Southern Heritage
Trip Itinerary
Day 1
Orlando Arrival
Arrive Orlando and pick up the car at the airport before proceeding to your hotel.
Day 2
Orlando
Enjoy a full day exploring the entertainment complex of Walt Disney World Resort. Visit the Magic Kingdom Park, the futuristic Epcot, the Disney-MGM Studios, or experience Disney’s wildest adventure yet: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park (admission not included).
Day 3
Orlando – Ocala – Silver Springs – Tallahassee / driving distance: 283 mi / 453 km
Today, visit the small country town of Ocala which still retains much of its provincial atmosphere. In Silver Springs, home of the world’s largest array of crystal clear springs, view these bubbling waters from a glass-bottomed boat, before heading west to Tallahassee, Florida’s tranquil capital with the charm of the Old South.
Day 4
Tallahassee – Apalachicola – Emerald Coast – Pensacola / driving distance: 205 mi /328 km
Drive along Florida’s “secret” Gulf Coast and discover well-kept wildlife preserves, elegant southern homes, and the colorful fleet of the fishing and oystering village of Apalachicola. Soak in the beauty of the Emerald Coast, with its string of postcard-perfect beaches. Arrive in Pensacola and stroll about the Seville Historic District.
Day 5
Pensacola – Mobile – New Orleans / driving distance: 200 mi / 322 km
This morning, reach the Grand Dame of Alabama’s cities, Mobile, founded nearly 300 years ago by the French. The city remains an elegant combination of European culture and southern charm. Then continue to New Orleans, the city on the bayou. Discover the unique atmosphere of this city tonight, when spicy Cajun cuisine thrills the senses, and the sounds of Blues and Jazz bring the French Quarter to life.
Day 6
New Orleans
Enjoy a full day at leisure to discover The Big Easy, representing more than 250 years of French, Spanish, and American cultures.
Day 7
New Orleans – Natchez – Vicksburg / driving distance: 250 mi / 400 km
Today drive along the Mississippi River through Baton Rouge to the great state of Mississippi, land of once great plantations and moss covered magnolia trees. Natchez is home to over 500 well preserved antebellum homes.
Day 8
Vicksburg – Memphis / driving distance: 254 mi / 407 km
Depart Vicksburg for the Home of the Blues, Memphis. This city combines the charm of the Old South with the exciting pace of a modern metropolis. An optional tour is available of Downtown Memphis with its famous Beale Street. Visit Elvis Presley’s palatial home, Graceland.
Day 9
Memphis – Nashville / driving distance: 210 mi / 340 km
Leave Memphis and reach the capital of country music, Nashville. Among the attractions in Music City U.S.A. are the Country Music Hall of Fame, The Grand Ole Opry, Opryland U.S.A., and world-famous Printer’s Alley.
Day 10
Nashville – Gatlinburg / driving distance: 220 mi / 354 km
Today drive east to Knoxville and on to Gatlinburg. Nestled at the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National park, Gatlinburg welcomes its guests with a taste of Appalachian hospitality at its best.
Day 11
Gatlinburg – Great Smoky Mountains - Cherokee - Columbia – Charleston / driving distance: 353 mi / 568 km
Enjoy the scenery while driving through the Great Smoky Mountains, famous for the distinctive blue haze which cloaks them. Pass through the ancestral homeland of the Cherokee Indians en route to Columbia, considered one of the country's most beautiful state capitals. Arrive in historic Charleston in the afternoon. Charleston is a city built for walking. Take a leisurely stroll through the historic district with its unsurpassed antebellum architecture.
Day 12
Charleston – Savannah / driving distance: 104 mi / 167 km
After leaving Historic Charleston, a popular place to visit is the Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. Then drive south to the port city of Savannah, where the city’s 24 green shade squares form the foundation for one of the largest urban historic landmark districts in the country.
