New Orleans, Louisiana is heralded as one of the most iconic culinary destinations in the world.
On this multi-day culinary adventure, you will indulge your taste buds with the delectable flavors of both Creole and Cajun cuisines at award-winning restaurants and neighborhood gems. Discover why the food is so unique – and so delicious! – in Louisiana.
Small Group of just 10 people or less!
What’s Included:
Package Includes:
- All Meals
- All Drinks at Meals – Wine, Beer, and Cocktails (2 with every lunch and dinner) plus soft drinks (Premium spirits extra)
- All Tour and Activity Tickets
- All Gratuities
- Hotel Accommodations
- Transport to all activities in luxury mini-bus or Sprinter-type van (unless otherwise specified)
Package Does Not Include:
- Flights
- Premium Alcohol
- Souvenirs
- Activities and entrances fees done during free time
- Anything not listed in the itinerary above
Where You’ll Stay:
- 5 Nights at a boutique or 4-star historic hotel in the French Quarter
Where You’ll Dine:
Nearly every meal is a James Beard Award-Winning Experience!
Including the iconic restaurants of Brennan’s, Antoine’s, and the world-renowned Commander’s Palace. Meals include Appetizer, Entrée, and Dessert off the restaurant’s full menu plus drinks!
Notable chef-driven restaurants will highlight winners such as:
♦ Chef Donald Link ~ Cajun
♦ Chef Justin Devillier ~ French-Creole
♦ Chef Nina Compton ~ Caribbean-Creole
What You’ll See:
Enchanting sightseeing and cultural experiences!
- Jackson Square
- Garden District and Magazine Street
- Whitney Plantation Excursion
- French Market
- Antiques & Shopping in the French Quarter
- Live Jazz
- Meet & Greets with Historians and Authors
Sample 2-Day Itinerary:
Start your next day with breakfast from the 2019 James Beard Award-Winning “Outstanding Pastry Chef” Kelly Fields at her restaurant, Willa Jean. You’ve never had biscuits like these!
The afternoon highlight will be another great meal at the hands of Chef Donald Link, this time with his team at Herbsaint Bar and Restaurant. One of the most award-decorated restaurants in New Orleans (a city known for amazing food!), every item on the menu is mouthwatering, and rightly so! Even the most non-assuming dishes, like dirty rice and French fries, are tastier here than any place else.
Free time this afternoon to explore a museum, partake in some shopping, or visit one of the many places your New Orleans guides will personally recommend for you after learning your interests days prior.
Tonight’s dinner is extra special! YOU are starring in the role as Chef at the Mardi Gras School of Cooking during a hands-on, immersive New Orleans experience. Feel like family as you learn, make, then eat such classic New Orleans dishes as Crawfish Étouffée, Gumbo, or Jambalaya. For dessert you could make Bread Pudding or the fiery Bananas Foster! They say “family is made in the kitchen” — we think you’ll agree!
Round off your evening with a set of Live Jazz Music — right in the city where jazz was born! We’re talking crowd-pleasing, good ol’ traditional jazz (think Louis Armstrong style) at one of the best jazz clubs in New Orleans. Kick your feet up and sip on a cocktail as you marvel at the brass band performing numerous jazz classics. You’ll be sure to walk away with a new appreciation for this local, musical tradition!
Enjoy breakfast on your own before taking the historic streetcar into the famed Garden District neighborhood. Here you will learn about the curious above-ground burial traditions by Lafayette Cemetery #1, admire gorgeous mansions and hear fascinating stories of the families who live(d) in them, and see the celebrity homes of Sandra Bullock, Anne Rice, and Archie Manning (Eli and Peyton Manning’s childhood home.). You might even spot John Goodman walking his dog!
Indulge during lunch at the highly-acclaimed Le Petite Grocery in Uptown. Housed in an old retail building that was lovingly restored after Hurricane Katrina by Chef Justin Devillier (James Beard Best Chef: South 2016) and his wife, Mia, as the home of their restaurant, you’ll delight in dishes like Blue Crab Beignets and Turtle Bolognese that use indigenous ingredients in new and creative ways.
After lunch, a little leg-stretching will surely be in order! A visit to the enchanting Sculpture Garden in City Park will surely inspire as you wander the peaceful grounds and admire the various works of art that range from classical to modern to gravity-defying illusion. Or if you prefer, enjoy the park’s scenic landscape from a table at Café du Monde (and perhaps another round of beignets and café au lait!).
Trip Pricing:
- Double Occupancy: $4,515 per person – Shared Room
- Single Occupancy: $5,490 — Private Room
Minimum Number of Guests Requirement:
- Pricing above is based on 6 guests. At 40 days prior to event start:
- If fewer than 6 guests book, the existing guests will receive the option to either cancel for a full refund, change their tour date, or pay a supplemental fee so the tour can run with fewer guests.
- If more than 6 guests book, the price per guest will decrease, and existing guests will be refunded the difference.
Dates Available:
- October 5 – 10, 2024
- May 5 – 10, 2025
- October 6 – 11, 2025
- April 4 – 9, 2026
Terms and Policies:
Deposit:
To reserve a place on one of our multi-day experiences, we require a $200 non-refundable deposit per person which you can submit securely through our website, or call our office. Upon submitting your reservation and deposit, you will receive a confirmation of your paid deposit, a trip itinerary, a packing list, travel tips, a trip Assumption of Risk Form/Waiver, a Participation Contract** and other useful information to help you prepare for your experience.
** In this new era of travel after the onset of Covid-19 we now have a Participation Contract we will need you to review and complete. This is to ensure we are all on the same page as far as expectations regarding health concerns.
Payment IN FULL can be made by calling 504-517-5397
Final Payment:
Full payment for your experience is due 45 days in advance of your event start date.
Cancellation policy:
Any cancellation prior to 45 days of the event start will be refunded all monies paid less the $250 per person non-refundable deposit. Any cancellations less than 45 days before the event will forfeit the full price of the event. TICKETS ARE TRANSFERABLE. You may resell your tickets on your own and alert New Orleans Secrets IN WRITING the names(s) replacing yours. We do not make exceptions to the cancellation policy for any reason, including weather, wildfire, terrorism, civil unrest, epidemic, pandemic or personal emergencies. There is no refund for arriving late or leaving a trip early. We must adhere to our cancellation policy to protect our ability to run experiences and to maintain our price structures. Please don’t ask us to make exceptions. We highly recommend purchasing travel insurance to protect your investment and researching plans that cover pre-existing conditions and/or have a “Cancel for any Reason” clause.
Disclaimer:
New Orleans Secrets may cancel or reroute any experience in part or in whole due to acts of nature, road conditions, insufficient number of participants, a force majeure that prohibits travel to or from a specific area, or other unforeseen circumstances that would hinder our ability to run a trip. New Orleans Secrets will work with you to provide you with an alternate trip, though none of the reasons above except for insufficient number of participants would constitute a reason for any refund of monies paid. New Orleans Secrets is not responsible for any additional expenses that may be incurred by a guest in relation to a canceled or rerouted tour including costs incurred due to travel delays, flight cancellations, sickness and non-refundable air tickets and/or any penalties associated with such tickets.