Tennessee

Memphis

Beale Street's neon canyon delivers blues seven nights a week, and B.B.

Best forNightlife · Culture seekers · Groups of friends
In July32°C · 10 rainy days
Ideal stayA long weekend, 3-4 nights
Approx. flying time~3h 40m from Los Angeles

Memphis, Tennessee Open in Google Maps Powered by Geoapify · © OpenStreetMap contributors · © OpenMapTiles

CurrencyUSDUS dollar
LanguageEnglish
Local time07:086h behind the UK
PlugsType A / BBring an adapter
Drive on theRightOpposite to the UK
Dialling code+1

Why go

Memphis treats music as a living inheritance rather than a museum piece: Beale Street's clubs run blues seven nights a week, but the more transcendent nights happen off the main strip, in juke joints and soul revues that locals actually go to. Sun Studio, where Elvis, Johnny Cash and B.B. King all recorded, and the Stax Museum of American Soul Music trace the city's outsized influence on American music, from blues through rock and roll to soul.

A long weekend covers the music history by day and the clubs by night, with a Sunday gospel brunch a fitting way to close things out. Barbecue is practically a civic religion here, worth building at least one meal around. Memphis works well paired with Nashville on a wider Tennessee music trip, and suits groups of friends and solo travellers more than a quiet family holiday.

Ideal stay: A long weekend, 3-4 nights
The vibe: Soulful, unpolished, music-steeped

From our guides

King's club anchors it respectably, but the transcendent Memphis night happens off-strip. Wild Bill's, a strip-lit juke joint in a shopping parade, runs sweat-soaked soul revues at weekends — cash only, shared tables, forty-ounce beers. Do Sun Studio and Stax by day, then earn the museum tickets after dark. Sunday gospel brunch at a soul café completes the syllabus.

Featured in Ten cities with world-class live music every night

Things to do

Beale Street

A neon-lit strip of blues clubs running live music most nights of the week, with B.B. King's namesake club among the anchors.
Sun Studio

The small recording studio where Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and B.B. King all cut early records, still working and open for tours.
Stax Museum of American Soul Music

Built on the site of the original Stax studio, tracing the label's role in shaping American soul music.
Graceland

Elvis Presley's former home, now a museum, with the mansion, cars and grave open to visitors on the edge of the city.
National Civil Rights Museum

Built around the former Lorraine Motel, where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, tracing the civil rights movement's history.
Sunday gospel brunch

Several soul food restaurants pair live gospel choirs with Sunday brunch, a long-running Memphis tradition worth planning a morning around.

Getting there

Fly to
Memphis (MEM)

Nearest airport to Memphis, about 13km away as the crow flies.
Then
To Memphis

About 20 minutes by taxi or ride-hail from Memphis International (MEM) to downtown.
On the ground
Getting around

Downtown, Beale Street and the riverfront are walkable, and the vintage trolley runs along Main Street, but Stax, Sun Studio and the juke joints out in the suburbs need a car or a ride-hail.

Public transport: Limited: buses and the trolley cover downtown but thin out at night, when almost everyone uses ride-hail.

Flights

Los Angeles Memphis, Tennessee

Flying from

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Roughly 3h 40m in the air from Los Angeles (LAX), estimated from the distance — check for a direct route. Pick a month to see every available flight with live prices.

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When to go

Daytime highs run from about 10°C in January to 32°C in July. Driest August to November; wettest in March, with rain on about 13 days.

The year at a glance — pick a month for detail

July32° · rain 10 daysHot with rain most weeks.

Monthly figures averaged from daily records for 2020–2024 at this location (ERA5 reanalysis).

Where to stay

Downtown chains and a few historic hotels, plus rentals in Midtown houses and motels along the Graceland strip. Parking is usually charged separately downtown.

Best base overall
Downtown, near Beale Street

Walkable to Beale, the Civil Rights Museum and the riverfront, with the trolley for the rest. Nights on Beale are loud, so ask for a room away from the strip.
Find stays in Downtown, near Beale Street
Best for couples
South Main Arts District

A calmer few blocks below downtown with restored buildings, galleries, good restaurants and the Lorraine Motel. Quiet after dinner, and the walk back from Beale is short but bring sense.
Find stays in South Main Arts District
Best with children
Whitehaven, near Graceland

The Graceland side of town has themed hotels with pools and parking, ten miles from downtown. You will drive for everything else, and the surrounding area is unremarkable.
Find stays in Whitehaven, near Graceland
Best value
Midtown and Cooper-Young

Leafy, residential and full of independent bars and restaurants, with rentals and small inns costing less than downtown. Beale is a ten-minute drive or ride away.
Find stays in Midtown and Cooper-Young

Worth knowing before you book: Elvis Week in August and the barbecue contest in May fill the city entirely, and downtown hotel rates jump whenever there is a game at FedExForum.

Search everything else in Memphis by budget. These are indicative budget bands in GBP per night for two people, not live quotes or guarantees of hotel type. Check your dates, guests, taxes and final price on Booking.com.

Or see everything in Memphis

Good to know

Getting around: A car is the most practical way to see Memphis properly, though the downtown core around Beale Street is walkable in the evening.
Cash or card: Some smaller juke joints and clubs are cash only, so carry some with you for cover charges and drinks off the main strip.
Timing: Spring and autumn bring milder weather; summer in Memphis is hot and humid, especially by afternoon.
Book ahead: Graceland tickets and popular restaurant tables can sell out on weekends, so book a day or two ahead in peak season.
Food: Dry-rub and wet barbecue are both local specialities and worth trying separately; ribs are the dish to judge a place by.