Join us for a five-day Christmas journey through Louisiana and Mississippi, filled with holiday lights, Southern hospitality, history, music, and delicious regional cuisine. From the charming streets of historic Natchitoches and its spectacular riverfront Christmas lights to the festive magic of New Orleans’ Celebration in the Oaks, you’ll experience beloved holiday traditions and unique local culture along the way. Explore Cajun and Creole heritage, enjoy a special meal in the French Quarter, tour historic homes and plantations beautifully decorated for the season, and discover fascinating stories at the Sazerac House, Frogmore Cotton Plantation, and Biedenharn Museum & Gardens. With time to shop, stroll, relax, and savor the flavors of the South, this tour offers a memorable blend of Christmas cheer, history, music, and Southern charm—creating wonderful memories to carry home for the holidays.

Day 1, Monday, November 30, 2026

• Depart from First United Bank - Durant

• Collin Street Bakery is the perfect place for a comfort stop. Begin your Christmas shopping here. For 125 years the Deluxe Fruitcake has been shipped around the world. Satisfy your sweet tooth or try the Chicken Salad sandwich. It’s a best seller.

• Natchitoches, LA is the oldest settlement in the Louisiana Purchase and is celebrating 100 years of spreading Christmas Cheer. Shop, stroll Front Street, try a Natchitoches meat pie or Mama’s oysters.

• After checking in to the hotel, resting and relaxing, we return to the the historic district where over 300,000 Christmas lights illuminate the riverfront. Discover the many flavors and sounds of a Christmas in Central Louisiana.

Day 2, Tuesday, December 1, 2026

• Bags out, clear incidentals, breakfast at hotel

• At St. Landry Parish Visitor Center, explore the passion and culture of Cajun Christmas traditions.

• Arrive at hotel, rest, relax, freshen up

• Partake in an array of Creole cuisine at The Court of Two Sisters, a legendary courtyard in the heart of the French Quarter.

• Tonight, City Park greets us with over one million twinkling holiday lights for Celebration in the Oaks. Our driving tour and an optional walking tour.

• We end our festive night at the Oscar J. Tolmas Visitor Center for a little lagniappe and shopping.

Day 3, Wednesday, December 2, 2026

• Breakfast at hotel

• This morning, we discover more of The Crescent City on a driving tour. It includes the French Quarter, St. Louis 3 Cemetery and the Garden District

• The after noon is at your leisure. Popular destinations to visit on your own are: The National WWII Museum, Mardi Gras World, Café du Monde, The French Quarter, Jackson Square

• Our next rendezvous is at the Sazerac Housefor a Private Heritage Presentation and Tour

• This evening, enjoy dinner on your own after Hotel Lobby Hopping.

Day 4, Thursday, December 3, 2026

• Bags out, clear incidentals, breakfast at hotel

• At Oak Alley Plantation, seasonal holiday décor adorns the iconic antebellum mansion. Tour exhibits and shop.

• Lunch on own at Oak Alley Plantation Restaurant

• Check into Natchez, MS hotel to rest, relax and freshen up

• Candlelight Dinner hosted by the Natchez Garden Club at Magnolia Hall circa 1858, a Greek Revival mansion

Day 5, Friday, December 4, 2026

• Bags out, clear incidentals, breakfast at hotel

• Rejoice with live vocalists at Frogmore Cotton Plantation & Gin’s “Christmas on the Plantation”. In the 1800s church, guests hear songs, narrations and testimonies from the words of former slaves.

• The Biedenharn Museum & Gardens feature a Coca-Cola Museum, Bible Museum, Historic House, and estate gardens that are beautifully decorated. Joe Biedenharn was the first person to bottle Coca-Cola. A Taste of Louisiana lunch follows the estate tour.

• Return home with comfort stops along the way