Day Trips and Excursions from New Orleans

Located near the mighty Mississippi River, New Orleans is a city famous around the world for being the birthplace of Jazz and for its unique cultural background with strong French, Spanish and Creole influences.

It is certainly an amazing destination and you will find hundreds of things to see, do and enjoy during your stay in Boston. However, your curiosity may not be limited to the wonders of the city but you may be moved to explore beyond its borders.

For those scenarios where your travel itinerary allows, here's a list of the best tours and getaways from New Orleans. The best part? Even though they're some distance from the city they can all be done in a day's exploration or less. Let's get started!

A tour of the famous old plantations is without a doubt one of the best things to do in the city. It's also one of the most popular and highly rated experiences for travellers and you'll find a number of local companies in the city offering such a service.

When you take the New Orleans plantation tour, you hire the services of an expert guide who will lead the group of travellers through the sugar plantations, characterised by huge stately homes with a stunning architectural style and beautifully landscaped grounds.

These houses were home to wealthy families who built their fortunes on slave labour. You'll quickly notice that each plantation has its own unique history; making for an incredible journey for anyone seeking to understand NOLA's storied past.

Useful information

• Price: Available from approximately €70 per traveller.
• Duration of tour: You'll find half-day tours, but my favourites are the full-day, 7-9 hour tours that visit more than one plantation.
• Recommended if... it's your first time in New Orleans you should do this tour. It is one of the must-do excursions to understand the life and history of the people; it is worth doing this tour even if you are only travelling for a few days, for example 3 days in New Orleans.

Head deep into Cajun Country to explore the stunning swamps and wetlands of New Orleans on another must-see on any trip exploring the city.

Like the plantation tours, you'll find numerous local companies offering this type of adventure and even combined experiences to get the best of both destinations.

On guided swamp tours, a guide will take you and your group out on a boat, the type of vessel that can best navigate the wetlands.

These wetlands are home to alligators, snakes, deer and other animals, as well as wild flora and numerous legends and myths that are brought to life during the tour by the guide who leads the exploration.

Another valuable experience you can have in the wetlands and marshes is a kayak tour. In my opinion the experience is a little more personal, intimate and up close but it does require a certain amount of fitness to paddle for much of the tour.

Some useful information

• Price: The New Orleans bayou boat tour costs approximately €55 per traveller.
• Duration of tour: This is a half-day tour and you should set aside at least 5 hours of your itinerary for the experience.
• Recommended if... you are in awe of wildlife and natural landscapes from another universe. It's a fun experience that can be included in a short trip to the city.

At 36 hectares of land, the Global Wildlife Center is known as the largest wildlife reserve in the United States and is only an hour's drive from New Orleans. It is located in the northern part of the state of Louisiana along the Lake Pontchartrain Trail.

This wonderful place is home to more than 4,000 animals of approximately 1,000 different species that roam free in the protected area.

It's an ideal visit if you're heading to New Orleans with children on a family holiday, as you'll find large species such as kangaroos, deer, zebras, giraffes and even the beautiful South American llamas.

There are no organised tours from New Orleans at the moment, but you can opt to take a trip on your own. Inside the park you will have the services of a private guide, but you need to book in advance on the official website.

Unfortunately getting to this part of the state of Louisiana by public transport is very difficult, so if you decide to do this experience you will need to book a car in New Orleans.

Useful information

• Price: The private tour inside the park is available from approximately €38 per traveller and must be booked in advance.
• Duration of tour: For a visit from New Orleans I recommend booking a full day itinerary.
• Recommended if... you're an animal lover, it's a visit you shouldn't miss. If you visit with children, a day of fun in nature is guaranteed.

A 2-hour drive from New Orleans is the federally designated Atchafalaya National Heritage Park. It's an impressive place where you'll find a vivid display of Louisiana's diverse ecosystems.

With an ecosystem loaded with wetlands and trails, the Atchafalaya is home to the largest river swamp in the United States.

The site offers visitors outdoor fun and recreation. With activities designed for all levels of difficulty, from travellers and visitors with a more athletic profile to people whose age or condition does not allow them to exert themselves.

Activities such as rowing, cycling, wetland tours, hiking, bird watching and many more can be done inside the reserve.

If you decide to visit the park, bear in mind that you will need to arrange your own transport. The easiest way is to hire a car in town.

Useful information

• Price: The entrance fee to National Parks in North America is around €15 per person, approximately.
• Length of tour: I recommend booking a full day trip to explore this national park. To make the most of the day you'll need to leave New Orleans early.
• Recommended if... You like nature, fun and outdoor sports. The park offers the opportunity to do activities such as kayaking and hiking in a truly unique landscape.

