Although it does not include – for practical reasons – all the places to which Elvis is linked, I propose this tour from Tupelo to Memphis, which can be both a starting point for those who want to learn more about the life and achievements of the man who undoubtedly most influenced the world music scene, and a tool for those fans of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll who still want to spend a day surrounded by his aura that, almost 40 years after his death, shows no intention of fading.
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Tupelo: Elvis’ first home
Our journey starts from Tupelo in Mississippi where Elvis was born. This choice is not only dictated by chronology, but by the idea that discovering the humble origins of the singer can lead us to better understand the extent of the success that we will then touch with our own hands by visiting Graceland in Memphis, because as the Elvis Presley Birthplace website states:
We all know about the fame that Elvis achieved, we all know how it turned out, but here you can understand how it all began
The main attraction is of course the humble little house with only two rooms where Elvis was born in 1935, the property is located on the original spot and the interior has been reconstructed according to what the conditions of the period were, helping to provide the feeling that time has stopped in the 1930s.
All around Elvis’ house we can walk along the Walk of Life, a path formed by marble slabs that retrace the main events of Presley’s career year after year. Once completed, we will admire a life-size statue that depicts the singer at the age of 13 walking through the streets of Tupelo with a guitar in hand.
Before entering the museum, there is a possibility to visit the small church that was attended by the Presley family. The construction is original but not its location, since it was moved close to the house at a later time to facilitate tourists who wanted to visit it. If you want, you can attend a religious service and listen to a gospel choir reproduce those hymns and notes that first fascinated the young Elvis. It may not be a New York gospel mass, but it certainly has its own particular charm.
The last stop before leaving Tupelo is obviously the museum curated by a friend of the Presley family which, in line with the rest of the itinerary, is focused mainly on the early years of Elvis’ life and the first part of his musical career.
If you’re lucky enough to be passing through Tupelo in the summer months, chances are you’ll also be able to attend the annual festival dedicated to Elvis. You can check out the dates on the event site.
Accommodations available in Tupelo
From Tupelo to Memphis
Once you have finished your visit to the museum, you can take US-78 and head towards Memphis, that you will reach in about an hour and forty minutes. On the way, you will pass through Holly Spring National Forest, and it’s up to you whether you want to rest for a while or continue directly on to the city of Tennessee.
Memphis
Once you reach Memphis, I suggest you head straight to Graceland, both for the convenience of parking, and because it can be a good starting point to visit other attractions in the city, thanks to the shuttle service available to tourists.
The possibilities that will open up once you arrive at Graceland are countless for all tastes and for all budgets. We can limit ourselves just to Elvis’ house, also taking advantage of an iPad, which, thanks to GPS, will always know how to introduce you to the spots you are visiting. This way, you will be able to see for yourself where Elvis lived, relaxed and spent time with his closest family and friends, immersing yourself in his daily life.
Before leaving Graceland behind us and heading to the other parts of town, we also recommend a visit to the moving Meditation Garden, located right outside the mansion, where Elvis and his family members rest and maybe pause for a moment in silence and with your mind go back to the tiny house in Tupelo, to try to realize how the whole history of music has changed since that moment.
Once out of Graceland, if we want to continue to deepen our Elvis experience we can also dedicate ourselves to the Elvis Presley Automobile Museum, with more than twenty vehicles that belonged to Elvis, including the famous pink Cadillac, and visit the Elvis Custom Jet, where you can admire the two planes owned by the King, including the famous Lisa Marie, a real flying suite with leather sofas and gold taps that Elvis used during his tours.
In addition, for fans who do not want to miss anything but cannot perhaps go to Las Vegas or Hawaii, you can also visit two permanent exhibitions on the theme Elvis Live from Vegas and Elvis’ Hawaii: Concerts, Movies and More.
Another must-see on your Memphis itinerary is the Sun Studio, easily accessible via the free shuttle bus that leaves from Graceland, where Elvis recorded his first single That’s all right in 1954 and which was used by the best artists of the time, including Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis.
Listen to That’s all right!
The recording studios are very popular, both for the meticulous reconstruction of the environments of the time, where you can see the original microphone that Elvis used, and for the competence and enthusiasm shown by the tour guides who, thanks to their passion and their anecdotes, convey the atmosphere of those years.
If after visiting the studios you still have time you can head towards the city center to take a photo of the famous statue of Elvis located on Beale Street, the most representative street of the city where you can also find many clubs that have live music and where you can spend a pleasant evening.
