My wife and I are going to New Orleans in March (right after Mardi Gras) for a wedding. We will be staying close to Bourbon Street and will likely have 1 day to ourselves to do something not related to the wedding. We'll be hitting up Bourbon Street as part of the wedding reception but was wondering if anyone had suggestions of a "must do" on that one day we have. We'll have a car but would probably not want to travel too far away from our hotel unless it's something really cool.
New Orleans Visit Recommendations
- Thread starter plethera1
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Really not much of a party town or food town. There's a Krystals on Bourbon...about the best thing there.
If you like to cook, consider doing one of the demo classes at the New Orleans School of Cooking. They have two styles; in one, you watch as one of the chefs prepares a meal, walking you through the ingredients, techniques, etc. At the end, you eat the meal that he/she cooked. The other is hands on, where you're at a station cooking what you eventually eat. The chefs are very entertaining.
I love to cook & really enjoyed the morning I spent at one many years ago, and still regularly make the things we made in the class (gumbo, jambalaya, bread pudding, pralines).
I love to cook & really enjoyed the morning I spent at one many years ago, and still regularly make the things we made in the class (gumbo, jambalaya, bread pudding, pralines).
This is like Cliff's Notes of a Tribe post.
Hey, at least I didn't tell him about all the great things to do in New Zealand.
Last time we were in NOLA we drove out to Oak Alley Plantation - very relaxing and fun day
Eat at Cochon. It's really good. Get beignets at Café Du Monde, always fun.
Great time to be there because the weather is good.
Honestly, it's fun to go full-on touristy. For one day in the Quarter and expect March to be great weather, I would hit the usual suspects. Beignets and coffee at Cafe Du Monde, then walk through the French Market, walk back up along the Mississippi, buy a day pass ($3.00) for the street car-- I believe they have it back running to the cemetery, go through the cemetery and find Madam Laveau's grave. The street car also goes to city park -- which is a very nice park and has a good art museum. You can also take the street car up St. Charles and go shopping on Magazine in uptown. The walking ghost tour of the quarter is a lot of fun and a really good lesson on history of New Orleans.
For food: the Irish Channel is the new spot to go to. It's an Uber/Taxi ride, but highly recommend Turkey & The Wolf for lunch, Shaya is still very good even though the chef is no longer there, he opened up Saba that is across the street which is supposed to be really good but haven't been there.
If you are in the warehouse district area, the food hall across from Peche (Magazine St.) was very good. It's got a great bar in the middle in the middle and you can choose from a oyster bar, poke/suhi place, inidan food but the best was a gumbo empanada. So good.
Honestly, it's fun to go full-on touristy. For one day in the Quarter and expect March to be great weather, I would hit the usual suspects. Beignets and coffee at Cafe Du Monde, then walk through the French Market, walk back up along the Mississippi, buy a day pass ($3.00) for the street car-- I believe they have it back running to the cemetery, go through the cemetery and find Madam Laveau's grave. The street car also goes to city park -- which is a very nice park and has a good art museum. You can also take the street car up St. Charles and go shopping on Magazine in uptown. The walking ghost tour of the quarter is a lot of fun and a really good lesson on history of New Orleans.
For food: the Irish Channel is the new spot to go to. It's an Uber/Taxi ride, but highly recommend Turkey & The Wolf for lunch, Shaya is still very good even though the chef is no longer there, he opened up Saba that is across the street which is supposed to be really good but haven't been there.
If you are in the warehouse district area, the food hall across from Peche (Magazine St.) was very good. It's got a great bar in the middle in the middle and you can choose from a oyster bar, poke/suhi place, inidan food but the best was a gumbo empanada. So good.
I go to New Orleans a couple of times a year. Café Du monde, It’s a bit touristy and maybe even over rated but it is a must do because it’s sort of a staple and cool experience. Magazine street and taking the green street car into the garden district to see some very cool houses. For food, I would say Mr. B’s is great for barbeque shrimp, K-pauls is one of my favorite spots but if you want something simple Port of Call has the best hamburgers. It’s a must every time I go. Its also on the way to Frenchman steet but there is usually a wait to get in. Fried Chicken… Willie Maes hands down has the best. It’s in Treme ,not the best of neighborhoods and you will have to drive there but it’s worth it.
If you are into WWII or museums the WWII museum is hands down one of the best museums I have ever been too. Also Jackson Square usually has a lot of cool art for sale by local artist. Saturday Ive found usually has the best quality of artist there selling. Hope this helped!
If you are into WWII or museums the WWII museum is hands down one of the best museums I have ever been too. Also Jackson Square usually has a lot of cool art for sale by local artist. Saturday Ive found usually has the best quality of artist there selling. Hope this helped!
