Private Elvis Tour in Memphis – The Early Years of the King

5.0 (one review) 1 h 30 min Free cancellation Private tour

out of 5

one review

5.0

Your private ride through rock ’n’ roll history. This sleek 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe is your personal time machine through Elvis’s Memphis — with a local musician at the wheel. — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

This bronze statue celebrates the raw energy of young Elvis — the King before the crown. — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

Before the mansion, there was Memphis.

On this private Elvis tour in Memphis, you'll discover the overlooked places where Elvis Presley first found his sound — the apartment, the stage, and the studio where rock ’n’ roll quietly began.

Led by a local Memphis musician and Elvis historian who has spent years performing on Beale Street, this tour explores the neighborhoods, schools, recording studios, and stages where Elvis Presley lived, learned, and first electrified audiences.

Along the way you'll visit legendary locations connected to Elvis’s early life including Sun Studio, Beale Street, Humes High School, and the Overton Park Shell — the stage where Elvis shocked Memphis in 1954.

If you want to understand how Elvis became Elvis, this is the tour.

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At a glance

Duration: 1 h 30 min
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Your group only
People per booking: 1–15
Guide: English
Operated by: Rock 'n' Roll Tours

What is included

Included

Included: Photo stops at key Elvis Presley landmarks
Included: Downtown Memphis hotel pickup and drop-off
Included: Live narration from a local Memphis musician and Elvis historian
Included: Private transportation in a comfortable air-conditioned SUV
Included: Complimentary bottled water

Not included

Not included: Admission to Graceland
Not included: Entry to Sun Studio or other attractions
Not included: Food and drink
Not included: Gratuities (Optional)

Itinerary

Stop 1

15 min

See the low-income apartment complex where Elvis lived as a teenager — and where he first began shaping his unique sound. From here, the dream began.
Stop 2

5 min

Stop outside the historic Arcade Restaurant, the oldest café in Memphis and a favorite spot for Elvis Presley. While living nearby at Lauderdale Courts, Elvis often came here with dates. The retro diner still looks much like it did in the 1950s and has appeared in several movies, making it one of the most recognizable landmarks in Memphis music history.
Stop 3

10 min

Humes High School

Drive past the high school where Elvis graduated in 1953. Hear how his classmates remembered him — shy, quiet, but full of talent and ambition.
Overton Park Shell

15 min

See the stage where Elvis performed his first paid concert — and got booed for shaking his leg. This stop captures the birth of the rock 'n' roll revolution.
Sun Studio

15 min Admission not included

View the legendary studio where Elvis recorded his first songs. Learn the story behind "That's All Right" and how Sam Phillips changed music history forever.
Beale Street

15 min

Cruise down historic Beale Street and spot landmarks like Lansky Brothers (where Elvis bought his clothes) and the “Elvis on Beale” movie set from Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis.
Stop 7

10 min

Hear the lesser-known stories of Elvis at the Peabody — from teenage dates to the time he got into a scuffle that ended in the lobby. Iconic Memphis history.
Stop 8

5 min Admission not included

View the hotel that housed WHBQ studios — where Dewey Phillips first played Elvis on the radio. Discover how one DJ helped launch a legend.

Meeting point and pickup

You can be picked up from your accommodation or go straight to the meeting point.

Meeting point

Guide will meet guests underneath the marquee of The Orpheum Theatre.

End point

Guide will meet guests underneath the marquee of The Orpheum Theatre.

Pickup points

Hotel Indigo Memphis Downtown By IHG
Residence Inn by Marriott Memphis Downtown
Courtyard by Marriott Memphis Downtown
The Central Station Memphis, Curio Collection by Hilton
Comfort Inn Memphis Downtown
SpringHill Suites by Marriott Memphis Downtown
Holiday Inn Memphis-downtown (beale St.) By IHG
Home2 Suites By Hilton Memphis Downtown
voco Hotel Napoleon Memphis by IHG
Hilton Garden Inn Memphis Downtown Beale Street
Hyatt Centric Beale Street Memphis
La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Memphis Downtown

and 12 more pickup points

Your guide Brandon will pick you up in a black Hyundai Santa Fe. Please be ready in your hotel lobby or outside your accommodation at the scheduled pickup time.