If wilderness tourism isn't your thing but you're passionate about cities, architecture and history, Lafayette is a must-visit destination.

Located 2 hours 30 minutes west of the city, it's a recommended day trip for those with longer stays such as 4 days in New Orleans or more.

If you're travelling on your own, getting to Lafayette from New Orleans is easy: just take the Greyhound bus from the New Orleans Bus Station.

This educational tour is an unbeatable entertainment that will help you understand Cajun history and culture.

Once in Lafayette, you can book a tour of the historic village of Vermilion Ville where you'll find restored old homes, local artisans, a Cajun menu and much more to help you delve into the origins and quirks of southern cultures.

Useful information

• Price: Guided group tours of Vermilion Ville are available from €10 per person.
• Duration of tour: Including transport to and from New Orleans, we recommend booking at least one full day for this adventure.
• Recommended if... You're interested in learning about the history and evolution ofLouisiana's Cajun culture, Lafayette, like New Orleans, is a destination with an impressive but less touristy background, offering a more real and honest view of the culture.

The United States is a land famous for its well-preserved national parks. In the De Soto National Forest you'll find a lot of unspoiled nature to enjoy and, the best part, it's just a short drive from New Orleans.

From the heart of the city itself, the drive takes about 2 hours by private vehicle, but you won't find public transport lines that travel directly to this part of the country. My recommendation to travellers who decide to make this trip is to rent a car in New Orleans for a day or two.

The Soto National Forest was named after Spanish explorer Hernano Soto. It is famous for its ancient and endangered pine forests and its many crystal-clear streams.

You can visit De Soto National Forest for hiking tra ils, and if you're an experienced river boater, canoes and kayaks are available for rent inside the park.

Useful Information

• Price: Entrance fees to National Parks in the USA are usually around €15 per person.
• Duration of the trip: Due to the distance from the city I recommend booking at least a full day for this experience, try to leave early to make the most of the day.
• Recommended if... you are looking for a quiet place in nature, far away from the more traditional tourist routes. Camping is allowed in the park, but I only recommend it if you have time and your travel itinerary allows it.

Another format of getaway from New Orleans to consider is a combination experience that unites the two most popular adventures to do in the city: a tour of the mysterious swamps with a tour to explore the historic plantations.

If you're travelling to the city for a few days during peak season months, such as March in New Orleans or May, booking such a combination tour in advance can help you save planning time and money on your trip.

Fortunately, in the city of NOLA you will find numerous local companies offering this type of experience. While some specific details may vary depending on the company you hire for the experience, it's true that most follow a similar format.

You'll depart from the city for a boat tour of the marshlands to see the marshland wildlife, then arrive at one of the traditional plantations where you'll enjoy a traditional lunch and a tour of the history of the plantations and the evolution of southern culture itself.

Depending on the tour you pay for and your budget, you may visit more than one plantation.

Useful information

• Price: Although it may vary depending on the company you hire, the average price is around €200.
• Duration of the tour: You will visit several destinations so this type of experience usually takes 9 to 10 hours to complete.
• Recommended if... You want to experience two of the best tours of New Orleans in one short trip; combination tours are ideal for travellers looking to save on their tour, as they are generally cheaper than purchasing the experiences separately.

Taking a tour from New Orleans to the above or similar destinations is an excellent way to learn about and explore the unique culture of the southern United States in more depth and even compare the uniqueness of each area.

Beyond curiosity about culture and traditions, it is important to recognise that the city of New Orleans is a destination bordered by stunning natural landscap es ranging from lush forests, expansive wetlands and incredibly diverse wildlife.

That's why most of the excursions on this list are focused on appreciating the natural diversity of the southern part of the country.

Taking advantage of your visit to New Orleans to see as much as possible is a smart way to make the most of your stay. Also check out the information on the best guided tours in New Orleans for information on the most interesting tour options in the city.

If you need to add days to your New Orleans itinerary to do some of the tours listed here, don't hesitate for a second!

Guided tours in New Orleans have one obvious advantage: the accompaniment of an expert guide at every important part of the tour. This is almost essential when visiting places like the Oak Alley Plantation from New Orleans or touring the swamps of Jean Lafitte National Park.

When talking about guides in this city, it is important to know that the city takes its historical and cultural past quite seriously.

For that reason, all tour guides in New Orleans are licensed by the state, which is only obtained by passing certain exams (on local history, geography and cultural topics) and also by being free of any criminal record. The licence is valid for two years and must be renewed at the end of the period.