If you like something different to eat try Tito's for Ceviche/Peruvian food. Place was amazing! It's on Magazine St.
I'll second the WWII museum. I didn't have enough time to spend there as I wanted on my last trip. The vets working/volunteering there were awesome.
Just out of tradition, you've got to go to Cafe DuMonde. I like walking around Jackson Square with the mimes and just people watching; great for kids with face painting, etc.. Walk further down the river and get you some gator on a stick and watch all the fudge being made by hand. The flea market down there has four shirts for a ten dollars. Get in that Jackson square church! Just beautiful! There is a riverboat mall nearby. The Aquarium. Hard Rock Cafe. You can walk to D-day museum which is worth the walk. You'll walk through where Lee Harvey Oswald stayed before he came to Dallas! I'm a history buff! Take a tour of the SuperDome. Take the Trolley at sunset and you can see all the beautiful million dollar homes and see Tulane and Loyola. Get your ass to the Commander's Palace/Table to eat. THE VERY BEST! Just off St. Charles. And you've got to O'Briens just off Bourbon St. to down a Hurricane in the courtyard! Three Hurricanes is the ticket. 
Just out of tradition, you've got to go to Cafe DuMonde. I like walking around Jackson Square with the mimes and just people watching; great for kids with face painting, etc.. Walk further down the river and get you some gator on a stick and watch all the fudge being made by hand. The flea market down there has four shirts for a ten dollars. Get in that Jackson square church! Just beautiful! There is a riverboat mall nearby. The Aquarium. Hard Rock Cafe. You can walk to D-day museum which is worth the walk. You'll walk through where Lee Harvey Oswald stayed before he came to Dallas! I'm a history buff! Take a tour of the SuperDome. Take the Trolley at sunset and you can see all the beautiful million dollar homes and see Tulane and Loyola. Get your ass to the Commander's Palace/Table to eat. THE VERY BEST! Just off St. Charles. And you've got to O'Briens just off Bourbon St. to down a Hurricane in the courtyard! Three Hurricanes is the ticket.
You wrote the ultimate tourist’s guide to New Orleans!
That would be too much awesome at once. The OP’s head would explode. You don’t want to be brought up on manslaughter charges do you? Delete your post!
Not a fan of that arena. Paid the extra for floor seats to see Imagine Dragons and they so poorly marked and no one there to help you find your seats.
World War 2 museum is a must see. That probably could take at least half or most of your day, so it may not fit into your itinerary.
A lot of good suggestions here. WWII museum is the best thing in town but it takes a couple of visits or one all day visit to see it all. Cochon is awesome for breakfast/brunch as it the Ruby Slipper. I've waited in line for a hamburger from Port of Call and though it was average and they put bac'o bits on the baked potatoes (no fries). Pass. If you're going to eat chargrilled oysters, and I highly recommend you do, you can't do better than Felix's in the Quarter. Drago claims to have invented them but the original restaurant is uptown and the one in the Hilton is a hard pass. I wouldn't eat at Mother's again if it was free. Best fried chicken is a Willie Mae's as a previous poster wrote but be aware that they aren't open on Sundays.
A walking tour of the Garden District is a good use of 3 or so hours as you get a great history of NO and also get to spend time in one of the city's cemeteries. A round trip ride on the St. Charles streetcar (green line) is a good alternative. Madam Laveau's grave is in St. Louis #1 cemetery which is owned by Archdiocese rather than the city and requires you to pay for a tour to enter.
For a nice dinner you can't beat Antoine's as its both famous and good. Commander's Palace is more famous but a bit pretentious. Best single thing I ate in the Quarter was the stuffed chicken wing appetizer at Nola, one of Emeril's joints. If you have to have a muffuletta pass on Central Grocery and sit down at the Napoleon House near Jackson Square. Tremendous history and a better sandwich.
Above all, avoid Bourbon St. before about 10 am when they get done washing down the sidewalks and streets!
A walking tour of the Garden District is a good use of 3 or so hours as you get a great history of NO and also get to spend time in one of the city's cemeteries. A round trip ride on the St. Charles streetcar (green line) is a good alternative. Madam Laveau's grave is in St. Louis #1 cemetery which is owned by Archdiocese rather than the city and requires you to pay for a tour to enter.
For a nice dinner you can't beat Antoine's as its both famous and good. Commander's Palace is more famous but a bit pretentious. Best single thing I ate in the Quarter was the stuffed chicken wing appetizer at Nola, one of Emeril's joints. If you have to have a muffuletta pass on Central Grocery and sit down at the Napoleon House near Jackson Square. Tremendous history and a better sandwich.
Above all, avoid Bourbon St. before about 10 am when they get done washing down the sidewalks and streets!
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