Country Roads of the Deep South, a Women-Only Tour

Dining Summary

• 4 Dinner with Wine (DW)
• 11 Breakfast (B)
• 1 Dinner (D)
• 1 Lunch (L)

Choice Highlights

Choose between two carefully selected activities
• Nashville: Visit Nelson’s Green Brier, Nashville's most historic distillery and home of the Original Tennessee Whiskey. Learn more about the process that creates this drink's unique taste.
• Nashville: MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® with a visit to the National Museum of African American Music, the only museum dedicated to preserving and celebrating the many music genres created, influenced, and inspired by African Americans. For music lovers of all generations, this museum inspires, educates, and transforms the appreciation of American music all while celebrating the central role African Americans play in creating the American soundtrack.

Additional Included Highlights

• Our highly-skilled Travel Director will ensure your journey is seamless, serving as your expert guide, consummate organiser, and friend overseas.
• Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary.
• We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.
• Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.
• From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.
• Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).

Authentic Dining

• Nashville: Relax and unwind before meeting your Travel Director and fellow guests to mingle before sitting down to a Welcome Dinner with wine.
• Memphis: Dinner this evening will be served at The Beauty Shop, a former beauty parlour turned whimsical New American eatery, where Elvis’ ex-wife, Priscilla, was said to get her hair done.
• Lafayette: You will be joined by a Local Expert who will help you catch your lunch the old-fashioned way, using hand nets (Seasonal). Later enjoy an authentic Cajun meal.
• New Orleans: Embark on a culinary adventure at the New Orleans School of Cooking for a captivating lunch and demonstration from a female chef. Delve into the heart of Creole and Cajun cooking as you watch and learn how to make iconic dishes like gumbo, jambalaya and pralines. After learning secrets behind these classic recipes, indulge in their rich, local flavors.
• New Orleans: End your day with a Celebration Dinner with your fellow travelers.

Insight Choice

• Nashville: Visit Nelson’s Green Brier, Nashville's most historic distillery and home of the Original Tennessee Whiskey. Learn more about the process that creates this drink's unique taste.
• Nashville: MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® with a visit to the National Museum of African American Music, the only museum dedicated to preserving and celebrating the many music genres created, influenced, and inspired by African Americans. For music lovers of all generations, this museum inspires, educates, and transforms the appreciation of American music all while celebrating the central role African Americans play in creating the American soundtrack.

Insight Experiences

• New Orleans: Enjoy an exclusive behind the scenes tour of Mardi Gras World, where the magic happens and the extravagant, vibrant floats are built each year. One of the Mardi Gras World certified artists will lead you through designing your very own Mardi Gras mask and creating your masterpiece, premium felt backed mask with glitter, feathers and more to take back as an eclectic memento of your time in The Big Easy.

Make Travel Matter

• Memphis: End your day with an exclusive after-hours private tour at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music. The Stax Museum of American Soul Music is the world’s only museum dedicated to preserving and promoting the legacy of Stax Records and American soul music. The museum is part of The Soulsville Foundation, which aims to help young people prepare for life success and inspire future artists. Your experience advances UN Global Goal 4: Quality Education.

