Charms of the Southeast USA
Travel through the American Southeast to immerse yourself in its history, art, food and wildlife. You’ll unlock the past at Fort Sumter National Monument and Jekyll Island’s Wanderer Memory Trail and Mosaic Museum. Taste the flavors of Charleston at its City Market and dine with a celebrity food writer and TV host in Savannah. From a behind-the-scenes experience at Georgia Sea Turtle Center and learning about Gullah Geechee culture on Jekyll Island to the beauty of Georgia’s lighthouses and coastlines, this is the Southeast at its most charming.
Dining Summary
- 2 Dinner (D)
- 6 Breakfast (B)
- 1 Lunch (L)
- Savannah: Meet your host, a local food celebrity in the culinary hotspot of Savannah, Georgia. This Be My Guest experience at a restaurant will find you sampling some of the city’s finest flavors while the host shares their stories with you.
- Jekyll Island: Visit the Mosaic Museum for an in-depth look into Black history on Jekyll Island through the lens of music. You’ll learn about Gullah ring shouts, a call and response dance passed down through the descendants of the enslaved people of the low country. Enjoy cake walk performances by the Black employees of the Jekyll Island Club. Lastly, explore ragtime and the Club era, and Maurice Ruddick and the Dolphin Club - where legendary performers such as BB King, Percy Sledge and Otis Redding entertained guests like you.
- Charleston: Charleston brings new sights, sounds and experiences around every turn. Join an experienced Local Specialist for a coach tour through historic Charleston. You’ll have the chance to smell fragrant jasmine, peer through wrought iron gates and see names from the past etched in stone as you stroll past historic sites. Unlock the best of the city from those who know it best. Your host invests back into the properties you tour, ensuring that Charleston’s most historically significant landmarks, structures, sites and stories endure for generations to come.
- Charleston: Take a guided tour through one of the best-preserved plantation houses in the US. Explore the main house with a Local Specialist, then visit the gallery and garden exhibits showcasing original artifacts, historic furnishings and stories of the people who lived and worked on the estate.
- Savannah: Embark on an orientation tour with your Tour Director beginning at Forsyth Park, one of Savannah's most picturesque spots. You’ll admire the famous Forsyth Fountain and the greenery before driving down Jones Street, often referred to as one of the most beautiful streets in America, with historic homes, tree-lined sidewalks and a charming atmosphere. Explore the Savannah Historic District, passing landmarks such as the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, the Mercer-Williams House and the Owens-Thomas House. Finish along River Street, Savannah's bustling waterfront area.
- Tybee Island: Visit the must-see Tybee Island Lighthouse, the oldest and tallest lighthouse in Georgia. Unlock its history dating back to 1732, and you’ll learn how it’s one of the most intact, historic lighthouses remaining in America. The lighthouse has been rebuilt several times. It was first constructed with stone and wood, and in 1773, with bricks and wooden stairs. View the 1916 historic marker and climb 178 stairs to snap a photo overlooking Tybee Island.
- St. Simons Island: Discover the local secrets of St. Simons Island, the largest barrier island in Georgia’s Golden Isles. Stroll along the historic St. Simons Pier and watch the local fishermen and fisherwomen. Another must-see awaits at charming Pier Village where you can browse boutique shops, art galleries, and explore the local seafood restaurants.
- Jekyll Island: Unlock the history of Jekyll Island on the interpretive Wanderer Memory Trail. You’ll learn the history of the Wanderer, a slave ship that arrived on the Jekyll River 160 years ago. Through individual exhibits, you’ll hear the stories of the 500 enslaved Africans including Umwalla, a young African boy brought to America on the ship. You’ll also explore Driftwood Beach, a former maritime forest that has been eroded to sculpture-like piles of sun-bleached driftwood.
- Jekyll Island: Get ready for a one-of-a-kind experience on your Landmarks Tram Tour of Jekyll Island. You’ll learn how the Island was the exclusive site of the renowned Jekyll Island Club - the winter retreat for some of America's wealthiest families including the Rockefellers, Vanderbilts and Morgans. Unlock the elegance and opulence of the early 20th century at Indian Mount Cottage, the Rockefeller’s winter home, where you’ll step inside to see how the family, nannies and servants lived.
