16 GUESTS OR FEWER
Small enough to feel the difference.
Smaller groups create access to more personal hotels, local tables, flexible moments and conversations that larger tours simply miss.
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FeaturedThe Beauty of Small-Group Travel
Limited Series | 10-Day Signature Journey
Arkansas & the OzarksBeyond What You'd Discover Alone
Riverfront evenings. Clear Ozark water. Music drifting across a courthouse square. A limited small-group Journey through the Arkansas most travelers never learn how to find.
Little Rock → Arkansas Highlands → Mountain View → Bentonville
- 10 days / 9 nights
- Maximum 8 guests
- Tour Captain hosted
10 Days • Maximum 8 Guests • Tour Captain Hosted
10 Days9 nights
Little Rock to BentonvilleCore route
Maximum 8Limited small group
4 ChaptersOzarks + Highlands
Tour CaptainHosted throughout
Your Journey Ahead
Across Arkansas, one story at a time.
Follow the route from Little Rock into the Arkansas Highlands, through the living music of Mountain View, and onward to Bentonville as the Journey unfolds.
10 days • 5 moments
Scroll or select a stopSwipe to explore
The Journey Story
There are still places in America that feel quietly undiscovered. Arkansas is one of them.
This Journey begins softly: a riverfront walk, a gracious hotel lobby, the first sense that Arkansas has been underestimated.
Then the route opens. Clear lake water. Forested roads. Mountain music. Regional food. Contemporary art. Now Journey connects it all with the calm confidence of a host who knows when to lead and when to let a place breathe.
Begins in Little RockFly into LIT
Ends in Northwest ArkansasXNA departure transfer
Leisurely sightseeing paceGuided walks + scenic travel
Hand-picked propertiesRegional character + comfort
Why This Journey
Because surprise is a luxury.
The rarest journeys are not always the farthest away. Sometimes they are the places you did not know could feel this layered, beautiful and alive.
The pleasure of being surprised
Arkansas is not a destination people think they already understand. That is its gift: each chapter feels discovered, not consumed.
A hometown thread
Clinton adds Mark's hometown connection: local hospitality, regional flavors and a table that feels shared from the inside.
Water as a reset
Greers Ferry Lake shifts the body into a slower rhythm: cool coves, forested shoreline and time that feels beautifully unclaimed.
Music that still belongs to the street
Mountain View keeps folk traditions alive in the open air, not behind glass.
A sophisticated finale
Bentonville and Crystal Bridges give the Ozarks a final surprise: art, architecture, food and cultural energy held inside the landscape.
Intimacy by design
With no more than eight guests, the Journey stays nimble enough for quiet moments, real conversation and places that do not suit a crowd.
This is not Arkansas as a pass-through state. It is Arkansas as a private revelation.
Lake Country
Where the Journey exhales.
The Highlands chapter is deliberately unhurried: water, forest, a private boat, chilled drinks, quiet coves and the rare permission to stop performing the day.
Signature Experiences
The moments that stay with you.
Not spectacle. Texture. A glass poured by the lake. A song carried across the square. A museum folded into the trees.
Arrive into Southern grace.
A historic hotel, a riverfront walk, a welcome dinner and the sense that the Journey has already slowed the room.
Taste a place from the inside.
Wine, rustic breads, Muscadine jelly, homemade pies, honey, sorghum and a hometown table that feels specific, generous and real.
Let the water reset the pace.
A private boat, quiet coves, refreshments onboard and enough open space for the afternoon to feel almost private.
Hear tradition in the open air.
Folk music, craftsmanship and courthouse-square life in a town where culture still feels lived, not staged.
Follow roads that still feel secret.
Forested hills, narrow valleys and small communities unfold as part of the experience, not simply the transfer.
End somewhere unexpected.
Public art, restaurants, architecture, galleries, coffee and the polished creative energy of the modern Ozarks.
Stand where art meets forest.
American art, water, architecture and landscape share the same breath during a privately guided museum experience.
