Why go to Louisiana? The 10 good reasons to go Louisiana

In both urban and regional centers, points of interest are usually open all year round, although in rare cases some close in winter (November to March). Opening hours are often from Tuesday to Saturday or Sunday, but are more restricted in smaller towns. Plantations, natural sites, gardens, wildlife parks and tutti quanti, on the other hand, generally have seven-day opening hours. However, some historic sites are only open by reservation. And on public holidays, points of interest may be closed (e.g. Thanksgiving and Christmas) or have restricted opening hours (e.g. Memorial Day and Labor Day).

Reservations are rarely necessary, except for workshops and special activities in museums and galleries, guided tours, Mississippi river cruises and bayou excursions. It's worth noting that some points of interest also offer on-site accommodation, often experiential (for example, on plantations and nature reserves). In these cases, we strongly advise you to book your package in advance.

Admission for adults generally costs between US$5 and US$30. Children, students and senior citizens are almost always offered discounts or even free admission. Many points of interest are also completely free of charge, although some require a voluntary contribution. In New Orleans, passes combining various museums and attractions (Go City New Orleans and New Orleans Sightseeing Pass) can save you a lot of money, provided you're here for at least 2-3 days.

Numerous festivals and events take place in Louisiana every year, with themes as varied as rodeo, zydeco, crawfish, visual arts and LGBTQ+ pride. Among the biggest and most famous are Mardi Gras New Orleans, one of the most important carnivals on the planet, the Festival International de Louisiane in Lafayette, renowned for its world music shows and festive atmosphere, and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, which attracts the greatest singers and musicians in jazz and related styles. Also not to be missed are the various gourmet festivals dedicated to the state's specialties (Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival, Cajun Music & Food Festival in Lake Charles, Gonzales Jambalaya Festival, Louisiana Gumbo Festival in Chackbay, etc.).

All kinds of guided tours are available in Louisiana, from traditional city bus tours to steamboat excursions on the Mississippi or airboat tours of the bayous and swamps. Themed tours for all tastes are also on offer: craft brewery tours, gourmet stops in emerging neighborhoods, discovery of jazz history or black heritage and culture, "haunted" tours of the French Quarter or New Orleans cemeteries, historical plantation tours with characters in period dress, and more.

About the plantation route. On average, allow an hour and a half for a guided tour, with English-speaking guides (some plantations have booklets in French). French-language tours are more rare. Laura Plantation, for example, offers tours in French at specific times. It's a mistake to visit more than two or three plantations in one day. You're likely to get the details of each house mixed up, and your feet will ache. Each house is different, even if the tours can sometimes resemble each other. To choose, base your visit on your personal taste in landscape, history or architecture. In this guide, the plantations are presented geographically starting from New Orleans. Other plantations can be found in the St. Francisville area.

Swamp tours, a must. The Mississippi, nicknamed "the father of rivers", floods southern Louisiana and feeds its bayous and swamps. Swamp tours are the best way to discover these incredible flora and fauna. Here, the alligator reigns. From the tiny offspring protected by possessive mothers to mastodons vigilantly guarding their territory, you can meet this fascinating animal in its habitat and better understand its way of life. A unique opportunity to drift through forests of cypress trees, emblematic of Louisiana. More or less covered in Spanish moss, home to golden eagles' nests at their summits or raccoons' cabins at their feet, refuges for numerous birds and small mammals, they create surprising landscapes. Guided tours can take the form of real lectures on this unique ecosystem.

Whether on a guided tour or in a museum, smoking is prohibited. For outdoor points of interest, such as interpretive and historic sites, smoking areas are sometimes provided. Some non-smoking outdoor sites, such as Lafayette Square in New Orleans, also require non-smoking in the immediate vicinity (usually just a few meters away).

If you're taking a paid guided tour of New Orleans, make sure your guide is properly accredited and has a city permit (which must be visible at all times while on duty, and renewed every two years). Guides must pass an exam on the city's history and culture, with a minimum score of 70%. This ensures the quality and veracity of the information conveyed during tours.