Memphis Self Guided Driving Audio Tour

Memphis sings from nearly every corner. This self-guided drive links recording studios, famous musicians, cemeteries, and downtown landmarks in an easy 11.2-mile route with more than 25 audio stories. I like the freedom to start whenever you wish, and I like the excellent price: $16.99 covers everyone in a car of up to four people.

I also appreciate the offline maps and automatic audio, which let you keep your hands on the wheel instead of staring at a phone. The main drawback is route clarity. Some turns have felt hard to follow, and parts of the drive pass through rougher neighborhoods, so you should download the tour in advance and stay alert to the app’s directions.

• Ma Rainey’s Memphis connection: Hear the unusual story of a singer whose father forbade her to perform.
• Aretha Franklin’s birthplace: Visit an optional stop tied to her early church singing and gospel career.
• Royal Studios and Sun Studio: See two important music sites linked to Memphis recording history.
• Stax, Beale Street, and the Lorraine Motel: Optional stops add some of the city’s most important music and civil rights landmarks.
• One purchase covers four people: At $16.99 per group, the cost is much lower than four individual admissions to a guided experience.
• Lifetime access: Use the tour on different days, pause for meals or sightseeing, and return to it on another trip.

What This Memphis Drive Actually Does

This is not a bus tour with a guide sitting beside you. You drive your own car, follow the route on the Action Tour Guide app, and listen as location-based stories begin automatically.

The route takes about two to three hours if you keep moving. In real use, you can take longer because the app lets you pause, skip stories, visit optional stops, and make side trips. The tour is sold for one group of up to four people, which makes it especially useful for couples, families, or friends sharing a rental car.

The route begins at 1 Bass Pro Drive, Memphis, Tennessee 38105. No guide meets you there. You download the app, enter the password sent by email and text, and launch the Memphis tour once you reach the starting point.

You must download the tour while you have strong Wi-Fi or cellular service. After that, the tour works offline. This is important in a city where you may not want to depend on a live signal at every turn.

The audio is designed to play hands-free. Connect your phone to the car stereo by Bluetooth, USB, or AUX. Apple CarPlay works with the audio playback, while Android Auto support is still being developed. An iPhone running iOS 15 or later, or an Android device running version 9 or later, is recommended.

Elmwood Cemetery and the Ma Rainey Story

Elmwood Cemetery is one of the first major stops, and the audio gives you a reason to look beyond the usual Memphis music landmarks.

The story centers on Ma Rainey II, who is buried there. Her father was a pastor who forbade her from singing. Rather than abandon music, she ran away and joined a traveling circus-type show, working as both a fortune teller and a ragtime performer on Beale Street.

That story gives the cemetery stop a human edge. You are not simply passing an old burial ground and hearing a list of names. You are hearing about a performer who pushed against family expectations and found her way into Memphis entertainment.

The stop is listed at about 40 minutes, though the audio tour itself does not force you to spend that long outside the car. You can listen from the vehicle, stop briefly, or pause the route for a closer look. If you want time for photographs and a quiet walk, build extra time into your day.

The cemetery also shows why this tour works best for people who enjoy context. Memphis music did not begin with Elvis. It grew from gospel, ragtime, blues, soul, and the people who carried those sounds into churches, streets, theaters, and recording rooms.

Aretha Franklin’s Birthplace as an Optional Detour

The birthplace of Aretha Franklin is another major stop, listed at roughly 40 minutes. Franklin later moved to Detroit with her father after her parents separated, but her early connection to music began in her father’s church.

Her talent was clear early on. Her father took her with his gospel caravan, where they performed in churches around the area. The audio uses this stop to connect a physical Memphis address with the early life of one of America’s most important singers.

This is also the part of the drive that requires the most care. The route information identifies the birthplace area as a rougher part of town, and some people may prefer to listen while continuing through rather than stop and explore. The stop is optional, so you can make that choice for yourself.