Wander into a mountain mood.
Victorian streets, galleries, cafes, overlooks and Crescent Hotel atmosphere add a final note of Ozark mystery.
Most Tours vs Now Journey
The difference is invisible until you feel it.
Anyone can trace a route. The art is knowing what gives it a soul: scale, timing, context, local hospitality and enough breathing room for Arkansas to reveal itself.
On your own
- The road can become the project.
- The small towns are easy to pass through before they open up.
- The lake, music and museum days may feel disconnected.
- The emotional rhythm is left to chance.
Now Journey
- Keeps the group intimate: never more than eight guests.
- Connects Little Rock, the Highlands, Mountain View and Bentonville as one emotional arc.
- Handles routing, timing, stays, transfers and included experiences quietly in the background.
- Adds walks, meals, guides, lake time and local context that make the region come alive.
- Gives you the freedom to be present: Beyond what you'd discover alone.
"The perfect balance of touring and free time."
Journey by Chapters
A story in four movements.
City warmth. Lake stillness. Mountain soul. Modern Ozark creativity. Each chapter changes the light.
Chapter One
Little Rock
Southern hospitality, riverfront charm and the cultural opening of the Journey.
- 2 nights
- Discovery Walk
- Clinton Presidential Center
Chapter Two
Greers Ferry Lake
Clear water, forested shorelines and an intentionally restorative Ozark lake rhythm.
- 2 nights
- Hometown lunch
- Private boat excursion
Chapter Three
Mountain View
Folk music, artisan culture and the slower living soul of the Ozarks.
- 2 nights
- Historic square
- Mountain music atmosphere
Chapter Four
Bentonville
Crystal Bridges, modern Ozark creativity and an unexpectedly sophisticated finale.
- 3 nights
- Crystal Bridges
- Included optional Eureka Springs excursion
Through Now Journey
The route is only the beginning.
The real luxury is not more programming. It is the quiet confidence of a Journey where the pieces already know how to fit together: the gracious city opening, the lake reset, the music town, the museum in the trees.
Now Journey turns Arkansas from a place you might drive through into a place you feel invited into.
Your Journey, Day by Day
The Complete Itinerary
Each day unfolds at a thoughtful pace, blending meaningful experiences with time to enjoy the character of each place.
Chapter One | Days 1-2
Southern Beginnings
Little Rock - 2 nights
The Journey begins with Southern hospitality, riverfront charm and a city whose story is layered with culture, architecture, politics and regional flavor.
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Day 1 Today's Adventure
La Petite Roche & French Beginnings
Arrive in Little Rock and settle into the historic Capital Hotel or similar. This evening, your Tour Captain leads a relaxed Discovery Walk through the riverfront before a welcome dinner with elevated Southern flavors.
Today's highlights include:- Included private arrival transfer
- Riverfront Discovery Walk
- Welcome dinner
- Capital Hotel or similar
Journey Guide • Why Little Rock begins the story
The riverfront, historic hotel and relaxed first walk create an intentionally gentle arrival. It is an opening chapter built around orientation and welcome, not a rushed checklist. -
Day 2
The Spirit of Little Rock
Little Rock reveals itself through historic districts, riverfront life, the Clinton Presidential Center and neighborhoods that carry both Southern tradition and a growing creative energy.
Today's highlights include:- Privately guided exploration of downtown Little Rock
- Admission to the William J. Clinton Presidential Center
- River Market District
- Arkansas-inspired tasting experience
Chapter Two | Days 3-4
Into the Arkansas Highlands
Greers Ferry Lake area - 2 nights
The landscape shifts northward into rolling hills, forested roads and clear Ozark water. This chapter is shaped by local hospitality and the restorative pace of the lake.
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Day 3 Today's Adventure
Clinton & Greers Ferry Lake
Travel into the Arkansas Highlands with a stop in Clinton, Mark Story's hometown. A gathering created by Mark introduces guests to the hospitality, people and regional flavors of the Arkansas Highlands, with selected local wines, Muscadine specialties, breads, pies, honey, sorghum and other favorites before continuing to Greers Ferry Lake.
