Georgia History Trail to Nashville — Self-Launched Edition
8 days · Atlanta, Savannah, Charleston, Asheville & Nashville (US Southeast)
Intrepid Travel charges £3,840
No-markup version: ~£1,180 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 8-day run through the American South — Atlanta's civil rights history, Savannah's antebellum squares and food scene, Charleston's Black history landmarks, Asheville's mountain galleries and the Biltmore Estate, finishing with whiskey and honky-tonks on Nashville's Broadway. Built for solo travellers: hostel dorms and budget motels instead of tour hotels, Greyhound/FlixBus and Amtrak instead of a private coach, and self-bookable tours (GetYourGuide, Viator, or direct with local operators) in place of the included guided walks. Costs are approximate budget-backpacker estimates in GBP and will vary by season — the Southeast is a pricier region than most of the world, so this is still a mid-range trip by global backpacking standards.
Day-by-day
Atlanta — Civil Rights & History
Atlanta, Georgia
Fly or arrive into Atlanta (ATL) and check into a downtown or Midtown hostel — Atlanta has limited hostel stock, so budget motels on the MARTA line (near Airport or North Springs stations) are a good cheap fallback at £45-65/night. Spend the afternoon self-guiding the Martin Luther King Jr National Historic Site (free): his birth home, Ebenezer Baptist Church and the Eternal Flame. Add the Atlanta History Center (£18-22) if you have time. Evening: cheap eats in Sweet Auburn or Little Five Points.
🚌MARTA from airport ~£2.50; walk or MARTA day pass ~£7
🛏Downtown/Midtown hostel dorm or budget motel (£40-60/night)
- →Martin Luther King Jr National Historic Site (free)
- →Atlantic History Center (self-booked, ~£20)
- →Sweet Auburn Historic District walk
Atlanta to Savannah — Cemetery & Squares
Savannah, Georgia
Bus day. FlixBus or Greyhound from Atlanta to Savannah runs ~4.5-5 hours for £25-40 booked ahead. Drop bags at a Historic District hostel or the HI Savannah, then self-book a Bonaventure Cemetery guided tour on GetYourGuide/Viator (~£20-28) — the gothic, oak-draped cemetery that features in 'Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil'. Evening wander around the 22 historic squares and River Street, and consider the optional ghost tour (~£18) if that's your thing.
🚌FlixBus/Greyhound Atlanta-Savannah ~£25-40 (4.5-5 hrs)
🛏Historic District hostel dorm (£30-45/night)
- →Bonaventure Cemetery guided tour (self-booked, ~£25)
- →Historic squares & River Street walk (free)
- →Optional ghost tour (~£18)
Savannah Walking Food Tour
Savannah, Georgia
Swap the operator's included 3-hour food tour for a self-booked equivalent — GetYourGuide and Viator both list Savannah history-and-food walks passing a pub, a honey store and a British pie shop for ~£55-70 including tastings. That's the day's main event; the rest is free time to poke around Forsyth Park, the Owens-Thomas House or just sit under the live oaks. Note this is the biggest single line item of the DIY version, so skip it and DIY your own tasting crawl (Leopold's ice cream, The Grey, local pubs) for ~£30 if you'd rather save.
🚌Walk / city bus ~£2
🛏Historic District hostel dorm (£30-45/night)
- →Savannah walking food tour (self-booked, ~£60 incl. tastings)
- →Forsyth Park & historic district free wandering
Savannah to Charleston — Black History Tour
Charleston, South Carolina
FlixBus/Greyhound Savannah to Charleston is only ~2 hours and £12-20. Check into a downtown or Mount Pleasant hostel/hostel-adjacent inn. Afternoon: replace the included Black History tour with a self-booked Gullah/Geechee or Black History walking-and-driving tour of Charleston via GetYourGuide or directly with a local operator like Gullah Tours (~£30-45). Then walk the Battery and Rainbow Row at sunset. Optional extra: an evening food tour (~£55).
