Ultimate Southern Coast & Blue Ridge

Ultimate Southern Coast & Blue Ridge

Tours Starts: Nashville, Tennessee

Tours Ends: St. Augustine, Florida

Day 1

Nashville

If you booked your flight with YMT, a representative will greet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel.

The Inn at Opryland or similar

Day 2

Nashville

Nashville is home to the iconic Grand Ole Opry. Discover the best the legendary Music City has to offer. Experience Nashville’s landmarks and sites on a city tour including the Historic Downtown District and “Honky Tonk Row,” Riverfront Park, the Tennessee State Capitol, Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, the Parthenon, Vanderbilt University, and Music Row.
After lunch on your own, head to the Grand Ole Opry House, which debuted in 1974. Experience a fully guided backstage tour and see where the world’s longest-running live radio show is still performed. Walk in the footsteps of country music’s legends and get an exclusive behind-thescenes look at this world-famous show. (B)

The Inn at Opryland or similar

OPTION: GRAND OLE OPRY SHOW:

See the Grand Ole Opry, the show that made country music famous, which features a dynamic line-up of new stars, superstars, and legends of country music. Balcony seating $69 p/p. Please add this option at time of booking. Please note that artists and schedule are subject to change without notice

Day 3

Louisville

Travel from Nashville to Louisville. Visit the Kentucky Derby Museum, where you will learn all about “The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports.” Hear about past Derby winners and the history of Churchill Downs. Walk through the property to the paddock and out to the grandstand, learning trivia and fun facts along the way.
From horse racing, “the sport of kings,” continue to a mecca of America’s pastime. The Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory is all about celebrating the extraordinary role of the Louisville Slugger bat in baseball’s past, present, and future. Since the sport is such a big part of American history and culture, even visitors who don’t consider themselves big fans find something that resonates with them. Enjoy your evening at leisure. (B, L)

Hampton Inn Louisville Northeast or similar

Day 4

Cumberland Gap & Pigeon Forge

Welcome to Kentucky’s Cumberland Gap National Historic Site, the first gateway to the west. History was made here: follow the buffalo, the Native American, the longhunter, and the pioneer, who all traveled this route through the mountains into the wilderness of Kentucky. After a beautiful drive through the Daniel Boone National Forest, get settled at your hotel.
Your evening in Pigeon Forge is yours to enjoy, or you may sign up for the optional Dolly Parton’s Stampede dinner show. (B)

Hampton Inn Pigeon Forge or similar

Day 5

Ashville via Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Take the scenic route on the Blue Ridge Parkway, then stop at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian in the town of Cherokee. Experience 13,000 years of Cherokee history, the Cherokee story is told through computer generated animation and special effects, life-sized figures, artwork, and priceless artifacts.
Continue to Clingmans Dome, which at 6,643 feet is the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
This evening you will enjoy a visit Biltmore Estate. Completed in 1895, George Vanderbilt’s 250- room chateau is as impressive today as it was more than a century ago. Enjoy a self-guided tour of the house, as well as the beautiful gardens and grounds surrounding it, which were designed by renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. (B)

Holiday Inn Express Ashville or similar

Day 6

Grandfather Mountain & Boone

This morning take the scenic route on the Blue Ridge Parkway. “America’s Favorite Drive” is a U.S. National Parkway that winds 469 miles through the rugged mountains and pastoral landscapes of the Appalachian Highlands.
This afternoon you will visit Grandfather Mountain State Park, known for its incredible vistas and unmatched ecological diversity. The Mile High Swinging Bridge, found at the top of the park, is America’s highest suspension footbridge.
Spend the afternoon relaxing in Boone. This evening is yours to enjoy at leisure or you may choose to join your fellow travelers for an optional. (B)

La Quinta Inn & Suites Boone or similar

Day 7

Henry River Mill Village & Charlotte

As you travel from Boone to Charlotte you’ll have a chance to step back in time to the last century on a guided tour to learn about the rich heritage of western Carolina mill towns. You’ll visit the Henry River Mill Village Historic District. In 1860 the Henry River area was known for its waterpower and by 1905 two families had partnered together to establish the Henry River Manufacturing Company. You’ll have time on your own to explore the historic area.
You’re evening in Charlotte is yours to enjoy. (B)

Home2 Charlotte Uptown or similar

Day 8

Charlotte

Today you will have time to explore Charlotte on your own with an included pass to the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Mint Museum, and Harvey B Gantt Center for African-American Arts & Culture. (B, D)