Today's highlights include:- Scenic route north from Little Rock
- Hometown lunch and regional tasting
- Arrival at Greers Ferry Lake
- Welcome reception and dinner on the lake
Journey Guide • The hometown connection
Clinton is not simply a routing stop. Mark Story grew up here, and the gathering is designed to introduce the Highlands through people, hospitality and regional flavors. -
Day 4 Today's Adventure
Private Boat Experience on Greers Ferry Lake
Today is devoted to clear water, hidden coves and the relaxed beauty of Greers Ferry Lake. The included private boat excursion is intentionally unhurried, with refreshments, shoreline scenery and swimming possible when April weather and water conditions allow.
Today's highlights include:- Private Greers Ferry Lake boating excursion
- Refreshments onboard
- Time to enjoy coves and shoreline
- Free evening after returning to the retreat
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Greers Ferry Lake sets the tone for the Highlands chapter: clear water, forest shoreline and space to slow down.
Chapter Three | Days 5-6
The Living Soul of the Ozarks
Mountain View - 2 nights
Mountain View brings the Journey into folk music, craftsmanship and a slower, deeply American sense of place.
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Day 5 Today's Adventure
Mountains & Music
The route continues through the forested hills and winding roads of the Arkansas Ozarks toward Mountain View. On arrival, settle near the historic square before a Discovery Walk and a warm welcome dinner in the heart of the Ozarks.
Today's highlights include:- Scenic drive through the Arkansas Ozarks
- Arrival in Mountain View
- Discovery Walk through the historic square
- Mountain View welcome dinner
Journey Guide • Listening for the Ozarks
Mountain View is approached through its lived atmosphere: the square, local craftsmanship and music shared in public. The pace leaves room for those traditions to feel natural rather than staged. -
Day 6 Today's Adventure
The Hidden Soul of the Ozarks
Mountain View is known as the Folk Music Capital of the World, and today is designed around atmosphere rather than rushing. A relaxed walking experience introduces the courthouse square, artisan character and the music that still drifts naturally through town.
Today's highlights include:- Walking tour through Mountain View
- Historic square and local atmosphere
- Folk music and artisan culture
- Leisure time to continue exploring
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Mountain View's courthouse-square music gives this chapter its front-porch Ozark character.
Chapter Four | Days 7-10
The Modern Ozarks
Bentonville - 3 nights
Northwest Arkansas changes the tempo again: public art, creative energy, mountain-biking culture, elevated restaurants, Crystal Bridges and a finale that feels both polished and unexpected.
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Day 7 Today's Adventure
To Bentonville
Continue north and west into Bentonville and Northwest Arkansas, where Ozark scenery meets modern architecture, culinary sophistication, public art and a thriving creative energy. Settle into The Compton Bentonville or similar before a special Bentonville welcome dinner.
Today's highlights include:- Scenic journey to Northwest Arkansas
- Arrival in Bentonville
- Modern Ozark atmosphere
- Bentonville welcome dinner
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Day 8 Today's Adventure
Crystal Bridges & the Modern Ozarks
This morning centers on Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, a cultural experience beautifully integrated into the Ozark landscape. With museum admission and a privately guided experience, art, water, forest and architecture become part of the same story.
Today's highlights include:- Privately guided Crystal Bridges experience
- Museum admission
- Time to explore the collection and grounds
- Afternoon at leisure in Bentonville
Journey Guide • Art inside the landscape
The Bentonville chapter changes the visual language of the Journey. At Crystal Bridges, architecture, water, forest and American art are experienced as one connected setting. -
Crystal Bridges anchors the Bentonville finale with American art, architecture, water and forest in one setting. -
Day 9 Today's AdventureIncluded experience • participation optional • no additional cost
Eureka Springs & the Hidden Mystique of the Ozarks
This included excursion is optional to join, with no extra charge for guests who participate. The day follows scenic mountain roads into Eureka Springs, a Victorian town of winding streets, historic architecture, galleries, overlooks and Crescent Hotel atmosphere before returning to Bentonville for the farewell dinner.
