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Cajun Country: New Orleans to Lafayette – Route Guide

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New Orleans French Quarter — Cajun Country: New Orleans to Lafayette
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Out of New Orleans through plantation country. Whitney's unflinching telling foremost, and into Acadiana, where French never left and dinner dances: boudin from gas stations of legend, crawfish by the pound, zydeco on a Thursday night in Lafayette, and the Atchafalaya basin's cypress cathedral by kayak. America's most flavourful 220 kilometres.

Cajun Country: New Orleans to Lafayette is a 220 km one-way journey (self-drive). It works best as 3–5 days; the plan below is the 4-day version for April, built from 541 verified places, with real road-routed transit times, opening hours and daylight checked.

3–5
days
220km
distance
3
Stops
541
curated stops

Plan your own version → 3-day plan · 4-day plan · 5-day plan · best time to go

The route

New Orleans→ 130 kmBaton Rouge & Plantation Country→ 90 kmLafayette & the Atchafalaya

What you'll see

Smoothie King Center
Enjoy smaller shows and Pelicans games in this lively arena beside the Superdome.
New Orleans
Louisiana State University
Stroll through a century-old campus lined with ancient oak trees.
Baton Rouge & Plantation Country
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Explore a sprawling campus with a hidden swamp and alligators near the Student Union.
Lafayette & the Atchafalaya
Tipitina's
Feel the energy of legendary local and national talent in this iconic Uptown music club.
New Orleans
Louisiana State Capitol
Marvel at the impressive Art Deco skyscraper that dominates the city skyline.
Baton Rouge & Plantation Country
Vermilionville
Experience Cajun life through costumed interpreters and traditional craft demonstrations.
Lafayette & the Atchafalaya
Old U.S. Mint
Explore the museum featuring the minting process and an exceptional jazz exhibit.
New Orleans
Louisiana Art and Science Museum
Step into history at a beautifully restored train station with grand architecture.
Baton Rouge & Plantation Country

Choose your length

3-day plan20 stops · 5.0 h transit6.7 stops/day · 1.7 h transit/daySee the full plan →4-day plan26 stops · 6.2 h transit6.5 stops/day · 1.6 h transit/daySee the full plan →5-day plan32 stops · 8.3 h transit6.4 stops/day · 1.7 h transit/daySee the full plan →

When to go

Best months: February, March, April, May

Crawfish season peaks, festival calendars stack — Jazz Fest, Festival International — and the swamps green up before the summer steam.

See the month-by-month breakdown →

Similar journeys

Plan your own version →