- Jekyll Island: Support local wildlife on your private behind-the-scenes tour of the rehabilitation center of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, Georgia's first sea turtle rehabilitation, research and education facility. You’ll see where injured and sick sea turtles are treated and learn how the Center’s research helps sea turtles in Georgia and around the world. You’ll love exploring the lives of sea turtles and other native animals knowing that your visit supports their rehabilitation. Your visit also directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water.
- Explore Charleston and Jekyll Island including Indian Mount Cottage with a Local Specialist
- Visit Charleston City Market, Beaufort, Hilton Head Island, Tybee Island Lighthouse, St. Simons Island, Wanderer Memory Trail and Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island
- Visit the Mosaic Museum for an in-depth look into Black history on Jekyll Island
- Visit Georgia Sea Turtle Center
- Explore Jekyll Island's historic district on a private trolley
- Savannah: Known to locals as the "Grand Lady on the Bay", the building was once 19th-century mega-merchant Simon Guckenheimer's dry goods storage house, which was filled with everything the South made best, from tobacco to canned peaches. The 1940's and '50s brought a grocery store with the city's first true coffeehouse. Now, the Grand Lady stands as a charming boutique hotel with modern style in the vibrant Ellis Square that reflects the essence of Savannah's renowned Historic District.
Whats Included
- An expert Travel Director and professional Driver
- Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
- All porterage and restaurant gratuities
- All hotel tips, charges and local taxes
- Breakfast daily and up to half of your evening meals
- Must-see sightseeing and surprise extras
- Audio headsets for flexible sightseeing
- All transport and transfers shown
- Luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi in most countries or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)
- Optional Experiences and free time
- On occasion, hotels of similar standard and location may be utilized
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Our Commitment
We’re captivated by the places we visit, from the rugged, crimson sands of Australia’s outback deserts to the verdant forests and inky depths of New Zealand’s fjords and valleys. Our passion for our lands, their people and wildlife is part of what makes each AAT Kings experience unique, and is why we work with partners who share our vision for making travel matter, now and in the future. When you travel with AAT Kings and any of our sister brands you can be assured that you are choosing to travel with a company that puts sustainability and the planet at the core of everything we do.
TreadRight
The TreadRight Foundation was founded over a decade ago as a joint initiative between The Travel Corporation’s (TTC) family of brands with a mission to ensure our trips have a positive impact, and AAT Kings is proud to be a founding member.
People
Community support and cultural preservation by targeting overtourism through the inclusion of new MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® experiences, the creation of a standalone strategy to encourage greater diversity and inclusion at AAT Kings, and our global give-back efforts.
Planet
Sustainability and conservation by targeting climate change, sustainable food production and responsible consumption through carbon management, renewable energy, the food cycle, waste reduction, and the elimination of single-use plastics.
Wildlife
Conservation and protection by targeting animal welfare and conservation, and ethical wildlife experiences through our Animal Welfare Policy.
AAT Kings supports the following projects
In partnership with the TreadRight Foundation, we have supported more than 55 sustainable tourism projects worldwide which seek to protect wildlife and marine life and have a positive impact on the people and communities we visit. Each tourism project we support is assessed based on its impact on each of the TreadRight pillars of people, planet and wildlife, underpinned by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which combine to form the basis for our five-year sustainability strategy, How We Tread Right (HWTR).
Kiwi Conservation with the National Kiwi Hatchery
Since 1995 Rainbow Springs Nature Park in Rotorua on New Zealand’s North Island has provided vital support to vulnerable populations of the flightless Kiwi bird, a beloved national species. The species is under threat from predators and their ground nests lack adequate protection, causing their population to decline each year. To date the National Kiwi Hatchery at Rainbow Springs has hatched more than 2,000 eggs, providing a safe environment for birds to hatch, releasing them into ideal habitats in the wild so that they can continue to reproduce. You can visit the Hatchery to learn more about the vital work they are doing to ensure the survival of the species, with less than 70,000 kiwis left in the wild.
