A New Orleans Holiday Heritage Tour
Itinerary: December 9 - 14, 2026
Please note that some activities of this itinerary are still in planning with the local communities. There may be slight modifications on our schedule between now and our travel.
DAY 1: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9 | WELCOME TO THE CRESCENT CITY!
Meet at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
Upon arrival at New Orleans’ new Louis Armstrong International Airport, collect your luggage and then proceed to the bottom of the baggage claim escalators where our local guide and U.S.-based tour leader will be waiting with a ‘PRC’ sign. Depending on flight schedules, travelers will be grouped by arrival and escorted to private transportation for the transfer to Henry Howard Hotel where our New Orleans Holiday adventure will begin.
Louis Armstrong New Orleans Airport
Check into the Henry Howard Hotel
Settle into the Henry Howard Hotel, an intimate boutique property private for our group in the heart of the Lower Garden District. This beautifully restored 1867 mansion features just 18 rooms, each uniquely designed with period architectural details, soaring ceilings, and modern luxuries. The hotel's secluded courtyard and wraparound galleries offer peaceful retreats from the festive energy of the season, while its location on St. Charles Avenue places you steps from the iconic streetcar line and within walking distance of Magazine Street's galleries, restaurants, and shops. This will be our exclusive home base for the week as we explore New Orleans during its most enchanting season.
Henry Howard Hotel
5:00 pm ~ Welcome Party: Beams & Brews with PRC at the Hotel
Kick off your holiday adventure with Beams & Brews, the Preservation Resource Center's beloved casual gathering where architecture enthusiasts, preservationists, and curious travelers come together over drinks and conversation. In the inviting courtyard or parlor of the Henry Howard Hotel, PRC staff will introduce you to New Orleans' rich preservation landscape. This informal welcome creates the perfect atmosphere to meet your fellow travelers, toast to the week ahead, and begin understanding the passionate community effort that keeps New Orleans' historic architecture alive. Learn what makes this holiday tour different from any other New Orleans experience as you sip cocktails and prepare for five days of unprecedented insider access.
Beams & Brews at our hotel
7:00 pm ~ Welcome Dinner at Mr. John's Steakhouse
Just one block from the hotel, settle in for your welcome dinner at Mr. John's Steakhouse, a New Orleans institution where classic American chophouse dining meets Creole hospitality. Housed in a beautifully restored 19th-century building, this family-owned establishment has been serving perfectly aged steaks, fresh Gulf seafood, and indulgent sides since 2003. The warm, wood-paneled dining room exudes old-world charm, while the menu delivers everything from bone-in ribeyes to Louisiana-style barbecue shrimp. This is New Orleans dining at its most satisfying—unpretentious, generous, and executed with the kind of attention to detail that has made Mr. John's a local favorite for over two decades.
Dinner at Mr. John’s Steakhouse
9:00 pm ~ Optional Evening Concert: Peter Harris & Friends at the Bayou Bar
If you're not ready for the evening to end, cross the street to the Bayou Bar for an optional intimate concert featuring bassist Peter Harris and friends. Recognized as a 2024 Jazz Hero by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, Harris is a masterful musician whose versatile guitar work spans traditional jazz, blues, and contemporary sounds. Sink into the cozy atmosphere of this classy neighborhood bar within the Pontchartrain Hotel and let the music welcome you properly to the Crescent City.
Jazz at the Bayou Bar
DAY 2: THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10 | FRENCH QUARTER
Light Breakfast at our Hotel
Each morning, enjoy a light breakfast served at the hotel featuring freshly brewed coffee, juice, seasonal fruit, yogurt parfaits, warm muffins, and savory mini quiches. Fuel up for the day's adventures without overeating in the intimate, elegant setting of this historic Lower Garden District boutique hotel.
