LSU, Southern, UL Lafayette and Southeastern in 3 Days: A South Louisiana Drive Trip
A parent-first plan for seeing LSU, Southern University, UL Lafayette and Southeastern Louisiana from one hotel in Baton Rouge: official tour sign-ups, visitor parking at every campus, meals between tours, things for siblings and weather by season.
Memorial Tower from the Parade Ground, LSU, Baton Rouge (Dec 2025). Photo: Spatms · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped
Last checked Oct 27, 2026. Every fact comes from the pages listed in Sources at the bottom. Some hotel and tour links are affiliate links (disclosure).
Check before you go. Tour times, sign-up rules, parking and seasonal closures change often, sometimes weekly. Every campus section below links to that school's official visit page and shows when we last checked it. Confirm there before you book or drive. College Visit Guides is not affiliated with or endorsed by any college or university. Names are used only to identify them.
The short version
Trip at a glance
Schools
Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge · Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge · University of Louisiana at Lafayette · Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond
Days
3: LSU on foot and Southern University in the afternoon, then a day in Lafayette, then Southeastern in Hammond on the way to the airport. Arrive the day before.
Fly into
Baton Rouge Metropolitan (BTR), about 17 minutes and 10 miles from the hotel by car. New Orleans (MSY) is about 83 minutes away and about an hour from Southeastern.
Best base
The Cook Hotel and Conference Center, on the LSU campus, about a 17-minute walk from the LSU Student Union.
Car or transit
Plan on a car: Southern University is about 18 minutes away, UL Lafayette about 72 and Southeastern about 63, with no traffic.
Registration
All four schools ask you to register ahead. Southern University and UL Lafayette require it, and Southern confirms each tour by email.
1. Who this guide is for
This plan is for parents with a high schooler, and maybe younger siblings, who want to see four Division I universities in south Louisiana in one trip: LSU and Southern University in Baton Rouge, UL Lafayette and Southeastern Louisiana in Hammond.
Instead of changing hotels, you sleep at The Cook Hotel on the LSU campus every night, so day 1 starts with a walk.
Why this order
Day 1: LSU's campus tour starts with an admissions information session, then a student-led walk that includes housing. Southern University is about 18 minutes north for an afternoon tour.
Day 2: UL Lafayette's tour lasts about two hours, including breaks, and passes Cypress Lake and the fleur-de-lis sculpture in the Quad. The university's science museum is about 2 minutes from the tour start.
Day 3: Southeastern's tour typically lasts 90 minutes in Hammond, and New Orleans's airport is about an hour from campus.
Each campus checks you in somewhere different
LSU: your registration confirmation has the details. LSU says group tours check in at the Geaux Center on the first floor of the Student Union.
Southern University: T.H. Harris Hall Annex, home of the Admissions and Recruitment Office. Arrive at least 15 minutes early; tours start on time.
UL Lafayette: weekday tours meet at the French House, 1511 Johnston St., at the corner of St. Mary Blvd., where you park and get a visitor permit. Saturday tours meet at Martin Hall, 104 E. University Circle.
Southeastern: the Enrollment Express Office, Student Union Room 1305, in the breezeway across from the University Bookstore.
Tour availability varies by season.
Southeastern closes at 12:30 p.m. on Fridays during the fall and spring, few classes meet that day, and there are no Friday tours in summer. Aim for Monday–Thursday.
Southern University doesn't run tours on weekends, holidays, registration periods, final exam week or campus breaks.
Baton Rouge summers are hot and wet: July and August average about 92°F highs, and June is the rainiest month, with about 6.5 inches.
UL Lafayette suggests checking the university's calendar of events before you pick a tour date.
2. The suggested 3-day plan
Drive and walk times are no-traffic estimates from OpenStreetMap routing, using addresses geocoded with OpenStreetMap Nominatim. Weekday traffic around Baton Rouge can make the drives much longer.
Rent a car at the airport. LSU notes that New Orleans and Cajun country are each about an hour's drive from campus.
Arrival day: fly into Baton Rouge and check in on the LSU campus
Baton Rouge Metropolitan (BTR) → The Cook Hotel (3848 W. Lakeshore Dr.)
Driving (no traffic)
~17 min, 10.1 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Walking & driving
Drive
New Orleans (MSY) → The Cook Hotel, if you fly in there
Driving (no traffic)
~83 min, 68.2 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Walking & driving
Drive
If you land early and have young kids along, Knock Knock Children's Museum, at 1900 Dalrymple Dr., is open Tuesday–Sunday with free parking.
