USA Itineraries: US49
The Captivating Central USA - Self Drive
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Day 1: Chicago
Arrive at Chicago. On arrival pick up your car and transfer to your hotel. Later experience Chicago’s two adrenaline-pumping observation deck located in two of the city’s tallest skyscrapers. Skydeck at Willis Tower invites you to literally step out on The Ledge, or rather a glass box that extends approximately 4 feet from the skyscraper’s facade, over 1,300-feet above ground level. Tilt at 360 CHICAGO, tips you out and over The Magnificent Mile, and affords views over the city and Lake Michigan from 1,000 feet up by evening. Overnight in Chicago.
Day 2: Chicago
Post breakfast with your vehicle proceed to explore The Art Institute of Chicago, The Chicago Theatre, Field Museum, Adler Planetarium, Grant Park, Navy Pier Millennium Park, Hard Rock Cafe Chicago, Buckingham Fountain, Cloud Gate Financial District, Maggie Daley Park, The Magnificent Mile, Tribune Tower, Chicago River, Chicago Riverwalk, Soldier Field, The Rookery Building, Centennial Wheel, Wrigley Building, Chicago River Museum. Later take a gourmet dinner cruise on a high-end luxury yacht with the stunning skyline of Chicago serving as your backdrop for your cruise along Lake Michigan. Enjoy captivating views of Chicago landmarks like the Willis Tower and Navy Pier, Shedd Aquarium, Chicago Skyline etc. Overnight at Chicago.
Day 3: St. Louis
Today after breakfast proceed to St. Louis, which is a place where history and imagination collide, and the result is a destination like no other. From taking in the stunning view from the Gateway Arch to visiting the one-of-kind City Museum you’re sure to have a great time. Explore the various attractions like Old Courthouse, Gateway Arch National Park, Old Cathedral, City Museum, Citygarden, The National Blues Museum, Magnificent Gateway Arch (The nation’s tallest man-made monument and world’s tallest arch), etc. Overnight at St. Louis.
Day 4: Nashville
Post your breakfast pick your car and proceed to Nashville which offers everything from an electrifying multi genre music scene, award-winning cuisine, historic homes, world-class art, a myriad of attractions, unique shopping, college and professional sports, and more. Roll past famous landmark locations like historic Riverfront Park, Ryman Auditorium, Schermerhorn Symphony Center, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the Tennessee State Capitol, Music Row, Belmont Mansion, Grand Ole Opry House, Cheekwood Botanical Garden, Museum of Art houses, etc. Overnight at Nashville.
Day 5: Nashville • Jack Daniels Distillery
Take the breakfast at the hotel and proceed with your vehicle to Jack Daniels Distillery. The distillery in Lynchburg is the original home of the world-famous Tennessee whiskey brand. On this full-day excursion from Nashville, learn the secrets of Jack Daniels whiskey on a guided tour of the distillery, enjoy a whiskey tasting, and explore historic Lynchburg, including the official Jack Daniels Store. Go through the small town of Shelbyville, a town famous for the Tennessee Walking Horse. After strolling through Shelbyville, pass through picturesque rolling hills and farms into Moore County. Overnight at Nashville.
Day 6: Memphis
Post the breakfast proceed in your vehicle to Memphis where blues music grew up, where rock ‘n’ roll was born and where important strides were made in the struggle for civil rights. This living history hits visitors right away during a stroll through Graceland, Elvis Presley’s final home, or on a visit to the National Civil Rights Museum, located at the site where Martin Luther King Jr. lost his life. Enjoy the one-of-a-kind attractions and landmarks like The Peabody, Silky O’Sullivan’s, Beale Street, Shelby Farms Park Conservatory, Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid, Memphis Rock n’ Soul Museum (curated by The Smithsonian Institution), Sun Studio, where Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash got their start and Stax Museum of American Soul Music, etc. Overnight at Memphis.
Day 7: Mississippi River State Park
After breakfast proceed with your vehicle to the Mississippi River State Park which is actually the newest of 52 state parks in Arkansas. The park offers great camping, water activities (boating, kayaking, fishing and swimming) and hiking. The park’s invites visitors to study, observe and explore the Arkansas Delta, the Mississippi River, and Crowley’s Ridge. Discovery-based and interactive exhibits connect visitors to the natural, cultural and historic resources of the Mississippi River State and the St. Francis National Forest. Overnight in Memphis.