Henry Howard Hotel breakfast
10:00 am ~ Visit to the Preservation Resource Center
Step into the historic Leeds-Davis Building, home to the Preservation Resource Center since 2000, and discover why this organization has been the guardian of New Orleans' architectural soul for over 50 years. This striking Commercial Gothic structure—one of the few surviving cast-iron buildings in the city—is itself a preservation success story, featuring a restored façade that showcases the innovative 19th-century building techniques that preceded modern skyscrapers. As you meet the PRC's staff, you'll understand how this organization has prevented countless demolitions, advocated for protective legislation, and empowered communities to save their historic neighborhoods.
Visit to the Preservation Resource Center
10:30 am ~ Architectural History of New Orleans with Dr. Richard Campanella
New Orleans presents the architectural historian with a paradox: a city that appears frozen in time yet was continuously, urgently rebuilt—by fire, by flood, by ambition, by failure. In this illustrated presentation, Dr. Richard Campanella, author and Associate Dean for Research at Tulane University School of Architecture, will trace the built environment of New Orleans from its colonial foundations through the present day, examining how successive waves of French, Spanish, Creole, American, and immigrant builders each left legible marks on the streetscape. We'll move through the typologies that define this city—the Creole cottage, the American townhouse, the shotgun single and double, the camelback, the raised basement, the side-hall house—and explore not just what they look like, but why they look that way: how climate, culture, land tenure, and economics shaped every elevation, every plan, every material choice. Architecture in New Orleans is never merely aesthetic; it is argument, adaptation, and memory compressed into wood and plaster. By the end of this session, we hope you'll walk these streets differently—reading the facades not as charming backdrops, but as documents of a city perpetually negotiating between preservation and reinvention.
Presentation on architectural history of New Orleans with Richard Campanella
12:30 pm ~ Lunch and Live Music at Napoleon House
Experience lunch in one of New Orleans' most atmospheric spaces as you dine on the second floor of the historic Napoleon House, accompanied by a live banjo player. Built in 1797 as the residence of Nicholas Girod, mayor of New Orleans, this legendary establishment earned its name from the mayor's 1821 offer to provide refuge to Napoleon Bonaparte during his exile—an invitation Napoleon never accepted before his death that same year. Today, the building's weathered plaster walls, vintage murals, and timeworn elegance create an ambiance found nowhere else in the city. Savor their famous muffulettas, warming jambalaya, and refreshing Pimm's cups while a musician fills the intimate upstairs dining room with melodies.
Lunch and live music at the Napoleon House
2:00 pm ~ Civil Rights Christmas Cards Exhibition with Dr. Leona Tate
Meet one of New Orleans' living civil rights pioneers as Dr. Leona Tate shares her extraordinary story at the Historic New Orleans Collection. On November 14, 1960, six-year-old Leona Tate, along with Gail Etienne and Tessie Prevost, walked through hostile crowds escorted by Federal Marshals to desegregate McDonogh 19 Public School—the same week Ruby Bridges integrated William Frantz Elementary. The Historic New Orleans Collection’s poignant exhibition reveals how people across the nation responded to these brave young girls, sending Christmas cards filled with messages of encouragement, hope, and support during that traumatic first year. Leona, now founder and executive director of the Leona Tate Foundation for Change, will share her memories of that pivotal moment in American history and discuss how those cards sustained her family during their darkest days. This intimate conversation offers rare personal insight into the human cost and enduring legacy of the Civil Rights Movement—a profound reminder of courage, compassion, and the power of small gestures during times of profound social change.
Private show and tell with American activist and civil rights pioneer, Leona Tate
4:00 pm ~ Holiday Lobby Displays
Experience the spectacular seasonal displays of the historic Monteleone, Ritz-Carlton, and Roosevelt hotels. These grand lobbies become destinations unto themselves during December, featuring towering Christmas trees, elaborate gingerbread houses, and festive decorations that showcase the city's flair for celebration.