Staying in the area, you can visit the Rock’n’Soul Museum that traces the entire musical history of the city from its soul origins to Rock’n’Roll, useful for furthering your knowledge on the subject and to understand why Memphis has always been one of the capitals of modern music.
If, on the other hand, you want to have an overview of all that Memphis can offer you, why not consider a tour in a pink Cadillac? The website of the company that organizes this type of initiative is currently under renovation, but the many positive reviews that can be found on the web leave no doubt about the quality of the service offered.
In addition, if you pass through Memphis at certain times of the year you can participate in various initiatives, including the Elvis Birthday Celebration, which generally takes place from 7 to 10 January, and Elvis Week, from 8 to 17 August.
Info and tour costs
- Elvis Presley Birthplace: for the full tour the price is $20. If you only want to visit Elvis’ birthplace the price drops to $10. In an hour and a half, taking your time, you can visit everything.
- Graceland: the price of visiting Graceland is quite complex, ranging from $34 to visit just the house to $72 for a full tour with all the attractions. The best advice is to find out how much time you have to dedicate to the visit and what you are interested in seeing. Based on that, you can buy your tickets online a bit in advance to avoid the queue and gain some precious time. Parking costs $10. Even the timing varies a lot depending on what we choose to do: in fact, it starts from about three hours for the full tour to an hour and a half for the basic one. I recommend purchasing the Graceland Tour directly from Viator, which includes Elvis’ house and 4 museums at great prices.
- Sun Studios: Admission to the recording studios is $12 and children under the age of five are not allowed, so if you are traveling with young children in tow, be aware of this restriction. Parking is free. In an hour you can easily complete your visit.
- Memphis Rock’n’Soul Museum: if you want to visit the museum the entrance fee is $11.
- You can find all the tours dedicated to Elvis on this page.
Where to stay and where to eat
Obviously, there are many places to eat after a long day, as well as hotels, but here we want to consider only the ones that have a close link with Elvis, so as to make our experience truly complete.
- Heartbreak Hotel: is located in Memphis in the immediate vicinity of Graceland and the name says it all. It is a completely Elvis-themed hotel, from the rooms to the furnishings, even the television has three channels completely dedicated to the singer: one broadcasts concerts, one his films and one documentaries. It is not very cheap and perhaps the rooms would be in need of a little ‘modernizing’ but if you want to spend a night in an environment that refers to Elvis in all its forms and take a bath in a heart-shaped pool this is definitely the place for you. To book the hotel we recommend you use this online comparison site, useful for finding rooms at the lowest price. THE HOTEL CLOSED IN OCTOBER 2016.
All other available accommodations in Memphis
- Arcade Restaurant: particularly recommended for breakfasts and cheeseburgers, it is the oldest restaurant in Memphis where Elvis often ate. If you want to pretend you are still living in the ’50s this is the place for you. Everything in this restaurant, from furniture to neon decorations, refers to that era, so much so that it has been chosen as the location for numerous films.
- Hard Rock Cafe: I don’t think there’s any need for a description, it’s located on Beale Street and obviously the memorabilia here is dedicated mostly to Elvis.
Other historical places
- Las Vegas: perhaps to list all the attractions related to Elvis in Las Vegas would take another entire article, and maybe one day we will. In fact, there are countless dedicated live shows that are offered at any time of the year, as well as the impersonators who can be found walking the Strip. But since Vegas is also famous for the lightning weddings that can be celebrated there, why not do as Jon Bon Jovi did and get married, or renew your wedding vows, at the famous Graceland Wedding Chapel?
- Palm Springs: if you are visiting this lush town located in the middle of the Mojave you must definitely visit the famous Alexander Estate that in 1966 was rented for a year by Elvis, who spent part of his honeymoon with Priscilla there after getting married in Las Vegas. You are given the opportunity to participate in guided tours inside the property at a cost of $30 per person.
- Nashville: for Nashville we could make the same speech that we gave for Las Vegas: there are many places related to Elvis. If you were fascinated by Sun Studios, our suggestion would be to visit RCA Studio B, tickets for which can be bought at the Country Music Hall of Fame museum. For more information check out our article on what to do in Nashville.
Have you visited these places related to Elvis or do you have others to suggest? And what were your emotions when visiting the places where the king of rock ‘n’ roll lived?
