Delve into the rich culture and history of Turkiye on an intoxicating journey across this incredible land.
A chance to explore breathtaking sights in three fascinating South American countries.
Explore the French Quarter on a guided walk featuring Jackson Square, Pirate’s Alley and Bourbon Street.
See landmarks including St Louis Cathedral and the city’s distinctive above-ground tombs.
Enjoy a live-jazz brunch and use your free time to sample gumbo, coffee and freshly made beignets.
Depending on your departure, take an optional Mississippi paddle-steamer cruise, explore Louisiana’s swamps or experience Mardi Gras.
Travelsphere’s Deep South tours include sightseeing, expert guidance and plenty of time to experience New Orleans at your own pace.
As a melting pot of French, African and American cultures, New Orleans is unlike anywhere else on Earth. Nicknamed the ‘Big Easy’, there’s a vibrant spirit to this city that’s truly difficult to beat. And it’s no more evident than in its art, architecture and amazing cuisine, all served up as a feast to travellers hungry for adventure (or just plain in the mood for food).
As the birthplace of jazz, New Orleans is also the perfect finale to a journey through America’s musical Deep South. Its historic streets, atmospheric courtyards and Mississippi waterfront provide an entirely different experience from Nashville and Memphis.
On a Travelsphere tour, included sightseeing is combined with free time, giving you an introduction to the city before allowing you to explore according to your interests.
The French Quarter is New Orleans’ oldest and most famous district. A guided walking tour reveals its history while introducing landmarks including Jackson Square, Pirate’s Alley and world-famous Bourbon Street.
Jackson Square forms the historic heart of the neighbourhood, overlooked by the triple-spired St Louis Cathedral. Close by, Pirate’s Alley is a narrow passageway with a colourful past, while Bourbon Street is known for its restaurants, bars and live music.
After the guided walk, you can return to the places that most interest you. Browse the galleries and boutiques, admire the architecture or simply absorb the atmosphere from one of the district’s cafés.
Travelsphere guests stay just steps from the French Quarter, making it easy to explore its historic streets independently during free evenings and leisure time.
New Orleans has long been a haven for artists and creatives; in this historic, colourful city, it’s easy to find inspiration. And now you, too, can experience the power of art in the Big Easy while traversing its storied streets and distinctive neighbourhoods during your free time on a Travelsphere holiday.
For tourists, New Orleans street art is one of the most striking aspects of travelling to this extraordinary destination. It seems that everywhere you look you’ll find graffiti-style murals flourishing, bold depictions of metropolitan life that tell the story of the city in astonishingly poignant ways. Often painted by local artists, they showcase the incredible spirit for which the Big Easy is renowned.
With New Orleans wall art to be found down just about every stretch of road, there’s the distinct possibility you’ll come across some paintings while travelling between excursions. Of course, you should make the effort to see them up close and personal whenever’s convenient, dedicating a portion of your free time to tick off as many pieces of street art as possible while staying here.
If you’re looking for a more conventional artistic experience in New Orleans, you can fully enjoy your holiday knowing that there will be plenty of time for you to visit some of the city’s most famous museums and galleries.
There are so many museums and galleries that capture a variety of interests in the Big Easy. You may be inspired to visit places such as NOMA (New Orleans Museum of Art), the oldest fine arts museum in the city and famous for its extensive collection of European and American works, or perhaps the Alex Beard Studio, where you’ll be able to check out pieces by a local artist whose unique style of gestural painting has earned its own name: ‘Abstract Naturalism’.
So, whether you want to see a more traditional type of art or you’ve got a soft spot for all things innovative and experimental, you’ll almost certainly find what you’re looking for in New Orleans.
New Orleans’ architecture reflects the many cultures that have shaped the city. Its historic buildings range from grand religious landmarks to colourful townhouses and distinctive above-ground cemeteries. In New Orleans, it’s the little details that make the architecture so interesting, as you’ll see for yourself during your free time on holiday with Travelsphere.
A New Orleans sightseeing tour introduces the triple-spired St Louis Cathedral, one of the city’s most recognisable buildings. During the French Quarter walk, you can also appreciate the neighbourhood’s courtyards, balconies and tightly packed historic streets.
Look beyond the individual buildings and notice how they work together to create the French Quarter’s character. Enclosed courtyards provide secluded spaces behind busy streets, while balconies overlook the activity below.
The elegant and well-established New Orleans architectural tradition begins as you might expect: at home. From early-to-mid-19th–century Creole cottages and townhouses to Italianate shotgun residences; double-gallery designs to California-style bungalows, there are plenty of domestic buildings for the avid adventurer to appreciate. What’s more, because they’re dotted all over the city, you don’t have to travel too far to see each kind!
Here at Travelsphere, we offer ample opportunity for you to discover all the different kinds of houses in New Orleans when you get time to spare. Many are actually people’s homes though, so be mindful before taking lots of photographs and/or videos.
