Day Trippin' › Louisiana
113 places worth the drive, from New Orleans and the Northshore to Cajun Country, the plantation river road and the piney hills of the north, region by region, plus places to eat, stay and catch a movie. Want to know what's within 2 hours of home?
Enter your ZIPAquarium · Orleans County
A large aquarium at the foot of Canal Street with sharks, a Gulf of Mexico tank and penguins. The ticket also covers the Audubon Insectarium.
Zoo · Orleans County
A big, shady zoo in Uptown with a Louisiana swamp area, giraffes, jaguars and plenty of room for kids to roam. Ride the St. Charles streetcar to get close.
State park · Jefferson County
A wooded park just across the river from New Orleans with a 2.8-mile nature trail, fishing, boat access and cabins.
State park · Washington County
Hilly woods and river bluffs near Franklinton with 25 miles of mountain bike trails, 11 fishing lakes and a cave boardwalk. Very different from the swampy south.
National park · St. Bernard County
The site of the 1815 Battle of New Orleans, with a tall monument, cannons and a national cemetery along the river. Part of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park.
Small town · St. Tammany County
A walkable Northshore town with shops and cafes, the west end of the Tammany Trace, and the Abita Brewery taproom just outside town.
State park · St. Tammany County
A shady park on the Tchefuncte River near Madisonville, with a short accessible river trail, crabbing and the historic Otis House.
State park · St. Tammany County
A big lakeside park in Mandeville with a sandy beach on Lake Pontchartrain, old oaks, a 4.8-mile trail and the Tammany Trace running right through it.
Food town · Orleans County
A long open-air market along the river edge of the French Quarter with food stalls, a farmers market and a flea market. Pairs well with beignets nearby.
Historic site · Orleans County
The oldest part of New Orleans, with Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral, Royal Street galleries and the French Market all in easy walking distance. You can cross the whole Quarter on foot in about 20 minutes.
Historic site · Orleans County
Oak-shaded streets lined with grand old mansions, plus shopping on Magazine Street. Ride the St. Charles streetcar there for a classic New Orleans outing.
Wildlife · Tangipahoa County
A large wildlife preserve in Folsom where you ride a covered wagon among giraffes, zebras and other free-roaming animals and can hand-feed them.
Beach · Jefferson County
Louisiana's only inhabited barrier island, with Gulf beach swimming, a fishing pier, crabbing and great spring bird migration.
Garden · Orleans County
A grand estate with formal gardens, fountains and house tours, tucked near the edge of the city. Calm and pretty any time of year.
Family fun · Orleans County
A hands-on museum for young kids inside City Park, with water play and outdoor exhibits.
Museum · Orleans County
Walk through the giant workshop where real Mardi Gras floats are built and painted. A fun, colorful stop for all ages.
Museum · Orleans County
One of the best history museums in the country, with planes, personal stories and big immersive exhibits about World War II. Plan more time than you think.
Family fun · Orleans County
A huge park with old live oaks, a botanical garden, the Carousel Gardens rides, Storyland and a free sculpture garden. Easy to fill a whole day with kids.
Museum · Orleans County
A music museum inside the Old U.S. Mint at the edge of the French Quarter. The site advertises free daily concerts.
Museum · Orleans County
A major art museum inside City Park. The Besthoff Sculpture Garden next door is free and open every day.
Hike · St. Tammany County
Quiet boardwalks and trails through pine and swamp near Mandeville, right next to Fontainebleau State Park.
State park · St. Bernard County
A small, quiet park southeast of the city with lagoons, a nature trail, a water playground and good birding.
Bike trail · St. Tammany County
A 31-mile paved rail trail linking Covington, Abita Springs, Mandeville, Lacombe and Slidell. Flat, shady and great for families on bikes.
Museum · Orleans County
A historic Spanish colonial building on Jackson Square, now a state museum about Louisiana history. The Louisiana Purchase was signed here.
State park · Livingston County
Boardwalks wind through cypress swamp, pine woods and river bottoms, with a nature center aquarium and canoe rentals on the Tickfaw River.
