About this Experience
Summary
Begin your exploration in the heart of New Orleans, the iconic French Quarter, where you'll wander through historic streets, soaking in the vibrant atmosphere of jazz music, colorful architecture, and delicious Creole cuisine. Continue your journey to Tremé, known as the cultural epicenter of the city, where you can visit landmarks like Congo Square and St. Augustine Church, steeped in the rich heritage of African-American culture. On the next day the group will embark on a poignant journey to a Louisiana plantation, where you'll gain insights into the complex history of the region, including the legacy of slavery and the impact of plantation life. Learn about the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina and the resilience of the local communities as you explore exhibits and hear personal stories of survival and recovery. Another day and time to indulge in the culinary delights of Cajun Country as you savor traditional dishes like gumbo, jambalaya, and crawfish etouffee. Then, immerse yourself in the natural beauty of the Louisiana swamps with a guided swamp tour, where you'll encounter native wildlife like alligators, herons, and turtles while learning about the unique ecosystem of the bayou. Conclude your trip with a leisurely day of shopping in New Orleans, where you can browse eclectic boutiques, antique shops, and artisan markets for souvenirs, artwork, and handcrafted goods to commemorate your unforgettable experience in this vibrant city.
Day to Day Itinerary Details
Day 1-The neighborhoods of New Orleans Meet your Guide and group in the early morning at a central location in New Orleans to start your NOLA adventure! Join us on a walking tour of the French Quarter, showing off its historic streets lined with colorful buildings with cast-iron balconies. On this history tour of this neighborhood, you’ll learn how the city became such a melting pot of cultures and the resulting food scene New Orleans is famous for today. Your New Orleans tour guide will lead you to the best spots for powdery beignets, fresh crawfish, hearty gumbo, and irresistible pralines. Other landmarks we’ll want to explore while sightseeing in New Orleans include Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral. More history awaits on Bourbon Street, famous for its bars, diverse culture, and early jazz scene. We will make use of our vehicle on a New Orleans Neighborhood sightseeing tour that gives you the chance to explore more of the neighborhoods surrounding the French Quarter, such as Tremé, the oldest African-American neighborhood in the United States. For music enthusiasts, we’ll be happy to arrange admission to the New Orleans Jazz Museum to learn about some of New Orleans' notable jazz musicians. Tremé: Well-known from the HBO show of the same name, this neighborhood is the oldest African-American neighborhood in the United States. Here, you can visit Storyville (responsible for the birth of jazz), and perhaps grab a bite of some delicious Creole soul food at one of Treme’s distinctive local eateries. For the history buffs, check out the St. Louis Cemetery with your local licensed guide.
The Marigny: Known for Frenchman Street and its exciting jazz clubs, this neighborhood also shows off its strong Caribbean influence with brightly colored shotgun houses and storefronts. Here, we recommend getting a po-boy at one of our favorite local hangouts (home of the world-famous hot sausage po-boy!), or a stuffed beignet at one of the city’s best hidden gems.
The Bywater: This is the neighborhood for the newest and coolest places in town. Visit Crescent Park along the mighty Mississippi, try the praline bacon (recommended by the New York Times!) at a neighborhood landmark, and follow your guide to “Nola’s Backyard Party.” Here, you’ll be able to select your own wine and cheese and listen to live, local music. Throughout The Bywater, you’ll have the chance to marvel at the beautiful and eclectic murals and street art throughout the neighborhood.
Inclusions: New Orleans City walking & driving tour Drive time - 3 hours
Day 2- Louisiana Plantation & Katrina We will leave the city limits for a learning experience you’ll never forget: your local guide will take care of the driving and navigate you to the best plantations to visit in New Orleans to explore their antebellum mansions and immerse yourself in the lives of enslaved people in the pre-Civil War South. We’ll be able to maximize our time with a lunch stop at an authentic Cajun or Creole restaurant where you’ll get a taste of history and enjoy local, seasonal ingredients. The NOLA plantation we visit may have an especially deep connection to the stories of enslaved people working the farms, with hands-on craft demonstrations and exhibits that will help you understand what daily life was like on the plantation. Movie buffs may recognize some of these estates from films like “Django Unchained” and “12 Years A Slave”. After lunch we will make our way back to the Crescent City. If you want a complete look at New Orleans and its enduring spirit that has helped rebuild from disaster and overcome the odds, you’ll pass by areas affected by one of America's worst disasters and get a fuller picture of how this city first came to be, its connection to the nation’s disappearing coastal wetlands, and how extreme weather events are handled today. The effects of Hurricane Katrina are still being felt today in New Orleans. We’ll drive past an actual levee that "breached" as a result of Hurricane Katrina and see the resulting devastation that displaced hundreds of thousands of U.S. residents. And, of course, we can’t speak of Katrina without touring the Lower 9th Ward, where you’ll not only demystify the true events leading up to and after the catastrophic surge here, but also the stories of the ward’s resilient residents. You also might be surprised to hear this neighborhood has been home to such celebrities as Fats Domino, Magic Johnson, and several others. After a day exploring our beautiful city and hearing a local’s perspective on its past, present, and future, you’ll have a profound appreciation for New Orleans and its persevering people. We’re proud to mention that your New Orleans visit includes a donation to the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, whose mission is to unite people in action to achieve a thriving, sustainable Louisiana for all.
Inclusions: Louisiana Plantation visit Drive time - 3 hours
Day 3- Cajun Country Food & Swamp Tour Kick off the adventure in the home for Creole cuisine, New Olreans and start the day with beignets from a local bakery. Beignets were brought to New Orleans in the 18th century by French colonists, from "the old mother country", also brought by Acadians, and became a large part of home-style Creole cooking. After our breakfast stop, we will venture out to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and discover why the shrimp are so delicious on this one-of-a-kind shrimping adventure. The group tour takes about 1.5 hours and shows the many facets of the shrimping industry. You will discover the ins and outs of the skimmer vessels vs. the trawler, how many pounds a boat can catch, the sustainability efforts of the industry, how a vessel works in placing the nets in the water, and how they freeze shrimp with CO2 machines. After our tour, we leave the Gulf and head back to New Orleans for lunch in the city. Our next stop is Honey Island Swamp; picture the moss hanging on gnarled cypress trees as you travel into one of the wildest and most pristine river swamps in America. With the swamp tales of pirates and sightings of Big Foot in the back of your mind, you may be just a little bit nervous at first, but after your first boat ride, you'll want to go back again and again! You'll be overcome by the primitive beauty of the cypress trees rising from the water...the sweet smell of wild azaleas in the air.... Honey Island Swamp is unique because it's one of the least-altered river swamps in the country. It's pretty much in its original condition, almost a pristine wilderness. Take a personalized, narrated nature tour into the 250-square-mile Honey Island Swamp. Nearly 70,000 acres of it is a permanently-protected wildlife area -the Nature Conservancy's First Louisiana Nature Preserve. People from all over the world now explore this wildlife sanctuary with the local guide.
Inclusions: Shrimp Adventure & Honey Island Swamp Tour Drive time - 3 hours
Day 4- Final New Orleans Farewell On our last day, we enjoy leisure time in the French Quarter for any shopping the group wants to enjoy. After checkout, the tour ends. Your local expert guide can support you with additional recommendations or will offer an airport transfer if needed.