Explore New Orleans and South Louisiana by area
Areas worth building a trip around, from the French Quarter and Garden District to the River Road plantations and the bayous beyond the city.
Must-visit areas
The areas every first-time visitor should build a trip around — the French Quarter and Garden District in New Orleans, plus a River Road plantation visit.
French Quarter: A First-Time Visitor's Guide
The French Quarter is New Orleans' historic core, not the whole city. Jackson Square, Bourbon Street, Royal Street and beignets, walked, not driven.
Garden District: St Charles Streetcar, Mansions and Lafayette Cemetery
Antebellum mansions under live oaks, the historic St Charles streetcar and Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 — a walking guide to the Garden District.
Honey Island Swamp
Cypress swamp on the Pearl River near Slidell, east of New Orleans: alligators, herons, boat tours and honest travel times.
New Orleans: A First Look at the City
New Orleans sits on a Mississippi bend, not the coast, and isn't Louisiana's capital. What to know before exploring its neighbourhoods.
Oak Alley Plantation: The Quarter-Mile Alley of Live Oaks
Oak Alley's quarter-mile oak alley and Greek Revival house on the River Road, with visiting hours, tours and the history of those enslaved here.
River Road Plantations
The 100 km levee road between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, its plantation museums, and the history of slavery they now confront directly.
More to explore
Areas for a second trip or a longer first one — the bayou country southwest of the city, and day trips into Cajun country and along the Gulf Coast.
Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge is Louisiana's state capital, 130 km upriver from New Orleans - the Art Deco Capitol, the USS Kidd, and a full day on the road.
Bayou Country: Swamps, Alligators and Cypress South of New Orleans
Cypress swamps and alligator wildlife 40 minutes from New Orleans, by airboat or flat-bottomed boat, with an honest note on seasonal activity.
Cajun Country: Lafayette, Breaux Bridge and Acadiana
Lafayette, Breaux Bridge and Avery Island: a full-day guide to Cajun Louisiana, 2h15 west of New Orleans, and why Cajun is not Creole.
Baton Rouge, Cajun Country and the Gulf Coast: The Farther Reaches
A guide to New Orleans's farthest outings: Baton Rouge, Cajun Lafayette and the Gulf Coast, each an hour or more away in a different direction.
The Mississippi Gulf Coast: A Beach Day Trip from New Orleans
Bay St Louis, Pass Christian, Gulfport and Biloxi: the beach and casino coast an hour east of New Orleans, in Mississippi, not Louisiana.
New Orleans City
New Orleans itself: French Quarter, Garden District, Tremé and the cemeteries — the base every other Louisiana trip leaves from.
The River Road: Plantation Country Between New Orleans and Baton Rouge
The 100 km levee road between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, its former sugar plantations, and the museums that tell the story of the people enslaved there.
Whitney Plantation: The Museum Built Around Slavery
Whitney Plantation tells the River Road from the enslaved people's view. What sets it apart, how to visit, and why it isn't like its neighbours.
Good to know about destinations around New Orleans
Base yourself in the French Quarter or the Garden District and this hub explains where to look next, covering the four regions this site is built around, each reached differently. New Orleans City covers the Vieux Carré with its cast-iron balconies, the Garden District's live oaks, Tremé, the Marigny and Frenchmen Street, the above-ground cemeteries, and the riverfront along the Mississippi — walkable almost everywhere, with the streetcar covering the rest. River Road follows the levee upriver toward Baton Rouge, past the sugar plantations at Oak Alley, Whitney, Laura, St. Joseph, Houmas House and Destrehan, about an hour to an hour and a quarter by car or organized excursion.
Bayou Country starts just twenty minutes outside the city: the cypress swamps of Honey Island and Barataria, airboat and flat-bottom boat trips, alligators, and the Cajun communities that live along the bayous. Day Trips covers Louisiana and the Gulf Coast beyond the metro area — Baton Rouge, Lafayette and Cajun Country, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast around Biloxi and Bay St. Louis. Each destination page below sets out realistic driving times from downtown New Orleans and whether the trip suits a morning, a full day or an overnight.
Frequently asked questions about destinations around New Orleans
How far are River Road and Bayou Country from downtown New Orleans?
River Road's plantations run about an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes by car, mostly upriver toward Baton Rouge. Bayou Country is closer, with swamp tours around Honey Island and Barataria reachable in twenty to forty-five minutes, both close enough for a single day trip.
What's the difference between New Orleans City and the other regions here?
New Orleans City covers the French Quarter, Garden District, Tremé, the Marigny and the riverfront, all walkable or a short streetcar ride apart. River Road, Bayou Country and Day Trips each sit outside the city and require a car or an organized excursion to reach.
Which region suits a day trip better, River Road or Bayou Country?
River Road suits travelers drawn to plantation history and architecture, about an hour from the city. Bayou Country suits those wanting swamp tours and wildlife, and sits closer, at twenty to forty-five minutes, so it's easier to combine with a morning still spent downtown.
Can I combine several of these destinations in one day?
It's possible within a single region, such as pairing the French Quarter with the Garden District on foot or by streetcar, but combining River Road with Bayou Country in one day leaves little time at either. Most visitors pick one destination and one region per outing rather than chaining several together.
Are Baton Rouge or Lafayette covered by this hub?
Yes, under Day Trips, alongside the Mississippi Gulf Coast around Biloxi. Baton Rouge runs about an hour twenty by car and Lafayette about two hours fifteen, so both work as a dedicated day trip rather than a stop squeezed in alongside the city or River Road.
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