3 Day Memphis Itinerary: Includes EVERYTHING You Should See!
It took a few visits but I now have the best 3 day Memphis itinerary for you. 😊 For the longest time it seemed like any overnight I had for work in Memphis was always such a tease. I would be there just long enough to see maybe one and a half of the places I wanted to see, eat some BBQ and go to bed. What I needed was a full day (or three!) to really check everything off my list. It took a few years, but my wish finally came true! In one month I ended up with FOUR thirty hour Memphis overnights, one per week, and it was plenty of time for me to REALLY experience everything I wanted to in this city. So with that, here’s a 3 day Memphis itinerary that covers everything you’ll want to see in this city. 😊
Beale Street
No trip to Memphis is complete without a walk down Beale Street! You’ll find all kinds of live music, mouthwatering BBQ, Memphis souvenir shops, good vibes, fun energy, and often times various festivals and special events. I’d say Beale Street is the beating heart of Memphis and a place everyone should experience in this city.
Stax Records
If Beale Street is the heart of Memphis then Stax Records is the soul! Check out the place where artists such as Otis Redding, Booker T. & the M.G.’s and Isaac Hayes recorded so many of the biggest hits they’re known for. Learn more about this soul music record label and how Stax became such an important place and part of American music history. Warning: You might leave with a song (or 10) stuck in your head.
Civil Rights Museum
The Civil Rights Museum is probably my most favorite historical site to visit in Memphis. Before it was turned into a museum it was the Lorraine Motel, and the place where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. The outside of the museum today still looks like a motel, and the place where MLK was assassinated is marked with a wreath and memorial. Check out the museum itself to learn more about the Civil Rights Movement in America.
Peabody Hotel Duck March
I know it sounds crazy but it’s totally a thing. The Peabody Hotel has ducks that spend their day swimming around in the fountain inside the lobby. Every morning at 11am the ducks come out of the elevator and march down a red carpet into the lobby fountain. Every evening at 5pm the ducks come out of the fountain and march back down the red carpet into the elevator. You have to see it when you visit Memphis!
Get there at least 30-45 minutes early so you can get a good spot to watch it. It’s quite the event! Also be sure to check out where the ducks live when they aren’t swimming in the lobby fountain… the duck palace on the roof, of course! Yes. You can’t make this stuff up. 😄 Take the elevator to the highest floor and go through the door that leads outside.
Ride on a Riverboat
Experience the Mississippi river during an afternoon ride on a river boat. Enjoy some cold beverages and city views while listening to the guide talk about the history of Memphis and life on and near the Mississippi.
Victorian Village
Take a little stroll through the Victorian Villiage and check out the beautiful homes in this neighborhood. The Mallory-Neely House is a museum if you’d like to go inside and check it out. Some other notable homes to admire are the Woodruff-Fontaine House and James Lee House.
Graceland
You can’t say you’ve FULLY experienced Memphis if you haven’t paid a visit to the most popular residence in the city… Elvis Presley’s Graceland, of course! Check out Elvis’s home, cars and airplanes on a pricey but worth it “Elvis Experience + Planes” tour. It’s even preserved in the way it looked when he lived there! Super cool. Plan on spending at LEAST a solid half day here. There’s a lot to see!
Sun Studio
Check out Sun Studio where Elvis sang for the n-th time and was finally discovered! There’s an “x” on the floor in the spot where Elvis was standing on that day and when Bob Dylan visited the studio for the first time he got down on his hands and knees and kissed the “x” on the floor in honor of the King. (How cool is that??) This is also where the “Million Dollar Quartet,” the impromptu jam sesh with Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash was recorded (unbeknownst to them). To this day Sun Studio is a working recording studio where old and new artists alike have recorded over the years. (Including U2 who recorded 5 songs from a recent album here using the drum set on site) This is seriously one of the coolest places to see in Memphis, guys! You can’t miss it.
Arcade Restaurant
Have breakfast or brunch at the Arcade Restaurant. Not only is it the oldest cafe in Memphis (with some seriously delicious food) it’s also been featured on the Travel Channel and Food Networks. And if that’s not enough, ELVIS used to frequent this place! How cool is that? There’s even a specific booth he used to sit at if you’d like to try and be seated there.
BBQ
Of COURSE you have to try the BBQ in Memphis. It’s known for it! I have two recommendations, both of which have been featured on the Travel Channel and Food Networks… Blues City Cafe for the ribs, and Rendezvous for the brisket. Blues City Cafe is located right on Beale Street and the ribs are so incredible they LITERALLY fall of the bone. Rendezvous is located down a seemingly sketchy back alley (it’s safe, I promise) and the brisket is the best BBQ’d ANYTHING I’ve ever had in my life. You really can’t go wrong with either place and I definitely recommend you try them both. I mean… why choose? 😉
And if you check off everything on that list you will have seen and done all the best that Memphis has to offer! It’s a fun little town and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Safe travels, friends.
CE
