Memphis Mojo Bus Tour
5
Memphis Mojo Bus Tour
By Backbeat Tours
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About
Gain a better understanding for the music culture of Memphis on this unique bus tour led by local musicians. Leave the driving to someone else as you enjoy live music—you might even be asked to shake a tambourine—and learn behind the-scenes stories about legends such as Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, and Jerry Lee Lewis. Plus, you can upgrade to include a tour of Sun Studio on the same day.
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 0-99, max of 36 per group
Duration: 90–180 minutes
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More
Highlights
- Tour Memphis with a local musician to learn about the city’s musical past
- Hear behind-the-scenes stories about famous musicians from Memphis
- Upgrade to add a guided tour of Sun Studio, where Johnny Cash’s career began
- Choose from multiple tour times to best fit your schedule
- Guided sightseeing tour
- Local taxes
- Admission to Sun Studio (IF OPTION SELECTED)
- Admission to Stax Museum (IF OPTION SELECTED)
What's not included- Gratuities
- Admission to Sun Studio (if option not selected)
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Admission to Stax Museum (if option not selected)
- This music tour of Memphis meets on the famous Beale Street. Board your bus, and get ready for a great adventure through the music history of the city. Your guide—a local musician—plays and sings songs associated with area, and might even ask you to help out with an easy-to-play instrument. Hear interesting facts about the city’s music history as you ride. Pass by the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, the Lorraine Motel (the location of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination and the current home of the National Civil Rights Museum), and the early homes of music legends such as Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley. If you’ve chosen to upgrade to add the guided tour of Sun Studio, you'll see where B.B. King, Roy Orbison, and Jerry Lee Lewis launched their careers. Once your tour is over, get dropped back off on Beale Street.
- Start:
- Alfred's On Beale, 197 Beale St, Memphis, TN 38103, USA197 Beale St.
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 3111MOJO- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Most travelers can participate
- The bus does not have a wheelchair lift, but if you have a collapsible wheelchair and have some mobility, we should have no problem accommodating you. Please contact us in advanced with any additional questions.
- Within a few blocks there are four different parking garages, and several open-air parking lots. The closest garage to our location (just two blocks away) is at 149 Peabody Place between Second Street and BB King Blvd., next to the Hampton Inn. You can try your luck with on-street metered parking, too, on Second Street just south of Beale; on Beale between Front and Second; or along Peabody Place from Front to Fourth Street.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 36 travelers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 3111MOJO
From
$38.41
per adult
Select date and travelers
Similar experiences
Itinerary
- 197 Beale St, Memphis, TN 38103, USA197 Beale St.
- 1Pass byHandy ParkThe Peabody DucksThe Cotton Museum at the Memphis Cotton ExchangeMississippi RiverLauderdale CourtsSt. Jude Children's Research HospitalSun StudioSam Phillips Recording Service, Inc.
- 2Pass byLafayette's Music RoomStax Museum of American Soul MusicNational Civil Rights Museum - Lorraine Motel
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- F2735KCcindyl0 contributionsGOOD WAY TO START A VISITOur first time in Memphis and this was an excellent tour and introduction to the history of Memphis. Our guide is a native, really knows his stuff, and was able to mix the past and the present into an interesting narrative of Memphis. The style and detail on the older buildings is beautiful and the duck walk was a sight to see!Written October 8, 2024
- LaDolceVitaSF0 contributionsGreat history tourHad a wonderful tour, a lot of great history in Memphis, which I didn’t know about. The tour guide was great, very knowledgeable!Written October 8, 2024
- christier9770 contributionsSuch a blast! So much to do and see! From San Diego… the zoo peeps! Haha!)Taylor Nicole was AMAZING! She was so, so knowledgeable, personable, and fun! She even made it fun to have a banter with!Written October 8, 2024
- V6570LImarkr0 contributionsGreat tour of MemphisGreat tour with Taylor Nicole. Lots of great info about Memphis and the birth of Blues and MLK. Got to stop at Central BBQ for included lunch. Loved it.Written October 8, 2024
- Pioneer419000103570 contributionsFun in MemphisTaylor Nicole (tour guide) and Kita (driver) were great. Prefect amount of History, Fun, walking, sitting, riding, eating, photo taking. It was great! Thank you for a memorable day in Memphis. Would highly recommend.Written October 7, 2024
- Karen M0 contributionsMemphis tourFun. The guide, Larry, was very knowledgeable and interesting. The tour included many memorable stops in the city, bbq lunch and finally a riverboat tour of the mighty Mississippi. Highly recommend!Written October 6, 2024
- OGMamaLlama0 contributionsA very good tour!! Daniel made it GREAT!Super engaging!! Listening to the stories and seeing Memphis through the eyes of someone who so clearly loves the city was a great time!! For fans of the movie Clue, imagine following Wadsworth along while he tells stories of spirits left behind. Very enjoyable!Written October 6, 2024
- 748raylenew0 contributionsBackbeat bus, museum and boat tourThis tour was super fun and informative about the city of Memphis. We did the bus tour with Larry who was awesome m, then we did the rock museum and the boat tour! Such a fun learning and touring day!! Highly recommendWritten October 5, 2024
