Guide to New Orleans | Things to do in New Orleans
A Guide to New Orleans, Louisiana
I went to New Orleans for 4 days and 4 nights and let me tell you, it is amazing. Because I loved the city so much, I wanted to create this guide to New Orleans to one day look back and remember all the beautiful things I did.
The saying “New Orleans is the Las Vegas of the South” is 100% true. My flight landed late evening on a Tuesday and we drove past Bourbon and there were so many people out roaming the streets! That being said, I was extremely caught off guard by the amount of southern charm and history that this city had. The food is absolutely delicious, the southern charm is 100% real, and the locals are some of the most friendly and hospitable people I’ve ever encountered!
Things You Should Know About New Orleans
Just a couple things you should know. The city never sleeps, literally. My Airbnb was a block off of Bourbon and it was an extremely great location. It was close but I didn’t hear the loudness of the street which was nice. I’d recommend staying in the French District because it is very central and a convenient location. We only called one Uber which to Frenchman Street.
The food is amazing. Seriously. Ask locals for restaurant / food recommendations because that’s how we found and ate the best food. The locals are extremely welcoming and have such a southern charm. I was called names like “darling” and “baby” in like the most endearing way every time I talked to a local.
Anyway, here’s a list of some of the things I did during my amazing time in New Orleans. By no means is it a complete list. There is no way I could have covered all of New Orleans in just 4 days, but I hope to one day come back and expand on this guide to New Orleans even more.
THINGS TO DO IN NEW ORLEANS DURING THE DAY
Jackson Square (701 Decatur Street)
Jackson Square is the central square of all of New Orleans and lots of cute little boutiques around the area. This is where my walking tour started, I did the Free Tours by Foot walking tour and would definitely recommend it!
St. Louis Cathedral –601 Pere Antoine Alley
The cathedral that is in Jackson Square. The inside is absolutely beautiful
French Market
700-1010 Decatur Street
The French market is a great place to find good food and souvenirs. It’s a market where you can find cute little knick knacks and barter for a good price.
Walking tour of the French District
I did the Free Tours by Foot walking tour and learned a lot about the city that I wouldn’t have known otherwise! If you’ve never done a free walking tour before, it’s pretty much a pay your own price tour where you tip the tour guide based on what you think the tour should cost. You have to book in advance and you definitely should because they fill up quickly. There are multiple other walking tours / carriage tours that you can find around the city as well.
Canal Street
Here you see a lot of the street cars passing through and the street scenary is stunning. There’s shopping around the area as well.
Marie Laveau’s House of Voodoo
739 Bourbon Street
New Orleans is known for its voodoo stuff. Marie Laveau’s House of Voodoo is definitely a place you should visit. It has all types of voodoo stuff you can buy and is really interesting to see.
The National WWII Museum
945 Magazine Street
Unfortunately I didn’t get the chance to go to the WWII museum because we had limited amount of time, but its recommended by many! It’s recommended to go early in the day so you can take your time throughout the museum.
Take the Street Car to the Garden District
If you’re taking the street car to the garden district from the French quarter, you’ll want to take the St. Charles Street car – the green car.
Garden District
A neighborhood that’s a short streetcar ride away that’s home to several famous and upper-class people like Sandra Bullock. The houses in this district are absolutely beautiful and is worth going out of the way for. There is so much southern charm in the houses and gives you a little taste of what’s it like living in the south
Lafayette Cemetery No. 1
1427 Washington Avenue
Located in the Garden district and is one of the coolest cemeteries I’ve ever seen. The burials are above ground in these elaborate tombstones that are extremely beautiful. There are Magnolia trees that line the cemetery which are also stunning. It’s one of the most filmed cemtaries in New Orleans and once you’re there you’ll understand why
THINGS TO DO IN NEW ORLEANS AT NIGHT
Bourbon Street
What New Orleans is most known for. Go bar hopping along Bourbon and drink a hurricane or a grenade for the road. Most places will give you to go cups for your drinks and you can openly drink in the streets. It’s extremely busy, but definitely something to experience. People are out literally until the sun comes up. Beware though, people will holler down / cat call at you from upper balconies. Some of the bars I enjoyed and went to were Pat O’Briens, Tropical Isle, The Swamp, Oz, Fat Catz, etc. These are just a few that I remember, we kind of just walked into places where we heard good music and saw crowds which I recommend doing since every night is a little different.
Frenchman Street
Where all the live music is and it’s absolutely an amazing time. It’s such a different vibe than Bourbon and I actually enjoyed it more. This guide to New Orleans would not be complete without a trip to Frenchman Street.
Carousel Bar
214 Royal Street
A bar that rotates as if its a carousel. The movement itself isn’t very noticeable but you can be sitting in the bar and 2 minutes later have a completely different view of the bar.
WHAT TO EAT IN NEW ORLEANS
Jambalaya
Po-Boy
Oysters
Seafood
Gumbo
Muffuletta
Beignets
RESTAURANTS IN NEW ORLEANS
Café Du Monde
800 Decatur Street
Open 24 hours a day and the beignets are really good. It’s pretty much donuts covered in powdered sugar. There is usually a line during the day, but go late at night and there’s no line at all. I’m not much of a sweets person, so I didn’t care all that much for them but they are definitely worth trying!
Felix’s Restaurant and Oyster Bar
739 Iberville Street
The oysters here were fabulous. Seriously so good. The line during dinner time is always long so if you’re ok with waiting I’d recommend grabbing a drink for the wait. If you want to avoid the crowd then come here during lunch time.
Acme Oyster Bar
724 Iberville Street
I didn’t get a chance to go here because the line was extremely long. It’s also a popular oyster bar right off of Bourbon.
Antoine’s Restaurant
713 St. Louis Street
They have a $20, 3-course lunch special and 25 cent cocktails. This was our first lunch in New Orleans and it was absolutely amazing. We walked in but I’d recommend making a reservation! Definitely a fancier and a pricier restaurant.
Café Biegnet
311 Bourbon Street
A place right off Bourbon that sells food and has live music all day long. The food was good and the live jazz while you’re eating is phenomenal. You can also grab drinks at the bar and hang out for a bit before heading back out to Bourbon.
Mahony’s PoBoys & Seafood
3454 Magazine Street
This was also right by our Airbnb so we came here more so out of convenience. But the food was really good. They have a bunch of different loaded fries that were extremely good, as wella s the normal NewOrleans cuisine.
PJ’s Coffee
Great local coffee shop that has several locations around the city. They have an amazing almond croissant too that I tried that I’ve been craving ever since I left!
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And there you have it. A travel guide to New Orleans. I shared everything I did and ate. Even though it’s not a complete list of the city, I absolutely loved every second of my time in New Orleans. It’s a magical city full of so much love and history.
If you’ve been to New Orleans, please comment things you loved while you were in the city so this guide to New Orleans can continue to grow. If you liked this post, don’t forget to pin it
