The Perfect 3-Day New Orleans Itinerary :: A Full Travel Guide
New Orleans. Nola. The Big Easy. Once the richest city in the United States, this melting pot of culture has been on my bucket list for years. Creole. Cajun. Jazz. French influence. Voodoo. Marti Gras! My travels often revolve around food + drink, so I felt like New Orleans was the ideal city to visit. We heard New Orleans referred to the northernmost Caribbean city and I would agree. The colorful buildings, live music, iron patios, greenery (so many lush gardens!) and food reminded me so much of Puerto Rico … but with a major French influence. It’s one city where I truly felt transported.
As a first timer to New Orleans, I did a lot of research. I wanted to hit the major highlights, but not venture too far into the touristy spots. In this guide, I’ll share our actual itinerary and then recommendations for sights, food and cocktails.
NOTE: George and I traveled during C0v!d times. Every restaurant we popped into required us to show our vaccination card (and some - a second form of ID). We also had to pivot a couple of times. Our nice anniversary dinner reservation cancelled on us the day prior due to staffing shortages due to C0v!d. Hindsight 20/20, I would have made multiple reservations at different times JUST IN CASE. And hours may differ that what’s posted online. I always double-check most recent social media posts with what their website + google says.
ALSO NOTE: We stayed in Uptown New Orleans, so some of our recommendations on the itinerary might be a little further out of your way if you’re staying downtown. If you want to lodge in quieter areas, we’d recommend Uptown + The Garden District! If you’re looking to be by most of the hustle + bustle, we’d recommend the French Quarter (this is where the majority of out-of-towners stay).
OUR NEW ORLEANS ITINERARY
DAY ONE
7pm - Check into AirB&B
8:30pm - Dinner at Shaya
Our favorite meal of the trip!! The chicken fried hummus is something I’ll dream about for years and years. We originally saw this spot on the Netflix documentary, Somebody Feed Phil. A great episode to watch, if you want to get more of a feel for Nola.
DAY TWO
8am - Breakfast @ Surrey’s Uptown
This was an AirB&B recommendation … it’s located further down Magazine Street. We didn’t actually get to this spot because it was randomly closed, but the menu looks amazing!
9am - Catch the Saint Charles Streetcar (historical landmark!) to downtown.
Riding the streetcar was a great way to see more of New Orleans! Plus, it passes by some gorgeous homes. We had to hop off the line and catch a bus to downtown, but our day passes worked on both and it was super easy. The Streetcar and bus drivers are very helpful if you need directions. We’d definitely recommend this over catching Ubers (parking downtown is crazy) … be mindful of when everything stops running for the night, if you’re out and about!
9:30am - Wander down Royal Street.
There are so many antique shops along this street! It’s fun to pop in and out of them while ogling their ornate mirrors and chandeliers. Cafe Beignet is also located on this street (and is the cutest one … in my opinion).
10:30am - Cathedral of Saint Louis // Jackson Square.
The Saint Louis Cathedral is the oldest cathedral in the USA! It’s a gorgeous building. Jackson Square sits right off of the Mississippi River, so you can sneak a peek at the river. Cafe du Monde also sits off the corner, so feel free to grab a second beignet. The line was super long when we walked by, so we skipped (however, we’d recommend either going early morning or at a random hour … like dinnertime).
11:30 am - Lunch at The Gumbo Shop.
We ended up wandering into this spot with no line, but I’m not sure I would recommend based off of the gumbo I had elsewhere. If you’re looking for something quick and New Orleans traditional before continuing on your journey, go for it! Otherwise, I thought it was a bit touristy. My original lunch recommendation was for Tableau.
1pm - Walk the French Quarter + Wander Bourbon Street
George and I wander around after our lunch stop and popped into a bar on Bourbon Street for a beer! We didn’t want to get caught too much in the crowds, so we opted for an earlier time to explore Bourbon Street.
2pm - Food & Cocktail Tour.
We booked through Doctor Gumbo and couldn’t recommend it more! Our tour guide was very knowledgeable, interactive and FUN! It was a great way to learn about the city’s history and how food + drink is so integrated into the culture.
6:30pm - Cocktails and Sobu and The Carousel Bar (Hotel Monteleone)
We snagged an espresso martini at Sobu (per recommendation of our tour guide) to perk up! Later followed by a classic New Orleans cocktail at the Carousel Bar, the Sazerac. The Carousel Bar will have a line, but it’s super fun to experience if you have the time. We managed to land a small table next to the window, which we loved. One chair opened up while we were sipping on our cocktails, so I hopped in for a quick photo op. Fun fact: the carousel actually rotates and it takes 15 minutes to make a full turn.
