Louisiana, an immersion in Cajun country

NEW ORLEANS
Your base for the coming days, the boutique Soniat House hotel, offers a perfect counterpoint to the bustle of New Orleans. Lush interior courtyards and shaded balconies overlooking a secluded back courtyard away from the French Quarter set the tone here.

On the first morning, your local guide will welcome you for a private walking tour of the historic French Quarter. You will wander through its charming streets, stopping at various landmarks, while your guide sheds light on the rich history of this fascinating city. Round off your morning with lunch at one of the neighborhood’s many fine restaurants.

In the afternoon, take the historic streetcar to the charming Garden District, home to period mansions, pristine gardens, and an unmistakable Southern charm. We recommend strolling the picturesque streets at your own pace, though a guide can also accompany you.

The following day, depending on your interests, spend the morning visiting one of New Orleans’s major museums, such as the Historic New Orleans Collection, or simply wander the French Quarter, exploring its many galleries and shops. Admire the beautiful Jackson Square and be sure to stop for coffee and beignets at the famous Café du Monde.

In the afternoon, head out onto the waters of the mighty Mississippi aboard the Steamboat Natchez, an authentic stern-wheel paddle steamer. Standing on deck, you’ll get a unique perspective on one of the busiest ports in the world.

For your last evening in the city, experience jazz, New Orleans’s most famous specialty. Head to the renowned Preservation Hall or venture into a more intimate venue to discover one of New Orleans’s rising artists.

THE RIVER ROAD PLANTATIONS
After breakfast at Soniat House, you’ll leave New Orleans and drive north along the River Road, which follows the course of the mighty Mississippi. Along its banks, many still bordered by sugarcane fields, stands a series of magnificent plantation houses, offering a fascinating window onto the South and the darker side of its history.

From the personal history of Laura, a Creole plantation, to the postcard image of Oak Alley, each plantation has a different story, a distinct architecture, and offers its own perspective on Louisiana’s past. We will select the plantations that best match your interests.

After lunch, continue your journey westward, winding through the marshes and waterways of the vast Atchafalaya Basin toward Lafayette and your accommodation for the next two days, the Maison Madeleine.

BREAUX BRIDGE AND THE HEART OF CAJUN COUNTRY
The area around Lafayette, the heart of French-speaking Cajun culture, is fascinating. Unlike the Creoles, the Cadiens (commonly spelled “Cajuns”) were French Catholics exiled from Nova Scotia (in Canada) by the British. While the charming rural towns, old plantations, and lush landscape of rice paddies, bayous, and the maze-like Atchafalaya Basin are reason enough to visit, it is above all the Cajun way of life that makes this region so welcoming.

Spend a morning with a Cajun native on a private boat tour of the beautiful Lake Martin. Your naturalist guide will lead you through cypress and Tupelo gum trees draped in abundant Spanish moss. Louisiana’s swamp lakes are home to 205 different bird species, and you’ll also have the chance to spot beavers, nutria, and otters. Back at the Maison Madeleine that evening, it’s time for a cooking class! A well-known local Cajun chef will help you prepare your favorite dishes, such as crawfish étouffée or chicken and sausage gumbo.

The following day, you can explore Lafayette, visit the small town of Breaux Bridge, or, with a bit of luck, catch one of the local festivals held almost every week in spring.

End your stay in Acadiana with a visit to a local Cajun restaurant and treat your palate to spicy boudin, gumbo, and crawfish prepared every which way, then, as night falls, dance the zydeco to the rhythm of accordion and fiddle.

BAYOU TECHE AND THE SALT DOMES
From Breaux Bridge, you’ll head south along Bayou Teche, passing through the charming Cajun towns of St Martinville and New Iberia. In the latter, you’ll visit Shadows-on-the-Teche, one of Louisiana’s most intimate and fascinating plantations. Set on the banks of the bayou, this beautifully preserved house offers a compelling portrait of the Weeks family, who made it their home.

Stop for lunch on Jefferson Island, overlooking Lake Peigneur, home to the beautiful semi-tropical Rip Van Winkle Gardens as well as the Joseph Jefferson mansion. On the way back to New Orleans, you’ll also pass by Avery Island. Like Jefferson Island, this is not truly an island but one of five heavily wooded salt domes rising several dozen meters above the surrounding marshes. Avery Island is home to the Tabasco factory, and to this day, every bottle of Tabasco is produced right here, at the factory.

Enjoy one last night in the French Quarter before heading to the airport the following day.