Solo travel · Memphis · United States
Solo travel in Memphis
How to enjoy Memphis at your own pace.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0
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Quick answer
Memphis is a rewarding solo trip for music and history lovers, with museums that are best experienced at your own pace and friendly clubs where conversation comes easily. Many solo travellers base themselves in Downtown and Beale Street.
Key facts
- Base
- Downtown and Beale Street
- Getting around
- Tram
- Emergency number
- 911 (police, fire, ambulance)
- Language
- English
Solo travel tips
- Stay downtown or in South Main to walk to Beale Street, the Civil Rights Museum and the trolley.
- Use rideshares to reach Graceland, Sun Studio and Stax if you do not have a car.
- Sit at the bar in Beale Street clubs or at barbecue joints, where people chat easily.
- Stick to busy areas at night and avoid walking alone on empty streets.
- Free Levitt Shell concerts are an easy, sociable night out.
Where to stay
$$$ · Best for first-timers, nightlife and solo travellers
Downtown and Beale Street
Downtown is the main visitor base, with the historic Peabody hotel, Beale Street's clubs, the FedExForum arena, the Rock 'n' Soul Museum and the riverfront parks. Vintage trolleys run along Main Street, and most hotels are within walking distance of Beale Street and Tom Lee Park.
- Good
- Walk to Beale Street and the riverfront; Wide choice of hotels; Trolley along Main Street
- Watch out
- Some streets feel empty after dark away from Beale Street; Busy and loud on weekend nights
- Nearby
- Beale Street, The Peabody, Tom Lee Park, FedExForum
Great on your own
Historic site · Whitehaven
Graceland
Start with the mansion tour early in the day, then explore the exhibition complex; allow at least four hours in total.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Iconic
- History
Museum · South Main Arts District
National Civil Rights Museum
Allow at least three hours, and leave time for the exhibits across the street in the Legacy Building, which many visitors rush.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Rainy day
Street · Downtown and Beale Street
Beale Street
Walk the full length early in the evening and step into the clubs with live bands; weeknights are calmer and often have no cover charge.
- Time needed
- An evening
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- After dark
- Free
- History
Historic site · Union Avenue
Sun Studio
Stand on the marked spot where Elvis recorded and hold the microphone; the guides tell stories that bring the room to life.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- History
- Rainy day
Museum · Soulsville
Stax Museum of American Soul Music
Drive or take a rideshare to Soulsville and combine the museum with a soul-food lunch nearby.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Museum · Downtown and Beale Street
Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum
Use the audio guide to listen to the full tracks; it is a good primer before Sun Studio and Stax.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
Meeting people
- Barbecue crawl — Try dry-rub ribs at one spot, a pulled pork sandwich at another and barbecue spaghetti at a third; many joints are a short drive apart in Midtown and downtown.
- Memphis in May barbecue contest — The World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, usually in mid-May, brings hundreds of competition teams to the city, with food and music for visitors.
- Beale Street — Blues clubs, bars and street performers in a pedestrian zone that stays busy late on weekends.
- Overton Square — Theatres, cocktail bars and restaurants with outdoor seating in Midtown.
Sensible precautions
Downtown and Beale Street are heavily visited, but some streets nearby feel empty after dark; stay in busy areas at night and use rideshares between neighbourhoods. Car break-ins are common, so never leave anything visible in a parked car. Summer heat and spring storms are the main weather risks.
- Emergency number
- 911 (police, fire, ambulance)
- Staying connected
- US SIM cards and eSIMs are easy to buy; free Wi-Fi is common in cafés, hotels and at the airport.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Memphis good for solo travellers?
Memphis is a rewarding solo trip for music and history lovers, with museums that are best experienced at your own pace and friendly clubs where conversation comes easily.
+Where should solo travellers stay in Memphis?
Downtown and Beale Street: Blues clubs, the Peabody's ducks and the riverfront bluff.