Located in southwestern Tennessee along the Mississippi River, Memphis is considered to be one of the most historic and cultural cities of not only Tennessee but also all of the United States of America.
In the present day, Memphis features as a hub for trade, knowledge, art, and entertainment. Home to blues, soul, and rock ‘n’ roll music, Memphis has a unique aura, as well as delicious traditional food. The combined traditional and modern amenities of the area ensure the best experience of the sunny days and exciting nights.
To make sure you don’t miss any of the highlights of the city, here are 15 of the best tours that will show you the best of Memphis.
1. Memphis Tour With Optional Graceland Admission
Source: Sean Pavone / shutterstockHead out on the streets of Memphis and discover all its major highlights, ranging from the Memphis Pyramid to the National Civil Rights Museum, and optional entrance to Graceland.
Spend 3 hours touring the city of Memphis with a narrator to tell you all the facts and tidbits about sites you visit. The tour will take you on a cruise along the Mississippi River, drive by the Pyramid Arena, Lorraine Hotel, Peabody Hotel and finally grant admission into Graceland Mansion.
This tour offers you the best sights of Memphis city, from the hotel where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated to Elvis Presley’s former home, all of them being things that you don’t want to miss.
2. Sun Studio Guided Tour
Source: f11photo / shutterstockExplore one of the must-visit places in Memphis, the Sun Studio, where rock ‘n’ roll, blues, and soul music came to life.
This is a 45-minute guided tour that will take you around the most famous recording studio in the world, where a number of great musicians like Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and B.B. King made their magic happen. And you also get a voucher to spend at the Sun Studio store, where you can find some of your musical favorites.
3. Historic Memphis Walking Tour
Source: Sean Pavone / shutterstockExplore the history of Memphis on a walking tour as you roam its streets, exploring all the hotspots of the city. Marvel at the beautiful and iconic sights as you gain more knowledge about the city.
This 2-hour tour will take you to all the historic and beautiful sights of the city, including the iconic Beale Street. Visit the architectural wonders of the city such as Court Square Fountain, Lincoln American Tower, and Calvary Episcopal Church, as your guide tells you about the city’s civil war, prohibition history, and its rich culture.
4. Woodruff-Fontaine House Museum Admission
Source: Funky Tee / FlickrDiscover the mansion which was once home to the Woodruff and Fontaine families and is furnished with fabulous antiques from the Victorian era.
This hour-long tour that will give you a deeper insight into what the city was like back in the nineteenth century, as you learn more about what the city was like during that era.
Explore the Woodruff-Fontaine House Museum in a small group, at your own pace. Scan QR codes throughout the house and learn more about the house and history.
5. Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum Admission
Source: jejim / shutterstockGet your music mode on and visit the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum to discover the history of the music that came to life in Memphis.
Spend your day at the museum indulging in Memphis’ musical legacy, and discover more about important musicians such as BB King and Muddy Waters, who were major pioneers in the music industry.
Explore costumes, instruments, photographs and more belonging to the musicians of Memphis, with an audio guide that includes up to 5 hours of information and over 100 songs, making this experience one of a kind.
6. Taste of Downtown Memphis Food Tour
Source: viator.comThis is a food crawl that serves you the history of the city along with its traditional food, as you tour six different restaurants with a local food expert.
Enjoy 3 hours of classic Memphian food at six restaurants, including not only award-winning restaurants but also known family-owned eateries. Escape the tourist traps as a local tells you all the right places and the right things to eat.
Follow your guide on this tour as he leads you to the best restaurants of the town and learn more about the history of Memphis in between restaurants and food.
7. Memphis Mojo Music Bus Tour
Source: viator.comTap your feet to the music on this bus tour that will guide you around the city of the birth of blues as local musicians keep you grooving with music, tambourines, and bongos.
Spend up to three hours with local Memphis musicians that entertain and guide you around the city as you visit all the major sites of the city including Beale Street, Stax Studio, Lorraine Moter, and even admission into Sun Studio.
It’s a tour packed with music, history and loads of enjoyments that is definitely one of a kind.
