Historic Memphis Guided Walking Tour
4.9
Historic Memphis Guided Walking Tour
By Backbeat Tours
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
About
Memphis is a city steeped in American history, from the Civil War and Prohibition to the birth of blues, soul, and rock ‘n’ roll. On this walking tour, learn all about Memphis through the ages, visit landmarks such as the Court Square Fountain and Confederate Park, and explore Beale Street. Along the way, watch the famous March of the Ducks at the Peabody Hotel.
Free cancellation • Full refund if cancelled up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time).
Reserve now & pay later • Secure your spot while staying flexible.
Lowest price guarantee • Find a lower price online? Get the difference refunded!
Ages 0-99, max of 20 per group
Duration: 2–3 hours
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More
Highlights
- Comprehensive Memphis tour ideal for first-time visitors
- Magnificent views over the Mississippi River
- Watch the Memphis tradition of the March of the Ducks
- Learn about Memphis' Civil War history and the Prohibition era
- Professional guide
- Local taxes
- Orpheum Theater guided tour (if option selected)
- Entry/Admission - The Orpheum Theatre
What's not included- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Food and drinks
- Start:
- The Peabody Memphis, 149 Union Ave, Memphis, TN 38103, USAPlease meet your guide inside the Peabody Hotel Lobby, near the Concierge Desk.
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Wheelchair accessible
- Pushchair 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: 3111HISTORY- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Most travellers can participate
- 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.
- Guests who choose the Orpheum Theater guided tour will arrive at the theater for the 12:00pm tour. Your tour guide will depart at that time; the Orpheum Theater is just 2 blocks from where the tour begins.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travellers
- 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: 3111HISTORY
From
£25.90
per adult
Select date and travellers
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Similar experiences
Itinerary
- 149 Union Ave, Memphis, TN 38103, USAPlease meet your guide inside the Peabody Hotel Lobby, near the Concierge Desk.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
Buy it with
Top rated
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- Krista7980 contributionsGhost Tour in MemphisMy friend and I really enjoyed the ghost tour. Daniel was a great guide, very knowledgeable about all the haunted places and the stories around them. You can tell he loves Memphis and he had great suggestions about places to eat and visit in the city, too. All in all we really enjoyed the walking ghost tour and learned a lot. Thanks Daniel!Written 25 March 2025
- bridgetteb5480 contributionsIs it a ghost? Red maybe?Amazing tour! Creepy, yet informative. Daniel was the best tour guide! Lots of weird occurrences during from lights suddenly going out to music blasting. Don’t miss the upstairs of Ernestine and Hazel’s! Really unsettling and scary.Written 23 March 2025
- chadbE1865DY0 contributionsGhost tourOur guide Daniel was very knowledgeable and personable not only about the paranormal part of the tour but also about the history. Would definitely recommend.Written 23 March 2025
- BridgetS8350 contributionsVery entertaining and informative information from LarryLarry definitely made our experience he was helpful knowledgeable and funny it was a great experience to visit Beale street and surrounding history it was a beautiful sunny day although the cruise didn’t sale until 1430 I felt we were hanging around for an hour before sailingWritten 23 March 2025
- 567kristyp0 contributionsAmazingEverything from the beginning to the end was great! Very informative! Love the trip overall around the city, amazing viewsWritten 22 March 2025
- ci0nyh0 contributionsLarry is the bestI really enjoyed this insiteful tour. And Larry our tour guide was charming and informing. Take this tour you won't regret it!Written 22 March 2025
- K7389KCjillt0 contributionsFun way to see MemphisA fun filled drive around Memphis with Andrew singing all the way! He was full of information and he sounded just like Elvis and Johnny cash.Written 21 March 2025
- loretta080 contributionsGreat tour.Shannon was an energetic tour guide. It was good to get off the bus and see sights up close. The stop at the BBQ was delicious.Written 20 March 2025
- R H0 contributionsOkNice paddle boat tour and free entry into one of three museums plus a small lunch makes it good value for money. Plus the bus makes it convenient. But the tour itself is short and not very informative (at one point our guide said ‘don’t ask me stuff you can google’. )Written 18 March 2025