8:30pm - Jazz @ The Spotted Cat
Did you even go to New Orleans without seeing live jazz music? Frenchman’s Street is another great late-night area to explore and listen to good music.
DAY THREE
9 am - Bike ride through Audubon Park
Our AirB&b came with bikes and it was only a mile up the road from us. We loved riding around the area, checking out Tulane and Loyola Universities and whizzing past all the beautiful southern-style homes.
10 am - Grab a pastry from La Boulangerie (if you’re able to arrive at an earlier hour, I would)
10:30 am - Wander down Magazine Street (there are so many cute shops and galleries to explore)
11am - Lunch @ Mahony’s Poboys & Seafood
This spot was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. We’d recommend the Étouffée fries - YUM.
1pm - Self Guided Tour of Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 (many of the cemetaries are currently closed due to C0v!d, so double check everything). We walked around Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 and peered inside. If you’re able to get in, here is a Self Guided Tour.
1:30pm - Get rejected from Commander’s Palace because George wasn’t wearing pants. But we would have ordered a bourbon milk punch.
3pm - Sweet treat at Creole Creamery.
This place was located close to our AirB&B and had a number of interesting ice-cream flavors (like goat cheese and fig … whaaa?!), but we loved our scoops of cookie jar!
5pm - Cocktails @ The Chloe
Our favorite spot for overall vibe! We’d recommend getting there earlier for cocktails, so you can snag a seat on their patio terrace. I’d love to stay here on our next visit, if we’re able!
7pm - Cocktails @ Cane and Table
We liked this place so much during our food tour, we decided to return for another round. Their bartenders were nominated for the prestigious James Beard award and it’s constantly ranked in the top of New Orleans cocktail lists.
8:30pm - Dinner @ Bijou
A new restaurant on the block, Bijou was trendy and delicious! They designed their menu to be more tapas + sharables style, although we found their dishes to be pretty good size! The staff was very friendly and it lacked some of the stuffiness I felt from other traditional spots we passed downtown.
DAY FOUR
9am - Breakfast at Cherry Coffee Roasters (uptown) + hit the road!
Additional recommendations…
These were based on my research (i.e. combing through different travel guides and foodie blogs) and asking for lots of recommendations from Nola experts. Many of the food recommendations came from a New Orleans’ native.
TO DO/SEE
Saint Louis Cemetery No.1 - The only way to see this cemetery is by tour guide (tickets are around $20. Last tour leaves at 1pm). Nicholas Cage has already built his final resting place here.
The WWII Museum
Antiquing on Royal Street
Esplanade Ave (gorgeous homes)
French Market
Miss Claudia’s Vintage Clothing
Haydel’s Bakery (they ship King’s Cake nationwide!)
FOOD RECOMMENDATIONS
DOWNTOWN
Doris Metropolitan (Upscale steakhouse close to Jackson Square. This is where we had dinner reservations that got cancelled, but we’d love to go back and try again)
Tableau (on the corner of Jackson Square will a rooftop balcony)
Revolution (upscale steakhouse)
Justine’s (French)
Irene’s (Italian)
Sobu (Creole)
Herbsaint (Often ranked in the top restaurants in America. Fine dining hall of fame.)
NOT DOWNTOWN + MAGAZINE STREET (ish)
Le Petit Grocery (New Orleans Cuisine)
Commander’s Palace (Make reservations - recommended for lunch by multiple blog posts. 25 cent weekday martini specials. Dress code enforced. $$$)
Herbsaint (Often ranked in the top restaurants in America. Fine dining hall of fame.)
Picnic Provisions & Whiskey (Located closer to Audubon Park. Casual. Order the hot ham, pimiento and pepper jelly biscuit)
COCKTAIL SPOTS
The Peacock Room (upscale cocktails located in the Hotel Fontenot)
Hot Tin (if you’re looking for a rooftop bar experience)
Bacchanal Wine & Spirits (chill charcuterie close to Frenchman’s St)
Lula Distillery (they also have a great looking food menu! We almost stopped in for lunch…)
This first-timer LOVED visiting New Orleans and will be back! There’s so much to do, eat, see, drink … it’s impossible to cram it all into one trip (although I tried pretty hard to pack the itinerary). Laissez les bon temps rouler!
Patio rooftop @ Tableau
Cocktails @ The Chloe
The Carousel Bar
The cocktails on our food tour!
Saint Charles Streetcar
Exchange Place
Bourbon Street
Commander’s Palace