Day 13
Savannah – Jacksonville – St. Augustine / driving distance: 182 mi / 292 km
Continue south and return to the Sunshine State of Florida. In Jacksonville, stroll along the Riverwalk on the South Bank of the St. Johns River before heading south to the oldest town in North America, St. Augustine. Narrow lanes, houses built in the Spanish style with their typical inner courtyards, balconies, and wrought-iron screens add to the Spanish ambiance of St. Augustine.
Day 14
St. Augustine – Daytona Beach – Kennedy Space Center – Orlando / driving distance: 168 mi / 269 km
Depart early for Daytona Beach, a meeting place for motor-racing fans from all over the world, and on to Cape Canaveral. Visit NASA's Kennedy Space Center, home of America's space program, before returning to Orlando.
Day 15
Orlando Departure
Return the car at the airport before the departure flight.
Prices, Dates, Hotels & Conditions
CHANGE CURRENCY
€
£
$
A$
¥
C$
The final price you will pay for this tour is that displayed in USD. Prices converted in other
currencies are for guidance purposes only and are approximate.
| DAILY DEPARTURES | PRICE FROM (STANDARD) |
PRICE FROM (UPGRADE) |
|---|---|---|
| January, February, March, April, May | 867 | 1285 |
| June, July, August, September, October, November, December | 867 | 1197 |
| NIGHT | CITY | HOTEL ACCOMMODATION STANDARD |
HOTEL ACCOMMODATION UPGRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Orlando | Champions World Resort | Wyndham Orlando Resort Int’l Drive |
| 3 | Tallahassee | Quality Inn & Suites | Quality Inn & Suites |
| 4 | Pensacola | Comfort Inn Pensacola | Comfort Inn Pensacola |
| 5-6 | New Orleans | Holiday Inn New Orleans Downtown Superdome | The Monteleone Hotel |
| 7 | Vicksburg | Quality Inn Vicksburg | Quality Inn Vicksburg |
| 8 | Memphis | Comfort Inn Downtown | Crown Plaza Memphis Downtown |
| 9 | Nashville | GuestHouse Inn & Suites Nashville | Millennium Maxwell House Nashville |
| 10 | Gatlinburg | Edgewater at the Aquarium | Edgewater at the Aquarium |
| 11 | Charleston | Holiday Inn Charleston Riverview | Francis Marion Hotel |
| 12 | Savannah | Best Western Plus Savannah Historic District | Best Western Plus Savannah Historic District |
| 13 | St. Augustine | The Ponce Hotel St. Augustine | Holiday Isle Oceanfront |
| 14 | Orlando | Champions World Resort | Wyndham Orlando Resort Int’l Drive |
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
- Immerse yourself in world-famous theme parks and unforgettable adventure in Orlando
- Take a glass bottom boat ride in the pure waters of the Silver River
- Taste some of the finest oysters in Apalachicola located the heart of Florida’s Forgotten Coast
- Travel along Florida’s Emerald Coast, home to some of the best beaches in the world
- Enjoy great food and music in New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz
- Experience true hospitality in Natchez, a perfectly preserved example of the Old South
- Tour one of Vicksburg many columned antebellum homes
- Walk down Beale Street for a taste of the music Memphis makes today
- Embark on the ultimate rock ‘n roll experience at Elvis Presley’s Graceland
- Walk Nashville’s Music City Walk of Fame honoring country performers of national reputation
- Visit the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum located on Nashville’s Music Row
-View the deep blue haze of Great Smoky Mountains National Park
- Stroll down Charleston’s quaint alleyways or trot through the streets in a carriage
- Stand where the first shot of the Civil War was fired
- Explore Savannah’s beautifully preserved historic neighborhoods
- Visit St. Augustine, the nation’s oldest permanently occupied European settlement
- Sip the Fountain of Youth waters and hear the history behind its legendary benefits
- Meet a veteran astronaut at Kennedy Space Center, NASA’s launch headquarters
Admission fees not included