- Margaret H0 contributionsGreat Way to See Memphis in 6 HoursGreat Way to See Memphis! This tour ran like clockwork - Professional, organized, fascinating. The team took away all the details of our variety of visits. Highly recommend!Written 17 March 2025
- Sightsee499344624370 contributionsGreat Time in Memphis!We had a great time! Can’t wait to go on another Backbeat Tour! Tour guide was passionate and loved her job! We live in Memphis and can’t wait for our next Tour.Written 15 March 2025
- MaryAnn M0 contributionsDiscover Memphis tour- thumbs up!Shannon was such a knowledgeable guide! We learned so much about Memphis’ history, and she made it so interesting. Small walks for points of interest were nice, Everything so well planned out. We enjoyed the Rock & Soul Museum, very well done.The Riverboat ride was interesting, but not a wow.Written 12 March 2025
- sarahwI9636BP0 contributionsMemphis tourThe information was wonderful and for a quick tour to fill in some down time this was a great choice. The food was delicious and just the right amount for the early morning.Written 12 March 2025
- tanyagX5710UW0 contributionsGreat experience!I went on this activity with my husband and we both enjoyed it! The tourist leader was very informational! She was also friendly and upbeat. I would do it again! Great activity!Written 10 March 2025
- Patricia M0 contributionsFun way to see MemphisA must do . It was a fun way to see and learn about Memphis. Kevin was not only great on the guitar, it was a fun sing along tour and a great way to see Memphis. So much history hereWritten 7 March 2025
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.
Contribute
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 waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.9
183 reviews
Excellent
167
Very good
10
Average
5
Poor
0
Terrible
1
ONCSail
Chapel Hill, NC98 contributions
When experiencing a new city, my husband I like to take a historical walking tour as early in our trip as possible so we understand what we are seeing in the context of the people who live there. This history tour did not disappoint, as the guide was local, grew up here, and described the history in terms of local politics. The guide’s dry sense of humor was an added bonus. Additionally, his description of the sanitation worker strike and the ensuing tragedy of Martin Luther King’s assassination was the most clear and sensitively told version than other descriptions I’ve read of the event. The tour is about 1.5 hours of walking at a leisurely pace and covers Beale street, downtown and the Mississippi River. I highly recommend this tour. I also recommend going to Memphis in any other month than February—it is mid-west level cold that time of year!
Written 27 February 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.
Brendan M
Antrim, UK8 contributions
Shannon was an incredible guide. A proud Memphian who clearly loved her city and inspired me to love it too. Her knowledge was expansive, she was friendly, engaging and genuinely interested in exchanging views, answering questions and guiding us around her fabulous city. Looking back, and having explored the whole State of Tennessee during our vacation, her input made Memphis stand out as the most poignant and significant destination, despite loving our other locations too. Thanks Shannon, you made it a trip to remember and I will always have a huge soft spot for your amazing city! Brendan
Written 25 August 2024
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.
Roger M
3 contributions
Sept 2024 • Couples
Backbeat 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 26 September 2024
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.
Kimberly V
Indianapolis, IN1 contribution
Jun 2024 • Family
My mom and I went on this walking tour and we both loved it. This was our first visit to Memphis and this tour was the best! Our guide shared great insights and stories that really helped us get a sense of the city. Would definitely recommend and would take this tour again on another visit to Memphis.
Written 4 July 2024
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.
Mary J
1 contribution
Mar 2025 • Solo
The tour guide was very enthusiastic and to a degree knowledgable of the history of Memphis. Having read books on the history of Memphis, there was more that could have been included. I’m guessing the itinerary and script was planned by whomever.
Memphis is looking pretty sad, but there are still old buildings and homes and churches that figure significantly to the history. Little of this was included.
The tour is listed as 2-3 hours. It started at the Peabody Hotel at 9:30 and finished there at 11:00.
I participated in a walking tour of Toronto July 2024. The Memphis tour pales in comparison to the Toronto experience.
Memphis is looking pretty sad, but there are still old buildings and homes and churches that figure significantly to the history. Little of this was included.