- Pio P0 contributionsTour package well worth the priceThe bus ride was very comfortable. Our tour guide, Mr Larry was very informative as well as entertaining with his jokes. The only thing I would like to suggest is a microphone or speaker when Mr Larry is explaining the stops/ sites when we’re off the bus. Otherwise the tour was worth the price!Written October 4, 2024
- lisabouer0 contributionsDay tripKate was our guide and Kita was our bus driver throughout the city tour. They were both friendly and informative. After the city tour, we boarded the river boat. The guide there also was personable and knowledgeable. All in all it was a great day that taught us a lot about MemphisWritten September 29, 2024
- Kris B0 contributionsGood overview of MemphisThe tour covers a lot of the downtown Memphis attractions. It also felt like a good deal for the money. We got lunch at Central BBQ, admission to the Rock and soul museum and the riverboat ride for $88 a person. Larry our guide was lighthearted and helpful. Very friendly.Written September 29, 2024
- Z2594RGrogerm0 contributionsBackbeat Tours' Historic Memphis Walking TourBackbeat Tours' Historic Memphis Walking Tour was excellent. Mary was our guide, and she shared her enthusiasm for and knowledge of Memphis history with us. She pointed out the important buildings and landmarks in the downtown area and related fascinating stories and anecdotes about the places and the people behind them. The tour normally includes the duck procession at the Peabody Hotel. Since we were the only people on the tour and had already experienced that, Mary graciously tailored our tour to include additional locations and stories not normally covered. We highly recommend the tour and Mary as a guide.Written September 26, 2024
- joannegB2633DD0 contributionsGreat your!Taylor was a great tour guide and I loved the tour. She gave us time to stop and take pictures and was very informed about Memphis. I would highly recommend this tour if you’re short on time—as we were—and want the highlights of Memphis.Written September 26, 2024
- A2881MOkimberlyp0 contributionsOverall goodReally enjoyed the museum. The river tour had fun music. We missed the bus tour. More history of the city would be terrificWritten September 26, 2024
- 972jeanniev0 contributionsGhosts & moreWe took a tour with Hannah & I loved every minute! As we walked through downtown, Hannah shared stories of crimes & ghosts! She answered all our questions and even took the time after the tour to make restaurant recommendations. I was even able to get some strange images in photos taken at an old graveyard.Written September 22, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
527 reviews
Excellent
469
Very good
39
Average
7
Poor
7
Terrible
5
LarryJanice A
2 contributions
Mar 2020
The first 1.5 hours with Cecil Yancy was excellent! His knowledge of the area and information about all the musicians was wonderful. He was very entertaining and we loved his singing that tied all the stories together. The last hour at Sun Studio was fine but not stimulating. Perhaps we were influenced by the great studio tour in Nashville.
Written March 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
louaz
London, UK26 contributions
Mar 2020
Our tour guide was Shea and she was great, really friendly, knowledgeable and loved her voice. I always admire guides who must say the same thing over and over so many times but with Shea, you'd never know, she was so enthusiastic and had great energy! I've done a lot of bus tours but thought it was so unique to have the live music which told the story of such a great place rich with music history. Really enjoyed it.
Written April 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rebecca S
17 contributions
We had such a good time, Cecil was such a great storyteller and an amazing musician. He definitely makes the tour from the time he welcomes each person onto the bus until we depart. He is full of knowledge, talent and personality that leaves you smiling for the rest of the day.
Written June 5, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Travellin' Sue
6 contributions
Jun 2021 • Solo
I went on the extended Mojo Bus tour that included Sun Studio. The studio was the best part of it. I recommend you skip the bus and go just to the studio. While our tour guide on the bus was very enthusiastic and sang pretty well, I got bored after the first 30 minutes. Not much historical information, mostly anecdotes about Elvis, and one pointless stop by a statue of Johnny Cash where we were encouraged to buy ice cream. I did enjoy the information about other musicians, such as Otis Redding, and with the title "mojo" had expected to hear about a lot of blues and soul singers. Didn't happen on the bus.
Written June 27, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kathy A
1 contribution
Feb 2020
Our tour guide as not only an awesome guide but also a wonderful entertainer. He included us in the entertainment by having us play instruments like tambourines. Our bus driver was also awesome. Because it was raining she dropped us off at our hotel instead of us having to walk 4 blocks in the rain. Would highly recommend this tour.
Written February 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
davehr66
Farmington Hills, MI12 contributions
Was really looking forward to this tour. We were there at Alfred’s on time and the bus pulled up. About a dozen tweens and their parents got off the bus to use the restroom. Our driver was Larry and guide was Davey. They were both very professional, but from the minute we drove off, this obnoxious group of girls and their parents were talking and being rude. All 12 other guests who were seated in the front of the bus were extremely annoyed. Constantly looking back and making shush sounds throughout the entire trip. Davey needed to do more to address this rude behavior. He did make a few comments, but needed to take more control. This was a terrible experience for all of us and we will use a different tour provider next time.
