New Orleans & Mississippi River Country

Tour begins: 5:00 PM, Hotel Monteleone. Welcome to New Orleans and French Louisiana! A transfer is included from Louis Armstrong International Airport to Hotel Monteleone. Please join us for this evening's welcome cocktail reception at your historic hotel at the foot of Royal Street in the heart of the French Quarter, followed by dinner at Hotel Monteleone. Stay Three Nights: Hotel Monteleone (D)

From the flavor of étouffée to the strains of jazz, tour New Orleans as an insider today with Tauck! Explore iconic Canal Street, the historic homes, boutiques and cafés of the Warehouse District, and the Mississippi River waterfront. Discover the French Quarter from venerable Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral and the Cabildo to the swirl of daily – and nightly – life along fabled Bourbon Street on a guided walking tour. Learn a few secrets of Cajun and Creole cuisine from the chefs of the New Orleans School of Cooking with a private cooking demonstration followed by a lunch you won't soon forget.

Attend an exclusive-to-Tauck, private jazz experience at Bourbon Street's world-famous Preservation Hall... before a Mardi Gras insider takes you for a behind-the-scenes look at the city's traditional annual celebrations at Mardi Gras World. The afternoon and evening are free to explore what interests you most in this remarkable city. (B/L)

Begin the day with a flightseeing tour of New Orleans for views of the French Quarter, Mississippi River, canals, and wetlands, with commentary by your pilot. You'll also learn about the unique geological environment of New Orleans, America's only city situated below sea level, and its vulnerability to natural and manmade disasters at a private lecture by Nellie Watson, an expert on the interplay of humans, architecture and the environment. This rest of the day is yours for exploring (and discovering) the many secrets found in New Orleans. (B/D)

Depart New Orleans this morning and head out into the countryside for an alligator bayou tour in an excursion boat with a local guide. Next, learn about the life and career of Huey P. Long, Louisiana's populist Governor of the 1930s, during a guided visit to the Old State Capitol.

Continue on to downtown Baton Rouge, Louisiana's capital city, for lunch at a local restaurant before traveling to Baton Rouge, where the remainder of the day is free. Stay Two Nights: Watermark Baton Rouge (B/L/D)

Today, begin your discovery of Louisiana's "River Road" sites with a visit to the Houmas House and Gardens along the "big bend" of the Mississippi River. Named for the local Houmas Indians who owned the land until its purchase by planters in the mid-18th century, Houmas House was the heart of a working sugar plantation whose holdings once grew as large as 300,000 acres, and at its height in the late 1800s produced some 20 million pounds of sugar annually. A docent provides insider information on a guided historic house tour; have lunch, and stroll through some of its 38 acres of exquisite gardens.

This afternoon, visit Laura Plantation: Louisiana's Créole Heritage Site, set on 12,000 acres that tell the story of pre-Civil War Louisiana. Return to the hotel, departing early evening to attend a Tauck exclusive private event at the amazing Louisiana Art & Science Museum. Your evening begins with a reception and a self-guided tour of the art gallery, and is followed by dinner "under the museum's stars" and special presentation in the planetarium – a most memorable experience! (B/L/D)

Return to New Orleans this morning for another two-night stay in the Crescent City, which begins with a guided visit and time on your own at the National World War II Museum. This acclaimed institution, honoring the efforts of millions of everyday American men and women who contributed to the nation's war effort in World War II on both the battlefront and the homefront, is situated in the neighborhood of the New Orleans factory that produced the ubiquitous Higgins boats, which played a key role in Allied amphibious assaults throughout the war.

Your visit begins with a viewing of the award-winning "4-D" multi-media experience Beyond All Boundaries, produced and narrated by Tom Hanks and featuring the voice talents of a Who's Who of Hollywood actors including Brad Pitt, Viola Davis, and more.

Late this afternoon, check into your stylish accommodations at The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans, on Canal Street in the French Quarter, then spend an evening as you please in this unique American city. Stay Two Nights: The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans (B/L)

Visit more iconic destinations as you continue to tour New Orleans with Tauck today. Begin with sightseeing in the Garden District, whose National Historic Landmark district preserves historic mansions dating from the 1830s to about 1900, reflecting the prosperity of their wealthy builders prior to and following the Civil War, as well as the city's antiques district. Then hop aboard an authentic New Orleans streetcar for another Tauck Exclusive – a private streetcar tour along Canal Street and St. Charles Avenue, accompanied by a New Orleans resident.

After a Garden District walking tour, return to your hotel and spend the rest of the day exploring more of New Orleans at your leisure. Tonight, join us at a French Quarter restaurant for a farewell jazz reception followed by dinner. (B/D)

Tour ends: New Orleans. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans to Louis Armstrong International Airport. Please allow a minimum of two hours for flight check-in. (B)