First Time in New Orleans
Description:
Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest are great fun, but for your first visit you may want to avoid festival times. After all, a normal week in New Orleans is anything but normal! Festivals make everything a little bit more congested, and for your first trip to the Big Easy, you'll want to get around town easily and take advantage of all the fabulous things New Orleans has to offer. Newbies to New Orleans should concentrate their time in the French Quarter and Uptown, but if you have more than a few days, check out the Marigny and Mid-City neighborhoods, and maybe even travel outside of New Orleans to Jean Lafitte Swamp and the River Road plantations. Here is an itinerary of musts for your first trip to New Orleans.
Author: emlang
Day 1 - New Orleans
After coffee and beignets at Café du Monde, take the Le Monde Creole tour. This will get you familiar with the history and geography of the French Quarter. After lunch in the beautiful courtyard of Café Amelie, window shop down Royal Street and enjoy the street performers in and around Jackson Square. Have dinner at the famous Brennan’s Restaurant then head to Bourbon Street for a night out. Start the party with a Hurricane at Pat O’Brien’s then do some karaoke at the Cat’s Meow.
1
Cafe du Monde
Location:
view in google maps813 Decatur St
New Orleans, LA 70116-3306
2
Le Monde Creole Tour
Location:
view in google maps624 Royal St
New Orleans, LA 70130
Phone:
504 232 85593
Café Amelie
Location:
view in google maps912 Royal Street
New Orleans, LA 70116
Phone:
5044128965x4
Royal Street
Location:
view in google maps417 Royal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
Phone:
800 672 61245
Jackson Square
Location:
view in google mapsDecatur Street
New Orleans, LA 70116
Phone:
+1 504 410 23966
Brennan's
Location:
view in google maps417 Royal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
Phone:
504 525 97117
Bourbon Street
Location:
view in google mapsBourbon Street
New Orleans, LA 70116
8
Cat's Meow
Location:
view in google maps701 Bourbon Street
New Orleans, LA 70116
Phone:
504 523 2788Day 2 - New Orleans
Take a tour of St. Louis Cathedral then do some shopping at the French Market. Have lunch at the Marigny Brasserie and explore the beautiful, historic Marigny neighborhood. Enjoy live music and a great burger at Snug Harbor, and on Fridays check out the NOmadic bellydancers at the Dragon's Den. They usually start performing around nine. At night live music pours from Frenchmen Street clubs such as dba, Café Brasil, and The Spotted Cat. Check the local New Orleans magazine, The Gambit, for music listings, or just follow your ear!
1
St. Louis Cathedral
Location:
view in google maps615 Pere Antoine Alley
New Orleans, LA 70116
Phone:
504/525-95852
French Market
Location:
view in google maps1008 North Peters Street
New Orleans, LA 70116
Phone:
504 522 26213
Marigny Brasserie
Location:
view in google maps640 Frenchmen Street
New Orleans, LA 70116
Phone:
504 945 44724
Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro
Location:
view in google maps626 Frenchmen Street
New Orleans, LA 70116
Phone:
504 949 06965
Frenchmen Street
Location:
view in google mapsFrenchmen Street
New Orleans, LA 70116
6
Dragon's Den
Location:
view in google maps435 Esplanade Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70116
Phone:
504 949 17507
d.b.a.
Location:
view in google maps618 Frenchmen St
New Orleans, LA 70116
Phone:
504/942-37318
The Spotted Cat Cocktail Lounge
Location:
view in google maps623 Frenchman St
New Orleans, LA 70116
Phone:
504/943-38879
Le Chat Noir
Location:
view in google maps715 St. Charles Ave
New Orleans, LA 70163
Phone:
504/581-5812Day 3 - New Orleans
Today explore Uptown New Orleans! Take the St. Charles Streetcar to the Garden District. After strolling past breathtaking Victorian mansions, walk through Lafayette Cemetery Number One. Be sure to go early! The cemetery closes at two-thirty on weekdays and noon on Saturdays. For lunch, have a roast beef po-boy at Ignatius Eatery or contemporary Creole cuisine at Cafe Atchafalaya. Spend the afternoon window shopping on Magazine Street then take the streetcar further uptown to Audubon Park. When you need a break from all your walking, relax with a mint julep on the wide southern veranda at the Column’s Hotel. Have dinner at the incredible, five-star Commander’s Palace then watch live music at Tipitina’s.
