnny Cash Museum, Ryman & the songwriting bars
Nashville, Tennessee
Self-book the Johnny Cash Museum ($28/£22) in the morning. Then take the Ryman Auditorium self-guided tour (~$30/£24) — the original Opry house and a genuine piece of music history. Afternoon is free: wander the Gulch murals, hit a songwriters' round at a Broadway bar (free, tip the players), or do the hop-on-hop-off trolley (~$25/£20) if your feet need a break. Dinner: cheap Southern plate lunch or a food-hall meal (~£15). Early night before a travel day.
🚌Walkable downtown loop; optional trolley (~£20)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget motel, downtown/Music Row (~£55/night)
- →Johnny Cash Museum entry (~£22)
- →Ryman Auditorium self-guided tour (~£24)
Nashville → Memphis; Beale Street & Civil Rights Museum
Memphis, Tennessee
Take the Greyhound from Nashville to Memphis (roughly 3.5 hrs, ~$30–45/£24–36 booked in advance) or the Amtrak City of New Orleans if timings suit — Greyhound is more frequent. Check into a budget hotel or hostel near downtown Memphis (walkable to Beale). Afternoon: the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel is essential — book online (~$20/£16) and allow 2–3 hours. Evening: walk Beale Street for free live blues, then dinner at a cheap soul-food spot (~£15).
🚌Greyhound Nashville–Memphis (~£30)
🛏Budget hotel/hostel near downtown Memphis (~£60/night)
- →National Civil Rights Museum entry (~£16)
- →Beale Street evening walk — free live blues
Graceland & Sun Studio
Memphis, Tennessee
Get an early bus or rideshare out to Graceland in Whitehaven — the self-guided mansion tour starts around $85/£68 (skip the VIP upgrade unless you're a die-hard). Return downtown for Sun Studio, where you can self-book the 45-minute guided tour (~$20/£16) — first come, first served, so book online or arrive early. Late afternoon: the Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum (~$15/£12). Dinner cheap on Beale or in the South Main arts district.
🚌Rideshare to Graceland (~£12 each way); walk/trolley downtown (~£3)
🛏Budget hotel/hostel near downtown Memphis (~£60/night)
- →Graceland mansion self-guided tour (~£68)
- →Sun Studio guided tour (~£16)
- →Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum (~£12)
Memphis → Natchez along the Mississippi
Natchez, Mississippi
Travel south to Natchez — the straightforward route is Greyhound to Jackson, Mississippi, then a local bus or short rideshare onward (total ~5–6 hrs, ~£35–45). Alternatively hire a car for this leg if you're travelling with others; the Natchez Trace and Highway 61 scenery is worth it. Natchez is small and quiet: check into a budget inn or B&B and walk the bluff overlooking the Mississippi at sunset. Dinner: a plate of Delta-style catfish or BBQ (~£15). The Trafalgar 'Be My Guest' private-home dinner isn't replicable, but several antebellum houses run public evening tours and wine hours for a few dollars.
🚌Greyhound Memphis–Jackson + local bus/rideshare to Natchez (~£40)
🛏Budget inn or guesthouse, Natchez (~£60/night)
- →Natchez bluff sunset walk
- →Historic downtown walking loop (free)
Frogmore Plantation & Natchez history
Natchez, Mississippi
Self-book the Frogmore Plantation & Gins tour (around $25/£20; check opening days — it's often closed Sundays and midweek in low season, so confirm by phone or email before you build your day around it). The costumed-guide tour covers cotton gins and the plantation's enslaved history. Afternoon: the Melrose or Longwood antebellum houses run National Park Service tours for ~$15/£12. Evening: casual dinner in town (~£14) and a drink at a riverside bar.
🚌Local rideshare or hired car to Frogmore (~£20 round trip)
🛏Budget inn or guesthouse, Natchez (~£60/night)
- →Frogmore Plantation & Gins tour (~£20)
- →Melrose/Longwood NPS house tour (~£12)
Natchez → New Orleans; City Park & above-ground cemeteries
New Orleans, Louisiana
Travel to New Orleans — Greyhound via Baton Rouge (~4–5 hrs, ~£35) or Amtrak's City of New Orleans if the timing works from Jackson. Check into a hostel in the Marigny, Bywater or Garden District fringe — far cheaper than the French Quarter and more fun. Afternoon: self-guided walk through City Park, then the famous above-ground cemeteries (St Louis No. 1 requires a licensed guide, but Lafayette No. 1 in the Garden District is free to enter and just as atmospheric). Evening: cheap po'boy and a free brass band on Frenchmen Street.
🚌Greyhound Natchez–New Orleans (~£35); RTA streetcar day pass (~£5)
🛏Hostel dorm, Marigny/Bywater/Garden District (~£40/night)
- →Self-guided City Park and Garden District cemetery walk (free)
- →Frenchmen Street live music (free, tips)
Swamp tour, Creole cooking & jazz on the river
New Orleans, Louisiana
Book a half-day swamp and bayou tour to Jean Lafitte National Historical Park via GetYourGuide or a local operator (from ~$65/£52 including hotel-area pickup) — small airboats and pontoon tours both work. Afternoon: the New Orleans School of Cooking runs public demonstration classes for around $45/£36, a close match for Trafalgar's private chef demo. Optional evening: the Steamboat Natchez jazz dinner cruise costs ~$83/£66 — worth it for the vibe, but a Frenchmen Street bar crawl costs a fraction. Dinner at a cheap Creole counter (~£14).
🚌Swamp tour includes pickup; RTA streetcar (~£3)
🛏Hostel dorm, Marigny/Bywater/Garden District (~£40/night)
- →Jean Lafitte swamp & bayou half-day tour (~£52)
- →New Orleans School of Cooking demo class (~£36)
Magazine Street & departure
New Orleans, Louisiana
Spend the morning on Magazine Street — vintage shops, galleries, coffee and beignets, and a stop at the Garden District's Lafayette Cemetery No. 1. Grab lunch cheap (~£12), then take the RTA Airport bus or E2 Jefferson line to Louis Armstrong International for your flight home (~$2/£1.60, or ~£30 by rideshare).
🚌RTA Airport bus (~£1.60) or rideshare (~£30)
🛏None — departure day
- →Magazine Street browsing and beignets
- →Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 walk (free)
Self-launched vs. Trafalgar
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Trafalgar | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,850 | £2,980 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,130 per person (38%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Trafalgar-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,850
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 Tastes and Sounds of the South — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,850 per person for 10 days in Southern USA (Nashville to New Orleans). 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 Trafalgar?+
Yes — Trafalgar charges around £2,980 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,850 — a saving of roughly £1,130 (38%) per person.
How long is the Southern USA (Nashville to New Orleans) trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 day-by-day stops through Southern USA (Nashville to New Orleans).
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, foodie, city-breaks trip through Southern USA (Nashville to New Orleans), 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?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
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