I would not treat this as a casual walking stop. Keep the doors locked while driving, follow the route, and decide in advance if you want to visit the area. The point of a self-guided tour is control, and here that control matters.

Sun Studio and the Birth of Rock ’n’ Roll

The route next points you toward Sun Studio, recognizable by the large guitar hanging in front of the brick building. The audio calls it the birthplace of rock ’n’ roll, a familiar label that still carries weight in Memphis.

Even if you do not go inside, the exterior helps place the city’s recording story in a real location. If you choose to stop, remember that admission tickets and reservations are not included in the $16.99 tour price.

This is one of the tour’s useful habits: it tells you what is nearby, then lets you decide how much time and money to spend. You can keep driving, stop for a photo, or purchase a separate attraction ticket if you want a longer visit.

The route also recalls a period when Elvis and his family lived on a relatively quiet street. Once fans discovered the home, they camped outside hoping to see him. His neighbors apparently had no personal dispute with Elvis, but they did object to crowds of screaming fans filling the street.

That detail is small but telling. The tour is at its best when it connects famous names with ordinary places and practical consequences.

Royal Studios and Memphis Soul

Royal Studios is one of the strongest music stops on the drive. The building began as a movie theater showing silent films in 1915. In 1957, it became Royal Recording Studio and later served as the official recording studio for Hi Records.

The story gives you a useful sense of how Memphis music spaces changed over time. A building that once showed silent films became a place where major records were made. That shift mirrors the city’s larger move from theater entertainment to recorded rhythm and soul.

The tour also directs you toward Stax Museum of American Soul Music. The audio highlights Otis Redding, the Staple Singers, and Reverend Jesse Jackson, all connected with the Stax recording story.

Stax is an optional paid attraction, so the tour itself does not replace a museum visit. It does help you decide if you want one. If soul music is your main reason for coming to Memphis, leave room in your schedule for Stax rather than treating it as a quick drive-by.

One useful improvement would be more material about Otis Redding. The tour already points you toward Stax, but the audio content could give him more attention. If you are especially interested in his work, plan to supplement the drive with your own visit or research.

Beale Street, the Lorraine Motel, and Downtown Memphis

The audio explains that driving straight ahead would bring you to Beale Street, the center of downtown Memphis nightlife and music culture. You can find parking and walk through the pedestrian-only section, where the tour provides bonus stories.

Beale Street is not simply another photo stop. It is the place to get out of the car and experience Memphis on foot. The driving route can introduce it, but it cannot recreate the feel of walking past clubs, signs, and music venues.

The route also points toward the Lorraine Motel, now part of the National Civil Rights Museum. The tour identifies this as one of the places worth entering, not just viewing from the road. Admission is not included, so check the museum’s current arrangements separately before building it into your day.

This contrast is important. The audio tour is good at showing you where Memphis stories happened. It is not a substitute for every museum, studio, or historic site along the way. I would use the drive as a first pass, then choose one or two places for a proper visit.

The Good and Bad of the Route Directions

The app offers both audible and visual directions, and the audio should begin when you reach the first story point. Later stories play as you approach them. In theory, this gives you a calm, hands-free way to move through the city.

In practice, route clarity may vary. Some people have found that turns were difficult to identify, that the app appeared to jump between optional points, or that a road name was hard to locate on a separate map. That does not mean the tour is unusable, but it does mean you should set it up before leaving.

Here is how I would handle it:

• Download the complete tour on strong Wi-Fi.
• Open the app and confirm the correct Memphis route.
• Check the planned starting point and direction.
• Connect the phone to your car stereo before driving.
• Keep the app visible for the visual route when a passenger can monitor it.
• Do not use Google Maps as your only guide if the tour audio gives a different instruction.
• Follow normal speed limits and avoid trying to read the screen while driving.

The tour provider says the route has been updated to improve navigation. Still, I would allow a little patience. If you miss a turn, pause rather than rush. You can also skip an uncomfortable street or optional stop and continue with the main experience.

