Your journey begins in Georgia’s charismatic capital, where you’ll be staying at the swanky Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta. From here you’ll find yourself within easy distance of attractions like Centennial Olympic Park, home of the 1996 Olympic Games, the vast Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coca-Cola museum.

As well as being a key player in the Civil War, Atlanta was the epicentre of the Civil Rights Movement and the birthplace of one of its principal figures – Martin Luther King, Jr. During your stay, make your way to the historic Sweet Auburn district to visit King’s boyhood home and trace his remarkable legacy at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Park.

Stay: Two nights at Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta

From Atlanta, you’ll drive your hire car north up into the Great Smoky Mountains, the

south’s starring natural attraction whose fog-shrouded slopes straddle the Tennessee-North Carolina border. As well as the beauty of its ancient mountains, the park is famed for its diversity of flora and fauna which includes white-tailed deer, salamanders and the iconic black bear.

The celebrated Relais & Châteaux resort, Blackberry Farm is a fine base for hiking and biking these idyllic foothills. Other activities on the menu include archery, birdwatching, fly fishing in crystal-clear streams and kayaking across sparkling mountain lakes. You can even explore the park on Blackberry Farm’s well-trained horses. The property also has its own tennis, swimming and golf facilities.

Stay: Three nights at Blackberry Farm

A few hours’ drive west brings you to Nashville, the undisputed heart of country music where Ryman’s Auditorium, the Grand Ole Opry House and the Country Music Hall of Fame are among the must-see musical attractions. Enjoy wandering the downtown District neighbourhood which is crammed with Southern eateries and honky-tonk bars, as well as museums dedicated to country music legends like Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline.

Stay: Three nights at Noelle

On day nine you’ll follow the signs to Memphis, checking into the landmark Peabody Hotel upon arrival. From here you’ll enjoy easy access to the myriad attractions of this music-loving city, from Presley’s Graceland mansion to the legendary Sun Studio where he, B.B. King and Johnny Cash all recorded albums. The Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum and the Stax Museum of American Soul Music are other must-sees, as is the National Civil Rights Museum which offers a moving insight into the south’s complex racial history.

Stay: Three nights at The Peabody

Continue driving south and you’ll soon find yourself in Natchez, the oldest town on the Mississippi. Lying at one end of the stunning Natchez Trace Parkway (formerly a Native American trade route), Natchez is best known for its abundance of lavish antebellum mansions and plantation homes, headlined by the likes of Melrose, Stanton Hall and Longwood. Meanwhile, visits to Emerald Mound and the Grand Village provide a deeper insight into the area’s rich Natchez Native American heritage. Nearby Vicksburg is another key site for those interested in the Civil War.

Your hotel is a National Historic Landmark, occupying an early 19th-century antebellum mansion adorned with period furnishings and framed by 26 acres of meticulously manicured gardens.

Stay: Two nights at Monmouth Historic Inn & Gardens

Further down the Mississippi, with its exuberant display of French, Caribbean and African influences, New Orleans needs little introduction. Enjoy wandering the historic French Quarter, a National Historic Landmark where restaurants serve Creole and Cajun staples (delicious gumbo, jambalaya and Bananas Foster) and music fills the air from every bar, club and street-corner saxophonist. At its heart, Bourbon Street embodies New Orleans’ party spirit with its round-the-clock nightlife.

Make time, too, for a stroll around the leafy Garden District where you’ll find extravagant antebellum mansions and the historic Lafayette Cemetery No. 1. The perfect finale to your journey through the Deep South.

Stay: Three nights at Hotel Peter & Paul

Transfer to the airport for your return flight home.