Today's highlights include:- Included excursion; participation is optional
- Historic district orientation
- Cafes, galleries, overlooks and Crescent Hotel atmosphere
- Special Journey farewell dinner
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Eureka Springs adds winding streets, Victorian architecture and a little mountain-town mystique. -
Day 10 Departure Day
Departure from Northwest Arkansas
Guests departing today transfer to Northwest Arkansas National Airport after a Journey through the hidden beauty of Arkansas. Additional nights in Bentonville or Northwest Arkansas may be arranged for guests who wish to linger.
What's Included
The quiet work behind the ease.
The visible beauty is Arkansas. The invisible comfort is the planning, routing and hosting that lets you stay present.
Tour Captain led
Led by a Now Journey Tour Captain from beginning to end.
Maximum 8 guests
A limited small group designed for a more personal Arkansas Highlands experience.
Privately guided touring
Historical tours with expert local English-speaking guides where listed.
Discovery Walks
Signature orientation walks in each destination.
Arrival transfer
Included meet-and-greet transfer upon arrival in Little Rock.
Private lake excursion
Included private Greers Ferry Lake excursion during the Highlands stay.
Luggage handling
Luggage portage through the Journey where available at included properties.
No large buses
Comfortable scenic travel with appropriately sized vehicles and carefully paced routing.
Hand-picked properties
Hotels and retreats selected for character, location and service.
Transparent pricing
No hidden fees or taxes; gratuities included except for the Tour Captain.
City taxes included
No surprise hotel city-tax charges.
Regional dining
Distinctive Southern and Highlands dining where listed.
Hotels & Retreats
Stays with a sense of place.
The hotel collection is intentionally varied: historic, regional, lakeside, intimate and modern. Each stay supports the mood of its chapter.
Little Rock
The Capital Hotel or similar
A historic landmark selected for Southern grandeur, central setting and timeless Arkansas character.
- 2 nights with breakfast
- Elegant arrival point
- Walkable city base
Greers Ferry Lake
Greers Ferry Lake retreat or similar
A peaceful lake-area stay chosen for quiet, access to the water and a sense of being fully away.
- 2 nights with breakfast
- Close to the lake experience
- Restful Highlands pacing
Mountain View
Ozark Country Inn Bed & Breakfast or similar
A character-rich stay near the historic square, where folk music and small-town hospitality remain close at hand.
- 2 nights with breakfast
- Local atmosphere
- Historic-square access
Bentonville
The Compton or similar
A stylish Northwest Arkansas base selected for modern comfort, walkability and proximity to Bentonville's creative center.
- 3 nights with breakfast
- Near the square
- Modern Ozark finale
Dates & Prices
A rare departure, intentionally small.
Prices are in US dollars and based on two guests in a room. International airfare is not included. Deposit is $700 per person. Solo supplement for a private double room for solo use is $1,935.
2027 departures True small group touring
April 9–18, 2027
$8,679per person
AvailableHosted by Mark Story, Now Journey Managing Director, who grew up in Clinton and brings a hometown connection to the Arkansas Highlands.
Request a Journey Proposal2028 departures True small group touring
April 23–May 2, 2028
$8,679per person
AvailableRequest a Journey ProposalPrefer another date? Inquire with Now Journey for alternate timing.
Guest Confidence
The care is what travelers remember.
For a destination this intimate, trust matters. The route, the pacing and the hosting style are what turn Arkansas from a road trip into a Journey.
50+ five-star reviews
Read reviews from travelers who have experienced Now Journey's small-group style, Tour Captain hosting and carefully paced approach to travel.
"Attention to detail was amazing."
Start with a human conversation.
