Memphis: African American History & Civil Rights Tour 2.5 Hours

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/11

Duration2h 30m

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

The Places Where Memphis Changed America

You'll spend 2.5 hours in a vehicle touring Memphis's African American history sites, from the Lorraine Motel to Beale Street and two churches central to the Civil Rights Movement. The guide narrates from the van rather than stopping for museum entry, so you see more ground in less time. All taxes included, wheelchair accessible, and you'll need a minimum group of four to confirm the tour.

2h 30m

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Memphis African American history

View Lorraine Motel balcony
See National Civil Rights Museum
Pass Jacob Burkle Underground Railroad home
Learn about Beale Street history
Visit Church of God in Christ headquarters
See church where sanitation strike planned

The Experience

You probably know Memphis for music, but there's a whole other story running underneath — one that starts with the Lorraine Motel and room 306, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. That balcony is visible from the street, and it's the anchor of this 2.5-hour African American history tour. Your guide drives you through the neighborhoods where that history unfolded, narrating as you pass the sites rather than stopping for museum visits, which means you cover more ground and get context you wouldn't find on a plaque.

The tour moves between several key locations — the Burkle Estate, which was a stop on the Underground Railroad back when a German immigrant chose to hide enslaved people there; Beale Street, once called the Negro Mainstreet USA, where your guide fills in the real story behind the music and the culture; and two churches that matter to the Civil Rights timeline. One is the headquarters of the Church of God in Christ, where King delivered his final sermon, "I've Been to the Mountaintop," less than 24 hours before his death. The other is where sanitation workers organized the strike that brought King to Memphis in the first place. It's the kind of connected narrative you don't get from a guidebook.

The whole thing is wheelchair accessible, and the van does the driving so you're not walking long distances between stops. Minimum group size is four people, but that can be split across multiple reservations — the operator will contact you if the tour doesn't fill. All taxes and fees are already baked into the price, so there's nothing to negotiate at pickup. Dress is smart casual, and if you're bringing kids or need a stroller, that's fine. The pace is steady but not rushed, and the guide's job is to make sure you understand why these places matter, not to hurry you through them.

What’s included

All taxes, fees, and handling charges are included in the tour price.
Transportation in a vehicle is provided, and the tour is wheelchair accessible.
Service animals are allowed.
The tour does not include museum entry fees or stops inside attractions — narration happens from the van.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPets welcome

Operated by A Tour of Possibilities, LLC

Is this one for you?Right for travelers who want Memphis's African American and Civil Rights history without arranging their own transport or navigating multiple sites. The 2.5-hour window is tight enough to fit a morning or afternoon, and the van-based format means you cover more ground than walking tours allow.