The hotel has an outdoor pool, a fitness center and a bar off the lobby that's open seven evenings a week.
Day 1: LSU on foot, then Southern University
Hotel → LSU Student Union
Driving (no traffic)
Walk
Walking & driving
~17 min walk, 0.8 mi
LSU → Southern University (801 Harding Blvd.)
Driving (no traffic)
~18 min, 10.3 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Walking & driving
Drive
Southern University → hotel
Driving (no traffic)
~18 min, 10.2 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Walking & driving
Drive
Book an LSU campus tour on its sign-up page: an admissions information session, then a student-led walking tour that includes housing. You can also add a tour of a department's facilities.
If you visit at noon, you'll hear Memorial Tower chime the LSU Alma Mater. The campus has about 1,200 live oaks and a live tiger mascot.
Lunch in the LSU Student Union, which has Chick-fil-A, Panda Express, Smoothie King and CC's Coffee.
Then drive to Southern University for an afternoon tour. Request it on Southern's sign-up page and wait for the email confirmation.
Day 2: UL Lafayette and the science museum
Hotel → UL Lafayette, French House (1511 Johnston St., Lafayette)
Driving (no traffic)
~72 min, 57.6 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Walking & driving
Drive
French House → UL Lafayette Science Museum (433 Jefferson St.)
Driving (no traffic)
~2 min, 1.0 mi
Walking & driving
Drive
Lafayette → hotel
Driving (no traffic)
~71 min, 57.4 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Walking & driving
Drive
UL Lafayette's walking tour lasts about two hours, including breaks, with student guides and a small group. It visits residence halls, labs, the wildlife in Cypress Lake and the fleur-de-lis sculpture in the Quad.
Want to meet a professor in your student's major? UL Lafayette asks for two weeks' notice, and only weekday tours include that option.
Lunch in the Cypress Lake Dining Room on the Student Union's second floor, which overlooks the lake. Campus dining is open to visitors.
Downtown Lafayette, a few blocks from campus, has restaurants, art galleries and shops.
Day 3: Southeastern in Hammond, then fly home
Hotel → Southeastern Louisiana University Student Union (303 Union Ave., Hammond)
Driving (no traffic)
~63 min, 48.1 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Walking & driving
Drive
Southeastern → New Orleans (MSY)
Driving (no traffic)
~59 min, 45.1 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Walking & driving
Drive
Southeastern → Baton Rouge Metropolitan (BTR), if you're flying home from there
Driving (no traffic)
~64 min, 49.7 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Walking & driving
Drive
Southeastern's tour typically lasts 90 minutes: a meeting with an admissions counselor about admissions, financial aid and scholarships, then a student-led walk through campus and housing.
When you check in, you'll get a coupon for the University Bookstore across the breezeway.
Eat before you head to the airport: the Mane Dish, on the Student Union's second floor, was ranked the #1 campus dining facility in Louisiana.
3. Campus by campus
Memorial Tower from the Parade Ground, LSU, Baton Rouge (Dec 2025). Photo: Spatms · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped
Campus tours begin with an admissions information session, followed by a student-led walking tour that includes housing and optional senior college programming.
Based on your student's academic interest, you can add a tour of specific department facilities. LSU also has a virtual campus tour.
Visitor parking
Visitors can park on the second floor of the Union Square Garage, entered from East Campus Drive: $3 an hour on weekdays, 7 a.m.–8 p.m. The garage sits next to the LSU Student Union.
Or buy a $12-a-day visitor permit ahead of time on LSU's parking portal; it covers any commuter or X lot.
Getting there
About a 17-minute walk from the hotel to the LSU Student Union, so you can leave the car parked.
What to know
Memorial Tower chimes the LSU Alma Mater at noon, and about 1,200 live oaks shade the campus paths.
Reservations are required. Tours are led by student Jaguar Ambassadors, last one hour and cover at least a mile of walking.
Residence halls aren't on the tour; Southern has a virtual tour of them. Tours go on rain or shine.
If you need accommodations, note them on the tour reservation form.
Visitor parking
Visitors need a parking permit unless they use a paid meter space. Create an account on Southern's parking portal, buy the visitor permit there and print it from the email.
Parking without a valid permit can get you ticketed. Questions: Traffic and Parking, (225) 771-2253.
