With the upcoming 45th anniversary of Elvis’ death and the release of a major motion picture about his life, this is the Summer of Elvis. Elvis might have left the building, but fans still flock to the late singer’s Graceland home. The crowds are going to get bigger with the release of the film “Elvis” hitting movie screens.
Leave it to Tauck Tours to do something innovative to keep their guests in awe. Guests participating in Tauck’s “Life on the Mississippi” cruise tour will enjoy a private after-hours tour of the Memphis mansion and grounds. This tour operates from March through May and October through December. There is a North and Southbound Versions of this cruise and it also has dates for 2023 Mississippi Tours.
Graceland has been designated a National Historic Landmark and included on the National register of Historic Places. The estate welcomes over 50,000 visitors each year, second only to the White House as the most visited home in the country. Since opening for tours in June of 1982, Graceland has hosted more than 20 million visitors from every state in the United States and nearly every country of the world.
You don’t have to enjoy Elvis’s music, but there is no argument that Elvis Presley remains an enduring cultural phenomenon, and Graceland is an object of popular fascination.
Tauck guests will enjoy an uncrowded hour touring the Presley mansion, as well as an exclusive private performance at New Orleans’ fabled Preservation Hall. The 11-day Life on the Mississippi itinerary begins with a two-night stay at the Four Seasons in New Orleans, combining highlights of New Orleans’ food and music scene along. You also visit other historic sites in Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. After boarding the American Duchess, a paddle wheeler with 166 passengers on four decks offering 83 staterooms ranging from 180 to 550 square feet, guests will embark on a 7-night Mississippi River Cruise. Upon disembarking in Memphis, guests will explore the city’s musical history, visit the National Civil Rights Museum and enjoy the Graceland tour before overnighting at the Guest House at Graceland.
The new private tour comes as the film “Elvis,” starring Tom Hanks and directed by Baz Luhrmann, is set to hit theaters on June 24th. Graceland also marks its 40th anniversary of hosting public tours this month.
If touring is not your style, how about a river cruise? American Cruise Lines is paying tribute to Elvis on several of our Mississippi River cruises that explore the city that made him famous, Memphis, Tennessee. There is a 2-night Graceland Pre-Cruise Package which includes 2-nights at The Guest House at Graceland, an exclusive Welcome Reception. The 7-night Music Cities Cruise where your journey begins and ends in the musical meccas of the U.S. Along the way, discover the cities, small towns, and legendary rivers that define the heartland. Explore Memphis, birthplace of the blues and home to the King of Rock-n-Roll, Elvis Presley. Enjoy a day of cruising along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers whose banks inspired a variety of musical genres, ranging from bluegrass to jazz. Stroll along the riverfront of Paducah adorned with life-size mural depicting elements of the city’s cultural past.