Home2 Charlotte Uptown or similar

Day 9

Charlotte, Columbia & Charleston

Enjoy a visit to the unforgettable NASCAR Hall of Fame. More than just a museum, the NASCAR Hall of Fame is a shrine to the history, heritage and future of NASCAR. It has over 50 interactive experiences, fascinating artifacts, and an impressive collection of retired racecars. These souped up stock cars have been delighting fans since 1948.
Depart Charlotte towards Charleston with an included stop in Columbia for a panoramic tour.
Finally, arrive in Charleston. Enjoy a guided tour of The Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon. The Old Exchange was completed in 1771 and played a vital part in the American Revolution. President George Washington was a common visitor to this meeting place for local Patriots, which was the site where in 1788, South Carolina leaders debated and approved the U. S. Constitution. Today, the Old Exchange Building is one of only four remaining structures where the nation’s founding document was originally ratified.
The Provost Dungeon’s history is decidedly less auspicious. During the American Revolution, British forces converted the bottom floor of the Exchange into a military prison where American prisoners of war, British soldiers, private citizens, and enslaved people were held. (B)

Cambria Hotel Charleston Riverview or similar

Day 10

Charleston

Start the morning with a short ferry ride to Fort Sumter, the island fortification where the first shots of the Civil War were fired. Explore the National Historic Park where America’s history changed forever on April 12, 1861, when the South Carolina Militia artillery fired at the American army.
This afternoon enjoy lunch on your own in the City Market area before continuing on a city tour of Charleston. Take in the sights of Rainbow Row, Battery and White Point Garden’s, Hampton Park, and Marion Square. Spend the evening relaxing in Charleston. (B)

Cambria Hotel Charleston Riverview or similar

Day 11

Charleston & Savannah

This morning, you will stop for a tour and included southern lunch at Middleton Place. This National Historic Landmark contains America’s oldest landscaped gardens.
Spend the evening relaxing in Savannah. (B, L)

Tryp by Wyndham Savannah Downtown/ Historic District or similar

OPTION: SAVANNAH DINNER CRUISE:

Dinner Cruise on the Savannah Riverboat Cruises with traditional southern cuisine. $99 p/p. Please add this option at time of booking.

Day 12

Savannah

Take a morning guided trolley tour of historic Savannah. The oldest section of Georgia’s oldest city, Savannah’s historic district is filled with cobblestoned squares and parks shaded by oak trees draped in Spanish moss. At the center of this picturesque district is the landmark, Gothic- Revival Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist.
Enjoy lunch on your own before joining your fellow travelers for a walking tour of Bonaventure Cemetery, a beautiful resting place with 160 acres of towering oaks, Spanish moss, and historic graves. Take part, for an additional fee, on an optional evening culinary experience you won’t want to miss. Visit Paula Deen’s Restaurant, The Lady & Sons and enjoy a traditional 3 course southern Dinner. (B)

Tryp by Wyndham Savannah Downtown Historic District or similar

Day 13

Savannah to St. Augustine via Jekyll Island

Your first activity of the day will be a Jekyll Island Trolley tour of the Club Historic District, a cluster of 19th-century mansions on the southernmost of Georgia’s Golden Isles. Enjoy time on Jekyll Island to grab lunch on your own.

Sebastian Hotel or similar

Day 14

St. Augustine

Start your day bright and early with a morning tour led by a knowledgeable local guide. See the historic district of St. Augustine, then take a short walking tour of St. George Street with a break for shopping and an early lunch on your own. Continue to Matanzas River Bay for an afternoon tour of Castillo de San Marcos, a large Spanish stone fortress built to protect and defend Spain’s claims in the New World. At over 300 years old, this National Monument is the oldest structure in St. Augustine. Relax on your own this evening. (B)

Sebastian Hotel or similar

Day 15

Depart for Home (B)

Note: Flights will depart out of Jacksonville Airport.

Please note that this is a proposed itinerary; the actual itinerary may vary due to season, special events, or weather. Hotels may differ depending on date. Because our tour arrangements are often made a year or more in advance, YMT Vacations reserves the right to alter the itinerary. Itinerary changes are made to improve your vacation experience, as well as respond to any unforeseen circumstances that mandate alterations. By their nature, all tour vacations involve a certain level of physical activity. While YMT tours have been designed with our guests in mind and are not physically demanding, this tour does include walking and periods of standing during the sightseeing visits. You will also encounter steps and some uneven ground along the way, particularly at older, historical sights. Please ask your Travel Consultant for more information.