DAY 1: UK - Atlanta.
Fly to Atlanta where you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel for two nights.
DAY 2: Atlanta.
A thriving and busy city, Atlanta is fast growing yet maintains a quiet elegance. This morning's sightseeing tour includes Georgia State Capitol, Peachtree Plaza, Olympic Village and Stadium and CNN's headquarters. Get acquainted with the history of the fight for civil rights, with a visit to the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr's Historic Site, featuring his early home and burial place. This visit is followed by another important symbol of the South - Margaret Mitchell House & Museum, the birthplace of 'Gone With the Wind', and a wonderful tribute to the author and her unforgettable story. The afternoon and evening are free.
DAY 3: Atlanta - Harlem - Columbia.
This morning we head to Harlem, Georgia to visit the enthralling Laurel and Hardy Museum, celebrating the great comedy team of British born Stan Laurel and his partner Oliver Hardy. Next, travel to Columbia, the capital of South Carolina, named after Christopher Columbus, and begin your sightseeing at the State Museum. As the remainder of the day is at leisure, why not visit the zoo and botanical gardens?
DAY 4: Columbia - Myrtle Beach.
Your journey continues through the Lakes and Blackwater Rivers area, reaching the white sandy shores of Myrtle Beach in the afternoon. Spend the rest of the day exploring this delightful beachside city. In the evening perhaps see the enchanting 'Carolina Opry', one of Myrtle Beach's proudest traditions featuring music, comedy and dance.
DAY 5: Myrtle Beach - Georgetown - Charleston.
First stop today is the Brookgreen Gardens, formerly an indigo and rice plantation and National Historic Landmark. During your guided tour you will see an amazing array of art, thought to be one of the world's best collections of American figurative sculptures. Your tour also includes a cruise along the rice fields, now home to alligators, waterfowl and ospreys. Afterwards pass through historic Georgetown, where the first permanent settlers arrived in the early 1700s. In the afternoon tour captivating Charleston - a symbol of the eminent days of the Old South. This colonial city is world-renowned for its stunning architecture, lush gardens and old-world charm.
DAY 6: Charleston.
Today step back into history with a visit to the Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. This stunning house with its extensive pristine gardens, was founded by the Drayton family in 1676, and still belongs to their descendents. Enjoy a stroll through the gardens, devoted to beautiful flowering plants such as camellias and azaleas. Spend the rest of the afternoon and evening at leisure, or join the optional dinner cruise aboard the 'Spirit of Carolina'.
DAY 7: Charleston - Beaufort - Savannah.
This morning begins with a stop at delightful Beaufort - whose entire downtown area is classified as a historic district. The architecture includes French, Colonial and Spanish styles. Sit back and enjoy a carriage ride through narrow, oak-lined streets passing the stunning homes built by the cotton growers who first settled here. Then head to historic Savannah, America's first planned city. Enjoy a unique tour by tram, including the busy City Market, the Mercer House, Forsyth Park with its lovely fountain, Madison Square, Colonial Park Cemetery and River Street. Your evening is free to spend exploring the many charms of this fascinating city.
DAY 8: Savannah.
Today discover Savannah at your own pace. The options are endless - browse the elegant shops on cobbled River Street or visit some of the 24 squares dotted throughout the historic district and admire beautiful parks, mansions and Spanish Moss that hangs from Savannah's majestic oaks. Learn more about the city's strong ties to the sea at the Sea Maritime Museum, or visit the First African Baptist Church, which played a key role as part of the Underground Railroad. Make sure to stop at 'The Pirate House', a famous restaurant that was a tavern frequented by pirates who sailed the Caribbean in 1794.
DAY 9: Savannah - Golden Isles - Jekyll Island.
Bid farewell to the charms of Savannah and travel down the coast to the Golden Isles - a beautiful group of four barrier islands. A highlight is a visit to St Simons Island, home to an authentic working lighthouse. Then take a tram tour of Jekyll Island's historic district, which contains a group of elaborate mansions built by powerful figures in America's past, who at the time controlled one-sixth of the world's wealth. Your tour will include a visit to one of these mansions - the Rockefeller's Indian Mound. Your evening is free to enjoy the Island at leisure.
DAY 10: Jekyll Island - Macon - Atlanta.
Cross Georgia and journey to Macon, a former fort and trading post owing to its ideal location on the Ocmulgee River. A jewel of the city that you will visit is Hay House, a 24-room Italian Renaissance revival-style mansion. This is followed by a visit to the Cannonball House, which earned its name after being hit with a cannonball during the battle of Dunlap's Hill in 1853. From here return to Atlanta.
DAY 11: Atlanta - UK.
Transfer to the airport for your flight to the UK.
DAY 12: Home landing in the UK.
Maximum elevation on this tour is 230 ft.