
A perfect four days of New Orleans
If you’re planning to visit New Orleans to visit antebellum mansions or take in the bustle on Bourbon Street, there’s an amount you can squeeze into four days. This itinerary is a mix of most important sights to see (Jackson Square and Magazine Street) and essential food items (gumbo and the muffaletta) along with some off-the-beaten-path options like an upscale dive bar with a Christmas theme. There’s even a short day excursion for Louisiana Wetlands. Louisiana Wetlands for the chance to view alligators.
If you’re in your city you’ll have the chance to enjoy all the best attractions and music, ranging from brass-band shows at Frenchmen Street to the oak-shaded streets of the Garden District. Since every tour is based on genuine Tripadvisor reviews, you’ll get the most up-to-date information.
AM: Explore the French Quarter
If you ask a local for a place to find the best beignets, and you’ll likely get many different opinions. However, the renowned Cafe Du Monde is our top pick, especially its original location in the French Market, that is located along Jackson Square. It’s been open for over 160 years, and it still only serves one type of food Beignets.
The stand is open 24 hours a day and can be quite crowded, but it’s the only places to enjoy hot beignets that are piping hot and cafe au lait as you watch portrait artists, tarot cards readers and tumblers that acrobatically dance.
After having a sugar rush and a cup of coffee Once you’re sated and sugared, walk some of the main streets in the French Quarter (Vieux Carre for locals) exploring the Creole townhouses, balconies made of wrought iron and hanging gardens. Make sure you get off the main drags however, don’t forget royal as well as Chartres Streets and Chartres Streets, which are famous for their antique stores and art galleries. It’s also a great opportunity to explore Bourbon Street if you’d like to experience it with fewer people.
FRENCH QUARTER TOUR OPTIONS:
It is the only method to see New Orleans’ most famous–and often haunted cemetery is to take the excursion. (Technically, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 lies outside in the French Quarter, but many of the city’s most notorious residents, such as voodoo queen Marie Laveau, are buried there.)
With its loose liquor laws The city is best to be explored with a drink at the hand. Drink and Explore’s Cocktail Tour keeps the drinks flowing as you explore Jackson Square, the Pharmacy Museum as well as various other Quarter landmarks.
Discover the dark side of NOLA through the entertaining and enjoyable Saints and Sinners walking tour that stops at locations such as Hotel Villa Convento and St. Louis Cathedral.
Afternoon Food for the soul, art and the second line
Hungry? Take a trip north to Treme Treme, the most prestigious African-American community within the U.S., walking past pastel-colored homes and shotguns to the Creole-soul stalwart Dooky Chase. Late owner Leah Chase, a.k.a. “the Queen of Creole cooking, died several years ago, however her popular recipes for Gumbo and fried chicken are on.
If you’re lucky, you may be able to catch a second line while you’re leaving for lunch. The parades led by brass bands are frequent throughout Treme (usually for funerals and weddings and other times simply because). It’s impossible to miss them as the participants in brightly-colored attire will all dance, sing and wave handkerchiefs around as they parade across the city. It’s totally up to you to join in, it’s part of the excitement.
The next stop is the Sydney The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Park located just a short tram ride from. The garden is situated in the an expansive, lush City Park, the garden is accessible for free (even with the guide audio) and is an ideal escape from the smog that is the Quartier. The best tip is to visit another Cafe Du Monde location just across the street, in case you’ve not had your Beignet fix yet, or require a amount of powdered sugar.
Travelers have said: “You cannot afford to skip out on this section that is City Park. You can take the Canal streetcar from the French Quarter for $1.25 per way. The gardens are stunning The sculptures are unique. It’s a joy to wander around this area. After that, stop by Café Du Monde. Cafe Du Monde for the famous beignets and coffee without the long lines that you see the ones on Canal Street.
Evening: Dinner inside an ancient rectory, followed by Dixieland jazz
Make sure you get to The Marigny–the artistic neighborhood that lies alongside the French Quarter, before it gets it gets dark to see some of the huge-scale murals that cover the structures. After that, take a stroll towards Its Elysian Bar which is the buzzy restaurant of an old rectory. Instead of one large dining area, the restaurant is comprised of smaller spaces that look like a homey dining room with gingham decor and a warm midcentury bar. (There’s also a beautiful courtyard when the weather is good.)
The decor isn’t only the one factor that makes this restaurant an absolute must-visit. The constantly changing menu of small to medium dishes (crab and ricotta gnocchi) crisp meat belly) and drinks (the house drink is a popular choice) is worth the visit on its own.