Historic site · West Feliciana County
Oakley House, where John James Audubon stayed and painted birds in 1821, with gardens and about 100 acres of woods and walking trails.
Zoo · East Baton Rouge County
A mid-size zoo in Baker with lots of animals and a new entrance through Greenwood Community Park. Very affordable for families.
Hike · East Baton Rouge County
More than 100 acres of swamp and woods inside Baton Rouge, with gravel trails, boardwalks and a nature center.
Museum · East Baton Rouge County
The state history museum in downtown Baton Rouge, with exhibits on Louisiana culture, music and the river.
Wildlife · West Feliciana County
Home of the national champion bald cypress, about 1,500 years old and 17 feet across. A wild bottomland forest near St. Francisville.
Historic site · East Feliciana County
The 1837 dormitory of an early Louisiana college in the small town of Jackson, next to a Civil War cemetery.
Historic site · St. Charles County
One of the oldest documented plantation houses in the lower Mississippi Valley, close to New Orleans and the airport.
Garden · Ascension County
A grand river estate with about 38 acres of gardens, a mansion tour and several restaurants. Good for a slow afternoon.
Museum · East Baton Rouge County
An outdoor museum of old cabins, a sugar mill and farm buildings showing everyday rural Louisiana life, plus Windrush Gardens.
Historic site · St. James County
A colorful Creole plantation house with guided tours that tell the family and enslaved people's stories through old records.
Historic site · East Baton Rouge County
The tallest state capitol in the country, with an observation deck and gardens downtown.
Historic site · St. James County
Famous for its quarter-mile tunnel of 300-year-old live oaks leading to the big house. The site also covers the lives of the people enslaved there.
Museum · East Baton Rouge County
A castle-like 1850s capitol with a stunning stained glass dome and exhibits on Louisiana politics. Free to visit.
Historic site · Iberville County
A 1909 lock that once had the highest freshwater lift in the world, with a lockhouse museum and old boats on display.
Historic site · East Feliciana County
The site of the longest siege in American history, with a museum, earthwork forts on a boardwalk and a 6-mile trail through the woods.
Historic site · West Feliciana County
An 1830s house with many original furnishings and big formal gardens near St. Francisville.
Small town · West Feliciana County
A pretty hill-country river town with historic homes, cafes and shops, close to Rosedown, Audubon and other plantation sites.
Museum · East Baton Rouge County
A veterans museum on the Baton Rouge riverfront, normally paired with a tour of a World War II destroyer.
Museum · St. John the Baptist County
A museum focused fully on the history of slavery, with original buildings and memorials. A moving, important visit.
Museum · Lafayette County
The National Park Service center in Lafayette telling the story of how the Acadians became Cajuns.
Museum · Lafayette County
Galleries and a performance space in downtown Lafayette with rotating art shows.
Island · Iberia County
The home of Tabasco sauce, with a factory tour and museum, a restaurant and Jungle Gardens all on a salt dome island.
Food town · St. Martin County
The crawfish capital, with a small downtown on Bayou Teche, antique shops and Cajun food and dancing.
State park · Evangeline County
A big hilly park around Lake Chicot with a 20-mile hiking loop, an 8-mile canoe trail, good fishing and cabins.
Historic site · Iberia County
The oldest working rice mill in the country, in New Iberia, with tours and a gift shop.
Beach · St. Mary County
A half-mile man-made beach on Vermilion Bay, one of the few spots near the Gulf you can reach by car. Good for swimming, sailing and crabbing.
Garden · Iberia County
Drive or walk through moss-draped oaks, camellias and Bird City, an old egret rookery, on Avery Island.
State park · Iberia County
A wild park on the edge of the Atchafalaya Basin with three nature trails, a 7-mile canoe trail and waterside cabins.
Wildlife · St. Martin County
A cypress lake near Breaux Bridge famous for alligators and huge wading bird rookeries. Swamp tours run from the landing.
Historic site · St. Martin County
A Creole cottage from about 1815 and a recreated Acadian farmstead on Bayou Teche in St. Martinville.
Hike · Evangeline County
Over 5 miles of trails through beech and magnolia forest on rolling hills next to Chicot State Park. Free and peaceful.
