New Orleans
New Orleans is the first stop for most visitors to Louisiana and the cultural heart of the state. It's best to spend 4 days exploring here.
The French Quarter:This is the historic center of the city. While Bourbon Street is famous for nightlife, Royal Street offers a better daytime experience with antique shops, art galleries, and street performers. Be sure to walk through Jackson Square to see the St. Louis Cathedral and the Cabildo.
The National WWII Museum:Located in the Warehouse District, this massive campus is one of the top-rated museums in the world. It features immersive exhibits on the European and Pacific theaters.
The Garden District:Accessible via the St. Charles Streetcar line, this neighborhood features well-preserved antebellum mansions and oak-lined streets. It offers a quiet contrast to the French Quarter and includes the famous Lafayette Cemetery No.1.
Swamp Tours:While technically outside the city limits, New Orleans is the primary departure point for Louisiana day trips to the wetlands. Tour operators pick up passengers from downtown hotels and transport them to Honey Island Swamp or Jean Lafitte National Historical Park to see alligators and cypress forests.
Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge is the capital city of Louisiana, located about an hour's drive northwest of New Orleans. Here, visitors can gain deep insights into the state's political history and industrial culture.
Old State Capitol:This Gothic Revival castle overlooks the Mississippi River. It serves as a museum of political history.
USS Kidd Veterans Museum:You can tour this Fletcher-class destroyer docked on the river. It is the only destroyer still in its World War II configuration and offers a hands-on look at naval history.
Natchitoches
Established in 1714,Natchitoches is the oldest permanent settlement in the Louisiana Purchase territory. It is located in the central part of the state.
Front Street:The downtown historic district features brick streets and wrought-iron balconies facing the Cane River Lake. It is a walkable area filled with shops and restaurants serving meat pies,a local culinary staple.
Cane River Creole National Historical Park:This park preserves the cultural landscape of the Cane River region,including the Oakland and Magnolia Plantations,highlighting the history of the Creole people who lived and worked the land for generations.