1
St. Charles Streetcar
Location:
New Orleans, LA 70115Phone:
504.248.39002
Lafayette Cemetery
Location:
view in google maps1400 Washington Ave
Washington Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70130
Phone:
+1 504 566 50113
Ignatius Eatery & Grocery
Location:
view in google maps4200 Magazine Street
New Orleans, LA 70115
Phone:
504 896 22254
Cafe Atchafalaya
Location:
view in google maps901 Louisiana Ave
New Orleans, LA 70115
Phone:
504 891 52715
Magazine Street
Location:
view in google mapsMagazine Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
Phone:
504 342 4435 / 1 866 679 47646
Audubon Park
Location:
view in google maps6500 St Charles Ave
New Orleans, LA 70130-3145
7
Commander's Palace
Location:
view in google maps1403 Washington Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70130
Phone:
+1 504 899 82218
The Columns
Location:
view in google maps3811 St. Charles Ave
Uptown
New Orleans, LA 70115
Phone:
504/899-93089
Tipitina's
Location:
view in google maps501 Napoleon Ave
Uptown
New Orleans, LA 70115
Phone:
504/895-8477Day 4 - New Orleans
After jazz brunch at the Court of Two Sisters, drive across the Crescent City Connection bridge towards Jean Lafitte Swamp. You can take an air boat tour or just walk through Barataria Preserve on your own. Be sure to ask the ranger for maps and recommendations on the best places to spot alligators! In the afternoon, drive down River Road and visit Oak Alley Plantation, one of the most recognizable southern mansions in the country. Back in the city, have dinner at Stella! for a truly unique dining experience, or GW Fins for some of the best seafood in New Orleans. Top off the night with jazz and a cocktail at Fritzel's on Bourbon Street.
1
Court of Two Sisters
Location:
view in google maps613 Royal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
Phone:
504 522 72612
Jean Lafitte Swamp
Location:
view in google maps6601 Leo Kerner Lafitte Parkway
New Orleans, LA 70072
3
Stella!
Location:
view in google maps1032 Chartres Street
Hotel Provincial
New Orleans, LA 70116
Phone:
504 587 0091 / 504 581 4995 Hotel4
GW Fins
Location:
view in google maps808 Bienville St.
New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone:
50458134675
Fritzel's European Jazz Pub
Location:
view in google maps733 Bourbon St
New Orleans, LA 70116
Phone:
504/561-0432Day 5 - New Orleans
After a walk through Woldenberg Riverfront Park, take the free Algiers ferry across the Mississippi to Mardi Gras World. Have lunch at the Dry Dock Cafe in historic Algiers Point, or head back to the east bank for a meal at Angeli or Mother’s. Try your luck at Harrah’s Casino and eat dinner at the historic (and haunted) Muriel’s. After dining with the ghosts, take the Haunted History Tour through the French Quarter. For a night cap, have a drink at the dark and mysterious Jean Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop.
1
Woldenberg Riverfront Park
Location:
view in google maps1 Canal Street
Along the Mississippi from the Moonwalk at the old Governor Nicholls St. wharf to the Aquarium of the Americas at Canal St
New Orleans, LA 70130
Phone:
504/861-25372
Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World
Location:
view in google maps1380 Port of New Orleans Place
Next to Convention Center, on the Riverfront
New Orleans, LA 70130
Phone:
800/362-82133
Angeli on Decatur
Location:
view in google maps1141 Decatur Street
At Gov. Nichols St
New Orleans, LA 70116
Phone:
+1 504 566 00774
Mother's
Location:
view in google maps401 Poydras Street
Tchoupitoulas
New Orleans, LA 70130
Phone:
+1 504 523 96565
Harrah's Casino
Location:
view in google maps#8 Canal St.
New Orleans, LA 70130
6
Muriel's Jackson Square
Location:
view in google maps801 Chartres Street
New Orleans, LA 70116
Phone:
5045681885x7
Haunted History Tours
Location:
view in google maps97 Fontainebleau Drive
New Orleans, LA 70125
Phone:
504 861 27278
Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop
Location:
view in google maps941 Bourbon St
New Orleans, LA 70116
Phone:
504/593-9761Day 6 - New Orleans
Today take the Canal Streetcar to Mid-City. You can spend the whole day in City Park. For the young (and young at heart) there are live oak trees to climb on, as well as Storyland and Carousel Gardens amusement park to explore. You can also enjoy the Botanical Gardens, New Orleans Museum of Art, and the Besthof Sculpture Garden, all located within City Park. Have lunch at Liuzza’s or Cafe Degas, both famous Mid-City spots and local favorites. In the evening, head to the Riverbend area for a fun dinner at Jacques-Imos and live music at The Maple Leaf.
1
New Orleans City Park
Location:
view in google maps1 Palm Drive
New Orleans, LA 70124
Phone:
504 482 48882
Liuzza's by the Track
Location:
view in google maps1518 North Lopez Street
New Orleans, LA 70119
Phone:
504 943 86673
Café Degas
Location:
view in google maps3127 Esplanade Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70119
Phone:
504 945 56354
New Orleans Botanical Gardens
Location:
view in google maps1 Palm Drive
New Orleans, LA 70124
Phone:
504 482 48885
Jacques-Imo's
Location:
view in google maps8324 Oak Street
New Orleans, LA 70118
Phone:
504 861 08866
Maple Leaf Bar
Location:
view in google maps8316 Oak St
New Orleans, LA 70118
Phone:
504/866-9359