State park · Vermilion County
Dwarf palmetto jungle, lagoons and the Vermilion River south of Abbeville, with paddling, a water playground and cabins.
Museum · St. Landry County
A National Park Service center in Eunice about Cajun prairie life and music.
Garden · Iberia County
Gardens and a historic house on Lake Peigneur, with peacocks and a lakeside cafe.
Historic site · Iberia County
An 1830s home on Bayou Teche in downtown New Iberia with guided tours and oak-shaded gardens.
Museum · Lafayette County
A living history village in Lafayette with old Cajun and Creole homes, craft demos, music and a bayou setting.
Museum · St. Mary County
A state museum in Patterson about early air racing and the cypress logging industry.
Museum · Lafourche County
A National Park Service center on Bayou Lafourche in Thibodaux with exhibits on Cajun life and ranger-led boat tours of the bayou.
Family fun · Calcasieu County
A petting zoo with horse-drawn carriage rides near Lake Charles, good for little kids.
Wildlife · Cameron County
A refuge on the Creole Nature Trail with an auto tour route and the Pintail Wildlife Drive through rice fields and marsh full of ducks and gators.
Scenic drive · Calcasieu County
An All-American Road through marsh, wildlife refuges and Gulf beaches south of Lake Charles. Gators and birds by the hundreds.
Family fun · Calcasieu County
A free hands-on visitor center in Sulphur that gets you ready for the Creole Nature Trail drive.
Museum · Calcasieu County
Old rail cars and a historic depot in the small town of DeQuincy, fun for train-loving kids.
Small town · Calcasieu County
A lakeside downtown with museums, the lakefront promenade, Port Wonder and local restaurants.
Lake · Vernon County
A quiet Kisatchie National Forest lake with fishing, paddling and the 1.6-mile Fullerton Mill Trail past an old sawmill town site.
Museum · Calcasieu County
Art and history exhibits in downtown Sulphur.
Beach · Cameron County
The Cajun Riviera, a rustic Gulf beach on the Creole Nature Trail for shelling, fishing and quiet walks.
Museum · Calcasieu County
A local history and art museum in Lake Charles beside the old Sallier Oak.
Wildlife · Cameron County
A 3-mile auto tour along Lacassine Pool with big winter flocks of ducks and geese.
Beach · Calcasieu County
A small sandy city beach on Lake Charles right by I-10.
Family fun · Calcasieu County
A lakefront science and nature hub in Lake Charles with the Children's Museum of Southwest Louisiana and a state wildlife nature center.
Lake · Calcasieu County
A lakeside city park in Lake Charles with picnic spots and water views.
Beach
A quiet, undeveloped beach in Cameron Parish on the Creole Nature Trail.
Wildlife · Cameron County
A huge coastal marsh refuge with the Wetland Walkway boardwalk, a top spot to see alligators close up.
State park · Calcasieu County
Longleaf pine woods and bayous on the edge of Lake Charles, with five trails, paddling, disc golf and cabins.
Zoo · Rapides County
A well-loved mid-size zoo with a Louisiana habitats area and lots of shade.
Museum · Ouachita County
The home of the first Coca-Cola bottler, with a Coke museum, a Bible museum and formal gardens on the river in Monroe.
Wildlife · Ouachita County
A cypress lake in North Monroe with a nature boardwalk, a wildlife pier and over 7 miles of trails.
National park · Natchitoches County
Two Creole cotton plantations, Oakland and Magnolia, with 1840s brick cabins, oak alleys and a rare cotton press.
Lake · Webster County
Two lakes in the Kisatchie forest near Minden with fishing, picnics and the Sugar Cane trail for hikers and bikers.
State park · Morehouse County
Tall pines on a bluff above Bayou Bartholomew, with a swimming pool, short trails and an equestrian trail.
Museum · Ouachita County
The museum and store of the duck call company made famous by TV, in West Monroe.
Historic site · Sabine County
An 1822 frontier army post near Many with the original kitchen building and a walking trail.