Written September 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jessica B
4 contributions
Mar 2022
Our tour leader was Drew at Sun Studios. We also took the MOJO bus tour before we went on, and it was fabulous. Sun Studios, though, for any Elvis fan, is really so magical. It is where it all began.. and the passion of the people who work there, like Drew, make it all that more special. I cannot express enough, how moving it was to be in that studio, how emotional, and how powerful. More so, even though Graceland, which I also really loved, but it wasnt the same to me anyway, as Sun Studios. My husband and I just loved it, the absolute highlight of our visit, but honestly, we truly loved all of Memphis. And we are lol, NORTHERN yankees, but we were treated with such southern hospitality, and love.. I just highly highly recommend visiting this city, doing this TOUR, walking down Beale, visiting the Civil Rights Museum, etc, etc. It is a city whose voices should be listened to, just wonderful on every level. Bravo, Memphis. We will return.
Written March 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tab3769
Kansas City, MO62 contributions
Apr 2021
We had a wonderful tour with Cecil as our guide. The bus had social distancing and everyone wore masks. The stories Cecil told and the great insights to Memphis music history that he shared were wonderful. It was not a deep tour for those who are more intimately familiar with the Memphis music story. But, it covered nearly every piece of Memphis history and music history with a good once-over reveal. My guitar-playing, blues loving husband thoroughly enjoyed it and his history loving wife did too. It also gave us several ideas for places we visited on our own later in the weekend, including a place for great soul food. I am always a skeptic and a tough grader. But I do think this one deserves 5 stars.
Written April 5, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alison C
11 contributions
Jun 2021 • Family
I took this same tour on an immersion trip in college 15 years ago and now had the pleasure of coming back with my musician and artist husband, mom (who was nice enough to pay for my previous trip :)), and my 10 year old son who has recently discovered how much he loves Elvis! The bus tour is a great way to satisfy such a diverse family trip. The guitar playing and singing tour guides make the longer distances between sights super fun and engaging like a good ole family road-trip singalong (great for kids); the comfortable seats and air conditioning were great for my mom recovering from a recent knee surgery and otherwise might have stayed back at the hotel; and the history the tour guides share is fascinating for anyone who loves Americana, music, or simply people’s stories. We live in a fascinating country and you unknowingly walk and drive right past it every day. Having a guide who can draw your interest to a seemingly unimportant building facade covering a key piece of history makes you grateful for their work keeping these things alive and passing the stories on to kids like my son. It took me 15 years to come back; here’s hoping I’ll do it again in another 15 years! Thanks, Backbeat!
Written June 17, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is so great to hear. We are thrilled that you came back to visit us after 15 years and brought your whole family--3 generations, how cool! Thanks so much for this awesome review, we will certainly pass the compliments on to your guide. We definitely hope it doesn't take 15 years, but we would love to have you back again!
Written June 18, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Laura C
5 contributions
Jul 2023 • Family
We did the musical bus tour of the city. It was great value for money and found the live music really added to the experience. It was informative, funny and our guide Andrew was a brilliant musician. Princess, our driver was also so friendly and the atmosphere on the bus was great and completely different to any bus tour we have done before. We did the extended trip which included Sun Studios which I would highly recommend.
Written July 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
How do we upgrade to include Sun Studios?
We cant figure it out. Its a birthday treat. Coming from the uk too expensive to phone. 2 people Janice will be 60, her birthday. I am 62. Thinking of booking Friday Sept 27th. Trying to pay as we book things. Mojo Bus tour and Sun. Your tour sounds like phone. Keen to book.
mickeyblue60 gmail
Written May 19, 2024
Hi - we are thinking of doing the Memphis Discovery Tour AND the Big Mojo Tour on the same day. Are they too duplicative - does doing both make sense? Also just want to make sure we could see the Peabody Ducks, Sun Studio, and the Edge Motor Museum? Last but not least - is there time to get something to eat (maybe takeout, onto the bus) from Alfred's in between the two tours? Thank you!!!!!
Written August 24, 2022
That would be a lot to see in one day. We did the Mojo Tour with Sun Studios add-on and were able to make it to the Peabody in time to see the evening duck walk on a Sunday. Your best bet is to call the Mojo Tour company directly. They answer their phone! They can give you the best options to coordinate all of that. They also do personal guided tours which might be a consideration too.
Written August 25, 2022
The description claims that his tour is 15m. I'm confused because I read that as 15 minutes. Does it mean 15 miles? My question really is, how long is the tour? I find it hard to believe that the tour with great reviews is fifteen minutes. Maybe I'm the only one confused by this.
Written July 11, 2021
While I still think that description should be revised to show 90 mins-3 hours depending, I have read enough questions and answers to find that the original tour with no upgrades is 90 minutes. I have also read that with stops, etc, the tour can last 3 hours.
Written July 11, 2021
If you care about the history of "Memphis sound", DO NOT MISS Sun Studio or Stax. I felt chills at Sun standing with the mic used by its stars, and my eyes filled with tears from a flood of happy memories of dancing to the music from Stax Records.
Written January 20, 2023
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