Across New Orleans, it’s certainly easy to find areas where architecture contributes greatly to the atmosphere of excitement that makes the city so special. If neighbourhoods known for their impressive buildings are your bag, you’ll feel right at home in the Big Easy!
Free time on your Travelsphere tour affords you the chance to explore places somewhat off the beaten track, of which New Orleans has an interesting range. St. Charles Avenue, grand and leafy, is a prime example, bedecked with shimmering Mardi Gras beads that mark the city’s epic Carnival route. This five-mile stretch is the embodiment of so many things New Orleans and should not be missed by lovers of architecture and ambience visiting the Big Easy.
At the same time, you’ll want to take a trip to the Central Business District, where an industrial boom combined with the city’s zest for life to produce some truly remarkable buildings. Without a doubt, the neighbourhoods of New Orleans are a draw for tourists, many visiting to take advantage of its atmospheric architectural offerings.
The city’s cemeteries are known for their elaborate above-ground tombs, which appear during the included sightseeing tour. Built from pale stone and arranged along narrow pathways, they resemble miniature cities.
These distinctive memorials are an important part of New Orleans’ visual identity and offer an intriguing contrast to the colourful buildings and bustling streets elsewhere in the city.
New Orleans’ rich culture is arguably best reflected in the diverse range of food on offer throughout the city. From Creole classics to international specialities, the cuisine of New Orleans is as multilayered and evocative as the Big Easy itself and should be sampled with the same degree of enthusiasm as all other aspects of its heritage – maybe even more so. Here are just some of the many hundreds of ways to experience food in this complex, flavourful and multicultural metropolis.
The included French Quarter brunch is an opportunity to enjoy local hospitality in an atmospheric courtyard while a jazz band performs. It also provides a relaxed conclusion to the morning’s guided walk.
The experience captures several defining features of New Orleans at once: music, food, historic surroundings and a leisurely approach to enjoying the day.
While on your trip with Travelsphere, you can use any free time you have to get clued up on the fascinating culinary history New Orleans is famous for. And what better way to learn than through hands-on experience? You’ll find plenty of cookery classes across the city where you can hone your skills and focus on your foodie interests. If you’re looking for fun ways to indulge your passions and your palate in the Big Easy, cookery classes could be the way to go.
Alternatively, if you’d prefer something a little more relaxed, paying a visit to the Southern Food and Beverage Museum will be more than enough to whet your appetite. Dedicated to the discovery, understanding and celebration of food, drink and culture related to the South, SoFAB examines and celebrates all the nations that have come together through the centuries to create its unique culinary heritage. With special exhibits, demonstrations, lectures and tastings to enjoy, this is one New Orleans sight you don’t want to miss.
New Orleans’ food culture is one of the most diverse in the entire United States. Iconic New Orleans food comes in many different shapes and sizes, all of which are exciting and delicious. Whether you fancy something traditional like jambalaya or want to broaden your palate with sweet spectacles such as Bananas Foster, you’ll find dishes to treasure in the Big Easy. Also, shellfish is something the city is very famous for, and you’ll be in your element if you’re hoping oysters and crawfish show up on the menu.
Po-boy sandwiches are another New Orleans staple; dating back to when the streetcar line was being built, they’re still as popular today as they were the first time around! To get your po-boy fix, simply head to one of the city’s many cafes, bars or grills, where you’ll be able to sample everything from a combo of oyster and shrimp to surf and turf and beyond. In the Big Easy, people get really creative when it comes to po-boys, so be sure to try as many as your free time permits!
And there you have it. Hopefully, with these insights, you’ll be getting the most out of your free time in New Orleans and discovering all the different things about the city that make it both unique and memorable. Whether you’re a foodie who likes to try new restaurants, a culture buff with a passion for exploring historic neighbourhoods, or you simply want to admire some beautiful art, New Orleans is perfect for embracing local traditions while having a wonderful time, which is what your Travelsphere holiday should be about!
Discover the best time to visit the USA.
Travelsphere’s Best of the Deep South tour concludes with three nights in New Orleans. Included experiences comprise a city sightseeing tour, a guided French Quarter walk and a live-jazz brunch, followed by time to explore independently.
The standard itinerary also offers optional swamp and bayou and Mississippi paddle-steamer excursions. Alternatively, the Mardi Gras special departure includes a ticket for the city’s famous parade celebrations and offers an optional dinner cruise.
A Travelsphere Holiday Director and specialist local guides are on hand throughout the tour, helping you experience the musical heritage, history and flavours of America’s Deep South.
Take a toe-tapping journey through America’s music history. From Nashville to New Orleans and Elvis to BB King, this exhilarating tour has it all.
From Nashville to New Orleans, from Johnny Cash to Elvis - take a toe-tapping journey through America's Deep South, culminating in the world-famous Mardi Gras