Historic site · Natchitoches County
A full-size rebuilt French fort on Cane River Lake in Natchitoches, with living history programs.
Historic site · Rapides County
Civil War earthen forts in Pineville on a boardwalk, with a visitor center and a Red River overlook.
Garden · Caddo County
The largest park in the country devoted to roses, west of Shreveport. Christmas in Roseland lights it up in December.
State park · Jackson County
A peninsula park on Caney Creek Lake with a beach, fishing pier, kayaks and a water playground.
Historic site · Rapides County
A Creole plantation house from about 1795 in Alexandria, one of the oldest buildings in Louisiana.
Hike · Natchitoches County
An 8,700-acre wilderness of sandstone bluffs, longleaf pine and rocky creeks, often called the Little Grand Canyon of Louisiana. Reached by the Backbone Trail.
State park · Webster County
Cypress trees rising out of a long lake east of Shreveport, with 10 miles of woodland trails and an 11-mile canoe trail.
State park · Tensas County
A quiet oxbow lake park with cypress trees, fishing piers and a water playground in the far northeast.
State park · Claiborne County
A clear hill-country lake with a sandy swimming beach, a 6-mile hiking trail and a 5-mile bike trail.
State park · Union County
A pine-wooded park near Farmerville with five fishing piers, trails, tennis and a seasonal pool.
Viewpoint · Natchitoches County
A ridge-top day-use area with wide views over the Kisatchie Hills and a 1-mile loop trail.
Historic site · Natchitoches County
The site of a 1719 Spanish fort that served as the capital of Spanish Texas for 44 years.
Museum · Natchitoches County
A state museum in Natchitoches about Louisiana sports legends plus Northwest Louisiana history.
Historic site · De Soto County
The battlefield of the 1864 Battle of Mansfield, with a museum and a short battlefield trail.
Small town · Natchitoches County
Louisiana's oldest town, founded in 1714, with brick Front Street on Cane River Lake, meat pies and the famous Christmas Festival of Lights.
State park · Sabine County
A hilly park on the huge Toledo Bend Reservoir with trails up to 12 miles, two disc golf courses and lake swimming.
State park · Richland County
A lake park near Delhi with a swimming beach area, marina, fishing and cabins.
Historic site · West Carroll County
Huge earthworks built over 3,000 years ago, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a museum, tram tours and a 2.6-mile trail.
Museum · Caddo County
A fine art museum in Shreveport with about 40 acres of gardens, famous for spring azaleas.
Historic site · Natchitoches County
Home of the Louisiana Country Music Museum, with Louisiana Hayride exhibits and concerts in an outdoor amphitheater.
Museum · Caddo County
A big hands-on science center on the Shreveport riverfront with a planetarium. A hit with kids.
Aquarium · Bossier County
A riverfront aquarium in Shreveport with touch pools and freshwater and ocean exhibits.
State park · Sabine County
Bluffs and coves on Toledo Bend with short trails, fishing and eagle spotting in winter.
Wildlife · Madison County
Deep bottomland forest that holds the state's largest population of Louisiana black bears.
Hike · Rapides County
A 26-mile national recreation trail near Alexandria, with day-hike sections. Wild azaleas and dogwoods bloom in spring.
Cajun · Avery Island
The on-island restaurant at the Tabasco visitor area, with Cajun and Southern comfort food.
Diner · Baton Rouge
A classic little diner near LSU known for hash browns and omelets.
Seafood · Baton Rouge
A busy Baton Rouge seafood house with fried platters, boiled crawfish in season and a big patio.
Sandwiches · Lafayette
A downtown Lafayette po-boy shop with creative fillings and a full bar.
Seafood · Lake Charles
A longtime Lake Charles seafood house listed by the local tourism office.
Seafood · Lake Charles
A Lake Charles favorite for boiled crawfish, fried seafood and lake views.
Seafood · Lake Charles
The original Steamboat Bill's spot for Cajun seafood platters and po-boys.
Seafood · Monroe
A riverside Monroe restaurant in an old warehouse, with seafood and steaks and views of the Ouachita.
Seafood · Natchitoches
A casual crawfish and seafood spot in Natchitoches.