Top Rated Highlights

• Nashville: On a guided tour walk the hallowed halls of Historic RCA Studio B, Nashville’s oldest remaining recording studio.  It became a cradle of the Nashville Sound (country) in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Over 35,000 songs were recorded here by artists such as Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, and even more recently, Martina McBride and Carrie Underwood.
• Nashville: Nashville is a treasure trove of country music. See where it all started, taking in a live performance at the Grand Ole Opry, the show that made country music famous. Discover how the Grand Ole Opry is dedicated to honoring country music’s rich history and dynamic present, showcasing a mix of country legends -- including Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson -- and the current chart-toppers who have followed in their footsteps. Learn how the Opry has been the home to country music’s growth and change, from the first broadcast in the National Life Building on WSM’s Barn Dance in 1925 to the move into the new Opry House in 1974 and on to host the 55th Annual ACM Awards in 2020.
• Nashville: Dive into the heart of the Nashville Sound at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Explore exhibits like "Sing Me Back Home: Folk Roots to the Present," showcasing the evolution of country music from its 19th-century roots to today. Celebrate female icons such as Dolly Parton, Patsy Cline, and Loretta Lynn. Marvel at original artifacts, photographs, and recordings. Experience a unique one-hour performance by a female songwriter who shares her journey in the music industry, playing her songs and discussing the challenges and triumphs of being a woman in country music.
• Memphis: Explore the mansion which served as the private retreat for royalty, the King of Rock 'n Roll himself, Elvis Presley.  Graceland, a National Historic Landmark, is an exciting opportunity to get to know the personal side of "The King" in his most intimate setting. Seeing Graceland Mansion’s living room, his parents’ bedroom, the kitchen, TV room, pool room, the famous Jungle Room, his father’s office, the newly enhanced Trophy Building, the Racquetball Building. See where he and his family lived their daily life. If only the walls could talk.
• Memphis: Visit Sun Studio, also known as the “birthplace of rock and roll," where music legends, including B.B. King, Johnny Cash and Elvis recorded some of their iconic hits.
• Greenwood: Explore the Delta town of Greenwood at your own pace, before heading to the Viking Cooking School for a demonstration class that introduces you to a savory regional specialty, Hot Tamales. Learn how tamales made their way to the Mississippi Delta.
• Natchez: Visit one of the beautiful Antebellum mansions while reflecting on the reality of America's history, and learning new lessons about the preservation efforts of later generations.
• Natchez: Test your mixologist skills as you concoct a traditional Southern cocktail, the Mint Julep. Minty, cooling and with a touch of sweetness, you're sure to learn a few party tricks to bring back home with you.
• Lafayette: Get ready for a tour of a lifetime as you adventure through moss-draped cypress trees, where graceful egrets perch just out of the reach of lingering alligators! While on the boat exploration, you'll explore the diverse natural beauty and rich ecological systems of America's largest and most mysterious swamp ecosystem, the Atchafalaya Basin Swamp.
• Lafayette: Visit the Acadian Cultural Center. Your Local Expert, a park ranger from the National Park Service, will guide you through the fascinating history, culture, plight and prosperity of the Acadian people.
• New Orleans: Make a spicy stop at the Tabasco Factory for a guided tour as you discover the process of making this world-famous red hot pepper sauce. A long-standing family recipe - TABASCO® Brand products are made by McIlhenny Company, founded by Edmund McIlhenny in 1868 on Avery Island, Louisiana.
• On this exclusive tour, discover how the Mississippi River has shaped the vibrant and diverse culture of New Orleans. As you explore the city’s colorful neighborhoods, hear inspiring stories of women whose visionary leadership, energy, and collaborative spirit have brought positive change to the community. Visit the site of the original French colonial city, La Nouvelle Orleans, and the historic, culturally rich neighborhoods of Marigny and Bywater. In Marigny, meet a local artist in her co-working gallery and create your own unique art piece using recycled materials, a special keepsake of your journey. Then, visit Dong Phong, a female-owned, James Beard Award-winning bakery. Savor a delicious pastry and beverage while learning about the Vietnamese community established here 50 years ago as part of one of the largest resettlement initiatives in the U.S. This tour offers an enriching blend of history, culture, and personal connections, providing a truly memorable experience.

Well-being

• Enjoy the comfort of Insight's luxurious, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom. Our customized luxury coaches are sanitized before the start of your tour and are maintained to very high standards. Physical distancing measures have been implemented on our customized luxury coaches.
• Experience enhanced hygiene protocols to align with the latest guidance following COVID-19. All Travel Directors and Drivers have completed training in enhanced well-being and hygiene protocols.
• We only work with establishments we are confident will consistently adhere to our high well-being standards, which include hotels, restaurants and sight-seeing venues.
• Hand sanitizer is freely available on board for you to use throughout the day.

Women-Only

• Memphis: Explore the sights and insights of Memphis over this tour focusing on women’s rights and civil rights movements. You’ll be led by Elaine Lee Tumer, an educator, civil rights activist, entrepreneur and historian. As a Civil Rights activist, she participated in protest demonstrations including sit-ins, marches, pickets, boycotts and pray-ins. Her involvement resulted in her being arrested three times throughout the 1960's. She participated in the Selma March in 1965 and also the Meredith March Against Fear in 1966, where she met Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other Civil Rights leaders. From Elaine, learn about notable figures such as Frances Wright, the first woman in America to act publicly and oppose slavery, and Ida B. Wells, a teacher, a journalist, anti-lynching crusader, suffragist and social worker. This experience advances United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities.