Day 1 - ARRIVE ATLANTA, CULTURAL CAPITAL OF THE NEW SOUTH
Welcome to Georgia’s stately capital - ‘Standing Peachtree’ to the local American Indians! International Airport, a transfer takes you to your hotel in the heart of lively Buckhead, Atlanta’s shopping and entertainment mecca. Freshen up in your room, visit the soothing spa or relax in the inviting garden. Gather early evening with your Tour Director for some warm Southern hospitality - a Welcome Reception, featuring drinks and a light meal. (Meals: Welcome Reception)
Day 2 - VACATION LIKE A VANDERBILT IN ASHEVILLE
Set out toward the gently rolling Appalachians, some of the oldest mountains on the planet. As you travel into Asheville and the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains, take a deep breath of fresh mountain air. Then step back in time to an era of refined elegance as you explore the Biltmore Estate, America’s largest home built for George W. Vanderbilt in 1895. Learn about the wealthy Vanderbilt family and their famous guests on your guided tour of this National Historic Landmark. Then wander at your leisure through the mansion’s museums and acres of beautiful gardens and grounds, designed by renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted who also planned New York’s Central Park. Settle into your gracious inn, the only accommodation on Biltmore’s 8,000-acre estate and experience pampering and hospitality as the Vanderbilts once did. Tonight, delight in regional cuisine and fresh, seasonal ingredients at a convivial dinner with your travelling companions. (Meals: Full Breakfast / Dinner)
Day 3 to Day 4 - CHARMING CHARLESTON - EMBODIMENT OF THE OLD SOUTH
Leave the Blue Ridge Mountains behind as you make your way to the Atlantic coast. Your destination is the genteel and sometimes eccentric Charleston, a city rich in history and Southern charm. During a relaxing horse-drawn carriage ride, inhale the sweet fragrance of the city’s colourful gardens and flower-bedecked mansions. See the prestigious Battery and Rainbow Row, with its antebellum mansions and the Old Exchange Building. Then enjoy some free time on your own. Perhaps cool off with a mint julep at a downtown café or explore the historic churches and graveyards. This evening dinner is served at your hotel, a gracious mansion opened more than 150 years ago. Afterwards, perhaps sip cocktails on the patio, or simply explore the historic property, which has welcomed the likes of Robert E. Lee and Theodore Roosevelt. After a restful night’s sleep, delve into the true Southern plantation lifestyle at Magnolia Plantation. Visit the beautiful main house before joining a naturalist guide for a tram tour of the extensive grounds in search of alligators, turtles, egrets and herons. This afternoon, get a true feel for the seaport and its colourful past as you embark on a yacht cruise of the harbour. Glide past the palatial homes of Charleston’s famous Battery and key historic landmarks including the Cooper River Bridge, Waterfront Park, Patriots Point, Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie where early American patriots once repulsed a British warship and saved Charleston from occupation. (Meals: 2 Full Breakfasts / Dinner)
Day 5 - ST. SIMONS ISLAND AND JEKYLL ISLAND, GILDED AGE PLAYGROUND OF AMERICAN MILLIONAIRES
Travel through seaside Beaufort’s lovely historic district before venturing out to Georgia’s Golden Isles. Enjoy idyllic little St. Simons Island, an exclusive hideaway of white sand beaches, moss-draped oaks and golden marshlands. Continue island hopping to your resort on Jekyll Island, made chic by America’s wealthiest and most influential families throughout the early 20th Century. Currently one of the finest luxury getaway hotels in America, join a docent to learn the Jekyll Island Club’s 125 years of rich history, including stories passed down from the time when it was the exclusive playground of J.P. Morgan, the Rockefellers and Vanderbilts. Tonight, please join us for a superb five-course, a la carte Highlight Dinner with wine, at your sprawling, Victorian resort. After dinner, why not stroll around the perfectly manicured hotel grounds or even take a late swim in the pool? Throughout the resort - ranked by Condé Nast as one of the 500 best in the entire world - you are surrounded by understated elegance and warm hospitality. (Meals: Full Breakfast / Highlight Dinner)
Day 6 to Day 7 - SOUTHERN COMFORT IN SAVANNAH, GEORGIA S FIRST CITY
