Honky Tonk Highway
Follow in Rob Brydon’s tyre tracks through Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama and Mississippi on a road trip that uncovers the true story of country music.
Inspired by Rob Brydon’s Honky Tonk Road Trip, this 13-night self-drive holiday takes you on a musical journey through the heart of America’s South — tracing the true origins and evolution of country music. Begin in Nashville, the city where legends are made, before heading north to Kentucky’s bluegrass country, where rolling pastures and fiddle tunes shaped the earliest sounds of Americana. Continue east to the Great Smoky Mountains, where the ballads and instruments brought by early British settlers became the foundation of Appalachian folk and, ultimately, country music itself.
From there, travel south to Alabama, home of Hank Williams and the honky-tonk sound that swept the nation, before crossing into Mississippi to explore Elvis Presley’s birthplace in Tupelo. Your journey ends in Memphis, where Elvis, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins transformed country into rockabilly at the legendary Sun Studio. Along the way, you’ll explore small towns, live stages, museums and landscapes that continue to inspire songwriters to this day — an unforgettable adventure through the soul, spirit and storytelling heart of country music.
Remember: We’re UK-based, and every holiday we create is fully flexible – you can add nights, upgrade hotels, or enhance your itinerary. We love designing tailor-made self-drive adventures just for you!
13 night self drive holiday from £2,199pp including flights, accommodation & car rental
Highlights
Experience Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry and Broadway honky tonks
Visit Kentucky’s Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and bourbon distilleries
Discover Hank Williams’ life and legacy in Alabama
Tour Elvis Presley’s birthplace in Tupelo and his mansion Graceland in Memphis
Your itinerary
Days 1–3 : Nashville, Tennessee
Music City - where legends were born and every bar has a band
Arrive in Nashville and dive straight into its musical heartbeat. Explore the Country Music Hall of Fame, Johnny Cash Museum, and historic RCA Studio B where Dolly Parton and Elvis recorded. Tour the Ryman Auditorium, home of the original Grand Ole Opry, then join the crowds on Lower Broadway, where neon lights glow and every doorway leads to live music. Don’t miss an intimate songwriters’ session at the Bluebird Café before relaxing with Southern cooking and a Tennessee whiskey nightcap.
3 Nights in
Nashville, TN
Arrive &
Explore
DAYS 4-5: LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY
Bluegrass heritage, bourbon trails and rolling horse country
Head north into Kentucky’s Bluegrass Region, where fiddles and banjos first set the rhythm of American folk. Explore historic Lexington, visit the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Owensboro, or tour bourbon distilleries such as Woodford Reserve or Buffalo Trace. Drive through horse-farm country, stop at charming Bardstown, and end your day with live bluegrass in a local tavern.
2 Nights in
Lexington, KY
210 miles
Days 6–7: PIGEON FORGE (FOR GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NP)
Smoky Mountain ballads and Appalachian soul
Journey south-east into the Great Smoky Mountains, where misty ridges and mountain music meet. Explore Great Smoky Mountains National Park, drive the scenic Cades Cove Loop, and learn about early settlers at the Museum of Appalachia. In Pigeon Forge, visit Dollywood, celebrating Dolly Parton’s roots with rides, crafts and live shows. Evenings here hum with fiddles, foot-tapping rhythms and Tennessee moonshine.
2 Nights in
Pigeon Forge, TN
250 miles
DayS 8-9: Montgomery, Alabama
Hank Williams’ hometown and the birth of honky tonk
Drive south through Chattanooga and into Alabama’s pine-lined highways to Montgomery, where Hank Williams wrote and recorded many of his timeless songs. Visit the Hank Williams Museum and his Boyhood Home in Georgiana, then explore Montgomery’s charming downtown. Savour authentic Southern cooking and live acoustic sets in cosy bars that still echo with the honky-tonk spirit.
2 Nights in
Montgomery, AL
315 miles
Day 10: TUPELO, Mississippi
Where Elvis was born and picked up his first guitar
Cross into Mississippi to Tupelo, Elvis Presley’s hometown. Tour the Elvis Birthplace Museum, see the two-room house where he was born, and visit the hardware store where his mother bought his first guitar. The quiet charm of Tupelo offers a touching glimpse into the humble beginnings of the world’s most famous entertainer.
1 Night in
Tupelo, MS
220 miles
Days 11–13: MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE
Graceland, Sun Studio and the sound that changed the world
Continue to Memphis, where country met rhythm to create rockabilly. Tour Graceland, Elvis’s mansion filled with music memorabilia, and Sun Studio, where Elvis, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis first recorded. Visit the Memphis Music Hall of Fame, then dine on ribs and soak up live tunes on Beale Street. Memphis bridges country’s past and future — a city where every chord still resonates with history. On your final morning, you will take the 3.5 hour drive back across Tennessee’s rolling plains to Nashville with a stop in Jackson, birthplace of Carl Perkins, for a taste of rockabilly heritage. Return your car and enjoy a farewell lunch before boarding your overnight flight home — humming a tune that will stay with you forever.
3 Nights in
Memphis, TN
115 miles
June - mid Sept: Many lodgings and transport links are only open during the Summer. Amazing wildlife including bears, bald eagles, whales, sea otters and seals can be spotted.
Daytime temperatures are usually cool but very comfortabl, generally in the 15-20°C range and even into the high 20s. Days are long during the with July being the peak month.
You’ll need a connecting flght from the UK, probably via Seattle or Vancouver, we highly recommend a couple of days to explore the connecting city. Alaska is 8 or 9 hours behind the UK.
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