Cafe · New Iberia
A lakeside cafe at Rip Van Winkle Gardens on Lake Peigneur.
Creole · New Orleans
A Garden District landmark for classic Creole fine dining in a bright blue-and-white mansion.
Creole · New Orleans
A historic Treme restaurant known for fried chicken, gumbo and its role in the civil rights era.
Cafe · New Orleans
A garden cafe inside Longue Vue House and Gardens, good for a light lunch after a stroll.
Creole · New Orleans
An old-line French Quarter dining room famous for long Friday lunches and classic Creole dishes.
Creole · New Orleans
A friendly Mid-City neighborhood spot for turtle soup, po-boys and Creole Italian plates.
Sandwiches · New Orleans
A beloved po-boy shop by Bayou St. John. The roast beef and fried shrimp po-boys are the stars.
Cajun · Opelousas
A boudin and cracklin stop right off I-49, perfect for a road trip snack.
Live music · Lafayette
A backyard porch venue known for live Cajun and zydeco music, with a guesthouse on site.
Brewery · Lake Charles
A big Lake Charles brewery and taproom with outdoor space.
Festival · Natchitoches
A huge holiday light show along Cane River Lake, now in its 100th year.
Live music · New Orleans
A small, historic French Quarter hall for traditional New Orleans jazz, played nightly.
Tour · New Orleans
Sightseeing and jazz cruises on the Mississippi. The Riverboat City of New Orleans runs all cruises Nov 2, 2026 to Jan 31, 2027 while the Natchez is in maintenance.
Live music · Shreveport
A grand historic theater in downtown Shreveport hosting ballet, concerts and touring musicals.
Tour · West Monroe
The museum and store of the duck call company known from TV.
Movie theater · Arabi
An indie art house showing offbeat films and silent movies with live scores.
Movie theater · Harahan
A large chain multiplex in the New Orleans suburbs.
Movie theater · Shreveport
A nonprofit downtown cinema showing indie and classic films, with a restaurant upstairs.
Typical ticket prices from each theater's own site, with the date we checked; prices and showtimes change, so tap See showtimes for today's.
State park cabins · Abbeville
Six cabins in a palmetto forest near the Vermilion River.
Hotel · Baton Rouge
A historic downtown hotel near the Old State Capitol and riverfront.
State park cabins · Delhi
Eight cabins and four lodges on the reservoir, near Poverty Point World Heritage Site.
State park cabins · Doyline
Seven cabins and a lodge among cypress trees east of Shreveport.
State park cabins · Franklinton
Four cabins near the bike trails and river.
Campground · Grand Isle
RV sites and beach tent sites steps from the Gulf.
State park cabins · Homer
Ten cabins near a clear hill-country lake with a swimming beach.
Inn · Lafayette
A downtown guesthouse with live music in the backyard saloon.
State park cabins · Lake Charles
Ten cabins and a lodge in longleaf pine woods on the edge of Lake Charles.
State park cabins · Mandeville
Twelve deluxe cabins and a lodge near the Lake Pontchartrain beach.
Hotel · Natchitoches
A historic downtown hotel with a courtyard fountain, steps from Front Street.
Inn · Natchitoches
A downtown inn within walking distance of dining and museums.
B&B · Natchitoches
A guesthouse in the Natchitoches historic district.
Hotel · New Orleans
A grand French Quarter hotel, home of the spinning Carousel Bar since 1949.
Hotel · New Orleans
A boutique hotel on the St. Charles streetcar line with a rooftop lounge.
Hotel · Shreveport
A small all-suite hotel in downtown Shreveport.
State park cabins · St. Martinville
Eighteen cabins, most on the water, at the edge of the Atchafalaya Basin.
State park cabins · Ville Platte
Fifteen cabins and two lodges around Lake Chicot, next to the State Arboretum.
State park cabins · Westwego
Sixteen cabins just across the river from New Orleans.
State park cabins · Zwolle
Ten cabins on a hilly shore of Toledo Bend Reservoir.
Affiliate links: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more
Facts checked against official sites; each spot shows when. Passes and hours change, so check before you go.