The tour is listed as 2-3 hours. It started at the Peabody Hotel at 9:30 and finished there at 11:00.
I participated in a walking tour of Toronto July 2024. The Memphis tour pales in comparison to the Toronto experience.
Written 16 March 2025
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.
Cindy L
5 contributions
Oct 2024 • Couples
Our 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 8 October 2024
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.
Erin W
Chennai (Madras), India13 contributions
Jul 2021 • Family
We had a wonderful time with our guide Mike. We were the only ones on the tour so it was like a private tour. The city was nice and quiet first thing in the morning, so we really got to enjoy exploring the downtown area. Mike told lots of great stories and we learned a lot. The only disappointment was that we couldn’t go to the Peabody to see the ducks. But that is because of Covid restrictions and not any fault of our guide. I would highly recommend this waking tour to anyone who wants to learn a little bit of Memphis history with their sightseeing.
Written 9 July 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.
Bobbie G
New Hampshire Lakes Region, NH322 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
Charlie was our guide and he was excellent. Very knowledgeable about the history of Memphis. I particularly liked the fact that on a walking tour, he waitied for all the participants to catch up with the group before launching into his description of the site and also welcomed questions. A true professional who knew a whole lot more than a scripted dialogue. He apologized for not knowing all the details of some sculptures that had been installed only a few days before. Book direct on the Back Beat website. Good value and well described meeting point. I would add that it might be helpful to some to state the total distance covered on the walk. Highly recommended.
Written 16 November 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.
Darcy C
4 contributions
Mar 2024 • Couples
Our guide, Chris, is not a life-time Memphian but had a passion for the history of the Memphis. While other tours focus on the musical history of Memphis, this tour focuses on the history of the City itself. It was informative and we learned a lot about the events that shaped the City. It is a lot of walking but at a comfortable pace. We appreciated the host being watchful of the time and getting us over to see the Peabody ducks. We would recommend this tour to others.
Written 5 March 2024
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.
Inspiration760932
Taos, NM4 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
The tour guide was excellent! She was very knowledgeable on the historical sites, buildings, and events. It was a tour well worth taking and for a reasonable price. I learned so much about Memphis that I would never have known if I hadn't taken this tour. Downtown is wonderful and a must see!
Written 31 August 2024
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.
My husband and I are only going to be in Memphis for a few days, as part of a six-month road trip. It looked like there’s no availability on Saturday, but I’m wondering if you might be able to fit in two more people.
Written 27 May 2022
We are available on the 16th of December in the morning- 9:30-10:00. Is it possible to book this tour? it seems like the entire day is blocked out.
Written 19 October 2021
What time does tour start. I could not find it anywhere
Written 10 October 2021
we started at 9:30 am. I think once you start the purchase process, the start times will show up.
Written 10 October 2021
Is the walking mostly flat? What is the distance covered?
Written 16 August 2021
Very flat with a few curbs but no stairs. Covered about 1 ½-2miles over 2 hours.
Written 17 August 2021
There is a parking garage on Peabody Place which is less than a block from Alfred's on Beale which is the meeting spot.
Written 27 May 2022
I'll be in Memphis on Friday, Nov 15. Do I need to book this in advance or can I just show up at the starting point? Also, does the tour go on rain or shine?
Written 2 October 2019
Book in advance is you best bet in case it were to fill up
Written 2 October 2019
I do no
t drive on the Sabbath and I would love to do this tour. Can I walk to wherever you begin and meet you there? I am also staying at the Peabody- is that too far to walk?
Written 29 May 2019
Hi there! We are located just 1.5 blocks from the Peabody Hotel, so it would be incredibly easy for you to walk to the meeting location at Aflred's (at the corner of Beale and B.B. King Blvd/3rd St.). Please let us know if you have any other questions.
Written 29 May 2019
Can I start the tour by the river and avoid the bus ride?
Written 29 May 2019
Hello! We do not recommend joining the tour in progress, as the tour is very flexible and does not always arrive at the exact same place at the exact same time (depending on weather, the speed of the group, traffic, etc.) If you have any other questions, please call us at 901-527-9415.
Written 29 May 2019
Showing results 1-10 of 14
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.