Is the train travel included?

Yes, one-way Amtrak Coach class travel from Memphis to New Orleans on the City of New Orleans train.

Is this trip guided or independent?

It is an independent rail vacation with free time in both cities, plus a guided platinum tour of Memphis on Day 2, a citywide tour of New Orleans on Day 4, and a guided swamp and bayou boat tour on Day 5.

The City of New Orleans, one-way from Memphis to New Orleans in Coach class.

What hotels are used?

A choice of 12 accommodation options across tiers and cities, including Memphis properties such as The Peabody Memphis and The Guest House at Graceland, and New Orleans properties such as Hotel Monteleone.

What is included besides the train and hotels?

A platinum Memphis city tour with Graceland admission, a New Orleans citywide tour, a jazz brunch (or substituted dinner), and a swamp and bayou boat tour (or a paddlewheel Battlefield Cruise).

What is not included?

Only 1 meal (a brunch, or substituted dinner) is included; other meals are on your own.

Amtrak Vacations · Independent rail vacation

Blues and the Bayou

Rail journey from Memphis to New Orleans for music and bayou

Amtrak Vacations runs this 6-day independent rail vacation from Memphis to New Orleans. Two nights in Memphis begin with free time to explore Beale Street's barbeque restaurants and live music, followed by a platinum narrated tour that takes in Graceland, the Mighty Mississippi, the Peabody Hotel, and Sun Studios. The City of New Orleans train then carries travelers south through the musical crossroads of Mississippi to New Orleans for three nights. There, a jazz brunch at the Court of Two Sisters restaurant leads into a citywide tour of the French Quarter, Jackson Square, and the city's historic cemeteries, with tales of voodoo and piracy along Bayou St. John. A scenic boat trip through the swamp and bayou closes out the trip, with sightings of alligators, egrets, and other wildlife in their natural habitat. The pace suits travelers drawn to Southern music history, from the birthplace of rock and roll to the birthplace of jazz.

What to know before you look closer

The package includes a choice of 12 accommodation options across different tiers and cities, so the exact hotel in Memphis and New Orleans depends on which option you select when booking.
Only 1 meal (a brunch) is included; a dinner at a popular restaurant is substituted when the New Orleans brunch is unavailable.
The swamp and bayou tour may be substituted with a Battlefield Cruise aboard a paddlewheel boat.
No current departure dates are listed in this package's details; confirm exact travel dates with Amtrak Vacations.

Day by day

Day 1overnight: Memphis
Your Journey Begins in Memphis
Welcome to Memphis! Your journey begins along the Mississippi River in the City of Elvis. Travel on your own to your downtown hotel and enjoy your free time exploring the sights and sounds of this festive city. Looking for something to do? Ride the downtown trolley to Beale Street, which is full of tasty barbeque restaurants and live music venues.
Day 2overnight: Memphis
Memphis, TN
Today you will enjoy a platinum tour of Memphis, including the iconic Graceland. On this narrated tour, you'll discover all the amazing sights the Birthplace of Blues has to offer, like the Mighty Mississippi, Beale Street, the Peabody Hotel, Sun Studios, downtown Memphis and more! Your tour of Graceland will allow you to get up close and personal to the very things Elvis, "The King of Rock 'n' Roll," cherished, and give you a closer look into the King's fascinating life. Your tour also includes a stop in the serene Meditation Garden, the final resting place of Elvis and his parents.
Day 3railovernight: New Orleans
Memphis to New Orleans
Travel on your own to the station and board Amtrak on the City of New Orleans train route and head to the 'Birthplace of Jazz,' New Orleans! Enjoy the gorgeous Southern scenery as you travel through the history-laden musical crossroads of Mississippi to the Big Easy. Upon arrival, you will travel to your downtown hotel and then you're free to start exploring.
Day 4overnight: New Orleans
New Orleans, LA
Start the day with a jazz brunch at the famous Court of Two Sisters restaurant. After your brunch serenade, you'll get to see all New Orleans has to offer on a citywide tour. Absorb the sights and sounds of the world-famous French Quarter and historic Jackson Square. Explore the city's remarkable cemeteries or "Cities of the Dead." Hear fascinating tales of voodoo and piracy on Bayou St. John, the waterway used by Jean Lafitte and his band of pirates, as you make your way to the shores of Lake Pontchartrain. View the longest bridge over water in the world, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway. New Orleans has no end of attractions!
Day 5overnight: New Orleans
New Orleans, LA
Experience the timeless beauty of Southern Louisiana like no other on a scenic boat trip through the serene swamp and bayou. Hear all about the fascinating mysteries of the swamps, bayous, and the Cajun "joie de vivre." Observe the nesting grounds of alligators, egrets, raccoons, nutria, and many species of snakes.
Day 6
Your Journey Ends in New Orleans

The moments this trip is built around

Day 1Arrival in Memphis leaves free time to ride the downtown trolley to Beale Street for barbeque restaurants and live music venues.
Day 2A platinum narrated tour of Memphis visits Graceland, the Mighty Mississippi, Beale Street, the Peabody Hotel, and Sun Studios.
Day 3The City of New Orleans train travels through the musical crossroads of Mississippi, with Southern scenery on the way to New Orleans.
Day 4A jazz brunch at the Court of Two Sisters restaurant precedes a citywide tour of the French Quarter, Jackson Square, and the city's historic cemeteries.
Day 5A scenic boat trip through the swamp and bayou reveals alligators, egrets, raccoons, nutria, and snakes in their nesting grounds.

Included

One-way Amtrak® in Coach accommodations from Memphis to New Orleans onboard the City of New Orleans®
5 nights' hotel accommodations
1 meal included (1 brunch); dinner at a popular restaurant substituted when brunch in New Orleans is unavailable

Questions travellers ask

Is the train travel included?: Yes, one-way Amtrak Coach class travel from Memphis to New Orleans on the City of New Orleans train.
Is this trip guided or independent?: It is an independent rail vacation with free time in both cities, plus a guided platinum tour of Memphis on Day 2, a citywide tour of New Orleans on Day 4, and a guided swamp and bayou boat tour on Day 5.
Which train is used?: The City of New Orleans, one-way from Memphis to New Orleans in Coach class.
What hotels are used?: A choice of 12 accommodation options across tiers and cities, including Memphis properties such as The Peabody Memphis and The Guest House at Graceland, and New Orleans properties such as Hotel Monteleone.
What is included besides the train and hotels?: A platinum Memphis city tour with Graceland admission, a New Orleans citywide tour, a jazz brunch (or substituted dinner), and a swamp and bayou boat tour (or a paddlewheel Battlefield Cruise).
What is not included?: Only 1 meal (a brunch, or substituted dinner) is included; other meals are on your own.

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