8. Haunted Pub Crawl In Memphis
Source: viator.comHold your breath and beat the fear on this pub crawl that takes you through the haunted pubs of the city.
Spend two and a half hours discovering three of the city’s haunted pubs where you get to hear stories and legends straight from the locals and your guide.
Rely on your guide, a paranormal investigator, who will tell you only the real and verified ghost stories as you enjoy your drinks at the pubs.
9. Elvis Memories Sightseeing Tour
Source: viator.comFollow the memories of Elvis Presley around the city of Memphis as you explore the city from his eyes.
It’s a two-to-three-hour tour that will allow you to visit all the places important to Elvis Presley’s life such as his home, school, and the very beautiful Botanical Garden Home, as a local guide tells you more about his life and the sites you visit.
Enjoy this family-friendly tour, which is perfect for anyone who is an avid fan of the star, and enjoy the pleasures of eating fried peanut butter and banana sandwich at Elvis’ favorite restaurant too.
10. Hard Rock Cafe
Source: photo-denver / shutterstockTake a break from long and tiring tours and stop for lunch at the very popular Hard Rock Cafe, situated right in the midst of the never-ending bustle of the iconic Beale Street.
Spend your afternoon at the Rock Hard Cafe and delve into the prix-fixe menu. Enjoy the music genre-themed meals and the accompanying beverages, both of which come from classic American cooking.
Enjoy priority seating and scrumptious food while you marvel at the rock memorabilia on the walls and relax.
11. Memphis Ghosts Walking Tour
Source: viator.comSet out on an adventure to the darker, secluded, and haunted sights of Memphis on this walking tour that will give you the chills.
Embark on this 2-hour tour, led by a local guide that tells you all the spooky tales of various hauntings, paranormal sightings, and legends from around the city. Go through the former brothel Ernestine and Hazel’s, which is known to be home to a number of notorious spirits.
Hear about haunting tales from guides and locals as you visit the haunted sites on this chilling tour.
12. Memphis City Tour And Riverboat Cruise
Source: viator.comHead out sightseeing in downtown Memphis with a guide and enjoy a ride down the Mississipi River on an old-fashioned paddlewheel boat.
Enjoy over 6 hours of exploring the city of Memphis, its history and captivating sights, on land as well as water. Witness Memphis’ classic Beale Street and the old mansions in the Victorian Village neighborhood as a guide tells you about their history and culture.
This is a land and water tour that takes you through beautiful sites and history of Memphis in a day, ensuring you see the best of the city.
13. Self-Guided Memphis Music Tour With Transportation
Source: f11photo / shutterstockExplore three of Memphis’ most famous historical sites of the music industry, discovering the history of each at your own pace on this self-guided tour.
This 5-hour tour will take you to Stax Records, Sun Studio, and the Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum, and allow you to enjoy and explore each site as fast or as slow as you wish, as you discover the landmarks where musical history was made.
This is a tour perfect for anyone that enjoys music with live commentary along the tour and round-trip transportation throughout.
14. Memphis Discovery Tour Including Rock & Soul Museum
Source: Tim Daugherty / shutterstockUncover the rich culture and history of downtown Memphis on this coach tour as you visit most of the city’s attractions and learn more about them.
This 3-hour tour is led by a guide that gives you an insight into the city’s music scene on Beale Street and at the Orpheum Theater and Gibson Guitar Factory, as well as its civil rights landmarks such as the Lorraine Motel. During the tour, you also get to witness the sites that hold historic importance such as the Court Square, Victorian Village, and Cotton Row.
Enjoy discovering all the aspects of Memphis and then fill your belly at the included barbecue at a local restaurant.
15. City Of Memphis Tour
Source: Sean Pavone / shutterstockThis tour is ideal for anyone visiting Memphis for the first time, with visits to all the major hotspots of the city while learning all about the city’s history and present.
This three-hour tour will take you to the key sights of the city including the iconic Beale Street, the famous Graceland, and the historic Victorian Homes as you get a deeper insight on all of the locations and their historic importance.
The tour allows you to choose from morning or afternoon bookings, and includes round-trip transportation to and from your hotel, which makes touring the city of Memphis all the more convenient.