Save the Tasmanian Devil
In some areas, more than 80% of the Tasmanian Devil population has been wiped out by Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD) which continue to spread through wild populations in Tasmania. In conjunction with the TreadRight Foundation, AAT Kings support the work done at the University of Tasmania to develop a vaccine to ensure the population of Tasmanian devils can thrive disease-free in the wild. Guests travelling on selected Tasmanian tours can spend time observing the nocturnal behaviour of the Tasmanian Devil and learn more about these fascinating creatures with our Devils After Dark experience.
Animal Welfare Policy
AAT Kings is committed to only offering ethical wildlife experiences on our trips guided by TreadRight’s Animal Welfare Policy to support a tourism industry free of animal cruelty. The policy is based on the Five Domains of Animal Welfare.
How We Tread Right (HWTR)
Launched in 2020, How We Tread Right (HWTR) is AAT Kings’ five-year sustainability strategy. It is the sustainability blueprint for us and our sister brands under our parent company The Travel Corporation (TTC).
Our strategy consists of 11 sustainability goals anchored to the United Nations’ Global Goals, which guide the way we are addressing climate change, sustainable food production, waste reduction, travel experiences, diversity and inclusion, and wildlife: the six main issues that we are currently focused on as a business.
Goal 1: Climate Change
Reach net zero GHG emissions across the value chain by 2050 from a 2019 baseline year
Goal 2: Climate Change
Source 50% of our electricity from renewable sources by 2025
Goal 3: Sustainable Food Production
Reduce food waste by 50% across
Goal 4: Sustainable Food Production
Increase use of local & organic food products by our supply chain by 2025
Goal 5: Responsible Consumption
Reduce printed brochures by 50% by 2025
Goal 6: Responsible Consumption
Eliminate as many unnecessary single-use plastics from our operations and itineraries
Goal 7: Overtourism
Include at least 1 Make Travel Matter Experience on 50% of TTC itineraries by 2025
Goal 8: Overtourism
Achieve a 20% increase of itineraries visiting developing regions for select specialist brands by 2025
Goal 9: Our Culture
Increase employee and market sentiment regarding diversity and inclusion across our brands
Goal 10: Our Culture
Complete 30,000 volunteer hours by 2025
Goal 11: Animal Welfare
Ensure all wildlife experiences across TTC brands adhere to our animal welfare policy
At AAT Kings we've assembled a range of fun, passionate, quirky, knowledgeable and talented people to help make your holiday great and one you’ll remember forever. Our team will bring your holiday to life and they’ll share their passion and knowledge for Australia and New Zealand in ways beyond expected.
Travel Directors
At AAT Kings we pride ourselves on having some of the most experienced and insightful Travel Directors in the world. They’ll provide the commentary, stories and local insights behind each destination to allow you to truly get a feel for the places you visit. They’ll share advice, provide personal recommendations and reveal some ‘Hidden Gems’ along the way that you simply couldn't experience if travelling on your own.
Driver Guides
We personally train all our Driver Guides to provide exceptional service every step of the way. Each and every Driver Guide has extensive on road experience and driver training with a safe driving track record. Along with passion and local insight these genuine Aussie characters will enhance your AAT Kings experience and make sure you have a holiday you won’t forget. If you’re travelling on a Short Break you may be joined by a different Driver Guide each day so you can benefit from the breadth of their combined knowledge and years of experience for a more independent style of travel.
Local Guides
We’ll also be joined by a number of Local Guides at various destinations on selected Day Tours and Short Breaks. These Local Guides have specialist knowledge of their hometown and local traditions. They’ll take your sightseeing experience to a whole new level as they share their passion and stories in an engaging and entertaining way.
Travel Solo, Not Alone
Travelling solo doesn’t mean that you have to travel alone. Travelling solo on an AAT Kings Guided Holiday connects you with other like-minded travellers to experience the best Australia and New Zealand have to offer on a worry-free adventure.
Your Solo Traveller Options
Solo Traveller Room Share
On nearly all of our itineraries you can choose to be matched with a same gender traveller and only pay the twin share price
Enjoy A Room Just For You
We offer single room supplements across our tours if you want to enjoy a room all to yourself. Simply choose your tour and select your room preference in the booking process.
