Louisiana holidays
Sample itineraries
Louisiana - Heartbeat of The Deep South
From £1335
This charming tour around Louisiana includes plantation home stays combined with stays in quaint and historic Southern towns. You'll love the laid-back feel in this fascinating part of the USA, the incredibly friendly southern folks, intriguing history, mouth-watering cuisine and the wonderful scenery.
Highlights:
- New Orleans and the historic French Quarter
- Grand plantation homes
- River Road region
- Lafayette, Cajun Country
- State Capitol, Baton Rouge
- Southern hospitality & wonderful Cajun cuisine
- Pretty Natchitoches
- New Orleans jazz clubs
Price per person includes:
-
Return flights to New Orleans, Louisiana
- Airport taxes
-
9 nights accommodation in plantation homes or friendly inns
- 7 days mid size car hire (car hire not required in New Orleans)
- A personalised road book which is a complete guide to travelling within North America and provides bespoke driving instructions for your holiday.
Ideal time to visit: Year Round
Time to visit: Year Round
Prices are based on off-season travel. Please call or email for costs for your preferred date of travel.
Day 1 New Orleans
Arrive New Orleans mid afternoon...head for the French Quarter in the evening.
Days 2-3 Lafayette
Distance: 136 miles
After breakfast depart for your short drive to Houma. Situated to the South West of New Orleans, Houma was settled by the Cajuns over 300 years ago. This area is steeped in history with mystic wetlands offering an array of tours that take you into the heart of this area.
After lunch travel on through the cypress trees to New Iberia, where you can stop at the famous Tabasco Sauce factory and learn how five generations have continued to produce this world renowned fiery condiment.
Arrive in Lafayette and prepare yourself to experience true Cajun food, music and history. Dine in a cajun cafe and mix with the locals in the lively dance halls!
Whilst in Lafayette visit the Vermilionville living museum which will give you a fascinating insight to how the hardy Cajuns and Creoles lived.
Lafayette is also known as the centre of the Cajun culture and nearly half its population still speak Cajun French. Visitors can experience the true essence of this culture by participating in any number of local activities such as cooking schools, dance classes, Cajun Cowboy cattle drive and music festivals.
Days 4 Alexandria
Distance: 91 miles
Today set off for the historic town of Natchitoches. Established in the 1700's this preserved town is a beautiful example of the architecture of this period, and with over 33 blocks to explore your morning will soon pass.
If you have a sense of deja vu, don't be suprised as it was the setting for the tear jerker film "Steel Magnolias" with Dolly Parton and Shirley MacLaine. Throughout your Louisiana adventure you'll think you are in familiar surroundings as the State is the third most popular region for making movies in the USA.
After lunch head for Alexandria via interesting Plantation Homes, the most notable one being Frogmore. On this 1800 acre working Cotton Plantation you can learn about the "white gold", slave customs and their suprising relationships with their Masters and Mistresses as well as hear their secret music.
Day 5 Baton Rouge
Distance: 149 miles
Next day en route to the historic capital Baton Rouge, take a leisurely drive through the area known as the River Road region.
Prior to the Civil War, more than half of America's millionaires lived between Natchez and New Orleans on the fertile soil of the Mississippi. Many homes were destroyed during and after the War, but many remain restored to their former glory.
Be sure to stop by at The Myrtles Plantation Home, voted one of the most haunted Plantation Homes in the USA. Built by General David Bradford in 1796, this splendid home offers daily guided tours where you can discover dark secrets about past residents and learn about the ghosts that are said to haunt the grounds today!
Overnight in Baton Rouge, the seat of the Louisianan government which boasts a fabulous art deco State Capital building with stunning views over the city. Baton Rouge is also home to a vast array of the most attractive true Southern Homes that you'll ever experience set against a backdrop of sculpted gardens, civil war and colonial history that has given Louisiana it's unique exotic flavour.
Days 6-7 Vacherie
Distance: 47 miles
Enjoy a proper Cajun breakfast before you head off along the River Road to your next stop in Vacherie, the Oak Alley Plantation. You are in for a real Southern treat here!
Known as the "Grand Dame of the Great River Road" the setting is truly spectacular. This Home is influenced by the Georgian style but you'll see other Plantation Homes based on English Manors, Spanish, Creole Style and West Indies style as well as the elaborate "Steamboat Gothic".
Planters competed with each other to see who could build the grandest home! Once a home was built it had to be furnished, and most fine furnishings had to be shipped from New York or New England. Often the really wealthy owners would travel to Europe for a year or two purely to select furnishings.
Spend your time here exploring the Home, relaxing on rocking chairs on the huge porches and mixing with the extremely friendly Southern folks!
Days 8-9 New Orleans
Distance: 52 miles
The relaxing time is over!....... It's now time to hit the Big Easy!
Swathed in the romance of pirates, voodoo and Mardi Gras, New Orleans was built in the 1700's and represents more than 250 years of French, Spanish and American culture.
We suggest that you take a city tour of New Orleans when you arrive as this will help orientate yourself with the general layout of the city and its many interesting and unique suburbs. In the evening take a walk down Bourbon Street and see the epicentre for New Orleans music come alive.
The dining options are diverse from Cajun to Creole, seafood to blue steaks, flamboyant food to comfort food. Ask the locals for their recommendations, part of your Deep South experience is the cuisine, so be sure to take full advantage of meal suggestions.
The walking tours of the French Quarter are extremely popular and interesting, try the Ghosts and Vampires night tour or take a streetcar through the Garden District. Explore the waterfront and take a genuine Mississippi Steamer Cruise.
Devour delicious Po'boys in Historic Jackson Square whilst viewing the local artists work. Check out the Mardi Gras museums colourful collection of costumes or take a tour around the famous "above ground" ancient cemeteries.
Stock up on Louisiana spices at the noisy, colourful and fragrant French Market, listen to the lively music there and watch zany street performers.
And did you know you can shop TAX-FREE in Louisiana? Imagine the bargains you can bring home...
All this and the music that New Orleans is famous for!
You'll notice whilst in New Orleans that it's vitality and joie de vivre is truly infectious, it's like nowhere else in the USA. You'll want to return.
Day 10 Depart New Orleans
Leave New Orleans on a midday flight back home.
Want to extend your time in Louisiana? The Plantation Homes stays are unique...why not add a couple more days here... we also have other Plantation Homes you can stay in in this region? Maybe you might want to fly or take the train up to Memphis and explore Graceland or walk along famous Beale Street...?
Our itineraries are flexible, Call Bon Voyage to discuss your options.