Getting there
About 18 minutes from LSU by car with no traffic.
What to know
Dining isn't part of the tour, but on-campus dining is available; call 225-771-2363 with questions.
Contact
Campus tours: 225-771-3662, subrtours@subr.edu. Meet at T.H. Harris Hall Annex; main campus address 801 Harding Blvd., Baton Rouge.
Last checked Oct 27, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.
Pre-registration is required. The walking tour lasts about two hours, including breaks, with student guides and a small group of other prospective students.
Weekday tours run during the fall and spring and meet at the French House. Saturday tours, on select weekends, meet at Martin Hall and don't include a faculty meeting.
With several days' notice, the university can arrange a tour of campus and the residence halls; with two weeks' notice, it will try to set up a meeting with a professor in your major.
Visitor parking
Campus tour parking is at the French House, 1511 Johnston St. You'll get a parking pass when you check in.
Getting there
About 72 minutes from the hotel with no traffic, mostly on the interstate west of Baton Rouge.
What to know
Cypress Lake and the fleur-de-lis sculpture in the Quad are both on the tour. You can pick up a campus map at the French House.
Contact
Office of Admissions and Recruitment: (337) 482-6495, campusvisit@louisiana.edu. Tours start at the French House, 1511 Johnston St., Lafayette.
Last checked Oct 27, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.
Registration is required. The tour typically lasts 90 minutes, with an admissions counselor meeting plus a student-led walk through campus and housing.
Tours are small and semi-private: each student can bring up to two parents or guardians.
Tours run rain or shine unless the weather is severe, and Southeastern hands out free ponchos. Need accommodations? Email at least 3 days ahead.
Visitor parking
Southeastern emails a visitor parking pass to print two days before your visit. For the closest spot to the Student Union, use the lots along North Oak Street, such as the Student Union/Bookstore lot.
Getting there
About 63 minutes from the hotel with no traffic. Hammond is about 45 miles east of Baton Rouge and 50 miles north of New Orleans.
What to know
The Pennington Student Activity Center, 1350 N. General Pershing St., has fitness rooms, multipurpose courts and an indoor track; stop by the front desk.
Contact
Admissions: (985) 549-2540 to cancel or reschedule; check-in at the Enrollment Express Office, Student Union Room 1305, Hammond.
Last checked Oct 27, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.
Expedia hotel links are affiliate links: if you book through one, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Price tiers (Budget, Mid-range, Upscale) follow each hotel's star class on Expedia. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
Hotel · Our pickMid-range
The Cook Hotel and Conference Center at LSU
3848 W. Lakeshore Dr., Baton Rouge, LA
Why here
It's on the LSU campus, about a 17-minute walk from the LSU Student Union, so day 1 starts without the car. LSU's football and basketball teams stay here before home games.
Southern University is about 18 minutes away, UL Lafayette about 72 and Southeastern about 63, so every day starts from the same room.
Good to know
Expedia lists this hotel as a 3-star property, so we place it in the Mid-range tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
An outdoor pool, a fitness center and a 24-hour sundries shop. Guests can use LSU's UREC recreation center for $10 a day.
Expedia lists this hotel as a 4-star property, so we place it in the Upscale tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
By car with no traffic, it is about 14 minutes (8.3 miles) from Louisiana State University, the closest campus on this trip. Weekday traffic can add a lot.
Good to know
Amenities, parking fees and room types change, so confirm them on the Expedia listing before you book.
Expedia lists this hotel as a 2.5-star property, so we place it in the Budget tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
By car with no traffic, it is about 8 minutes (4.0 miles) from Louisiana State University, the closest campus on this trip. Weekday traffic can add a lot.
Good to know
Amenities, parking fees and room types change, so confirm them on the Expedia listing before you book.
One hotel for every night means no repacking. LSU is a walk from your room; Lafayette and Hammond are each about an hour or more away, so leave early on days 2 and 3.
5. Meals between tours
Hours change, so check before you go.
At the hotel
Eat
The Shaquille O'Neal Lodge at The Cook Hotel
3848 W. Lakeshore Dr., Baton Rouge
Serves hot breakfast and lunch (the schedule may vary), and the lobby bar is open seven evenings a week.
LSU (Baton Rouge)
Eat
LSU Student Union eateries
LSU Student Union, Baton Rouge
Chick-fil-A, Panda Express, Sonic, Smoothie King and CC's Coffee, and all of them take cash or card.
