New Orleans is an enchanting city along the Mississippi River in Louisiana. It’s a prime destination for a weekend getaway or a couple weeks vacation. But you’ll also find there are tons of fun day trips from New Orleans to mix it up a bit and get away from the city for a while to recharge your batteries.
Get out on the water for a boat cruise or watersports, explore the trails in neighboring Mississippi, get you dancing shoes on and visit the heart of Cajun Country for some of the best music and food around South Louisiana.
With all the cute towns and interesting cultural experiences you’ll never run out of fun things to do around The Big Easy.
Here’s my list of the 12 best day trips from NOLA.
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1. Mississippi River Cruise
Sit back and watch the world go by on a relaxing river cruise along the Mississippi.
If you want to take an authentic cruise, jump on board the only steamboat that still runs today, the Natchez. Or hop on an authentic paddlewheeler, the Creole Queen, for a unique river boat cruise experience.
The views of the city are spectacular.
2. Lafayette
The city used to be called Vermilionville but was renamed Lafayette in 1884.
Lafayette is the heart of Creole and Cajun country. Two of the things Lafayette is most famous for are the traditional Cajun/Creole food, and live music events where everybody eventually gets on the dance floor.
Sampling the Cajun foods is something you’ll want to do. Check out Johnson’s Boucaniere for brunch or lunch, Spoonbill for happy hour or dinner, and Olde Tyme Grocery if you have a craving for a po’boy sandwich.
To truly experience Lafayette’s culture you’ll need to spend a night or two so you can visit some of the best dance halls in town like Blue Moon Saloon or the new in 2022 venue Hideaway Hall (formerly the Schilling Shack).
Visit the Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum, The Acadian Village, and Vermilionville Historic Village. Check out our full list of things to do in Lafayette.
If you stay for a weekend or more you can also plan on having some amazing day trips from Lafayette like the Rip Van Winkle Gardens, Avery Island, and lots of picturesque small towns for the best food and dancing!
Try and come while there’s a local festival on, the Cajun and Zydeco music will get your feet stomping. On the way to or from Lafayette stop by Lake Martin to look for alligators and do some birdwatching among the giant cypress trees.
Let’s go dancing! Allons danser! mural by miche + dyl gives you the basics – now find a partner and dance!
3. Great River Road
You can drive a portion of the Great River Road in Louisiana. It’s on our list of best USA road trip routes!
To do the entire scenic road trip you would need several days because the Great River Road follows the Mississippi River from Wisconsin all the way to Louisiana.
On this day trip history and scenery combine along one road.
The Great River Road is lined by old sugar plantations that were once owned by wealthy landowners who profited off slavery and the rising demand for sugar around the world.
4. Clark Creek Natural Area (Mississippi)
Chasing waterfalls? Then cross over into Mississippi and spend the day in a park that has some 50 waterfalls. On hot days you can cool off beneath a waterfall.
Stroll along one of the hiking trails in Clark Creek and enjoy exploring the forest.
The best option is to take the Clark Creek Trail and then join up with the Waterfall Trail, that way you’ll see a bit of everything the park has to offer.
Hop in the car for an outstanding day trip from NOLA to Mississippi.
Head east to the Magnolia State and hike to the waterfalls at Clark Creek – so refreshing!
5. Lake Pontchartrain at Fontainebleau State Park
With a beautiful white sand beach Lake Pontchartrain makes for a pretty awesome beach day getaway. The lake is shallow so it’s perfect for swimming and it’s also a great place to relax and do some fishing.
Once you’ve taken in the views go out and explore the abandoned sugar mills dotted around the lake.
Love to hike or bike? Well, you can walk or cycle a portion of the Tammany Trace Trail in Fontainebleau State Park.
If you’re into birdwatching you’ll love Lake Pontchartrain – especially in the winter months and during migration seasons when millions of birds visit the area. Definitely bring your binoculars and zoom lens for the best photos!
