BATTLEFIELDS & BLUES - THE DEEP SOUTH ROAD TRIP

Day 1 Arrive Atlanta, Georgia

Begin your journey in Georgia's capital city; a bustling metropolis steeped in history. Relax on arrival at your luxurious and centrally located hotel before a full day's exploring tomorrow.

Overnight: Central hotel

Day 2 Exploring Atlanta

There is so much to see and do in Atlanta and experiences can be diverse. The history of the Civil Rights Movement is explained at the Center for Human & Civil Rights and you can visit the house where Martin Luther King was born. For lighter entertainment, visit the Coca Cola museum where the iconic brand's secrets are revealed, and not to be missed is the world's second largest aquarium housed in the Centennial Olympic Park, built for the 1996 Olympics. Wannabe aviators should head to the Delta flight museum where you can experience the pilot training simulator and take a tour inside a DC-3.

Option: Add a few days to the itinerary with a visit to Blackberry Farm in Tennessee. Just a 3.5 hour drive from Atlanta and the perfect pitstop for those in need of relaxation, farm to table cuisine and country walks.

Overnight: Central hotel

Day 3 Drive to Nashville, Tennessee

Head north on Route 75 through Chattanooga and the rolling hills of Tennessee to the great music city of Nashville. Two hours into your journey, stop at Chickamauga where the second bloodiest battle of the civil war was fought in 1863. Drive on for a further 2.5 hours to the home of country music and the Grand Ole Opry whose stage was the starting ground for many musical legends. Stay in Nashville's latest opening, Four Seasons' Nashville.

Overnight: Four Seasons Nashville

Day 4 Music Halls & Whiskey

In the company of your private guide, explore the music venues of SoBro, The Gulch and West End. Learn about the legends in the Country Music Hall of Fame and a visit to RCA Studio B in the footsteps of Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash. Sample some famous slow roast BBQ for lunch before heading out to an historic distillery to see how Tennessee's legendary whiskey is made - and how it tastes! Tonight the Grand Ole Opry beckons, and possibly a visit backstage to see where the real action is.

Option: If you can spare an extra day then the Mammoth Caves National Park is well worth a visit. It is a 1.5 hour drive from Nashville and the world's largest known cave system.

Overnight: Four Seasons Nashville

Day 5 Civil War Battlefields & on to Memphis, Tennessee

Drive out to Franklin this morning, passing the splendid Antebellum mansions on the way. Visit the Carnton Plantation where you can gain insight into the much-overlooked battle of Franklin, which played a vital part in the outcome of the American Civil War. Drive on for just over 2 hours and stop at the Shiloh National Military Park, established in 1894 and considered one of the best-preserved battlefields in America. Your final leg of today's journey is just 2 hours on to Memphis, the birthplace of the Blues, Soul and Rock 'n' Roll. Your base for the next two nights is in Harbor Town, overlooking the Mississippi River and just 10 minutes from Beale Street's legendary music venues.

Overnight: The River Inn of Harbor Town

Day 6 Exploring Memphis

A full day to independently wander the streets of Memphis. Highlights should include the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King was assassinated and now home to the National Civil Rights Museum, or the Slave Haven Underground Railway Museum. No visit to Memphis is complete without a stop at Gracelands, home of the King of Rock 'n' Roll, Elvis Presley. Devote this afternoon to music and explore the Stax Museum of American Soul and head to 706 Union Avenue and record your own song at the infamous Sun Studio, where legends such as BB King, Johnny Cash, Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis were discovered.

Overnight: The River Inn of Harbor Town

Day 7 The Mississippi Blues Trail to Natchez, Louisiana

A full day of driving today so head out early for the 5-hour drive south along the Blues Trail through the Mississippi Delta to Natchez. Make a photo stop at Clarksdale's crossroads of the Blues and stop for lunch in Indianola, home to the BB King Museum. Arrive in time for a mint julip and a walk around the beautiful 26-acre gardens of your home tonight, a restored Antebellum mansion, before dinner and a well-earned rest.

Overnight: Monmouth Historic Inn

Day 8 Drive to Breaux Bridge, Louisiana

The Natchez National Historical Park is home to Antebellum mansions such as octagonal Longwood and the Melrose estate, so devote this morning to some local exploring. This afternoon head on south to the cultural centre of Acadiana and the heartland of Cajun living, through the swamps and waterways of the vast Atchafalaya Basin towards Lafayette. Your home for the next two nights is a beautifully restored Creole cottage on the shores of Lake Martin.

Overnight: Local guesthouse

Day 9 Lake Martin & Lafayette

Spend this morning on a private boat with a native Cajun exploring Lake Martin, the Louisiana swamp with its Tupelo gum trees draped in Spanish moss and home to over 200 different species of birds and wildlife. This afternoon could be spent wandering around Lafayette, or stay local and enjoy one of Beaux Bridge's weekly festivals. Tonight, a local Cajun chef will educate you in the culinary favourites of the locals, such as crawfish étouffée or chicken and sausage gumbo.

Overnight: Local guesthouse

Day 10 Drive to New Orleans, Louisiana

Continue south this morning through pretty, Cajun towns along the Bayou Teche waterway. Stop at New Iberia to visit one of Louisiana's plantations, home to the Weeks family and set on the banks of the Bayou. Drive on past Avery Island, one of five heavily wooded columns of salt that rise several hundred feet above the surrounding marshland and home to the Tabasco Factory, where still to this day, every bottle of Tabasco is made. Arrive in New Orleans in time to get changed at your boutique hotel in the French Quarter, and then it is time to hit the town for a fun night of cocktails and Speakeasies.

Overnight: Boutique hotel

Day 11 Streetcars & Voodoo in New Orleans

Spend today immersed in the laid-back Cajun lifestyle of New Orleans; originally home to pirates, voodoo priestesses and plantation owners and now a place for party shoes and late nights. The French Quarter is perfect for a foodie walking tour with its flower-filled balconies and pretty squares. Take a boat trip on the Louisiana Bayou in search of alligators, snakes and turtles, or head to the Biloxi Marsh which is a must for fly fishing enthusiasts. Tonight is for streetcars with bars, jazz and some delicious Cajun cuisine.

Overnight: Boutique hotel

Day 12 Depart

Drive to the airport today in time for your flight home.