New Orleans · Day trips from New Orleans
Day Trips from New Orleans for Grown-Ups
Step outside New Orleans and you're in a different Louisiana: the sugar-cane River Road with its plantation houses, and cypress swamps where alligators sun themselves a short drive from the French Quarter. These are the day trips we'd take, with the honest context the plantation sites deserve.
- Closest
- Barataria Preserve, about 19 miles (half an hour)
- River Road
- Whitney, about 46 miles; Oak Alley, about 54 miles
- Book ahead
- Whitney and Oak Alley tickets, or a tour with transport
- Bring
- Water, insect repellent and comfortable shoes
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The River Road plantations
Start with Whitney Plantation, about 46 miles west (roughly an hour's drive without traffic): the only plantation museum in Louisiana devoted entirely to the lives of enslaved people, told through first-person narratives, memorials and restored buildings. Then drive about 10 miles upriver to Oak Alley Plantation in Vacherie, about 54 miles from the city, for the famous alley of live oaks leading to the Big House. Oak Alley is open daily 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.; adult tickets start at $30 with the Big House exhibit. Seeing Whitney first gives you the context for everything else on the road.
Whitney Plantation
River Road, about an hour west
The only plantation museum in Louisiana devoted entirely to the lives of enslaved people, told through first-person narratives, memorials and restored buildings. Serious and essential.
Oak Alley Plantation
3645 Hwy 18 (Great River Road), Vacherie, about 54 miles west
The River Road's famous alley of live oaks leading up to the Big House. The site's 200-year history includes enslavement, and it documents the people enslaved there alongside the house. Open daily 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.; adult tickets start at $30 with the Big House exhibit and $27 without.
Tip: Pair it with Whitney Plantation, about 10 miles away along the river, and see Whitney first.
A quiet swamp
For the swamp without a speedboat, drive about 19 miles south (about half an hour) to the Barataria Preserve, part of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park. Boardwalk trails run through swamp, marsh and cypress forest: a calm way to look for alligators and herons. Go early in the morning, before the heat of the day.
Barataria Preserve (Jean Lafitte National Park)
About 30 minutes south
Boardwalk trails through swamp, marsh and cypress forest run by the National Park Service. A calm way to see alligators and herons without a speedboat.
Which one to choose
- Half a day: the Barataria Preserve boardwalks, back in time for a late lunch in the Quarter.
- A full day: Whitney in the morning, Oak Alley in the afternoon.
- No car: a River Road plantation tour or a swamp tour with hotel pick-up.
- Combine: after the swamp, an evening jazz cruise on the Steamboat Natchez closes the day on the river.
Our advice
- Drive distances and times here are OpenStreetMap routes from the French Quarter without traffic.
- Oak Alley closes at 4:45 p.m., so don't leave it too late in the day.
- Fall through spring is the comfortable season; summer afternoons in the swamp are very hot.
- Check current hours, prices and tour times before you go.
Everything here was checked in September 2026. Music line-ups, hours and prices change often in New Orleans, so confirm before you go and bring cash for the bands.
Questions people ask
What is the best day trip from New Orleans?
The River Road: Whitney Plantation, about 46 miles west, tells the story of the enslaved people who worked these estates; Oak Alley, about 10 miles further, has the famous alley of live oaks. Together they make a full day.
How far is Oak Alley Plantation from New Orleans?
About 54 miles from the French Quarter, roughly an hour and a quarter by car without traffic. It's open daily 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
Where can you see a swamp near New Orleans without a boat tour?
The Barataria Preserve in Jean Lafitte National Historical Park, about 19 miles south, has boardwalk trails through swamp, marsh and cypress forest.
Can you visit the plantations without a car?
Yes, on a guided tour with hotel pick-up. Tours run to both Whitney and Oak Alley.