What to expect when travelling solo in Australia and New Zealand with AAT Kings
On an AAT Kings Guided Holiday you’ll be joining a tour with travellers who have one thing in common. A desire to uncover the true beating heart of Australia and New Zealand in ways that you never imagined possible. Getting under the skin of a destination, learning from local experts, and travelling worry-free, you’ll experience places more beautiful than any guidebook can describe.
Drink in the view, discover wild tastes to feed your soul and immerse yourself in stories that live and breathe, safe in the knowledge that every detail of your trip will be taken care of. You’ll enjoy the benefits of travelling in a group, with all of the essentials like accommodation and exclusive experiences all seamlessly sorted ‘behind the scenes’.
You don’t need to be single to travel solo. Perhaps you want to travel to parts of Australia and New Zealand your partner is not keen to visit, or you want to challenge yourself to travel solo for the first time. Our First Choice and Best Buys Guided Holidays give you the flexibility to choose a fully curated experience with plenty of local connections or a flexible itinerary with more time for you.
Our Commitment
We’re captivated by the places we visit, from the rugged, crimson sands of Australia’s outback deserts to the verdant forests and inky depths of New Zealand’s fjords and valleys. Our passion for our lands, their people and wildlife is part of what makes each AAT Kings experience unique, and is why we work with partners who share our vision for making travel matter, now and in the future. When you travel with AAT Kings and any of our sister brands you can be assured that you are choosing to travel with a company that puts sustainability and the planet at the core of everything we do.
TreadRight
The TreadRight Foundation was founded over a decade ago as a joint initiative between The Travel Corporation’s (TTC) family of brands with a mission to ensure our trips have a positive impact, and AAT Kings is proud to be a founding member.
People
Community support and cultural preservation by targeting overtourism through the inclusion of new MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® experiences, the creation of a standalone strategy to encourage greater diversity and inclusion at AAT Kings, and our global give-back efforts.
Planet
Sustainability and conservation by targeting climate change, sustainable food production and responsible consumption through carbon management, renewable energy, the food cycle, waste reduction, and the elimination of single-use plastics.
Wildlife
Conservation and protection by targeting animal welfare and conservation, and ethical wildlife experiences through our Animal Welfare Policy.
AAT Kings supports the following projects
In partnership with the TreadRight Foundation, we have supported more than 55 sustainable tourism projects worldwide which seek to protect wildlife and marine life and have a positive impact on the people and communities we visit. Each tourism project we support is assessed based on its impact on each of the TreadRight pillars of people, planet and wildlife, underpinned by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which combine to form the basis for our five-year sustainability strategy, How We Tread Right (HWTR).
Kiwi Conservation with the National Kiwi Hatchery
Since 1995 Rainbow Springs Nature Park in Rotorua on New Zealand’s North Island has provided vital support to vulnerable populations of the flightless Kiwi bird, a beloved national species. The species is under threat from predators and their ground nests lack adequate protection, causing their population to decline each year. To date the National Kiwi Hatchery at Rainbow Springs has hatched more than 2,000 eggs, providing a safe environment for birds to hatch, releasing them into ideal habitats in the wild so that they can continue to reproduce. You can visit the Hatchery to learn more about the vital work they are doing to ensure the survival of the species, with less than 70,000 kiwis left in the wild.
Save the Tasmanian Devil
In some areas, more than 80% of the Tasmanian Devil population has been wiped out by Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD) which continue to spread through wild populations in Tasmania. In conjunction with the TreadRight Foundation, AAT Kings support the work done at the University of Tasmania to develop a vaccine to ensure the population of Tasmanian devils can thrive disease-free in the wild. Guests travelling on selected Tasmanian tours can spend time observing the nocturnal behaviour of the Tasmanian Devil and learn more about these fascinating creatures with our Devils After Dark experience.
Animal Welfare Policy
AAT Kings is committed to only offering ethical wildlife experiences on our trips guided by TreadRight’s Animal Welfare Policy to support a tourism industry free of animal cruelty. The policy is based on the Five Domains of Animal Welfare.
How We Tread Right (HWTR)
Launched in 2020, How We Tread Right (HWTR) is AAT Kings’ five-year sustainability strategy. It is the sustainability blueprint for us and our sister brands under our parent company The Travel Corporation (TTC).
