Start the Holidays Southern Style. Tour a lavishly decorated plantation house, sing along at the Grand Ole Opry, be dazzled at Dollywood’s Christmas Show, watch the mist come up at Smokey Mountain National Park, and wander amid the Holiday opulence of the Biltmore - America’s Castle.

Arrive in Nashville, the Country Music Capital of America. Check into the spectacular 4-star Gaylord Opryland Resort that features nine acres of airy indoor atriums, award-winning restaurants and bars, shopping, and even a water park. Our rooms will overlook the indoor gardens that are festooned with seasonal decorations. During the holidays, this resort turns into a winter wonderland with ice skating, ice sculptures, hundreds of decorated trees, and thousands of twinkling lights. Dinner on your own at one of the many restaurants at this resort.

After breakfast, we will meet our local guide and head to the historic 1807 Greek Revival mansion, Belle Meade where we will tour this historic house that is festively decorated for the holidays. The story of this plantation is told through the eyes of the Harding and Jackson family and their staff that made this America’s premier thoroughbred horse farm. Belle Meade’s greatest sire was Bonnie Scotland and his descendants represent more than two-thirds of all Kentucky Derby winners. After our house tour,  we will have a three-course lunch in the 1892 Carriage House with enough time left over to explore the grounds and outbuildings and then go for a wine tasting at Nashville’s first and oldest winery which is also located on the property. On our way back to the hotel, we will stop for a photo op at the Parthenon, an exact replica of this famous ancient structure that is in Athens, Greece. This evening, we will enjoy dinner and a show, Legends Behind the Lyrics before we head out to the world-renowned Grand Ole Opry for a musical extravaganza that will long be remembered. The Grand Ole Opry remains America’s longest-running entertainment radio show that showcases country music’s present, past, and future performers.

After breakfast, we will meet our local guide for a city tour of Nashville. Highlights include the State Capitol, Honky Tonk Highway, and Music Row.  Afterward, we head to the Country Music Hall of Fame, the largest country music museum in the world where visitors learn about the lives of performers who have contributed to country music. The rest of the day is on your own where you are free to have lunch on your own, see the vast collections of the Country Music Hall of Fame museum, and explore downtown Nashville including an optional tour on your own of the Johnny Cash Museum. Tonight we will gather for a holiday dinner and show at the Gaylord Opryland Resort as a finale in Nashville. 

This morning after breakfast we depart our hotel and make our way east to the mountain resort town of Gatlinburg, the gateway to the Smokey Mountain National Park. After we check into our hotel, the rest of the day is on your own. Tonight we head to the Christmas at Dollywood extravaganza. More than six thousand lights glow at Dollywood which has spectacular Christmas trees throughout the festively decorated village. The holiday show is a cherished Christmas tradition here and dinner features hearty holiday favorites, making this experience one that will long be remembered.

After breakfast, we will meet our local guide for a tour of the Great Smokey Mountain National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the most visited National Park in the United States. We will stop in the National Park Visitor Center for an overview of the park and then head up into the Smokey Mountains stopping at beautiful viewpoints for photos along the way. Our destination is the Newfound Gap, where we will see views of both Tennessee and North Carolina. Afterward, we will head to the Ole Smoky Moonshine Distillery for a tasting. The rest of the day you are free to have lunch on your own while exploring downtown Gatlinburg. Tonight we will have dinner at a local restaurant.

After breakfast, we say goodbye to Gatlinburg for a scenic drive through the Blue Ridge Mountains on our way to Ashville, North Carolina. After checking into our hotel, you will have the rest of the afternoon and evening to explore this lovely city that has an amazing array of shops, restaurants, breweries, and arts and crafts stores. 

After breakfast, we will make our way to the Biltmore Estate built in 1895 by George Vanderbilt II. We will have the day to tour this magnificent mansion that is decked out in a grand style with thousands of lights, ornaments, and miles of garland. We will make our way to the mansion following a pathway of luminaries and marvel at the 55-foot Norway spruce Christmas tree located in front of this magnificent mansion. There are 55 trees throughout the house with another 58 additional locations decorated to the hilt. After touring the grounds of the mansion, and lunch on your own, we head to the Winery and Tasting Room at Antler Hill Village, located on this estate for a wine-tasting and shopping experience. Tonight we will enjoy a farewell dinner at a local restaurant. 

Today, after breakfast we will depart to the airport for our flights home, taking the warmth of the holiday spirit with us.