Today you will arrive in the amazing city of New Orleans! Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, a French explorer, founded New Orleans in 1718. New Orleans is also the largest city in Louisiana, located next to the Mississippi River. The city, also known as "Big Easy", is famous for its exceptional music scene, the Mardi Gras festival, the nightlife and the unique “Cajun style” cuisine. In addition, New Orleans has a wide range of different types of museums, and you can discover the beautiful nature in New Orleans and its surroundings. After arriving at the airport, you can take a taxi to your hotel to check in. Depending on your arrival time, you can explore the city and enjoy a dinner in many of New Orleans’ fantastic restaurants. We are more than happy to give you recommendations for breakfast, lunch, dinner, music and Jazz Clubs! New Orleans offers several fantastic attractions and museums. Another great attraction is New Orleans’ City Park. This huge park has a wide range of attractions, but is also the perfect place for a walk to enjoy the nature. Visit the carousel, play miniature golf in the park, check out the Botanical Garden, see beautiful sculptures, kayak on Big Lake or visit Storyland, where fairytales and cartoon characters come to life. There is something for everyone to explore in this beautiful park! We also recommend a walking or trolley tour (this is added to your package) of the Garden District. Here you can peek at some of the city's most beautiful homes. As its name suggests, this historic residential neighborhood is laden with trees, ivy, and gardens. Those beautiful houses and architecture are definitely worth a visit.

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: 3* Hotel

New Orleans offers a wide arrange of evening entertainment. Here are some ideas of evening activities that should not be missed when in New Orleans. A great area to spend the evening in New Orleans is lively Frenchmen Street. This is a popular spot (more filled with locals) with live music, bars, art galleries and night clubs. A must-visit in New Orleans is the famous Bourbon Street in the French Quarter. Bourbon Street attracts millions of visitors every year and is known for its great live music venues, unique restaurants and bars. When you walk along Bourbon Street, take a look at the Music Legends Park, which is dedicated to New Orleans' musical and cultural heritage and features bronze statues of local musicians. Another fantastic activity is a jazz dinner cruise on the authentic steamboat “Natchez” on the Mississippi River. This name comes from several steamers and naval ships, all named after the Mississippi, the city of Natchez or the Natchez population. This steamboat has been sailing on The Mississippi since 1975. On this two-hour cruise, three New Orleans traditions come together: the music, the delectable dishes and the Mississippi River. We have added the tickets for this experience to your package. In the evening, you can also visit the Preservation Hall, located in the French Quarter. More than 350 jazz shows are held here annually. Please note that tickets must be purchased in advance. Close by, you’ll find a bar called Pat O’Briens, which is famous as it is the bar that invented the famous cocktail “Hurricane”.

Meals: Dinner

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: 3* Hotel

The next day we added a unique New Orleans experience in your package: A Jazz brunch at the Court of two Sisters. This legendary restaurant offers fantastic creole and Cajun cuisine while enjoying fantastic live Jazz music. Choose from over 60 Buffet menu items and enjoy the atmosphere in the beautiful, spacious courtyard. After that you can explore the French Quarter and visit Jackson Square. This is a well-known historical square in the heart of the French Quarter. In the center of the square is a statue of Andrew Jackson, the seventh President of the United States and former General of the United States Army. The park has a view of the Mississippi River, the Presbytère Museum, St. Louis Cathedral, and the Pontalbla Apartments. You can also visit the beautiful National Historic Landmark Longue Vue House and Gardens. Admire this beautiful house and see what the lifestyle of the wealthy was like in the 1930s and 1940s. The estate also has eight acres of beautiful gardens that you can visit.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: 3* Hotel

A very popular festival in New Orleans is the Mardi Gras festival. During this festival people dress up and parades with floats are held. In 2020, Mardi Gras had 54 parades, 588 fanfares, 1061 floats and more than 135,000 participants. In the Mardi Gras World museum you can see what it takes to organize Mardi Gras every year. During the tour you will learn about the history of Mardi Gras, see beautiful floats, and you can even have your picture taken with a costume! You can also discover the nature and other beautiful places outside New Orleans, for example by visiting one of the many plantations or joining a Swamp Tour. Visit the Oak Alley plantation, a plantation from 1839 and one of the most famous plantations along the Mississippi River. This plantation was used as a film location in many movies. Another unique experience is a Swamp Tour. On this tour, you will cruise down the bayou on an airboat and see animals such as alligators, fish and snakes. You will get to know the Louisiana bayou, and you will learn about the different types of flora and fauna that surrounds you. These tours are included in your package.

