- The Mississippi Delta is the birthplace of the blues
- The Natchez Trace Parkway is a peaceful scenic drive from Natchez to Nashville
- Jackson has an excellent civil rights museum
- Best as part of a southern road trip with New Orleans, Memphis or Nashville
- Airports
- Jackson (JAN) via a US hub; or New Orleans (MSY) or Nashville (BNA), both reachable from Heathrow, as road trip gateways
- Best time to go
- March-May and October-November
- Type
- State
Mississippi is the soul of the American South. The flat, fertile Delta gave birth to the blues, and its small towns and juke joints are still pilgrimage sites for music fans. Elsewhere you'll find antebellum mansions in Natchez, the Civil War battlefield at Vicksburg, the hard history of the civil rights movement, and a Gulf Coast lined with beaches and casinos.
It's best explored as part of a southern road trip, linking New Orleans, Memphis and Nashville. For the wider picture, see our USA guide.
Things to do
- Mississippi Blues Trail – markers across the state tell the stories of musicians and places; key stops include Clarksdale, Indianola's B.B. King Museum and Dockery Farms.
- Clarksdale – juke joints with live blues most weekends, the Delta Blues Museum and the legendary crossroads of Highways 61 and 49.
- Natchez – grand antebellum homes overlooking the Mississippi, with tours that increasingly tell the stories of the enslaved people who built and ran them.
- Natchez Trace Parkway – a 444-mile scenic road following an ancient trail from Natchez to near Nashville, free of trucks and billboards.
- Vicksburg National Military Park – the site of a pivotal 1863 siege, with monuments and a recovered ironclad gunboat.
- Jackson – the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and the Museum of Mississippi History, plus the home of civil rights leader Medgar Evers.
- Oxford – a lively college town with William Faulkner's home, Rowan Oak, and a famous independent bookshop.
- Gulf Coast – Biloxi and Ocean Springs for beaches, seafood and art.
Where to stay
- Clarksdale – quirky guesthouses and shacks converted for blues fans.
- Natchez – stay in a historic mansion B&B.
- Oxford – boutique hotels around the town square.
- Jackson – business hotels close to the museums.
- Ocean Springs and Biloxi – coastal hotels and casino resorts.
Getting there
There are no direct flights from the UK. Connect via a US hub to Jackson (JAN), or fly into New Orleans, Memphis or Nashville and drive. Clarksdale is about 90 minutes from Memphis, and Natchez roughly three hours from New Orleans. A hire car is essential. UK visitors need an ESTA.
Best time to visit
Spring and autumn offer the most comfortable weather, along with the Natchez Spring and Fall Pilgrimages, when historic homes open to visitors. Clarksdale's Juke Joint Festival is held in April. Summers are hot and humid, and hurricane season affects the Gulf Coast from June to November. Winters are mild.
Check what's on in Clarksdale before you go; live music is most reliable from Thursday to Saturday nights.
Top attractions in Mississippi
NatureCentral Park
Manhattan's 843-acre green heart, with lakes, meadows, bridges and woodland stretching for 51 blocks between Midtown…
LandmarkStatue of Liberty
The copper colossus in New York Harbor, a gift from France in 1886, visited by ferry with Ellis Island on the same trip.
Mississippi on the map
Frequently asked questions
Is Mississippi worth visiting?
Yes, especially for music lovers and anyone interested in American history. It is the heartland of the blues and central to the civil rights story.
How long does it take to drive the Natchez Trace?
Driving the full 444 miles takes two or three days at a relaxed pace; the speed limit is low and there are many stops.
Where is the best place to hear the blues?
Clarksdale, in the Delta, is the best place to hear live blues in its home setting.
Can you combine Mississippi with New Orleans?
Easily. The Gulf Coast and Natchez are both within a few hours of New Orleans.
Written by
Anna Beach, family & practical travel editor
Anna knows which beach has shade at 3pm and which car hire excess is a rip-off. She covers sun, islands, family trips and practical travel tips.
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