Memphis in 2 days

Planning a trip to Memphis? Our experienced travel editors break down the town so you can make the most of your stay. Let these itineraries be your guide, whether you're here for a weekend or a whole week.

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Day 1
1 Admire the shag carpets and Elvis's car collection at Graceland.
2 Grab a chopped pork sandwich at Payne's, one of Memphis's best 'cue shacks.
3 Visit the deeply affecting National Civil Rights Museum, housed in the motel where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot.
4 Have dinner at Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous—order the dry-rubbed ribs
5 Cruise Beale Street, home of the blues, where the music throbs late into the night.

Day 2
1 Tour Sun Studios, where Elvis and Johnny Cash were discovered.
2 Stop in for what many consider the best fried chicken in the known universe at Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken.
3 Shop the hip boutiques of the artsy Cooper-Young neighborhood.
4 Have dinner at Restaurant Iris—cutting-edge Creole in a charming Midtown cottage.
5 Put a quarter in the jukebox at Earnestine and Hazel's, Memphis's favorite brothel-turned-bar.