Talk with a Now Journey Trip Planner about pace, hotels, activity level, dates, solo travel and whether this limited-series departure matches the way you want to feel while traveling.
"A trip without worries."
Is This Journey Right for You?
For travelers drawn to quiet revelations.
This Journey is for guests who love beauty with texture: scenery, story, music, food, art and local connection over famous-name collecting.
Right for you if...
- You like intimate, hosted small-group travel.
- You enjoy under-the-radar destinations with real local character.
- You value scenery, food, folk music, art, regional history and conversation.
- You appreciate a mix of guided experiences and relaxed independent time.
- You are comfortable with scenic road travel through lake and mountain country.
This may not be your best fit if...
- You want a fast-paced checklist of famous national landmarks.
- You prefer large-city touring from beginning to end.
- You want every meal, every hour and every evening fully programmed.
- You are looking for a traditional large-bus tour experience.
FAQs
The practical pieces, simply answered.
A few helpful details about pace, logistics and planning expectations for this limited-series Journey.
How active is this Journey?
The sightseeing pace is leisurely, with guided walks, museum time, scenic drives and optional independent exploration. Guests should be comfortable walking through towns, museums and historic areas.
How many guests are included?
This limited-series Journey is capped at eight guests, keeping the route nimble enough for small towns, local tables and quieter moments.
What airport should I use?
Fly into Little Rock Airport (LIT). The Journey ends with departure transfers to Northwest Arkansas National Airport for flights home.
Is the lake experience included?
Yes. A private Greers Ferry Lake excursion is included during the Highlands stay. Swimming is possible when April weather and water conditions allow.
Are meals included?
Selected dining experiences are included, including welcome and farewell dinners, a hometown lunch/tasting, hotel breakfasts and distinctive Southern and Highlands dining where listed. Not every meal is included.
Can I request another date?
Yes. Guests may inquire with Now Journey for alternate timing in addition to the listed 2027 and 2028 departures.
Why visit the Arkansas Ozarks with Now Journey?
The appeal is not one single landmark. It is the combination of Southern city culture, lake country, scenic Ozark roads, folk music, small-town hospitality, Crystal Bridges and Bentonville's modern creative energy, connected in one hosted route.
How much driving is involved?
This Journey includes scenic road travel between Little Rock, Greers Ferry Lake, Mountain View and Bentonville. The drives are part of the experience, with changing landscapes, small communities and mountain-country atmosphere along the way.
What are the hotels like?
The hotel collection mixes historic, regional, lake-area, inn-style and modern boutique-style stays. Properties are selected for character, location, comfort and fit with the destination rather than uniform resort luxury.
Is this suitable for solo travelers?
Yes. Solo travelers are welcome. The listed solo supplement for a private double room for solo use is $1,935.
Are gratuities included?
Gratuities are included except for the Tour Captain. City taxes are also included.
What should I pack?
Pack comfortable walking shoes, relaxed smart-casual clothing for dinners, layers for changing April weather, sun protection and clothing suitable for time around the lake.
Is this Journey suitable for limited mobility?
Guests should be comfortable with guided walks, museums, town exploration, scenic travel days and some uneven surfaces or stairs in historic towns and regional properties. Contact Now Journey before booking if mobility is a concern.
America still holds secrets.
Arkansas asks you to slow down.
Listen. Look around. Let the road, the water, the music and the people change the pace. The reward is not simply what you will see, but how you will feel while you are here.
We would love to share that Journey with you.
Photography credits
Greers Ferry Lake: Dkbrawley, CC BY-SA 3.0. Crystal Bridges: Alan Islas, CC BY-SA 4.0. Mountain View: Brandonrush, CC BY-SA 4.0. Little Rock River Market: cliff1066™, CC BY 2.0. Eureka Springs: Chris Litherland, CC BY-SA 3.0. Capital Hotel: Abish Tatum, CC BY-SA 3.0. Bentonville courthouse: Brandonrush, CC BY-SA 3.0. Images resized, cropped and optimized for this page.