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: 3* Hotel

Today you will pick up your rental car and drive to Baton Rouge. Baton Rouge is the capital of Louisiana and is approximately a 75-minute drive away from New Orleans. The city is known for its fantastic food culture and various cultural and historical sights and attractions. After your arrival at the hotel, you can start exploring the city. You can visit the Old State Capitol and Louisiana State Capitol. The Old State Capitol was built just after Baton Rouge was declared Louisiana's capital. The Old State Capitol, part of the Louisiana State Museum, is nowadays a museum that takes you through Louisiana's democratic progress and history through exhibitions, art, and programming. The Louisiana State Capitol is approximately a 15-minute walk away. Construction of the building, which is also the tallest capitol in the United States, was completed in 1932. On the 27th floor, at 100 meters height, you have a beautiful view of the city and the beautiful gardens.

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: 3* Hotel

If you're interested in American Football, you should definitely attend a LSU Tigers game or a Tiger Stadium tour. Nicknamed Death Valley, this stadium has been called one of the loudest stages in the United States and has 102,321 seats for fans. LSU Tigers' mascot is Mike the Tiger, a living tiger who lives near the Tiger Stadium at Louisiana State University. The current mascot is the seventh Mike the Tiger in a row. The massive 15,000-square-foot residence opened in 2005. A visit to this university campus can be a nice addition to your visit to Baton Rouge!

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: 3* Hotel

You can also check out the USS KIDD Veterans Memorial & Museum. The museum and ship is a National Historic Landmark which takes you back to American military history and the role that Louisiana and its residents have played back then. USS KIDD (DD-661) is a Fletcher-class destroyer named after Isaac Campbell Kidd. Isaac Campbell Kidd was an admiral who died on his flagship USS ARIZONA (BB-39) during the attack on Pearl Harbor. The museum offers various artifacts and exhibits and the main exhibit is dedicated to the veterans. To linger in history, you can visit the Capitol Park Museum. This museum is also part of the Louisiana State Museum. In this museum you will learn about the history, the culture and the industry of Louisiana. The museum has several exhibitions, including two permanent exhibitions. These are Grounds for Greatness: Louisiana and the Nation and Experiencing Louisiana: Discovering the Soul of America. In addition, the museums offers also exhibitions about slave markets, rebellion, music and musicians from Louisiana and exhibitions in which you can admire a submarine from the civil war.

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: 3* Hotel

Today you will drive to the next destination of your trip: Lafayette! In this city, also known as the heart of the Cajun area, you can fully enjoy food, music and history. In the villages Vermilionville and Acadian Village you will be drawn into the history and lifestyle of the Cajun (or Acadian) population. A must-see is the Vermilionville Historic Village, a Living History Museum and Folklife Park. You will get to know the Acadian, Indian and Creole cultures from the period from 1765 to 1890. Discover restored original houses with costumed craftsmen, participate in a tour or take a boat trip! In addition to Vermilionville, you can also visit Acadian Village, an open-air museum where you can admire historic homes with 19th-century Acadian architecture. In the evening you can visit one of the many restaurants to experience the Cajun and Creole cuisine. After dinner, you can discover Cajun or Zydeco music in one of the many bars!

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: 3* Hotel

The next day you can visit the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist in Downtown Lafayette. This Dutch Romanesque cathedral was completed in 1916. You can also visit St. John's Cemetery behind the church and admire the more than 500-year-old oak tree next to the church.

