Louisiana in 3 days
Founded by the French in 1718, New Orleans keeps its iron balconies, its street brass bands and a gumbo that draws on Africa, the Caribbean and Europe. Beyond it, the River Road lines up sugar plantations and memorials to slavery, and the Cajun country around Lafayette still speaks French to the sound of the accordion.
The plan, day by day
Day 1
- Morning
The French Quarterfree · 2 to 3 hThe Vieux Carré, laid out in 1721 between the Mississippi and Rampart Street, largely rebuilt under Spanish rule after the fires of 1788 and 1794.
- Evening
Frenchmen Streetfree · an eveningThree blocks of the Faubourg Marigny, just east of the French Quarter, where a dozen clubs play jazz, brass, blues and funk every night.
Day 2
- Morning
The National WWII Museumhalf a dayOpened in 2000 as the D-Day Museum, since Higgins landing craft were built here; its pavilions now cover Europe, the Pacific and the home front.
- Late afternoon
The Garden District and the St. Charles streetcar2 to 3 hThe St. Charles line, running since 1835 and the oldest still in service anywhere, carries you in 1920s wooden cars through the Garden District's mansions.
Day 3
- Morning
Whitney Plantation2 to 3 hA plantation told from the side of the enslaved, with walls bearing 107,000 names from Louisiana archives and a memorial to 2,200 children.
- Afternoon
Oak Alley Plantationabout 1 hThe most photographed plantation on the River Road, with 28 live oaks from the early 1700s forming a 240-metre avenue up to an 1839 house.
Further afield (over 130 km from the base hotel), best as a separate stop: The Atchafalaya Basin, Lafayette and Cajun Country.
Where to sleep in Louisiana
- The Quisby · €35 a night
- India House Hostel · €30 a night
- Hotel St. Pierre · €100 a night
- Hotel Provincial · €130 a night
- Bourbon Orleans Hotel · €140 a night
- Dauphine Orleans Hotel · €140 a night
- The Roosevelt New Orleans, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel · €280 a night
- Hotel Monteleone · €220 a night
- Omni Royal Orleans · €250 a night
Plan this trip
Hotel prices per room per night, checked when written. Some links are affiliate links: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.