2 Days in Memphis: First-Timer Plan
Two days is a realistic minimum for a first Memphis trip: Day 1 covers downtown’s walkable cluster, Beale Street, the National Civil Rights Museum, and a barbecue dinner, and Day 2 belongs to Elvis and Sun Records. Want more once you land? Our 3-day and 4-day itineraries build on exactly this same route.
Book these before you go
- Graceland’s timed-entry ticket, book online at graceland.com rather than risking a walk-up queue
- A rental car, since Day 2 needs one; compare options before you land
- A place to stay downtown or in Midtown, check rates on Booking.com
| Day | Focus | Rough daily cost (per person, no lodging) |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Beale Street, National Civil Rights Museum, BBQ dinner | $45-70 |
| Day 2 | Graceland, Sun Studio | $110-150 |
Day 1: downtown, Beale Street, and the Civil Rights Museum
Morning
Start at the National Civil Rights Museum (450 Mulberry St, about $25 adult, 9am-6pm, closed Tuesdays), built around the preserved Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. Give it real time, this is a profound, essential stop, not a quick photo-op.
Afternoon
Walk Beale Street, free during the day. Verified venues worth a look include B.B. King’s Blues Club, Rum Boogie Cafe, and King’s Palace Café. If you’re downtown by 11am or 5pm, swing by the Peabody Duck March (149 Union Ave, free) to watch the hotel’s ducks make their twice-daily walk to the lobby fountain.
Evening
Dinner at Central BBQ for Memphis’s dry-rub ribs, then back to Beale for live music. On Friday, Saturday, or holiday nights after 9pm, expect a $5 security fee, ID check, and metal detectors, standard practice here and part of why Beale is safer at night than its reputation suggests.
Day 2: Graceland and Sun Studio
Morning
Head to Graceland in Whitehaven, about 9 miles south (you’ll need a car or rideshare). Book the timed-entry Elvis Experience tour ahead, roughly $85 adult, $49 youth, covering the mansion, entertainment complex, and private jets; the entry-level Elvis Presley’s Memphis ticket (no mansion) runs about $53. Confirm current pricing at graceland.com before you go.
Afternoon
Drive back toward downtown for Sun Studio (706 Union Ave, about $15 adult, 40-50 minute guided tour), the self-described birthplace of rock ’n’ roll, where Elvis, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis all recorded.
Evening
Dinner at Gus’s Fried Chicken, a Memphis institution that actually originated in nearby Mason, Tennessee. If you still have energy, catch a set at one of the verified Beale Street clubs before your flight out.
Is 2 days enough for a first Memphis trip?
Yes, for the essentials. Two days covers the National Civil Rights Museum, Beale Street, Graceland, and Sun Studio without rushing any one of them. It won’t touch Stax, Midtown, or Shelby Farms, so treat this as the trip that gets you hooked, then come back for the 3-day version.
Do you need a car for 2 days in Memphis?
Yes, at least for Day 2. Downtown is walkable and trolley-served for Day 1, but Graceland sits about 9 miles south and isn’t realistically reachable without a car or rideshare.
One practical note: Memphis’s combined sales tax runs about 9.75% and applies to restaurant food too, so factor that into your dining budget. Book Graceland before you land, timed slots do sell out, especially the week of Elvis Week (Aug 8-16, 2026).