WWingAwayWEEKENDSFly to lunchDestination guide 78
Tennessee · Couples · Two nights

Memphis

Blues, soul, rock ’n’ roll and barbecue on the Mississippi.

Memphis is where the blues found a home and rock ’n’ roll was born. Watch the Peabody ducks march, tour Graceland and the tiny Sun Studio where Elvis first recorded, hear soul history at Stax, spend a sobering morning at the National Civil Rights Museum and finish with ribs and live blues on Beale Street.

Music historyBarbecueGrand hotel
See the weekend itineraryFlight & arrival details
A Memphis street scene downtown
Downtown Memphis
YOUR ROUTEKMYR to KMEM
STRAIGHT-LINE DISTANCE~553 NM
ILLUSTRATIVE FLIGHT TIME~3 hr 56 min
WEEKEND STYLETwo nights · Rental car or rideshare

Time illustration: direct distance at 150 KTAS plus 15 minutes for departure and arrival, matching the discovery page. Use ForeFlight for your actual flight plan.

01 / Aviation & getting around

Land at Memphis.

KMEM, Memphis International, is a busy towered airport and FedEx’s home base, about 15 minutes from downtown.

The FBO

Wilson Air Center

Memphis International Airport, Memphis, TN

901-345-2992

Wilson Air Center is a well-regarded GA FBO. General DeWitt Spain Airport (M01), just north of downtown, is a quieter non-towered alternative (901-358-0028). Confirm hours, fees and cars. No live fuel price is shown.

Expect heavy cargo traffic at night and a Class B arrival. About 555 nm from Myrtle Beach: plan a fuel stop or a long nonstop leg.

02 / Where to stay

The South’s grand hotel, or Elvis’s.

Rates and availability need travel dates.

03 / Where to eat

Ribs, steaks and Southern cooking.

Reserve weekend dinners; barbecue spots are first come, first served.

04 / Things to do

Music, history and Beale Street.

Pick two big sites a day and save the evenings for music.

01

Graceland

Elvis’s home, cars and private jets.

Graceland
02

Sun Studio

The small studio where Elvis, Johnny Cash and others first recorded.

Sun Studio
03

National Civil Rights Museum

Built around the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed.

Museum
04

Stax Museum of American Soul Music

The story of Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes and Memphis soul.

Stax
05

Beale Street

Blues clubs and neon, best after dark.

Beale Street
05 / What’s happening

Sometimes the season is the reason to fly.

This prototype links to the local visitor site. It does not yet match events to your travel dates.

Spring & fall

Best seasons

Summers are hot and humid.

Concerts, festivals & local happenings

Check the local calendar when choosing a weekend, and confirm dates and tickets with the organizer.

Browse Memphis in May
06 / Suggested itinerary

Friday in. Sunday home.

A sample weekend: music, history and barbecue. No bookings or availability confirmed.

DAY 1

Arrive & Beale Street

  1. Arrival

    Land at KMEM, subject to weather and your actual flight plan.

  2. Afternoon

    The Peabody duck march at 5 p.m.

  3. Evening

    Ribs at the Rendezvous, then Beale Street.

DAY 2

Elvis & soul

  1. Morning

    Graceland.

  2. Afternoon

    Sun Studio, then Stax.

  3. Evening

    Dinner at The Gray Canary.

DAY 3

History & home

  1. Morning

    The National Civil Rights Museum.

  2. Before leaving

    Allow time at the FBO.

  3. Fly home

    Summer storms build in the afternoon; leave early.

07 / Good to know

Keep the weekend easy to change.

These details make the difference between an appealing list and a usable getaway.

Book in this order

Lodging first, then Graceland tickets and dinners.

Airspace

Brief the Memphis Class B and heavy cargo traffic.

Long leg

About 555 nm. Plan a fuel stop or check range and reserves.

Best seasons

Spring and fall.

Reviewed · Destination 78

Reviewed November 4, 2026.

Picks and links reviewed by WingAway Weekends. Hours, prices, menus and availability change often, so confirm directly with each place before booking.

WingAway Weekends helps you discover the destination. Use ForeFlight and current official aviation information for route, performance, weather, NOTAMs and preflight decisions. Flight planning and PIC responsibility stay with the pilot.