4-Day New Orleans Grad Trip

French Quarter Walking Tour

One of the best ways to really get to know the French Quarter is with a walking tour guided by Free Tours by Foot. The walking tour they offer will take you beyond the bars and brews of Bourbon Street and show you that the 'reality of the Vieux Carre far surpasses its Mardi-Gras reputation'. During your tour, you will be surrounded by remarkable architecture with Spanish, Caribbean, and American influence. The streets are full of characters, from musicians to magicians to voodoo practitioners. Wander the historic alleys of the old district and pass by the street theater, peek into historic churches, and discover hidden courtyards, all while being entertained with stories of authors, artists, priests, and pirates.

French Quarter Ghost Tour

This tour has been ranked on TripAdvisor as one of the Top 10 Ghost Tours in the World, providing guests with a 'frightening, freaky, and friendly' tour of French Quarter based on recorded history and folklore. There will be no scripts used as you learn about disease, disaster, sinister spirits, and murder most foul, the tour led by what has been called the 'strangest bunch of real historians you will ever have the pleasure of spending time with'. Learn all about historically accurate tales of local hauntings and vampire lore, popular points hitting the infamous 'vampire brothers' of French Quarter and, of course, Madame LaLaurie.

Airboat Adventures Swamp Tour

For a true Louisiana experience during your New Orleans visit save plenty of time for an Airboat Adventure Swamp Tour. This experience is not just a tour, it's an adventure! Your group will see iconic bayous and swamps on this family-friendly swamp adventure, showing you some of the most classic local scenery outside of the big city. The tour company is located about 45 minutes from the French Quarter, close to 20,000 acres of cypress swamps and true local natives; alligators, snakes, turtles, egrets, herons, white-tailed deer, bald eagles, and much more. Exotic creatures and otherworldly scenery will greet you on any tour, no matter what season or time of day you come to visit!

Audubon Aquarium of the Americas

The Audubon Aquarium features a walk-through tunnel and interactive experiences with the animals. Touch the stingrays, feed the birds, and watch the sharks being fed through the 400,000-gallon tank at the Gulf of Mexico exhibit. Visit the penguins, the Amazon Rain Forest, or the rescue program as they rehabilitate injured marine animals to release back into the wild.

Mardi Gras World

Next stop Mardi Gras World, the only place in New Orleans where your entire student group can, at any time of the year, still experience and enjoy the true Mardi Gras spirit (minus anything above a PG rating of course). This highly popular tourist attraction allows guests to tour a working warehouse where the mega floats are made, the large River City Complex specifically located on Port of New Orleans Place. This experience is Mardi Gras all year-round, a family-friendly entertaining and educational way to see first hand the work and planning put into this grand event. You will tour the massive building studio, get the history of this tradition, and hopefully walk away with a much better understanding of the real Mardi Gras (and your own mask you made during your visit)!

Rock N' Bowl

For a local hidden gem away from the tourist scene head to Rock N' Bowl, your 'one-stop dine and rock' location in New Orleans (and Lafayette). This fun spot providers guests with bowling lanes, an onsite bar, Creole-inspired eats, plus live music by local legends with a dance floor to boot. The facility shares a space with the local classic Ye Olde College Inn, established in 1933. While this is an extremely great choice to have a fun night on the town, it is also a great place to bring the kiddos during the day, when 'family bowling' takes place and shoe rentals are free. There are classic bowling alley eats available, such as pizza, burgers, and some local specials like shrimp remoulade and boudin vingt!

Audubon Zoo

To see exotic animals while walking through beautiful, ornate gardens stop by the Audubon Zoo. See rare and highly endangered animals in award-winning exhibits like Jaguar Jungle and Louisiana Swamp. Pet the animals at the new Watoto Walk, built to resemble an authentic Masai tribal village from Kenya and Tanzania. Watch as the animals are fed or stop by one of the daily presentations and chats.

Steamboat Natchez Cruise

Get ready to end your night the perfect New Orleans way, with a Dinner Jazz Cruise aboard New Orleans Steamboat Company’s own Steamboat Natchez. This locally owned and operated steamboat company is considered to be the last authentic steamboat on the mighty Mississippi and recently celebrated its 40th anniversary. New Orleans Steamboat Company offers a Dinner Jazz and Daytime Jazz cruise daily year-round and does so in the style of an authentic steamboat from the past. Visit the museum quality steam engine room, enjoy live jazz as well as a cruise wide Calliope concert, and even opt-in for some of the most delicious and savory creole dishes on the Mississippi.

New Orleans Plantation Tour

This tour allows you to choose 2 of 3 different plantations to visit on the Great River Road, winding along the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Your group can choose two of the following plantations: (click on each for more details) Whitney Plantation, Oak Alley Plantation, Laura Plantation. The tour will last around 7 1/4th hours and start at 9 am. You will meet at the Gray Line Lighthouse to start your tour, where you will board a motorcoach to reach your destination. The trip will be filled with narration filling you in on facts all along the way!

New Orleans Jazz Museum

This museum is strategically located at the intersection of the French Quarter and Frenchmen Street's live music corridor, sitting in the heart of the city's vibrant music scene. Inside you will find dynamic interactive exhibits, multi-generational education programs, research facilities, and engaging musical performances regularly. It is one of the best places to explore jazz music, which is considered to be 'one of the most innovative and historically pivotal musical art forms in the world. At the Jazz Museum, you will find a diverse collection of instruments, including Louis Armstrong's first cornet, Fats Domino's piano, and Warren "Baby" Dodds' drum kit; sheet music; photography; paintings; and interactive music displays and listening stations.