How to Spend 3 Days in New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana (NOLA) is known for it’s vibrant live music scene, festivals/celebrations, and creole cuisine. You won’t run out of things to do here!
My husband and I went on a mini Southern road trip (with no kids)! We spent some time in Waco, San Antonio, and New Orleans.
While in New Orleans, we spent a good portion of our time at the French Quarter Festival. This is an annual event held in April. I highly recommend!
Also, before you go, I recommend watching ‘Somebody Feed Phil’ on Netflix to get inspired. He has an episode on New Orleans!
Free 3 Day New Orleans Itinerary at the bottom of this post!
Here are some things to do and places to eat in New Orleans:
Things to Do:
1. French Quarter Festival
The French Quarter Festival is an annual event held in April. This festival is a great way to taste ALL of the common dishes this area is known for!
And there is a ton of live music with multiple stages spread throughout the French Quarter.
We enjoyed sitting at Café Beignet and listening to some live jazz music by The Beignet Orchestra.
They have a wide variety of music (not just jazz) and tons of food vendors!
If you aren’t staying near the French Quarter, I recommend taking a streetcar to the festival.
2. Food Tour
We loved our food tour with Michelle from Bon Moment! We did the Garden District Food & History Walking Tour.
I highly recommend doing a food tour at the beginning of your trip so that you can get some recommendations from a local on what to do and where to eat!
We ate lots of yummy food and learned some history and fun facts about New Orleans from a local!
3. Live Music on Frenchmen’s Street
Frenchmen’s Street offers a ton of great bars with live music. Some do charge a cover so make sure you have cash.
We enjoyed our time at the Spotted Cat (smaller bar/venue, expect standing room only later in the evenings) and Bamboula’s (serves Caribbean/Creole food).
Some other popular places on Frenchmen’s Street include Cafe Negril, Blue Nile, and the Maison.
4. Ride the Street Car down St. Charles Ave
Riding the streetcar down St. Charles Street is a must! The streetcar runs down the middle of the road that is lined with gorgeous homes and oak trees.
We rode this from the French Quarter all the way to the East Carrollton area (to eat breakfast at The Camellia Grill).
The streetcar would also be a good option if you are staying outside of the French Quarter and want to ride in and not have to mess with parking.
5. Walk around the Garden District
We decided to walk to the Garden District from the East Carrollton area. It was a beautiful walk and the scenery gets better as you go deeper into the Garden District area.
We also walked through Audubon Park (pictured above) which has large walking paths, a pond, and plenty of big shade trees.
Then, we jumped back on a streetcar to get back to the French Quarter (we bought a day pass for the streetcar).
6. Walk Bourbon Street/French Quarter
Bourbon Street at night was definitely not for me! My husband and I walked 2 blocks of Bourbon Street at night (had to experience it, right?), and then we turned around.
But we did walk Bourbon Street during the day and even stopped in a couple bars that had live music which was fun!
I also enjoyed simply walking around the French Quarter looking at all the architecture (especially those iconic iron railings).
7. Eat ALL the Food
Some NOLA/Southern food staples you should try:
- Jambalaya
- Gumbo
- Red Beans & Rice
- Boudin
- Crawfish (seasonal)
- Po Boys
- Beignets
- Pralines
8. The French Market
We ran out of time, but on my list for next time would be The French Market! It is a market that is open daily and spans 6 blocks in the French Quarter.
Places to Eat & Drink:
- Café Du Monde – One of the most popular places to get beignets in NOLA. I enjoyed sitting and listening to the live street performers while eating beignets and drinking coffee. We visited the one near Jackson Square.
- The Camellia Grill (in East Carrollton area)- An adorable diner style restaurant with delicious breakfast and friendly staff! This was also featured on the show ‘Somebody Feed Phil’ (the New Orleans episode) on Netflix.
- Mother’s Restaurant (in the Central Business District – not far from French Quarter) – Our uber driver said we had to try Mother’s.. it’s a classic! We tried some New Orleans staples like red beans.
- Cochon – Make a reservation and ask to sit at the ‘chef’s table’. It was fun to watch them cook the food in the wood fired oven! I tried oysters for the first time ever.. they were wood fired.. and delicious!
Shaya-> SABA – Eat at Saba (instead of Shaya). We ate at Shaya thinking this was still Chef Alon Shaya’s restaurant. We later found out, Alon parted ways yet the hospitality group that owns Shaya kept the name.. his name. Anywho.. Alon is now Chef-Partner at several restaurants including Saba. Eat at Saba and enjoy some delicious Middle Eastern food like Lutenitsa and freshly made pita bread!
- Piece of Meat (butcher shop/restaurant) – This was recommended by our food tour guide. We didn’t have time to make it here.. but it’s on my list for next time!
Where to Stay:
We stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton right next to the French Quarter. This location worked great for the French Quarter Festival that was going on while we were here.
Next time I visit New Orleans, I would like to stay in/close to the Garden District. It’s a cute area with lots of great restaurants within walking distance!
Free 3 Day Itinerary:
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