Luxury touring company Tauck has introduced a new after-hours private tour of Elvis Presley’s Memphis mansion and grounds, Graceland, capitalising on the impending launch of the new Tom Hanks film, Elvis.
The new addition to Tauck’s 11-day Life on the Mississippi cruise tour comes as the residence of the late king of rock’n’roll celebrates 40 years of hosting public tours this month.
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Designated a National Historic Landmark and included on the National Register of Historic Places, Graceland is one of the most famous homes in the United States. The estate welcomes over 500,000 visitors each year, including more than 4,000 on peak days, and it is second only to The White House as the most visited home in the country.
Since opening for tours in June, 1982, Graceland has hosted more than 20 million visitors from every state in the US and nearly every country of the world. The new film Elvis, directed by Baz Luhrmann and starring Tom Hanks as Presley’s controversial manager Colonel Tom Parker, received a 12-minute standing ovation after its world premiere at the 75th annual Cannes Film Festival last month.
“Whether you enjoy his music or not, there’s no arguing that Elvis Presley remains an enduring cultural phenomenon and Graceland, his iconic Memphis home, is still an object of popular fascination,” said Dan Mahar, CEO of Tauck.”And with Tom Hanks’ new movie opening in theatres in the coming days – and coinciding with the home’s 40th anniversary celebration – Graceland promises to be more popular than ever.
“We’re thrilled to provide our guests with an exclusive, after-hours tour at Graceland, after the throngs of other visitors have departed for the day,” Mahar said.
The itinerary includes two nights in New Orleans before boarding the American Duchess and sailing northbound to destinations including St. Francisville, Natchez, Vicksburg and Greenville, before its conclusion in Memphis.
Tauck offers similar private visits on trips around the globe, such as on select Italy tours there are exclusive after-hours tours of the Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums. Other popular attractions where Tauck guests avoid the crowds and enjoy after-hours access include the Louvre in Paris, St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, the home and studio of Impressionist painter Claude Monet in Giverny, France, and the Queen Emma Summer Palace on Oahu, Hawaii, where Tauck guests enjoy an exclusive tour, cocktail reception and dinner.
Along with the after-hours tour at Graceland, guests travelling on Tauck’s Life on the Mississippi cruise-tour will also enjoy a private, exclusive performance at New Orleans’ fabled Preservation Hall.
Prices for Tauck’s 11-day Life on the Mississippi cruise tour start at AU$12,100 per person twin share, plus flights. For more details, click here.
Meanwhile, Tauck has this week released its 2023 European program of itineraries, dates and prices. See tauck.com.