Memphis Tour with Riverboat Cruise: Beale Street & Museums

Beale Street blues history, a museum of your choice, and a slow drift down the Mississippi

The Memphis Discovery Tour is a guided day through downtown Memphis that covers Beale Street, Victorian mansions, the site of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, and your choice of three museums (the National Civil Rights Museum, Rock 'n' Soul Museum, or Edge Motor Museum) before ending with a scenic cruise on the Mississippi River. The tour runs 6 hours and includes an air-conditioned vehicle, a BBQ tasting, and riverboat admission. Museum entry depends on which option you select at checkout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each5 stops

1. Beale Street5m
2. Handy Park5m
3. Victorian Village10m
4. Court Squarepassing by
5. National Civil Rights Museum10m

Explore Memphis and river cruise

• Visit Beale Street history
• Learn about WC Handy and Blues
• Pass by Memphis Redbirds and 901 FC stadium
• Pass by teenaged Elvis Presley home
• Pass by medical research hospital
• See Victorian-era mansions
• Pass by oldest home in Memphis
• Pass by Court Square
• Pass by oldest church
• Pass by Memphis cotton industry center
• Visit Martin Luther King Jr. memorial
• Tour National Civil Rights Museum (optional)
• Enjoy barbeque tasting
• Take scenic Mississippi River cruise

The experience

How do you see the real Memphis without spending days piecing it together? This tour threads the city's story in one morning: you start on Beale Street, where the blues were born, then move through the Victorian mansions of Millionaire's Row, Court Square, and the historic sites that shaped the city. The guide walks you through the neighborhood instead of just pointing from a bus window, so you get the context (WC Handy and the birth of the blues at Handy Park, the oldest home in Memphis, the cotton industry's center) before you reach the heavier stops.

After the downtown loop, you pick your museum at checkout: the National Civil Rights Museum (where you get 1.5 hours inside to stand where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated and learn the 1968 Sanitation Strike), the Smithsonian's Rock 'n' Soul Museum, or the Edge Motor Museum. This is the part of the day that changes depending on what you came to understand. Then comes the BBQ tasting (pork, no substitutions), and you're driven to Riverside Drive, where you walk down the historic cobblestone decline to the Memphis Riverboat for the cruise itself.

The riverboat is the day's closing act: a slow drift down the Mississippi with the city sliding past. The boat sits at the bottom of a steep cobblestone slope, so you'll be dropped at Riverside Drive and walk down. The return pickup is from the same spot. Parking is available in four garages within a few blocks, or metered street spots on Second Street and Peabody Place. The whole day is 6 hours, and you'll need a moderate level of fitness for the walking and the cobblestone descent. It's not recommended if stairs or uneven ground are difficult for you.

What’s included

• Air-conditioned vehicle for all downtown stops and the drive to the riverboat.
• a BBQ tasting.
• admission to the Memphis Riverboat and the scenic cruise on the Mississippi River.
• and admission to whichever museum you choose at checkout: the National Civil Rights Museum, Rock 'n' Soul Museum, or Edge Motor Museum.

Options for this experience

3 options

Tour with Edge Motor Museum and RiverboatGuide in English · 10:00Edge Motor Museum admission: Tour includes entry to Edge Motor Museum and the Riverboat Cruise

Tour with Rock'n'Soul and RiverboatGuide in English · 10:00Rock'n'Soul admission: Tour includes entry to Rock'n'Soul Museum and the Riverboat Cruise

Tour with Civil Rights and RiverboatGuide in English · 10:00Civil Rights Museum admission: Tour includes entry to the National Civil Rights Museum and the Riverboat Cruise

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Information

Lasts 6h, runs Friday to Sunday at 10:00, from US$ 90 per person, with a live guide in English and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesFriday to SundayDeparts at 10:00Last departure this season: 29 NovAnother day? ›

GroupUp to 36

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (3 to 12 years) · Infant (under 3): free

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Moderate physical effortStroller-friendlyPets welcome

Operated by Backbeat Tours

Is this one for you?Pick the Civil Rights Museum option if you came to Memphis to understand the city's role in the Civil Rights movement and the 1968 strike; choose Rock 'n' Soul if you want to dig into the music and soul culture that made the city legendary; go with Edge Motor if you're more interested in automotive history. The fixed route and timing mean you don't have to build the day yourself. The guide handles the transitions, and the riverboat at the end gives you a chance to sit still after the walking.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 12 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What's actually on Beale Street that I'll see on this tour?

Beale Street is the heart of the tour's opening: you walk the history of one of America's most famous streets, learn the story of WC Handy and the birth of the blues at Handy Park nearby, and get the neighborhood context before moving to the other downtown stops. The guide explains what made it matter, not just what it looks like now.

Which museum should I pick? Civil Rights, Rock 'n' Soul, or Edge Motor?

The National Civil Rights Museum is built around the site of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination and the 1968 Sanitation Strike. You get 1.5 hours inside with admission included. The Rock 'n' Soul Museum is the Smithsonian's take on Memphis music and soul culture. The Edge Motor Museum focuses on vehicles and automotive history. Pick the one that matches what you came to Memphis to understand.

How do I get to the riverboat, and is there parking nearby?

The Memphis Riverboat sits at the bottom of a historic cobblestone slope too steep for vehicles, so the bus drops you at Riverside Drive and you walk down from there. Four parking garages are within a few blocks (the closest is at 149 Peabody Place between Second and BB King Boulevard, next to the Hampton Inn) plus metered street parking on Second Street and Peabody Place.

What does the BBQ tasting include?

The BBQ tasting is pork. The operator does not offer substitutions. It's included as part of the tour, and it happens before you head to the riverboat.

Is hotel pickup included, or do I need to get to the meeting point myself?

Hotel pickup and dropoff are not included. You'll meet the tour at the starting point in downtown Memphis. The tour itself provides the air-conditioned vehicle for all the sightseeing stops and the drive to the riverboat.