Total Days: 3 Days | Accommodations: Hotel in CBD or French District | Transportation: Mostly walking, some Ubers and a streetcar ride | Traveled: Girls trip| Type of Trip: Exploring the city during the day, good food, live music and drinks at night| Highlights: Garden District tour, jazz on Frenchmen Street, kayaking in the bayou
This is an itinerary for those who want an authentic New Orleans experience, not just on Bourbon Street!
DAY 1
Welcome to NOLA! Start your trip with lunch at Commanders Palace! Go for the vibe and turtle soup, stay for the 25¢ martinis offered on the weekday lunch menu. After lunch, walk across the street to the Lafayette Cemetery No. 1. There aren’t many places that would consider a cemetery an attraction, but the above ground tombs are beautifully crafted and many of the tombstones reveal the past.
After lunch, head to a Garden District Mansions Walking Tour. There are several, but these are highly rated: Two Chicks Walking Tours or New Orleans Garden District and Mansion Walking Tour.
A Cajun-style dinner is at Cochon, listed by Bon Appetit as one of the 20 most important American restaurants. After dinner, take a 15 minute Uber to Frenchman Street, a vibrant stretch of road with venues that offer everything from traditional jazz to blues to reggae and rock. First start at the open air nighttime Palace Market featuring original art and handmade goods by local artists all under twinkly lights. Then experience some of the best jazz music at d.b.a., the Spotted Cat or both!
DAY 2
Grab a smoothie or the sunrise bowl at Oprah endorsed True Food Kitchen because you’ll need some fruit/veggies at some point! Just one block away, you can hop on the quaint Saint Charles Streetcar, the oldest continuously operating streetcar line in the world and head 30 minutes to Audubon Park- St. Charles sprawled with ancient live oaks, lakes and picnic areas to hang out.
On the way back to town, stop at Turkey and the Wolf for a casual lunch with sandwiches you’ll never forget. It’s America’s Best New Restaurant according to Bon Appetit.
The time has come! For “Happy Hour,” though let’s face it – it’s always Happy Hour on Bourbon Street, go for a cocktail tour! It can be done in various ways. For a rowdier version, stop for the famous Hand Grenade at Tropical Isle, a Hurricane at Pat O’Brien’s, and a Bourbon Punch at Bourbon House. Or for something a little less rambunctious, start with a Vieux Carre at the Carousel Bar, a Sazerac at The Sazerac in the Roosevelt Hotel and finally Arnaud’s French 75 Bar for a glass of champs. Personally, I recommend some version of both and definitely a drink to-go in a plastic cup, if just for the experience. Remember to hydrate!
Later that night, dinner is at Jacques Imos for “real” New Orleans grub. The after-dinner scene is conveniently located just next door at the Maple Leaf Bar, that also has a happening dance floor.
DAY 3
Café du Monde is the motivation to get up early this morning! Walk along the Mississippi with the intention of beating the rush. Order a bag of beignets and café au laits to-go. Enjoy your treats in the Jackson Square park across the street. Drop in to the St. Louis Cathedral, the oldest in the country, and explore the French Quarter.
Along the way, stop at Jean Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop and ask for a Bloody Mary to go. While you wait you can read about the history of the alleged oldest bar in the US, and keep an eye out for the ghost of Pirate Jean Lafitte who haunts the place. With cocktail in hand, venture over to Congo Square, where Jazz was invented, in Louis Armstrong Park. People watching has never been more fun!
While wandering, stop at one of the five voodoo stores in the French Quarter. Consider getting a psychic reading, or at least pick up a gris gris bag to ward off evil! For a more official sit down reading, the Bottom of the Cup Tea Room has been conducting psychic readings since 1929!
Next, lunch is at Mahoneys for po boys (roast beef or shrimp are the go-to’s). For a final unique and very “New Orleans” experience, get on the water! Take a Paddlewheeler Tour on the Mississippi River or a Manchac Swamp Kayak Tour in an entrancing setting surrounded by dense cypress forests and expansive wetlands and wildlife.
For dinner, check out Compère Lapin with Caribbean and European-accented New Orleans food by renowned chef Nina Compton. Then consider venturing to the trendy Marigny/Bywater area known for the street art and funky shops, hipster galleries and thrift stores. For drinks, Mimi’s is a lively two-story bar or Bacchanal Wine is a wine lab where you can pick up bottles and cheese plates and then enjoy in the courtyard with live music for one last night with a “laissez les bon temps rouler” state of mind.