6. Avery Island Tabasco Factory Tour
Avery Island is the birthplace of the world famous Tabasco sauce.
The recipe has been in the McElhenny family for generations, and the sauce is now sold in 195 countries globally.
Come and learn about the family’s history, secrets of the trade, and buy the sauce in bucket loads at their store.
Taking a tour will let you see the whole process, from the peppers growing in the fields to the final bottling step.
Also on Avery Island you can enjoy the outdoors at the Jungle Gardens and see all kinds of birds like herons and egrets at Bird City.
With a day trip to Avery Island from NOLA you can tour the Tabasco factory
7. Infinity Science Center
If you’ve come on a family vacation to New Orleans and you want to do something that is fun and educational, then look no further.
The INFINITY Science Center has everything from rockets to exhibitions on the deep sea.
Come and learn at the Earth and Space Galleries where you’ll find fascinating and inspiring exhibits for curious minds of all ages.
It’s also just down the road from the NASA Stennis Space Center where they do some cool stuff like rocket testing. In fact, Stennis Space Center is the largest rocket engine test center in America.
The science center is just an hour’s drive from New Orleans, and it’s well worth the trip.
8. Swamp Tour
The best way to explore the boggy, wetland habitats that are unique to Louisiana is with a boat tour.
That way you can learn about the flora and fauna from your tour guide and know for sure you won’t get lost out in the swamp.
A locally famed spot to go on a swamp tour is Honey Island Swamp and this Swamp Boat Tour offers entertaining and informative tours. They’ll show you the best spots to check out local wildlife like egrets, turtles, wild pigs, and of course alligators too!
Who lives in the swamp? Alligators! And you can go see them on a swamp tour from NOLA
9. Natchitoches
The French city of Natchitoches (pronounced “NACK-a-tish”) was established in 1714.
It has an evident European influence and lots of sites of interest, and you can’t leave without trying a meat pie.
Explore the National Historic Landmark District that has a pretty Basilica and lots of French Creole townhouses.
You can take a free walking tour of the district to get all the facts and inside knowledge from a local.
10. Jean Lafitte National Historical Park
Unlike most parks, this one is spread out across six different sites in the state. You could spend all your time at the Jean Lafitte National Historical Parks.
There’s the Prairie Acadian Cultural Center in Eunice that explores Acadian history.
And also, the Chalmette Battlefield and National Cemetery where you can learn all there is to know about the war of 1812.
Then you can enjoy ranger led activities through the vast wetland at the Marrero’s Barataria Preserve south of NOLA.
There’s also an Acadian Cultural Center in Lafayette, the Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center in Thibodaux, and the French Quarter Visitor Center in NOLA.
The Jean Lafitte National Historical Park includes 6 locations in South Louisiana
11. Grand Isle
Grand Isle is a little fishing village and state park along the Gulf, in fact it’s the only state park along the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana.
The area is known to be frequented by an incredible diversity of migratory birds and Grand Isle is a prime fishing spot.
If you want to do something unique, visit during annual events like the Grand Isle Migratory Bird Festival and International Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo.
All of this is just two hours from New Orleans.
12. Baton Rouge
New Orleans has a lot to offer, but so does the capital city of the state of Louisiana, Baton Rouge.
Like most big cities it’s got a little bit of everything – fantastic dining options, and fascinating museums, and fun amusement parks.
It’s also home to the Blue Bayou Water Park, the perfect place for a fun family day trip.
Some of the most worthwhile things to do in Baton Rouge include a visit to the African American Museum, the Louisiana Art and Science Museum, and Louisiana’s Old State Capitol museum.
Take a day trip from New Orleans to Baton Rouge to visit the Capitol and lots of cool museums
Final Thoughts
And there you have it, 12 amazing NOLA day trips for fun, food, and exploring the best of South Louisiana whether you’re into history or hiking you’re going to have a great time. Now you just have to decide which place you want to visit!
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