When is the best time to visit the South?

Visiting the South in April - May

Spring in the South is an ideal time to visit, when the climate brings warm, sunny days and cooler nights. By mid-April, the gardens at Magnolia Plantation outside Charleston are in bloom, most of the roads and trails in the Great Smoky Mountains have reopened, and all the heritage sites are up and running.

Events & Festivals

• The Jazz & Heritage Festival (late April to early May) celebrates music and culture, from blues, R&B and gospel to country, bluegrass and Cajun in New Orleans.
• The Spring Pilgrimage in Mississippi, sees historic antebellum homes open to the public from mid-March to mid-April in Natchez

Visiting the South in June - August

By June, temperatures across the South are noticeably higher. By July, it’s hot and sticky with averages of 86°F and highs of 104°F. Coupled with high humidity levels, it can feel unbearably hot. To cope with the heat, you could follow the locals and head for the coast to relax on Jekyll Island off Georgia or see nesting sea turtles on the South Carolina beaches.

Events & Festivals

• Elvis Week, each August commemorates the anniversary of the King’s death with panel discussions, live music and the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest in Memphis.
• The CMA Music Festival takes place in early June each year and features four days of concerts in the home of country music, Nashville.

Visiting the South in September - October

September sees a welcome decrease in temperature and humidity, making the South’s fall another good time to visit (though the chance of hurricanes reaches its peak along the coast between August and October). The turning leaves provide a fiery backdrop to the Natchez Trace Parkway, an old trade route from Nashville to Natchez, and the Great Smoky Mountains are particularly scenic at this time of year.

Events & Festivals

• During the three-week Fall Pilgrimage (late September into early October) in Natchez, Mississippi, costumed guides will show you around the city’s historic homes and offer an insight into their original owners.
• New Orleans’ Voodoo Music + Arts Experience is a festival of music, concerts and costumed street parties, which happens around Hallowe’en in New Orleans.

Visiting the South in November - December

Although temperatures fall considerably in winter, the weather is still generally mild in the South with higher rainfall and only rare snowfall. Cities take on a magical appearance around Christmas, with the lights at Nashville’s Gaylord Opryland Resort a major attraction. It’s also a great time to take in the special events at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, which hosted the Grand Ole Opry for more than 30 years.

Events & Festivals

• New Year’s Eve is another big party night with fireworks, plenty of live music and a buzzing bar scene in New Orleans.