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: 3* Hotel

The Lafayette Science Museum is a short drive away from the cathedral. You will get to know technology, science and history through exhibitions, workshops, planeterium programs and movies. The museum owns more than 1,000 paintings, Louisiana artist sculptures and prints. This museum is interesting for both children and adults, there is something for everyone to discover! If you prefer to explore the nature you can visit Lake Martin Rookery, just outside Lafayette. This is a beautiful place if you would like to enjoy nature and spot different animal species, from alligators to birds to raccoons. You can take a walk, kayak on the water or do a Swamp Tour.

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: 3* Hotel

The next stop of your trip is Lake Charles, a major city located on Lake Charles, the Calcasieu River and Prien Lake. It is said that Jean Lafitte, a pirate from France, left several treasures hidden on the shores of Lake Charles. Because of this legend, the Louisiana Pirate Festival is celebrated in the first two weeks of May every year. The festival, which lasts 12 days, is celebrated with live music, fairground rides and delicious Cajun snacks. Prien Lake Park is a beautiful park with a view of Prien Lake and the I-210 Bridge. The park offers walking trails, a playground, two pavilions and picnic opportunities. You can enjoy hiking, the beautiful nature, streams and fountains. For children, it is fun to visit Millenium Park, a large playground of 20,000 square meters.

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: 3* Hotel

A visit to the Mardi Gras Museum or Imperial Calcasieu is definitely worth a visit. The museum was officially opened in 1998. You can explore a huge collection of costumes and learn about the festival's history and traditions. The museum has six rooms, all devoted to a different subject. Find out what these topics are by visiting this great museum! Sam Houston Jones State Park is approximately a 20 minutes drive from Lake Charles. This big park is the home of a lot of animals, including foxes, raccoons, alligators, birds and squirrels. Take one of the three hiking trails to discover the beautiful nature in this park. Lake Charles also offers several casinos, including the Golden Nugget Casino and the L'Auberge Casino Resort. Play a game of blackjack or roulette, enjoy dinner in the restaurant or enjoy one of the various entertainment options!

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: 3* Hotel

The last stop of your trip is Natchez, Mississippi. Natchez attracts annually approximately 700,000 visitors and is the oldest city on the famous Mississippi River. The city received the prestigious federal designation as a Preserve America Community in May 2008. From Lake Charles it is a more than 3 hours drive to Natchez. You can go to the Natchez Visitor Center after arriving in the city, where you can watch a short movie about the history of Natchez. You can also obtain information about the sights and attractions in the city. After dinner, you can take a walk in the Bluff Park and enjoy a stunning sunset with a view of the Mississippi River.

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: 3* Hotel

The next day you should visit Longwood Historic Home, the largest octagonal mansion in the United States. The construction of the house for Dr. Haller Nutt and his wife started in 1860. However, in 1961 the construction was halted by the outbreak of the Civil War. The house has six levels. The lower level of the house and the exterior of the house, which has a special shaped dome, was largely completed. The higher levels, on the other hand, were not completed yet when the craftsmen left their work. It was planned that the house would have 32 rooms and that each bedroom would have its own balcony. The interior was never finished. Longwood Historic Home is a National Historic Landmark and highly recommended to visit. Stanton Hall is a short drive away from the Longwood Historic Home. Stanton Hall is a beautiful mansion that you can admire from the inside. The builder of the house, Dr. Frederick Stanton, was an Irish immigrant who was a general practitioner, cotton merchant and planter. The tour in this house takes about 30 minutes. If you want to admire even more beautiful houses, we recommended you to visit the mansion Melrose or the Rosalie Mansion. You can also visit The Grand Village, where you will learn about the history of the Natchez Indians. You can check out the prehistoric Native American hills, a small museum, the visitor center and take a look in a Natchez Native American house that was constructed. If you would like to discover another city, you can spend a day in Vicksburg, the capital of Warren County. Vicksburg is about an hour and a half's drive from Natchez. Vicksburg has several interesting sights and museums. For example, you can visit the Vicksburg National Military Park, the U.S.S. Cairo Museum, the Old Courthouse or the Biedenharn Coca- Cola Museum.

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: 3* Hotel

On the last day of your trip, check out of the hotel and drive to Alexandria International Airport in Louisiana. Here you will return your rental car and fly back home. You can also drive back to New Orleans and fly home from there.