After a guided trolley tour of this unspoiled barrier island, return to the mainland and continue to Fort Pulaski National Monument. During the Civil War, the Union army attacked this historic brick fort with rifled cannons forcing a Confederate surrender. This battle marked a turning point in military history as the power of new weapons outpaced the strength of traditional fortifications. On arrival into atmospheric Savannah, a local guide will take you on a tour through the well-preserved Historic District, seeing the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, gorgeous Monterey Square as well as famous sites featured in the best-selling novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Your spectacular mansion hotel is located next to Savannah’s beautiful Forsyth Park. Before heading out this Peach Bellini, a cocktail highlighting Georgia’s delectable state fruit. Then you are at leisure to revel in the warm southern night with its heady fragrances of jasmine and lilac. The next morning, before the doors open to the public, enjoy an exclusive private tour of the Owens-Thomas House. A National Historic Landmark built in 1816, the elegant home is considered one of America’s finest examples of English Regency architecture, with family furnishings waterfront shops and restaurants along River Street, followed by some time at leisure this afternoon to savour one of America’s great walking cities. Savannah is famous for its many squares, most adorned with luxuriant vegetation and tropical flowers - make sure to leave some time for simply soaking up the atmosphere, which is one of the most popular activities among locals. At this evening’s Celebration Dinner, indulge in restaurant. After dinner, enjoy a glass of Madeira and learn why this famed fortified wine from Portugal was in such favour in this southern city that Madeira parties were the hottest ticket in town in the mid 19th century. (Meals: 2 Full Breakfasts / Celebration Dinner)
Day 8 - CONTINUE TO NEW ORLEANS
Guests on the 11-Day Tour fly from Savannah to New Orleans (flight not included). Settle in to your lavish hotel, a member of Historic Hotels of America, frequented over the years by Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, and Truman Capote! Afterwards, a local guide introduces you to the lively French Quarter, French Market, St. Louis Cemetery and the lovely Garden District, home to one of the best-preserved collections of southern mansions in the United States. Your opulent hotel has been a French Quarter landmark since 1886. This evening, you are just steps away from world-class restaurants, fantastic shopping and some of the best live music in the world. (Meals: Full Breakfast)
Day 9 to Day 10 - DISCOVERING NEW ORLEANS THE REVITALISED BIG EASY
Set in a renovated molasses warehouse in the heart of the French Quarter, learn the basics of Louisiana cooking at the New Orleans School of Cooking. Creole and Cajun cooking experts will demonstrate how to prepare such specialities as gumbo, jambalaya and pralines, seasoning your lesson with history, trivia and tall tales. Then, enjoy a selection of these Crescent City specialities at a delicious Highlight Lunch. New Orleans by night is an intoxicating mix! Late this afternoon, join your hotel’s expert mixologist to learn how to make some of New Orleans’ most notorious cocktails, such as the award-winning Pink Passion. Then the quaint restaurants and specialty shops line the cobblestone French Quarter are yours to enjoy. Perhaps soak up the atmosphere with a stroll along lively Bourbon Street, or keep time to some ragtime piano at a local club. Laissez les bons temps rouler! The next day, head out of the city for a boat tour of the swamps and bottomlands of the Bayou Boeuf area. Besides keeping an eye out for alligators, your captain will regale you with stories and help you spot the prolific wildlife, including turtles, snakes and egrets. Continue into the countryside to visit Oak Alley Plantation, a classic Greek-revival antebellum home located on the Mississippi River. Join a costumed guide to learn the stories about the families behind one of the South’s most famous homes and take time to stroll its quarter-mile canopy of giant live oak trees. This evening toast your good times and newfound friends at a festive Celebration Dinner with wine at Arnaud’s in the French Quarter. Considered one of the quintessential New Orleans dining experiences, Arnaud’s was opened in 1918 by a flamboyant wine salesman Arnaud Cazenave its legendary entertainment. After dinner, wind up your festive evening with some good, old-fashioned Dixieland jazz at a local club. Take it all in, along with a traditional Sazerac cocktail and celebrate your incredible journey through the heart of the South. (Meals: 2 Full Breakfasts / Highlight Lunch / Celebration Dinner)
Day 11 - DEPART NEW ORLEANS
It may be hard bidding farewell to the Big Easy - but your departure transfer to New Orleans International Airport/Louis Armstrong International awaits. (Meals: Full Breakfast)
