Memphis Mojo Bus Tour: Live Music on Beale Street

A working musician drives the bus and plays the whole way through Memphis' greatest hits.

The Mojo Tour is a guided sightseeing bus tour of Memphis led by professional Beale Street musicians, featuring live music and storytelling as you pass Sun Studio, Stax Museum, the Lorraine Motel, Overton Park and the homes of Elvis and B.B. King. The tour runs 1.5 to 3 hours depending on which stops you add; you can ride the Mojo only, or add admission to Sun Studio or Stax Museum at checkout. Parking is available within a few blocks of the Beale Street start point.

Step-by-step itinerary

Memphis musical and historical tour

• Start and end at Beale Street
• Learn about WC Handy, Father of the Blues
• See Peabody Hotel history and ducks
• Explore Cotton Exchange and Cotton Row
• Discover Mississippi River history
• Visit Presley family's first home
• Hear about Danny Thomas and St. Jude's
• Pass by Sun Studio, birthplace of rock 'n' roll
• See Sam Phillips' second recording studio
• Stop at Overton Park Shell, Elvis' first concert
• Learn about Overton Square and Lafayette's
• Visit Stax Museum of American Soul Music
• Understand 1968 Sanitation Strike and MLK assassination

The Experience

You board at Alfred's on Beale Street, the heart of Memphis' blues district, and the bus itself becomes the stage. A live guide who plays Beale Street professionally leads the tour with music, comedy and storytelling—not a recording or a script read from the front. The route covers the landmarks that made Memphis the birthplace of three genres: you'll pass Handy Park (where W.C. Handy earned the title "Father of the Blues"), the Peabody Hotel with its famous ducks, Cotton Row and the Mississippi River, then move into the neighborhoods where Elvis and B.B. King lived before they became legends.

The tour hits Overton Park, where Elvis played his first concert, and passes the site of Sam Phillips' second studio. You'll also see Stax Museum, home of Otis Redding, Sam & Dave and the Staples Singers—the epicenter of Southern soul. The itinerary includes the story of the 1968 sanitation strike and the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., tying Memphis' musical legacy to its civil rights history. If you want to step inside Sun Studio or Stax Museum instead of just passing by, you can add admission to either one at checkout; both are optional.

The bus accommodates strollers and service animals, and collapsible wheelchairs work if you have some mobility—contact the operator ahead if you need specifics. Parking garages sit two blocks away on Peabody Place, and metered street parking is available on Second Street and along Beale itself.

What’s included

• Guided sightseeing tour with live music and local history.
• admission to Sun Studio or Stax Museum if you select that option at checkout.
• local taxes.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Backbeat Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you're new to Memphis and want the musical story of the city told by someone who plays it—the live guide and the route together make the landmarks stick in a way a walking tour or a self-guided drive can't match.

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Top questions

What's the difference between the Mojo tour and the options that include Sun Studio or Stax Museum?

The Mojo Only option is the bus tour with live music and all the exterior stops and stories—no museum entry. Mojo and Sun Tour adds admission to Sun Studio, where Elvis, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis recorded. Mojo and Stax Museum Tour adds entry to Stax, where you walk through the actual studio where Otis Redding and the Staples Singers made their records.

How long does the whole tour take?

The tour runs between 1.5 and 3 hours depending on which option you pick and whether all stops are available that day—Overton Park's short stop is subject to weather and availability.

Who leads the tour?

A professional Beale Street musician leads the tour live, playing and telling stories as the bus moves through the city—not a pre-recorded guide.

Where does the tour start and end?

Both the start and end are at Alfred's on Beale Street, the Home of the Blues, so you don't need to arrange separate transportation to a different location.

What landmarks will I actually see on the bus?

You'll pass Sun Studio (the birthplace of rock and roll), Stax Museum (home of Southern soul), Overton Park (where Elvis played his first concert), the Peabody Hotel, Cotton Row, Handy Park, the early homes of Elvis and B.B. King, and the Lorraine Motel—the site of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination.

Can I bring a stroller or wheelchair?

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller, and collapsible wheelchairs work if you have some mobility—contact the operator in advance if you need to confirm your specific setup.