The World Cup 2026 is coming to the Southern USA – are you? Hosting matches in Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, and Kansas City, there has never been a better opportunity to hit the open road and see what the most culturally rich part of the country has to offer. Granted, the distances between the World Cup 2026’s Southern host cities are a little far to drive between, so let us show you the best routes to take, and what you can see and do along the way to get an authentic Deep South experience.
First up is ‘The Cacti and Cowboys Road Trip’, a fascinating route through Texas that dives deep into the things that the Lone Star State is best known for: cowboy culture, country music, and bbq cuisine. Starting and ending in the World Cup 2026’s host cities, Houston and Dallas, the trip gives you the chance to sandwich soccer matches with some exciting adventures.
If you’d prefer to go deeper into the Deep South, you might prefer ‘The Country and Cajun Road Trip’ instead. Starting in World Cup 2026 host city Atlanta, Georgia, the route takes you on a journey through South Carolina, the Blue Ridge Mountains, Nashville, and Kentucky, exploring the best in everything from country music to bourbon and cajun cuisine.
The question is: which road trip will you choose, and where will it take you?
The Cacti and Cowboys Road Trip: Texas
Houston → San Antonio: ~ 3–3.5 hours → Bandera: ~ 1 to 1.5 hours → Luckenbach: ~ 1.5 hours → Austin: ~ 1–1.5 hours → Dallas: ~ 3–3.5 hours
Eat your way around Houston
If there’s one thing Houston is known for besides sports, it’s food, especially its lip-smacking Tex-Mex and BBQ flavors. So once you’ve watched a World Cup 2026 match in Houston, the only thing left to do is eat, eat, and eat some more. For the best of Texan BBQ, book a table at Truth BBQ, a Bib Gourmand canteen serving the best brisket, smoked pork ribs, and casserole in town. For more casual, homestyle BBQ, make it the Blood Bros. For the best of Tex-Mex, head to beloved institutions like The Original Ninfa’s and Molina’s Cantina.
Watch the San Antonio Spurs play basketball
Five-time NBA champions, the San Antonio Spurs, are a must-watch if your stay in Texas coincides with a game, especially if you get to watch it in their home stadium, the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio. From the atmosphere to the food, the live basketball experience differs completely from the World Cup experience. So grab a pretzel and some wings and take a seat because you’re in for a memorable all-American experience.
Visit Bandera, the “Cowboy Capital of the World”
Whilst in Texas, why not lean into the stereotype and embrace cowboy culture in Bandera, the “Cowboy Capital of the World”? Yes, the town is exactly as you’d picture it: rustic Western-style saloons and saddle stores with swinging doors lining the streets where horses and bulls are just as common as cars. Stay for a couple of days to get stuck into the cowboy lifestyle with a dude ranch stay, horseback riding, cookouts, and rodeos. But if you’re just passing through, stop for lunch at a BBQ joint, grab some leather goods at the cowboy boutiques, and dance with locals at a hinky-tonk bar.
Dive into country music in Luckenbach
While country music is played in city bars across the state, nothing beats getting jiggy to a bit of Willy Nelson and Kenny Rogers at Gruene Hall in Luckenbach, the Texas Hill Country’s most legendary country town. In its heyday, Luckenbach was a gathering place for country legends, singer-songwriters, and fans of “outlaw country”. Country-lovers would gather to listen to live music in the dance hall, saloon, or under the trees surrounding it. Despite its fame, this small Texan Hill Country town is just as humble, laid-back, and authentic as it has always been.
Line dance at a honky tonk in Austin
As if your trip wasn’t ‘Texan’ enough, your next stop involves line dancing with the locals at a typical honky tonk in Austin. Line dancing is a traditional Texan pastime where everyone at the bar stands in lines on the dancefloor and move in unison with choreographed steps to country music. It’s so simple and low-impact that everyone from the local grandmas to the local heartthrobs get involved. While most tourists are herded like Texan cattle into legendary honky tonk, the Broken Spoke, we suggest lining up beside the locals at The White Horse, Sagebrush, and Little Longhorn Saloon.
Cheer on the Mesquite Championship Rodeo
Drive 15 minutes east from the bright lights of Downtown Dallas and you’ll find yourself in a whole other world — one where bullriding and barrel racing take center stage. The Mesquite Championship Rodeo. Opened in 1958, the Mesquite Championship which takes place annually from june through August has become one of Texas’ biggest and baddest rodeo events. While the Fort Worth Stockyards stages rodeos for tourists on the other side of town, the Mesquite Championship is where the big guns come to play. Expect nothing less than edge-of-your-seat events like bull riding, saddle bronc riding, barrel racing, and team roping, as well as epic live country music and delicious BBQ.