Spectacular displays of hotel lobbies
5:30 pm ~ Time at Leisure, Evening on Your Own
Return to the hotel to relax. Our bus can also take you back to the French Quarter to explore at your own pace or with our guide. Stroll through Jackson Square to see the St. Louis Cathedral framed by seasonal decorations, browse the holiday displays in Royal Street galleries and antique shops, or grab a café au lait and beignets at Café du Monde. Dinner is on your own tonight—we'll provide recommendations for exceptional restaurants and live music venues throughout the Quarter and Garden District.
Free time in the French Quarter and evening on your own
DAY 3: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11 | RIVER ROAD TRADITIONS
Leisurely Morning
Sleep in, enjoy a relaxed breakfast, or explore the Lower Garden District and Magazine Street at your own pace this morning. The late departure allows you to recharge before this afternoon's journey into Louisiana's river parishes.
Time at leisure in the Garden District
12:00 pm ~ Lunch at Café Reconcile
Lunch at Café Reconcile is more than a meal — it's a window into one of New Orleans' most quietly powerful community initiatives. Housed in a beautifully restored five-story building on Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard in the historic Central City neighborhood, Café Reconcile serves as a working training restaurant for young adults ages 16 to 24, guiding them through a paid 14-week workforce development program that builds confidence, industry credentials, and real career pathways. Over a lunch of classic New Orleans cooking prepared and served by the program's interns, we'll sit down with one of the café's managers to hear firsthand how Reconcile is transforming the lives of young people who face significant barriers to employment and education — and how a simple lunch can be a genuine act of community investment. It's a conversation that makes the food taste even better.
Lunch and discussion at Café Reconcile
1:30 pm ~ Depart for River Road
Embark on one of America's most culturally significant drives as we travel the legendary Great River Road, following the meandering curves of the mighty Mississippi through Louisiana's River Parishes. This historic corridor reveals a landscape of contradictions: magnificent live oak alleys draped in Spanish moss frame surviving antebellum mansions, while towering petrochemical plants now occupy land once devoted to plantation agriculture. Starting in the 1970s, plantation lands were sold to industrial corporations, transforming the region into what's now known as "Cancer Alley" for the extreme cancer risks faced by predominantly Black descendant communities who still live here. The drive itself becomes a moving classroom, preparing you to understand the complex history you'll experience at Woodland Plantation, B&C Seafood, and the Festival of the Bonfires—a journey through both Louisiana's darkest chapters and its most resilient cultural traditions.
Drive up historic River Road
2:30 pm ~ The Descendants Project
Visit Woodland Plantation, the historic site of the largest slave revolt in the U.S. South, now stewarded by The Descendants Project as a powerful museum dedicated to truth-telling and healing. On January 8, 1811, over 500 enslaved people rose up along this stretch of River Road in an organized rebellion for freedom that was violently suppressed and deliberately erased from history for generations. Founded by Joy and Jo Banner, descendants of enslaved people who labored in these river parishes, The Descendants Project tells the story of how the same lands that once enslaved people now poison their descendants with industrial pollution. Through powerful exhibits on the 1811 Slave Revolt and the plantation-to-petrochemical pipeline, you'll understand the ongoing struggle for environmental justice. This is also the birthplace of jazz pioneer Edward "Kid" Ory, whose innovations shaped early New Orleans jazz and launched Louis Armstrong's career—a reminder that even from places of profound suffering, creativity and resilience emerge.
Woodland Plantation & the Descendants Project
4:30 pm ~ Festival of the Bonfires
Experience one of Louisiana's most spectacular and unique holiday traditions at the Festival of the Bonfires along the Mississippi River levee. For centuries, residents of the river parishes have built towering bonfires on Christmas Eve to light Papa Noël's way down the river, creating a beloved tradition that blends French, Acadian, and American customs into something uniquely Louisiana. Tonight's festival brings this tradition to life weeks before Christmas, featuring a gumbo cook-off where local teams compete for bragging rights with their family recipes, live Cajun and zydeco music that keeps the crowd dancing, and the dramatic lighting of a massive bonfire as darkness falls. Savor bowls of championship gumbo, enjoy the festive riverside atmosphere, and witness flames leaping into the December night sky—a spectacle that captures the warmth, community spirit, and enduring cultural traditions of South Louisiana. This is Christmas the Louisiana way: outdoors, communal, and absolutely unforgettable.
