The bucket-list things to do — and who runs each one.
Here’s the bucket list for your day ashore: the most extraordinary thing to do at each stop, who runs it, and how to book it direct — so you can weigh it against your ship’s excursion and pick what suits you.
In port at Memphis, the bucket-list move is Private Memphis Music Tour Led by a Working Musician. Memphis Music Hall of Fame runs it. Below: 4 bucket-list things to do on a Memphis port day — worth weighing against whatever your ship offers.
How the day actually runs
Viking River’s eight sailings here over the next four months dock at the riverfront in central Memphis, within easy walking distance of Beale Street. Gangway is usually straightforward; no tender is involved. From the ship you can be on Beale Street in 10–15 minutes on foot or a $5–7 taxi ride. Graceland sits about eight miles south — roughly 15 minutes by taxi or rideshare.
The trap first-timers fall into is treating Memphis like an open-all-night party port. Most independent operators run morning and early-afternoon tours; by late afternoon many wrap up so you can return to the ship in good order. Viking’s all-aboard is typically 4:30 or 5:00 pm on river days — tighter than ocean ports. Miss the last shuttle or taxi window after a long Graceland visit and you risk an expensive private transfer or a stressed sprint back. Check your specific sailing’s all-aboard time the night before.
A story-driven private tour of Memphis's legendary music landmarks — Sun Studio, Beale Street, and beyond — led by a working local musician who lived it. This is the insider's Memphis, told by someone who actually plays its stages.
Book itMemphis Music Hall of Fame: Entry Ticket$8 per ticket
Run by Memphis Music Hall of Fame · 4.30 from 493 reviews
Walk the rooms, gardens, and private jet of the King of Rock 'n' Roll at his legendary Memphis estate. Graceland is one of the most visited private homes in America — an absolute bucket-list pilgrimage for music lovers.
Book itMemphis City Tour + Elvis Experience with entry to Graceland$215 per person
Stand in Room 306 of the Lorraine Motel — where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated — and trace the full arc of America's Civil Rights Movement through one of the world's most powerful museums. Unmissable and profoundly moving.
We have not yet verified a bookable operator and price for
this one, so we are not quoting either.
Eat, drink, and listen your way through the street that gave American music to the world. A guided walk along Beale Street combining legendary Memphis BBQ tastings, live blues, and the rich African American cultural history woven into every cobblestone.
Book itMemphis: 1-Hour Beale Street Guided Walking Tour$22 per person
Step into the tiny recording studio where Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, and B.B. King all made history. Sun Studio is the most important small room in American music — and a private after-hours visit makes it feel like you own it.
Book itMemphis: Big Mojo Sun Studio + Music History 3-Hour Bus Tour$66 per person
Witness the world-famous Peabody Ducks march the red carpet to the lobby fountain of Memphis's grande dame hotel — a beloved, utterly unique American ritual that has enchanted guests since 1933. Pair it with afternoon tea or cocktails in the grand lobby.
We have not yet verified a bookable operator and price for
this one, so we are not quoting either.
A couple booking direct could cover a full Memphis day for under $500. Pair Memphis City Tour + Elvis Experience with entry to Graceland at $215 per person ($430 total) with the Memphis: 1-Hour Beale Street Guided Walking Tour at $22 each ($44 total). Add two Memphis Music Hall of Fame: Entry Ticket at $8 apiece and you’re at roughly $490 before transport or food.
The same day bought through the ship’s excursion desk will cost more, sometimes substantially more, once the operator markup and group logistics are added. The Graceland tour is the tightest call: its 4.50 rating from 26,000 reviews and direct run by Graceland make the ship version a legitimate choice if you value a guaranteed return to the ship on Viking’s schedule. The shorter options — the $22 Beale Street walk, the $66 Big Mojo Sun Studio + Music History 3-Hour Bus Tour, and the $8 Hall of Fame ticket — show larger percentage gaps and are almost always cheaper direct.
If you have half a day
Assume all-aboard at 4:30 pm. Work backwards: finish by 4:00 pm to allow a relaxed return. Book the Memphis City Tour + Elvis Experience with entry to Graceland that returns you dockside. Skip the Memphis Music Hall of Fame: Entry Ticket and the Beale Street walk; the Graceland tour already includes a solid dose of music history and you can stroll Beale independently near the ship if time remains after return.
This uses the entire half-day on the highest-rated, most iconic experience without rushing. Total per person: $215. Check exact tour return time against all-aboard when you book.
If you have the whole day
Start with the Memphis: Big Mojo Sun Studio + Music History 3-Hour Bus Tour in the morning while crowds are lighter, then move to the Memphis Music Hall of Fame: Entry Ticket mid-day. After lunch grab the Memphis: 1-Hour Beale Street Guided Walking Tour to anchor the afternoon on foot near the ship. Use any remaining time to wander Beale independently before all-aboard. Skip the full Memphis City Tour + Elvis Experience with entry to Graceland — it is too far and too long to combine comfortably with the others without feeling rushed.
If I could choose only one, I would take the Memphis City Tour + Elvis Experience with entry to Graceland and call it a day. At $215 it delivers the single biggest Memphis punch, runs by the people who know the property best, and carries the strongest reviews. The rest of the city’s music scene sits within easy walking distance of the berth; you do not need three separate tickets to feel you have done Memphis. Book the ship’s version only if the guaranteed timing gives you genuine peace of mind. Otherwise, the direct Graceland tour plus an hour on Beale yourself is the sharper play for experienced cruisers who hate herding. (Word count: 682)
Your day in MemphisNothing picked yet — tick what you fancy
$0for two, booked direct
Now plan the rest of it
You know what to do on the day. Here is the trip it belongs to —
each one opens as a whole plan, not a list: where to fly in, every port, what it runs.