Play-based learning for kids, in BREC's City-Brooks Community Park. Closed Mondays; Friday and Saturday 9–10 a.m. are members only. Admission is $18 for guests 12 months and older, and parking is free.
University of Louisiana at Lafayette Science Museum
433 Jefferson St., Lafayette
Exhibits on space flight and insects, plus a planetarium, about 2 minutes from the UL Lafayette tour start. Closed Monday and Tuesday; open Wednesday–Friday 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.–6 p.m. and Sunday 1–6 p.m.
At LSU, walk from the hotel; if you drive, use the Union Square Garage's second floor ($3 an hour on weekdays) or a $12 day permit.
At Southern University, buy a visitor permit online first, or use a paid meter space.
At UL Lafayette, park at the French House and pick up your pass at check-in.
At Southeastern, print the parking pass Southeastern emails you two days ahead.
Tour day comfort
Southern's tour covers at least a mile and Southeastern's involves about 90 minutes of walking, so wear comfortable shoes.
Southern and Southeastern tours go on rain or shine, so pack an umbrella.
Weather by season (1991–2020 NOAA normals: Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport)
Spring: April averages about 79°F highs and 57°F lows, with about 5.1 inches of rain.
Summer: July and August average about 92°F highs and 74°F lows; June is the rainiest month, with about 6.5 inches.
Fall: October averages about 81°F highs and 58°F lows, with about 4.8 inches of rain; November highs drop to about 71°F.
Winter: January averages about 62°F highs and 42°F lows, with about 6.4 inches of rain.
Parent checklist
Register for all four visits online: LSU, Southern University (wait for its email confirmation), UL Lafayette and Southeastern.
Book The Cook Hotel on the LSU campus for every night and rent a car at the airport.
Buy Southern University's visitor parking permit online before day 1.
Print Southeastern's emailed parking pass before day 3.
After each visit, take five minutes to jot down what stood out to your student.
8. Student-athlete recruiting visits
For families whose student hopes to play a college sport. Rules below are the NCAA's; each school's links were checked Oct 26, 2026.
Coaches arrange the recruiting part of a visit, not the admissions office. The tour sign-ups in this guide are for the regular family visit. An official (school-paid) visit is offered by the school, and contact with coaches follows NCAA rules that vary by division, sport and grade level.
Start with your sport's questionnaire, then email the coaches. The NCAA suggests emailing coaches with your achievements, highlight videos and interest in their program, including your name, position, NCAA ID and graduation year.
Unofficial visit: any campus visit you or your family pay for. You can take as many as you like; in Divisions I and II each one has to come after the first permissible date for your sport.
Official visit: a visit paid for by the school. Each school can offer your student only one. Before a Division I official visit, your student must be registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center, be on the school's institutional request list, and the school must have their high school transcripts.
Division I (Louisiana State University, Southern University and A&M College, University of Louisiana at Lafayette and Southeastern Louisiana University): on an official visit the school can pay for travel for the student and up to two family members, lodging, up to three meals a day for the student and up to four family members, and up to $60 a person in entertainment, including five home-game tickets. On an unofficial visit there are no free meals, but the school can give up to three home-game tickets. Division I uses recruiting calendars with contact, evaluation, quiet and dead periods; in a dead period, no in-person contact and no visits.
Rules change. Confirm with the coach, or check the NCAA's recruiting page and recruiting calendars, before you plan dates.
Planning around the season
Check each school's athletics schedule (linked above) before you pick dates, so a coach meeting doesn't land on a road trip or game day for your sport.
Our recommendation, not a school rule: ask the coach whether they can line up an admissions session or tour around your meeting. If not, book the regular family tour yourself through the official sign-up links in this guide, and leave time between the two.
Add your dates and how you're getting there, and we'll pull this guide into one plan: tour sign-up links, the hotel base, parking or airport notes, the route and meals.
Coming soon
Planning more college trips?
Visit-season reminders and new trip guides from College Visit Guides. Newsletter coming soon.
Sources
All checked Oct 27, 2026. Tour schedules change constantly, so always confirm on each school's official sign-up page. Photo credits are under each photo and on our About page.
Expedia listing: The Cook Hotel and Conference Center at LSU (star class, checked 2026-10-27) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Baton-Rouge-Hotels-The-Cook-Hotel-Conference-Center.h15991307.Hotel-Information)