🚌FlixBus/Greyhound Savannah-Charleston ~£12-20 (2 hrs)
🛏Charleston hostel or budget inn (£35-55/night)
- →Black History / Gullah walking tour (self-booked, ~£35)
- →The Battery, Rainbow Row & City Market walk (free)
Charleston to Asheville — Fort Sumter & Mountain Town
Asheville, North Carolina
If you want Fort Sumter National Monument (the operator lists it as optional), ferry out early (~£28 incl. boat) before the long haul. Then travel Charleston to Asheville — no direct train, so FlixBus/Greyhound via Columbia or Charlotte, roughly 6-7 hours for £35-50. Arrive and do a self-paced walk of downtown Asheville's galleries and studios (free; the operator's guided version can be swapped for a booked Asheville Food & Art walking tour ~£35 if you want company). Evening in the South Slope brewery district.
🚌FlixBus/Greyhound Charleston-Asheville ~£35-50 (6-7 hrs, 1 change)
🛏Asheville hostel or budget motel (£40-60/night)
- →Fort Sumter National Monument ferry (self-booked, ~£28)
- →Asheville downtown galleries & River Arts District walk (free)
- →Optional South Slope brewery crawl
Asheville — Biltmore Estate
Asheville, North Carolina
Full day at Biltmore Estate, the operator's headline included activity — but book it yourself. Adult day tickets to Biltmore House and Gardens run £65-85 (season-dependent), which is much of the operator's inclusion value; buy direct on biltmore.com. Wander the gardens, the house and the estate grounds, and add the on-site winery tasting (~£12-18). If the ticket price stings, swap for a Blue Ridge Parkway hike or a drive up to Craggy Gardens instead (free). Evening: relax or catch live music on a patio.
🚌Local bus/rideshare to Biltmore ~£10-15 return
🛏Asheville hostel or budget motel (£40-60/night)
- →Biltmore House & Gardens (self-booked, ~£70)
- →Biltmore Winery tasting (~£15)
- →Optional Blue Ridge Parkway walk (free)
Asheville to Nashville — Whiskey & Broadway
Nashville, Tennessee
Long travel day — FlixBus/Greyhound Asheville to Nashville is ~7-8 hours with a change in Knoxville or Chattanooga for £40-55 (the operators' own reviewers complain about these drive days, so you're not missing anything by doing it on a bus). Arrive, check into a Nashville hostel (Music Row/Downtown), then self-book a Nelson's Green Brier Distillery whiskey tasting just outside downtown (~£22-28, book direct). Dinner on Broadway with live honky-tonk is the DIY equivalent of the farewell dinner — grab hot chicken or a plate at a Broadway bar for ~£20-30, then work the honky-tonks.
🚌FlixBus/Greyhound Asheville-Nashville ~£40-55 (7-8 hrs); rideshare to distillery ~£8
🛏Nashville downtown/Music Row hostel dorm (£30-45/night)
- →Nelson's Green Brier Distillery tasting (self-booked, ~£25)
- →Broadway honky-tonk crawl (free entry, drinks extra)
- →Ryman Auditorium exterior / Lower Broadway walk
Nashville — Departure
Nashville, Tennessee
Last morning: breakfast, a free wander past the Ryman and the Country Music Hall of Fame exterior, or pay in (~£25) if time allows. Fly out of BNA (cheap direct buses to the airport ~£2) or continue overland toward Memphis/New Orleans if you're extending the trip. Settle any hostel balances and head home.
🚌BNA airport bus ~£2 or rideshare ~£15
🛏—
- →Country Music Hall of Fame (optional, ~£25)
- →Ryman Auditorium & downtown self-walk (free)
Self-launched vs. Intrepid Travel
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Intrepid Travel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,180 | £3,840 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £2,660 per person (69%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Intrepid Travel-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,180
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Georgia History Trail to Nashville — Self-Launched Edition cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,180 per person for 8 days in Atlanta, Savannah, Charleston, Asheville & Nashville (US Southeast). This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Intrepid Travel?+
Yes — Intrepid Travel charges around £3,840 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,180 — a saving of roughly £2,660 (69%) per person.
How long is the Atlanta, Savannah, Charleston, Asheville & Nashville (US Southeast) trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through Atlanta, Savannah, Charleston, Asheville & Nashville (US Southeast).
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, city-breaks, foodie trip through Atlanta, Savannah, Charleston, Asheville & Nashville (US Southeast), self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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