Festival of the Bonfires
8:30 pm ~ Depart Festival & return to hotel
Optional evening concerts and music venues available for those with energy to spare.
Optional live music
DAY 4: SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12 | HOLIDAY HOMES
Breakfast at our Hotel
Each morning, enjoy a freshly prepared breakfast at the hotel, served daily from 7:00–11:00 am.
Henry Howard Hotel breakfast
9:30 am ~ PRC’s Holiday Home Tour with Private Opening
Begin your day with the most coveted ticket in New Orleans: the Preservation Resource Center's legendary Holiday Home Tour, which has welcomed visitors into the city's most stunning private residences for decades. This year, you'll enjoy exclusive early access before the public arrives, touring a magnificent Garden District mansion adorned in its full holiday finery. Wander through grand parlors adorned with elaborate mantels, heirloom ornaments, and fresh magnolia garlands; admire soaring ceilings draped with seasonal greenery; and explore lush courtyards transformed into winter wonderlands—all while learning about the home's architectural significance and preservation story from knowledgeable docents. After your private tour, join the public route to explore additional spectacular homes throughout the historic Garden District, each offering a unique glimpse into how New Orleans' most beautiful residences celebrate the season. This is your chance to step inside the doors that are opened only once a year, experiencing the creativity, elegance, and preservation passion that make this tour a beloved New Orleans holiday tradition.
Preservation Resource Center’s Holiday Home Tour
2:00 pm ~ Solo Piano Concert, Cocktails, and Feast of the Seven Fishes at Chef Jason Goodenough's Home
Prepare for one of the tour's most intimate and memorable experiences as Chef Jason Goodenough welcomes you into his Garden District home for a supper club of music, storytelling, and the Italian-American tradition of the Feast of the Seven Fishes. A New Orleans culinary talent recognized by the D.C. Wine & Food Festival, Chef Goodenough has created a special holiday menu celebrating this Christmas Eve tradition with seven spectacular seafood courses—from Gulf oysters and shrimp to redfish and more—each prepared with both reverence for Italian tradition and Louisiana ingredients. As you gather in his historic home, a solo pianist will perform seasonal music that fills the elegant spaces, creating an atmosphere of warmth and celebration. This is the kind of privileged insider experience that defines Preservation Resource Center and Project Por Amor tours: seated around a chef's own table, sharing stories and laughter with fellow travelers, enjoying world-class cuisine and live music in an impossibly beautiful setting.
Feast of the seven fishes with Jason Goodenough
5:00 pm ~ Time at Leisure
Return to the Hotel Henry Howard to exhale. Settle into the gracious common spaces of this beautifully restored Uptown mansion, take a quiet moment in the courtyard, or simply retreat to your room and let the morning's discoveries sink in. Take two hours to rest, recharge, enjoy happy hour, and absorb the city at your own pace before the evening ahead.
7:00 pm ~ Celebration in the Oaks
As darkness falls, experience City Park transformed into a magical winter wonderland at Celebration in the Oaks, one of the nation's most spectacular holiday light displays. Stroll beneath 800-year-old live oak trees draped with millions of twinkling lights, wander through enchanting, themed displays, and marvel at elaborate light sculptures that turn the park's 25 acres into a fairytale landscape. The massive oaks—some of the oldest living things in North America—provide a majestic natural cathedral for this dazzling display, their gnarled branches creating dramatic silhouettes against the colored lights. Whether you explore on foot or by the miniature train, Celebration in the Oaks captures the joy and wonder of the season in a uniquely New Orleans way, blending natural beauty with festive creativity in a setting that feels both timeless and magical.
Celebration in the Oaks
9:30 pm ~ Return to Hotel
Optional evening concerts available for night owls.
