Elvis Presley's Childhood Home Sightseeing Daytrip from Memphis

We purchased the 9 a.m. Elvis Experience tour and prepaid parking ahead of time. Note that they didn't open the parking lot until about 8:45 a.m. Once they opened, everything was very smooth. They took us to a theater with a short video about Elvis, then to tour Graceland, and then to the various museums on the property. For me, one of the fun parts of touring the house was just being taken back to the 1970s. Almost everything in the house reminded me of the 1970s, from the shag carpet to the tiki furniture to the style of the TVs. The other highlight of the tour was the museum of Elvis' career. We enjoyed the various outfits, looking at some of the gold records, and watching the mini-concert in the little theater at the end. Also, the gift merchandise was about the same price as on Beale Street downtown, so if you see something you like, it might be worth picking it up.

It was wonderful going to Tupelo and visiting where Elvis was born and raised ! However the “ lady “ running the tour was both very rude and extremely authoritarian! I declined to order lunch whilst on the bus/ coach as only burgers were on the menu and thought that I’d be able to explore local alternatives! No this was not allowed to my dismay ! Other people on the tour also turned down this limited menu , which was at an additional cost to the overpriced transport cafe/ diner which was akin to cells , I visited in Alcatraz a few weeks ago ! I thought that at least I’d get a small beer whilst I waited but only limited soft drinks were available! I therefore asked if I could leave the party to go outside for a cigarette, I was told by the “ tour guide “ that I was not allowed outside of the bleak Spartan environment that was loosely described as a restaurant! I was also informed that I could neither go and sit back on the bus / coach and had to remain for approximately a hour in this breeze block built ex car showroom feeling like I was being held hostage until, fellow passengers had finished their meals ! It was the worst experience of my nigh on six week tour of the USA. There was no explanation as to why this was happening and made me feel very uncomfortable indeed. Would not recommend this tour to anyone who values any sense of freedom or liberty !

Elvis’s birthplace and the museums were excellent, and the staff there very friendly and informative. Our guide was not very personable, I don’t even know her name as she never introduced herself to our group. She was curt and borderline rude in addressing myself and others on the tour. For instance, when the AV equipment failed during the trip to Tupelo from Memphis, and the very enjoyable movie was interrupted and unfortunately never finished, there was no offer of apology, and no explanation of what efforts were made to repair or replace the equipment during our time at the museum. When asked by myself and others if we’d be able to see the rest of the documentary on the ride back, she was very dismissive and seemed annoyed by the requests. She suggested an alternative of listening to Elvis music on the ride - this was from her personal playlist on her phone and could only be heard by the people sitting immediately next to her on the bus. The rest of us sat in silence for the 1&1/2 trip back to the hotel. The lunch offering was a buffet style build your own burger. The buffet was not set up when we arrived. Once set up, the line moved extremely slowly due to the majority of the guests being elderly and being slow at navigating the buffet which was ticket in a corner up against a wall. This resulted in a very cold hamburger and fries and a lunch that lasted almost as long as our time at the museum. A more user friendly lunch option should be considered and more time should be allotted to see the Elvis related locations that are intended to be the focus and highlights of the trip. I would highly recommend a trip to Tupelo for a true Elvis fan. I would rent a car and spend more time at his birthplace and museums than this trip allows. I would also enjoy stopping at other points of interest rather than doing a drive by, such as at Johnny’s roadside cafe and Elvis’s school to name a few. I would also enjoy what was described as “the amazing food in Tupelo” rather than a disappointing cold hamburger.