Stay at a traditional Texan ranch
Although we recommend singing country music with local folk in Luckenbach, line dancing in Austin, and watching the rodeo in Dallas, if you do just one traditional Texan thing in the Lone Star State, stay at a traditional Texan ranch. From horseback trail riding and long range shooting to tequila tasting and cowboy cookouts, they give guests the chance to live like a true Texan. There are ranches all over the Lone Star State but the best ones offer authentic experiences in a luxury ranch setting like The JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa near Austin, and Cibolo Creek Ranch near Big Bend National Park.
The Country and Cajun Road Trip: Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky
Atlanta → Savannah: ~3.5–4 hrs → Charleston: ~2 hrs → Asheville: ~4–4.5 hrs → Nashville: ~4.5–5 hrs → Louisville: ~2.5–3 hrs
Learn about black history in the Cradle of the Civil Rights Movement
Birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr and location of many major civil rights achievements, Atlanta is considered the cradle of the Civil Rights Movement. As an integral part of Atlanta (and the South’s) identity, there’s no better way to immerse in the culture than by learning about the trials and tribulations the African American population faced to gain basic human rights after generations of enslavement and segregation on a private walking tour in Atlanta. Walking from Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park to the Center for Civil and Human Rights and Oakland Cemetery with your local guide, you’ll get first-hand insight into the realities of the persecution of African Americans.
Eat your way from Savannah to Charleston
The Southeast Coast’s unique mix of Native American, African, Spanish, and French influences have created a regional cuisine that can’t be compared. Cajun food is heavily flavored meats and seafood with a base of onions, peppers, celery, and a generous mix of herbs and spices. Since many of the best dishes are made with seafood like gumbo, étouffée, and crawfish boil, where better to try them than on a road trip between two kings of cajun cuisine, Savannah and Charleston. If you’re looking for authentic, tasty Cajun cuisine in a refined setting, try Alligator Soul and The Grey in Savannah. For something low-key but stupidly tasty, try Bertha’s Kitchen in Charleston.
Immerse in Asheville’s artsy vibe
Asheville may be a small town shrouded by the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, yet, somehow, it has become one of the most artsy towns in the US. On your way between Charleston and Nashville, don’t miss the opportunity to stop in artsy Asheville to learn about its surprisingly influential creative history, and dive into its current arts scene. Start at the heart of it all in the River Arts District where you can wonder around 200+ art, ceramics, glasswork, and other creative workshops and studios. Then admire the incredible, unique Appalachian crafts at the Folk Art Center before finishing your stay at one of America’s most beautiful historic mansions, the Biltmore Estate.
Camp in the Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains is one of the most breathtaking mountain ranges in the US, and being in a less touristy part of the country, it’s particularly peaceful. Don’t pass up the chance to soak up scenes of the famous misty blue haze, which has been the subject of so many country singers and artists over the years. For the full southern experience, grab a tent and spend a few days wild camping on the Appalacian Trail. All good if you don’t have your own gear, just stay in one of the yurts or rustic cabins along the trail instead.
Get your Dolly Parton on in Nashville
Nicknamed ‘Music City’, Nashville has generated some of the best names in country music from Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash to Taylor Swift and Kacey Musgraves. Now, you can walk in the footsteps of these world-renowned names from the city’s humble honky tonk bars to the big-time country venues and recording studios. Start your country music initiation with a peek into Nashville’s musical past at the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum, then take a tour of Music Row to gain access to the very studios country’s big names made legendary records. Spend an evening at country’s most famous music venue, the Grand Old Opry, before finishing the night dancing at the Broadway honky tonks.
Join the Kentucky Bourbon Trail
Heading a couple of hours’ northeast from Nashville towards Louisville, Kentucky, and you’ll find yourself driving the Kentucky Bourbon Trail to the USA’s best distilleries. Highlighting around 18 distilleries, the entire trail would take around a week to complete, but you can experience the highlights in a couple of days. Choose from an enticing selection of historic, modern, and boutique distilleries, famously including Maker’s Mark, Jim Beam, Woodford Reserve, and Wild Turkey. As an exclusively American liquor, bourbon tasting is almost a right of passage when touring the USA.
Book your World Cup 2026 Southern US Road Trip
Pinned to be one of the most popular World Cup competitions yet, booking flights, accommodation, tickets, and transport far in advance is important, so get started today with Tripsby.ai. As a multi-city trip, planning and logistics can easily become overwhelming, but our advanced AI-human combined planning and booking service ensures your trip will be smooth and stress-free without compromising on the extraordinary. Oh, and it can do everything within the time it takes to make a cup of coffee. Find out more by talking to our Tripsby Travel Planner today.
