When I think of Louisiana, I picture blue herons under giant bald cypresses, Voodoo Queens on Bourbon Street, and a spicy crawfish étouffée. Sure, New Orleans is great, but Louisiana is more than just the Big Easy. This Louisiana adventure itinerary will allow you to experience history, nightlife, and swamp by canoe or kayak: packing in quite the variety to your precious weekend away!
Load up the ghost story podcasts, it’s time to plan your next weekend getaway to the luscious, mysterious, and flavorful south: here is a 2 day adventure packed tour of Louisiana
DAY 1 – New Orleans
Drive Time: Depends on Arrival
Main Event: Explore the City
New Orleans is a city of history, flavor, and music. You’ll experience a little bit of all three on your first day in Louisiana.
Sleep: Garden District
We enjoyed sleeping in the Garden District as this allowed us to see more of the city! The tram system in New Orleans is cheap, decently reliable, easy to navigate… and honestly kind of fun. Don’t worry if your hotel/AirBnB isn’t walking distance to “downtown”. Just make sure you can walk to a tram stop!
Breakfast – Cafe du Monde
Start your day right with the staple beignet and café au lait from Café de Monde. Possibly the most famous coffee shop in America, Café du Monde has been serving their New Orleans staples since 1862. Stopping here is basically a requirement when visiting NOLA and is just the beginning of your taste tour.
Local Goods – French Market
Once finished your pastry and coffee (or grab them to go) walk down the block to the French Market. Here you will be able to explore local vendors and artists — pick up a unique souvenir for someone or an interesting piece for yourself!
New Orleans Jazz Museum
At the end of the French Market, you’ll find the New Orleans Jazz Museum. This small museum has a lot of interesting history packed into it and is worth a visit! If you are interested in seeing a live concert, check out their website for scheduled events. they typically have two concerts a day on weekends.
Historic Drinks – Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar
By this point in the day, you’ll probably be ready for a drink… no one cares if it’s 5 o’clock, you’re in the Big Easy. In the event that day drinking is not your forte, you should still consider checking out one of the oldest bars in the country: Lafitte’s opened in the 1720s. Just imagine what those walls have seen!
Museums and Architecture Viewing
With so much to see here, I can’t suggest just one thing! If a paid museum tour is your style, try out Preservation Hall (jazz music) or the Hermann-Grima House (history). Smaller free museums exist as well, like the classic Voodoo Museum! Otherwise, just enjoy the sights.
You’ll see carriage-drawn city tours, cops on horses, beautiful balcony ferns, and lots of street performers. Take it all in, and stop for a slushie or two to cool down. Choose a street–Decatur, Canal, Chartres, Bourbon, Royal, Dumain–and go!
Lunch – Central Grocery and Deli at Jackson Square
Another staple New Orleans eats, the muffuletta, can be found at Central Grocery and Deli. Take your iconic Italian powdered sugared sandwich to Jackson Square for an impromptu picnic to enjoy the full experience. You’ll likely find local artists displaying their work! After you’ve digested your food, make sure to check out St. Louis Cathedral and St Anthony’s Garden before leaving.
Afternoon/Evening Park – Louis Armstrong Park or Moonwalk Riverfront Park
Depending on the time of day and your energy level, choose one of these beautiful parks to explore (or both). Louis Armstrong Park is about a ten minute walk from Jackson Square, while the Moonwalk Riverfront is just a block away. As the name implies, Moonwalk Riverfront Park is a magnificent place to watch the sunset!
Dinner
Pick your poison. Seriously. On the main streets (Bourbon, Royal, Decatur) every other shop is a restaurant or bar. From past experience, if you are wanting to eat at a widely recognized restaurant, you’ll want to make reservations or be prepared to wait in line… for a while. If you are traveling without children, try a bar that also serves food, like the Copper Monkey Bar & Grill. Their Po-Boys are to die for and they don’t allow guests under 21, meaning all those families lining up for other restaurants can’t eat here and shorter wait times for you!
‘Ghost’ Tour
Even if spooky isn’t your thing, there is night tour for you. From seriously scary to educational to historic bar crawls, New Orleans is the leader in night time city tours. There are seemingly endless companies in the area that put on nightly tours for all interests. Typically, you can find great deals on Groupon as well! Book in advanced, or walk in to one of the many shops that host them.
Bourbon Street
Need I say more? After dinner, once it’s dark, this is the place to be. Get yourself a ‘Big Ass Beer’ (it’s a thing) and enjoy. You could walk this strip endlessly or find a nice balcony to sight see. Luckily the New Orleans street cars run 24-hours a day, so as long as you’re staying in the city, you can stay out as late as your little heart desires… but be prepared, because tomorrow you’re swamping it up!
DAY 2 – Lake Fausse Pointe State Park (optional Lafayette)
Drive Time: 2 hours
Main Event: Canoe the Water Trail
You woke up late, it’s ok. Buy a Gatorade and hit the road because this place is magical. On weekdays, the park closes at 5PM, but stays open until 8PM on Fridays and Saturdays. While commercial swamp tours have their charm, their ear splitting motors and crowded boats might not provide the right experience for some adventures. During our time in Louisiana, we opted for a more peaceful tour of the waterways (and more affordable, too!)
Sleep: Lake Fausse Pointe State Park or Lafayette
If you enjoy camping, Lake Fausse has a variety of overnight options including canoe-to and backpack-to campsites along with glamping and lakeside cabins. If the idea of roughing it in Louisiana heat isn’t your style (or you just wanna pack more into your trip) consider booking a hotel or AirBnB in Lafayette: a cool college town just under an hour from the park.
Canoe/Kayak Lake Fausse Canoe Trail
The 7-mile canoe trail at the park provides a pristine adventure that will get you up close to the beauty that is Louisiana wetlands. Paddle under bald cypress trees, marvel at the endless variety of birds, and hunt for gators (we didn’t see any) all while following a well maintained, easy-to-read river trail.
Canoes and Kayak can be rented from the entrance station for $7/hr or $35/day. Rentals are on a first-come-first-serve basis, though plenty of rentals were available when we arrived. If worried, call ahead!
According to the rangers, the inner canoe trail takes 2-3 hours to complete, while the outer trail takes 1/2 a day. Even with stopping to enjoy the scenery, we found these time measurements to be accurate. If completing the outer loop, pack a lunch to enjoy a picnic on the water. Whatever you do, make sure to bring plenty of water!
Rustic Evening or Cool College Town
Night in Nature – CAMPING
If you decide to stay in the park, after your canoe trip there is plenty to explore within the park. Lake Fausse has almost 6 miles of walking trails as well as optional golf cart rentals for $10 a day… which seems like the most pleasant way to cool off during a humid Louisiana evening!
Music, Dancing, Drinks – LAFAYETTE
If you’re heading to Lafayette for the evening, consider checking out one of their many nightlife options. The Wurst Biergarten and Blue Moon Saloon have events almost every night as well as tasty food and beer on tap!
Extras!
If you happen to find yourself with more time, consider checking out the awesome town of Lafayette.
MUSEUMS
- Vermilionville – living history
- Acadian Village – living history
- Lafayette Science Museum
LOCAL ART
NATURE
- Lake Martin & Cypress Island Nature Preserve – canoe and kayak rentals
- Evangeline State Historic Park
- Lakeview Park & Beach – lake swimming and inflatables
HISTORIC SITES
- Cathedral of St John the Evangelist
- Alexandre Mouton House – AKA Lafayette Museum