Day 8: Vicksburg National Military Park • Natchez
After breakfast pick your vehicle and proceed to Natchez, the birthplace of Mississippi, is known internationally as a quaint, Southern town with a rich culture and heritage shaped by people of African, French, British, and Spanish descent. En route visit Vicksburg National Military Park preserves the site of the American Civil War Battle of Vicksburg, waged from March 29 to July 4, 1863. The park also commemorates the greater Vicksburg Campaign which led up to the battle. Reconstructed forts and trenches evoke memories of the 47-day siege that ended in the surrender of the city. Enjoy the city of Natchez by exploring Longwood, Stanton Hall, Rosalie Mississippi State Dar, The Towers of Natchez, etc. Overnight at Natchez.
Day 9: Vacherie
Breakfast at the hotel and today with your vehicle proceed to Vacherie where you’ll find that most iconic of all-American plantation houses, Oak Alley. With its majestic stand of 300-year-old oaks and its grand, antebellum Greek revival home. Vacherie is home to Laura Plantation, a gorgeous setting where you can learn about Creole culture and slave life. There’s also the 1,000-acre St. Joseph Plantation and Evergreen with its 37 historic buildings, including 22 slave cabins. Either upriver or down, the explore Whitney Plantation along Great River Road offers the traveller an unforgettable opportunity to take a step back in time and touch the past at these and other historic locations. Overnight in Vacherie.
Day 10: New Orleans • Steamboat Dinner Cruise
After breakfast, pick your vehicle and explore the birthplace of Jazz, which is also home to Creole cuisine, century-old Spanish oaks and clacking streetcars. With a combination of city life and rural plantations, swamp tours, festivals, historical significance and revelry during Mardi Gras, New Orleans has the recipe to captivate everyone. Visit various attractions like Jackson Square, French Market Place, Esplanade Avenue Tremé / Lafitte, Basin St. Station Canal Street, Harrah's Casino, Central Business District, Mercedes-Benz Superdome, The National WWII Museum, Magazine Street, Garden District, French Quarter, etc. Experience the dazzle of New Orleans at night with a romantic dinner cruise aboard the famous Steamboat Natchez. This excursion includes a Creole‐inspired dinner and live jazz music. Enjoy a scenic cruise along the Mississippi River from New Orleans Listen to live jazz music performed by the Grammy-nominated Dukes of Dixieland. Overnight at New Orleans.
Day 11: Cajun Pride Swamp Tour
Post breakfast pick your vehicle and proceed to Cajun Pride Swamp Tour is a privately-owned wildlife refuge. It takes you to a unique and educational journey back to the early days of Louisiana bayou and swamp explorations by offering authentic Louisiana swamp eco-tours, plantation tours, and combination tours. Enjoy Louisiana bayou and swamp explorations through the primitive beauty of the moss-draped cypress trees and show off the American Alligator and abundant wildlife and the unique history of the Cajun town of Frenier within the Manchac Swamp. Lake Pontchartrain- Although called a lake, this is actually a large lagoon and brackish estuary fed by freshwater rivers and connected to the Gulf of Mexico. Covering 630 square miles it is one of the largest wetlands in North America. I-10 Bonnet Carré Spillway Bridge View- The spillway, when open, allows floodwaters from the Mississippi River to flow into Lake Pontchartrain and thence into the Gulf of Mexico. Overnight in New Orleans.
Day 12: Houston
Post breakfast pick your vehicle and proceed to Space City and America's fourth-largest city i.e. Houston, is a cosmopolitan destination, filled with world-class dining, arts, hotels, shopping and nightlife. Enjoy the NASA Space Center and visit Mission Control, Rocket Park, Independence Plaza, and the astronaut training facility. Overnight at Houston.
Day 13: Houston • Galveston
Post breakfast explore the city and visit the various attractions like Houston Zoo, Houston Museum of Natural Science, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Downtown Aquarium, Hermann Park, Buffalo Bayou, Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park, San Jacinto Museum of History, Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, Market Square Park, JPMorgan Chase Tower, Lone Star Flight Museum, Beer Can House, National Museum of Funeral History, etc. Later drive to reach Galveston, a historic town located on the Gulf of Mexico. Nicknamed Oleander City, Galveston features miles of white-sand beaches, seaside restaurants, specialty shops and a fascinating history. One of the most famous buildings, a stunning Victorian mansion called the Bishop's Palace, aka Gresham's Castle. Visit the Galveston Seawall, a 10-mile levee with breath-taking views of Galveston Bay. Explore Moody Gardens, Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier, Galveston Railroad Museum, Rainforest Pyramid, Galveston Strand district, Galveston Naval Museum, East End Historical District, Historic Downtown Strand Seaport for shopping, etc. Overnight at Houston.
Day 14: Homeward Bound
It’s time to say goodbye to the mesmerizing tour that you’ve had. Pack your bags with loads of memories, drop your rental at the airport and fly out.