Our strategy consists of 11 sustainability goals anchored to the United Nations’ Global Goals, which guide the way we are addressing climate change, sustainable food production, waste reduction, travel experiences, diversity and inclusion, and wildlife: the six main issues that we are currently focused on as a business.
Goal 1: Climate Change
Reach net zero GHG emissions across the value chain by 2050 from a 2019 baseline year
Goal 2: Climate Change
Source 50% of our electricity from renewable sources by 2025
Goal 3: Sustainable Food Production
Reduce food waste by 50% across
Goal 4: Sustainable Food Production
Increase use of local & organic food products by our supply chain by 2025
Goal 5: Responsible Consumption
Reduce printed brochures by 50% by 2025
Goal 6: Responsible Consumption
Eliminate as many unnecessary single-use plastics from our operations and itineraries
Goal 7: Overtourism
Include at least 1 Make Travel Matter Experience on 50% of TTC itineraries by 2025
Goal 8: Overtourism
Achieve a 20% increase of itineraries visiting developing regions for select specialist brands by 2025
Goal 9: Our Culture
Increase employee and market sentiment regarding diversity and inclusion across our brands
Goal 10: Our Culture
Complete 30,000 volunteer hours by 2025
Goal 11: Animal Welfare
Ensure all wildlife experiences across TTC brands adhere to our animal welfare policy
At AAT Kings we've assembled a range of fun, passionate, quirky, knowledgeable and talented people to help make your holiday great and one you’ll remember forever. Our team will bring your holiday to life and they’ll share their passion and knowledge for Australia and New Zealand in ways beyond expected.
Travel Directors
At AAT Kings we pride ourselves on having some of the most experienced and insightful Travel Directors in the world. They’ll provide the commentary, stories and local insights behind each destination to allow you to truly get a feel for the places you visit. They’ll share advice, provide personal recommendations and reveal some ‘Hidden Gems’ along the way that you simply couldn't experience if travelling on your own.
Driver Guides
We personally train all our Driver Guides to provide exceptional service every step of the way. Each and every Driver Guide has extensive on road experience and driver training with a safe driving track record. Along with passion and local insight these genuine Aussie characters will enhance your AAT Kings experience and make sure you have a holiday you won’t forget. If you’re travelling on a Short Break you may be joined by a different Driver Guide each day so you can benefit from the breadth of their combined knowledge and years of experience for a more independent style of travel.
Local Guides
We’ll also be joined by a number of Local Guides at various destinations on selected Day Tours and Short Breaks. These Local Guides have specialist knowledge of their hometown and local traditions. They’ll take your sightseeing experience to a whole new level as they share their passion and stories in an engaging and entertaining way.
Travel Solo, Not Alone
Travelling solo doesn’t mean that you have to travel alone. Travelling solo on an AAT Kings Guided Holiday connects you with other like-minded travellers to experience the best Australia and New Zealand have to offer on a worry-free adventure.
Your Solo Traveller Options
Solo Traveller Room Share
On nearly all of our itineraries you can choose to be matched with a same gender traveller and only pay the twin share price
Enjoy A Room Just For You
We offer single room supplements across our tours if you want to enjoy a room all to yourself. Simply choose your tour and select your room preference in the booking process.
What to expect when travelling solo in Australia and New Zealand with AAT Kings
On an AAT Kings Guided Holiday you’ll be joining a tour with travellers who have one thing in common. A desire to uncover the true beating heart of Australia and New Zealand in ways that you never imagined possible. Getting under the skin of a destination, learning from local experts, and travelling worry-free, you’ll experience places more beautiful than any guidebook can describe.
Drink in the view, discover wild tastes to feed your soul and immerse yourself in stories that live and breathe, safe in the knowledge that every detail of your trip will be taken care of. You’ll enjoy the benefits of travelling in a group, with all of the essentials like accommodation and exclusive experiences all seamlessly sorted ‘behind the scenes’.
You don’t need to be single to travel solo. Perhaps you want to travel to parts of Australia and New Zealand your partner is not keen to visit, or you want to challenge yourself to travel solo for the first time. Our First Choice and Best Buys Guided Holidays give you the flexibility to choose a fully curated experience with plenty of local connections or a flexible itinerary with more time for you.
