U.S. City Breaks: New Orleans

French Quarter ©Photo by Paul Broussard, Photo courtesy New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau
French Quarter - Orleans Street and St Louis Cathedral ©Photo by Paul Broussard, Photo courtesy New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau
French Quarter - Brass band ©Photo by Chris Granger, Photo courtesy New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau

5 day tour

Prices available on request

It’s time to kick back, relax and explore the Big Easy. This city on the Mississippi is an all singing, all dancing party town. However this city is as much about culture and history as it is about hedonism. From the Vibrant French Quarter to the exuberant Warehouse District, this city excels at the ‘good life’. The birthplace of Jazz, New Orleans hosts plenty of hometown talent however, the variety of live music reverberates through the streets as easy as the waves roll across the Mississippi. As Louisiana’s multicultural epicentre, New Orleans’ parades and festivals bring everyone together to celebrate a community of joy.

However, there is more to this city than the parties and parades. New Orleans also has an incredible food culture, so we hope you’ve brought your appetite! Recipes which playfully mix ingredients have been cultivated and passed down through generations. The area is abundant in extraordinary chefs who add their own personality to the ever-evolving Cajun and Creole style.

As well as this, enjoy the chance to experience the history of Louisiana’s colonial past. Perhaps tour an original plantation house to gain understanding of a turbulent period in this young nation’s history. Furthermore, you have the incredible chance to visit one of America’s most unique ecosystems: Honey Island Swamp. With an expert guide, this Bayou tour will guide you through the picturesque, awe-inspiring, land of the gator for an experience like no other.

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Dates

Dates on request

Suggested Itinerary

Day 1

Welcome to New Orleans

Arrive in New Orleans and transfer to your hotel and spend the evening exploring. Start as you mean to go on and immerse yourself in the New Orleans culture by experiencing the tantalising French Quarter. Perhaps even learn to make cocktails Louisiana style with a workshop and enjoy authentic New Orleans Jazz.

Day 2

Explore The Big Easy

To outsiders the French Quarter can resemble a gorgeous puzzle – blocks of wrought iron balconies, pastel-coloured facades and secret gardens. Make sense of all its stories and histories with a walking tour of the Vieux Carre. You specialised guide will bring the neighbourhood to life. Alternatively, why not discover this exuberant city at your own pace with the hop on hop off bus?

Day 3

Plantations and the Mississippi

Travel towards Baton Rouge to visit the Houmas House Plantation and Gardens. Visitors experience the life of a wealthy Sugar Baron in the 1800s. Tour the historic Louisiana Plantation and explore 38 acres of lush gardens or relax with a refreshing mint julep and enjoy the breeze off the nearby Mississippi River.

Today, cruise the Mississippi on board the Steamboat Natchez, the last authentic steamboat on the river. Why not enjoy a Dinner Jazz Cruise? During this journey, you’ll have the chance to visit the engine room to see the workings of 100-year-old steam engines. This is an iconic piece of New Orleans and the journey is absolutely timeless. A range of other Harbour Jazz cruises are also available.

Day 4

Cajun Encounters

Take a bayou tour of the famous Honey Island Swamp. You’ll glide through gator territory on a small, flat-bottomed boat and hear all about the swamp and its natural inhabitants from local, expert captains. This tour gives you an authentic tour of one of America’s most unique ecosystems. Many of the captains have lived on the water for most of their lives and have earned field degrees to give you the best experience possible.

Day 5

Departure

If time permits, enjoy a final wander around the French Quarter with jazz filling your ears. Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK.

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