7 Days in Memphis: First-Timer Plan
Seven days is deep Memphis plus one honest step into the Delta: it takes the 6-day plan (the full city core, Tunica, and the smaller museums) and adds a closing day trip to Clarksdale, Mississippi, if blues history is pulling you further south. With less time, drop this last day; if the Delta is actually the point of your trip rather than an add-on, build outward instead from Memphis, Tennessee: A First-Timer’s Base and its own 7-day itinerary , which spends far more time in Mississippi.
Book these before you go
- Graceland’s timed-entry ticket at graceland.com
- A rental car, needed most days
- 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 | $45-70 |
| Day 2 | Graceland, Sun Studio | $110-150 |
| Day 3 | Stax Museum, Overton Park, Big River Crossing | $35-55 |
| Day 4 | Midtown, Shelby Farms Park | $30-50 |
| Day 5 | Tunica, Mississippi day trip | $40-100 |
| Day 6 | Metal Museum, Dixon Gallery, Slave Haven | $30-50 |
| Day 7 | Clarksdale, Mississippi day trip | $40-70 |
Day 1: downtown and the Civil Rights Museum
Morning
National Civil Rights Museum (450 Mulberry St, about $25 adult, closed Tuesdays), built around the Lorraine Motel, site of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination in 1968.
Afternoon
Walk Beale Street by day, free.
Evening
Dinner at Central BBQ, then live music at a verified venue like Silky O’Sullivan’s.
Day 2: Graceland and Sun Studio
Morning
Graceland, book the timed Elvis Experience tour ahead, roughly $85 adult, confirmed at graceland.com .
Afternoon
Sun Studio (706 Union Ave, about $15 adult).
Evening
Dinner at Gus’s Fried Chicken.
Day 3: soul music and the riverfront
Morning
Stax Museum of American Soul Music (about $20 adult, closed Mondays).
Afternoon
Overton Park, then Big River Crossing into West Memphis, Arkansas.
Evening
Dinner at Cozy Corner.
Day 4: Midtown and Shelby Farms Park
Morning
Cooper-Young and Overton Square.
Afternoon
Shelby Farms Park, 4,500 acres in East Memphis.
Evening
A relaxed dinner ahead of tomorrow’s drive.
Day 5: day trip to Tunica, Mississippi
Morning
Drive 30-45 minutes south to Tunica, Mississippi.
Afternoon
The Gateway to the Blues Museum and Tunica RiverPark.
Evening
Back to Memphis for dinner at Payne’s Bar-B-Q.
Day 6: Memphis’s smaller museums
Morning
The National Ornamental Metal Museum.
Afternoon
Dixon Gallery & Botanic Garden and Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum / Burkle Estate.
Evening
A relaxed dinner, saving energy for the longest drive of the trip tomorrow.
Day 7: day trip to Clarksdale, Mississippi
Morning
Drive south on Highway 61, 75-95 minutes, to Clarksdale, Mississippi, the true Delta blues pilgrimage. Visit the Delta Blues Museum and the fabled Crossroads at Highways 61 and 49.
Afternoon
Walk through Red’s Juke Joint and the town’s other blues landmarks. If you’d rather stay overnight instead of driving back the same day, the Shack Up Inn, a former sharecropper-shack lodging, is the atmospheric option, though that turns this into an 8-day trip.
Evening
Dinner and live music at the Ground Zero Blues Club, part-owned by actor Morgan Freeman, before the drive back to Memphis.
Is 7 days enough for Memphis and one Delta day trip?
Yes. Six days already covers Memphis itself thoroughly; the seventh is a genuine bonus for anyone who wants a taste of the Delta blues trail without committing to a full Mississippi-focused trip. For that fuller version, see our Memphis, Tennessee: A First-Timer’s Base guide.
Do you need a car for 7 days in Memphis?
Yes, for most of the trip, including the drive to Clarksdale.
One practical note: Memphis’s combined sales tax runs about 9.75% and applies to restaurant food. Book Graceland before you land, especially around Elvis Week (Aug 8-16, 2026).