Neighborhood Conditions and Personal Comfort

This route is designed to cover a broad slice of Memphis, not just the polished tourist core. That means you may pass through areas with aging buildings, poor infrastructure, or streets that feel less comfortable than Beale Street or the downtown attractions.

You should not assume that every stop requires you to park and walk around. Some are best treated as audio points from the car. The Aretha Franklin birthplace area deserves particular caution because the route itself identifies it as a rougher neighborhood.

If anyone in your group feels uneasy, use the app’s flexibility. Skip the stop, keep moving, or return during daylight. The tour gives you no guide or group protection, so you are responsible for deciding where to stop and how long to stay.

This is not a reason to reject the tour outright. It is a reason to understand what you are buying. You get independence, but you also give up the local escort who might help with street choices, parking, or neighborhood context.

Is $16.99 Good Value?

For a group of up to four, $16.99 is a strong price. Split among four people, it costs only a few dollars per person. Even for one or two people, the price is modest compared with a private car tour or a scheduled guided excursion.

The value comes from flexibility as much as from the audio. You can start between the listed operating hours of 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., pause for lunch, spend time at Beale Street, or spread the route over more than one day.

The tour also offers lifetime access with no expiry. You can use it again on another Memphis trip, revisit a missed stop, or take your time instead of rushing through all 25-plus stories in one afternoon.

The price does not include attraction admission, reservations, parking, or any other personal expense. If you plan to enter Sun Studio, Stax Museum, or the National Civil Rights Museum, add those costs separately.

Free cancellation is available if you cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled start time. Cancellations within 24 hours are not refunded.

Who Will Enjoy This Best?

I would choose this tour if you want a broad introduction to Memphis music and prefer setting your own schedule. It suits people who are comfortable driving in a city and do not need a guide in the passenger seat.

It is especially useful for:

• Couples sharing a rental car
• Families with different interests and energy levels
• Music fans who want to connect several sites
• Visitors with only two or three hours
• Repeat visitors looking for a flexible route
• Budget-minded groups who want one purchase for the whole car

I would be more cautious if you want detailed Memphis history beyond music. One criticism of the experience is that it can feel surface-level, with more attention to performers and recording sites than to the city’s wider past.

I would also think twice if navigation problems cause you real stress. A guided group tour may be better if you want someone else to handle every turn and neighborhood decision.

Should You Book the Memphis Audio Tour?

Book it if you want an inexpensive musical introduction, offline access, and the freedom to stop when you like. The best parts are the unusual Ma Rainey story, Aretha Franklin’s early connection to Memphis, Royal Studios, Sun Studio, and the optional downtown stops.

Do not book it expecting a full museum program or a personal guide. The route can be uneven, and some streets may make you uncomfortable. Download it early, use a passenger for navigation, and treat the audio as a flexible framework rather than a strict command.

For $16.99 per car, I think it makes sense as a first look at Memphis, especially if you plan to add one or two paid attractions along the way.

FAQ

How long does the Memphis Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour take?

The route is about 11.2 miles and takes approximately two to three hours if you follow it without long breaks. You can take longer by pausing, visiting attractions, or spreading the tour over multiple days.

How many people can use one purchase?

One purchase covers a group of up to four people traveling in the same car.

Is the tour available in languages other than English?

The tour is offered in English.

Where does the tour start?

The listed starting point is 1 Bass Pro Drive, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, USA. No guide meets you there.

Do I need cellular service during the drive?

You need strong Wi-Fi or cellular service to download the tour before starting. After the download is complete, the tour works offline.

Are attraction tickets included?

No. Admission tickets, attraction passes, and reservations are not included. This applies to places such as Sun Studio, Stax Museum, and the National Civil Rights Museum.

Can I use the tour more than once?

Yes. The tour provides lifetime access with no expiry, so you can use it on any trip and pause or restart it as needed.