Amble your way to a New Orleans landmark, the historic Audubon Zoo, located amid the serenity of lush gardens. Consistently ranked as one of the country’s top Zoos, it is home to 350 species of animals from around the globe. Be sure to view the innovative Jaguar Jungle, a Mayan themed exhibit that features animal species particular to Latin America. Move on to the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas and visit with Buck and Emma, the Aquarium’s beloved sea otters and see the Aquarium’s own Mayan themed exhibit highlighting life in a coral reef. Tonight become further steeped into the rich culture of the Big Easy when you make your way to the New Orleans School of Cooking, where you will julienne and sauté your way through a delicious meal. Enjoy the spoils of your efforts afterward, when you sit down with fellow travelers to imbibe your Southern creations. DRURY INN & SUITES FRENCH QUARTER.

Today you will journey by boat through Lafitte Swamps, the heart of southern Louisiana’s swamplands. The 20,000- acre Jean Lafitte National Park, the largest wetland National Park in the United States, encompasses fragile ecosystems which have remained relatively unchanged for centuries. The area offers some of the most spectacular scenery of all the Louisiana swamps and bottom lands. Discover the beauty of cypress trees rising from the water and the sweet smell of wild azaleas in the air. Visit the Barataria Preserve for a self-guided walk along the boardwalk and dirt trails that lead through the preserve, and enjoy a picnic lunch under the giant cypress trees. Then board a boat for a tour of the Lafitte Swamps. Your Cajun swamp boat guide will point out turtles, snakes, nutrias, herons, owls, egrets and alligators. Return to New Orleans where tonight you have the freedom to saunter through the French Quarter and enjoy an evening repast at an establishment of your choosing. DRURY INN & SUITES FRENCH QUARTER.

Embark on an exclusive sightseeing tour of the Garden District. Stroll down banquettes (sidewalks) and pass by convents and hidden gardens, as well as the residence of Anne Rice, author of Interview with a Vampire, while the smell of chicory and cooking beignets hang in the air. In the Afternoon, return to the French Quarter for lunch and afterward take a tour of Mardi Gras World where you can watch as floats are being built, don some of the festival’s finery and sample a piece of the iconic King Cake. Travel on to the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park and explore the origins, development and progression of New Orleans Jazz. Educational activities come in the form of guided Ranger tours of sites significant to jazz history, live performances at the Old Mint and French Market, and musical lectures that demonstrate the various influences contributing to the development of jazz. This evening you are at liberty to explore the city’s languorous boulevards on your own. DRURY INN & SUITES FRENCH QUARTER.

Take leave of the city and repair to the bucolic confines of the historic Oak Alley Plantation, located on the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Progress to the classic Greek-revival style antebellum home whose approach is lined with a double row of 28 live oaks, some believed to be nearly 300 years old. Built in 1834, the house is named Bon Sejour (Good Stay). Tonight, take to the river aboard the steam boat Natchez and navigate your way through a delicious farewell dinner to the taste of authentic Cajun cuisine and the sounds of sweet jazz. DRURY INN & SUITES FRENCH QUARTER.

A last café au lait this morning, before it’s time to say adieu to New Orleans and fly home.