DAY 5: SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13 | REVEILLON
Breakfast at our Hotel
Each morning, enjoy a freshly prepared breakfast at the hotel, served daily from 7:00–11:00 am.
10:00 am ~ St. Louis #3 Cemetery Tour
Explore the rich history and unique above-ground burial traditions of New Orleans with a guided cemetery tour through St. Louis Cemetery No. 3, on stately Esplanade Avenue near City Park. This beautiful Catholic cemetery is near tranquil Bayou St. John and is an ideal place to learn about the burial customs of New Orleans. St. Louis No. 3 is the final resting place of notable architect James Gallier, Storyville photographer E.J. Bellocq, and New Orleans chef and civil rights leader Leah Chase. The historic cemeteries take on special poignancy during the holiday season, when families often leave seasonal decorations on family tombs, creating a touching reminder of how New Orleanians honor their departed loved ones year-round.
St. Louis No. 3 Cemetery Tour
11:30 am ~ Sunpie Talk, Concert, and Lunch Party with Locals
Join local friends of the PRC for a private party and concert. Meet Bruce "Sunpie" Barnes, one of New Orleans' most remarkable Renaissance figures, for an intimate talk and performance that explores the legacy of the Louisiana Creole language through the historical memory of Juan San Malo, the leader of a community founded by former enslaved people in the 1780s and contemporary Creole music. Sunpie's extraordinary life journey—from Arkansas sharecropper's son to Kansas City Chiefs defensive end, from National Park Service ranger to acclaimed musician, photographer, author, and Big Chief of the Northside Skull and Bones Gang—embodies the creative spirit and cultural richness of New Orleans. Sunpie will share stories from his 30-year career documenting Louisiana's cultural traditions while performing his unique blend of zydeco, blues, and Afro-Cuban music he calls "Afro Louisiana."
Lunch party with locals and Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes
2:00 pm ~ Afternoon at your Leisure
Return to the hotel to refresh, then step out and let New Orleans claim you on your last afternoon. Follow live music spilling from an open door, wander the French Quarter's storied streets or the leafy avenues of the Garden District, duck into a museum, or simply settle into a historic bar with a Sazerac in hand. Eat a beignet at Café du Monde. Browse a local bookshop. Let the city set the pace. Our guide Russell is available to take you wherever curiosity leads, and our custom Google Map puts our highest recommendations for food, music, culture, and neighborhoods right at your fingertips.
Afternoon at leisure to explore New Orleans
7:00 pm ~ Final Dinner: Réveillon at Antoine's Private Rex Room
Celebrate the culmination of your New Orleans holiday journey with a Réveillon dinner in Antoine's legendary private Rex Room, accompanied by live jazz. Since 1840, Antoine's has been the crown jewel of French Quarter dining, and tonight you'll experience both the restaurant's storied elegance and the cherished Réveillon tradition—special multi-course menus served during the holiday season that date back to 19th-century New Orleans, when Creole families would gather for lavish midnight feasts after Christmas Eve mass. The private Rex Room, named for the King of Carnival and adorned with Mardi Gras royalty memorabilia, provides an intimate setting for this farewell celebration. As a small jazz ensemble fills the room with New Orleans standards, you'll savor courses that blend Antoine's legendary French-Creole cuisine with seasonal specialties, from oysters Rockefeller (invented here in 1899) to contemporary creations honoring Louisiana ingredients. This is New Orleans dining at its most historic, most elegant, and most meaningful—a final toast to the city's enduring traditions, the preservation efforts that keep them alive, and the extraordinary week you've shared discovering the heart of the Crescent City during its most enchanting season.
Réveillon dinner at Antoine’s
DAY 6: MONDAY, DECEMBER 14 | DEPARTURE
Final Breakfast at the hotel
Enjoy a freshly prepared breakfast at the hotel, served daily from 7:00–11:00 am.
Henry Howard Hotel breakfast
Check out of Hotel & Transfer to MSY Airport
We will say goodbye and shuttle everyone to the airport depending on their departure times.