Avery Island: Tabasco and Jungle Gardens on a Day Trip From New Orleans

Avery Island isn't really an island in the usual sense. It's a salt dome — a huge underground column of salt pushing the land up a few stories above the surrounding marshes and bayous in Iberia Parish, near New Iberia. On top of it sit live oaks, gardens, a bird sanctuary and the factory that has made Tabasco pepper sauce for more than 150 years. It's one of the most distinctive places in Louisiana, and it makes a rewarding, if long, day trip from New Orleans. Here's how to plan it.

A Little History

The McIlhenny family began making Tabasco sauce on Avery Island in the years after the Civil War; Edmund McIlhenny produced his first commercial bottles in 1868. The sauce is still made by the family company on the island today, using peppers, salt mined from the island's salt dome, and vinegar, aged before bottling.

Edmund's son, Edward Avery McIlhenny, was a naturalist who shaped much of what visitors see today. In the 1890s, when snowy egrets were being hunted nearly to extinction for their plumes, he established a protected rookery on the island that became known as Bird City. He also developed the gardens that are now Jungle Gardens.

The Salt Dome Beneath Your Feet

Avery Island is one of a chain of salt domes along the Louisiana coast sometimes called the Five Islands, each rising slightly above the flat marsh around it. The salt deposits beneath them are enormous, and salt has been mined on Avery Island since the Civil War era, when it was an important source of salt for the Confederacy. The island's salt mine is still active, and its salt goes into every bottle of Tabasco. Driving onto the island, you'll notice the land rising gently through the trees — a rare bit of elevation in this part of Louisiana, and the reason the island's oaks and gardens look so different from the surrounding wetlands.

The Tabasco Visitor Experience

The Tabasco visitor experience on Avery Island covers how the sauce is made "from seed to sauce," along with the history of the McIlhenny family and the brand. Visitors have typically been able to take a self-guided tour that moves through the museum and production areas, with views of the bottling line on working days. The visitor area also includes a restaurant serving Cajun and Southern dishes seasoned with Tabasco, a country store, and ticketed culinary experiences such as cooking demonstrations.

Tour formats, hours and ticket options change, so check tabasco.com for current details before you go. Production schedules also vary, so the factory floor may not be running every day.

Jungle Gardens and Bird City

Jungle Gardens is a large semi-tropical garden on the island, with ancient live oaks draped in Spanish moss, bamboo groves, camellias and azaleas, lagoons and wildlife. It's managed separately from the Tabasco visitor experience, with its own information at junglegardens.org.

• Bird City. The egret rookery is the garden's most famous feature. In spring and early summer, nesting season, large numbers of egrets and other wading birds gather there. Outside nesting season, there are fewer birds, but the setting is still beautiful.
• The Buddha. A centuries-old Buddha statue sits in a quiet temple garden, one of the island's most photographed spots.
• Wildlife. Alligators, turtles and many bird species live around the lagoons. Keep a respectful distance.

Visitors can drive a loop road through the gardens, stopping at points along the way, or walk sections of it. Jungle Gardens notes a height restriction on the route for buses and RVs, so tell us if you're traveling in a group and we'll make sure the vehicle fits. A Mercedes Sprinter carries up to thirteen people for a group day trip.

How Long Is the Drive?

Avery Island is roughly two and a half hours from New Orleans each way under normal traffic. There are two common routes:

• I-10 west through Baton Rouge and across the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge toward Lafayette, then south toward New Iberia.
• US-90 west through Houma-area communities and Morgan City, then on to New Iberia.

Each route has its own traffic patterns. The Baton Rouge stretch of I-10 can be slow at rush hour, and US-90 passes through more towns. Your chauffeur will pick the better option for the day.

Why the Ride Home Matters

Here's a detail many visitors miss: the Tabasco website notes that ride-sharing services are not available for pickups from Avery Island. Visitors who arrive by rideshare can find themselves without a way back. With a day trip this far from the city, booking a round trip — or keeping your chauffeur with you on hourly charter service — means your ride is waiting when you're ready to go.

Planning the Day

Because of the drive, an Avery Island day trip is a full day. A sample plan:

1. Early morning: Leave New Orleans around 7:30 or 8 a.m.
2. Mid-morning: Arrive at Avery Island and start with the Tabasco tour and museum.
3. Lunch: Eat on the island or in New Iberia.
4. Early afternoon: Explore Jungle Gardens and Bird City.
5. Late afternoon: Head home, arriving back in New Orleans in the evening.

Allow two to three hours on the island for the Tabasco experience and the gardens, more if you'd like a long walk or a cooking demonstration.

Pairing Avery Island With New Iberia or Cajun Country

New Iberia, a few miles away, has a historic downtown along Bayou Teche worth a stroll or a meal. Further afield, Breaux Bridge and St. Martinville are within reach if you want to make it a longer day or turn the trip into an overnight. Our New Iberia car service page covers the area, and our Cajun Country road trip guide covers a broader multi-stop route through Baton Rouge and Lafayette.

Flying into MSY and heading straight to Acadiana? Our MSY to New Iberia route page covers the direct transfer.

Best Times to Visit

• Spring: Bird City nesting season and azaleas make this the most popular time.
• Fall and winter: Comfortable temperatures for walking the gardens, with camellias in winter.
• Summer: Hot and humid, with frequent afternoon storms; go early.

Avoid days when severe weather or tropical storms threaten south Louisiana, and check both the Tabasco and Jungle Gardens websites for closures before you leave.

Tips for Your Visit

• Bring insect repellent and sun protection for the gardens.
• Wear comfortable shoes for walking between garden stops.
• Pack a cooler bag if you plan to buy sauces and specialty foods to take home.
• Bring binoculars for birdwatching at Bird City.
• Flying home with Tabasco? Remember that bottles over 3.4 ounces need to go in checked luggage.

Booking Your Avery Island Day Trip

Tell us how many people are going, your preferred start time and whether you'd like to add New Iberia or another stop. A Lincoln Navigator seats six, a Chevrolet Suburban five, and a Mercedes Sprinter up to thirteen. Rates are flat and confirmed before you book, with gratuity and any other charges disclosed up front. Call (877) 609-1919 or book online.