3 DAY NEW ORLEANS ITINERARY

I’ve now been to New Orleans three times and I absolutely keep wanting to go back because there is still so much to see, do and eat. When visiting New Orleans I recommend spending at least 3 full days so you have enough time for sightseeing but also dining at all the amazing restaurants.

During my last trip, I was invited by the New Orleans Tourism to explore the city and share my favorite activities. New Orleans is known for having the best beignets, jazz music, gumbo, and fun events like Mardi Gras.

I visited the first week in November and the weather was perfect! Every day in the 70s with lots of sunshine. Here is my 3 day New Orleans Itinerary.

WHERE TO STAY

Troubadour Hotel is just outside of the French Quarter and is about a 15-20 minute walk. It’s a cute boutique hotel with a rooftop and a great location if you prefer to stay somewhere a bit quieter.

DAY 1: EXPLORE THE FRENCH QUARTER

LUNCH AT KILLER POBOYS

Start your day with lunch at Killer PoBoys. When visiting New Orleans, a po’boy sandwich is a must and this place was great! We tried two different sandwiches and I’m not sure which is my favorite! I loved them both. I highly suggest the Glazed Pork Belly and the Seared Gulf Shrimp.

BEIGNETS

You can’t leave New Orleans without trying the best beignets from Cafe Du Monde. Make sure to also get the frozen cafe au lait.

Cafe Beignet is also another great option for beignets and there are multiple shops around the city.

JACKSON SQUARE & FRENCH QUARTER

Walk around Jackson Square and listen to people playing music in the square. Explore the French Quarter and walk along Bourbon St, Royal St, and Exchange Place for photos in a cute alley.

NEW ORLEANS SCHOOL OF COOKING CLASS

If you love to cook, I really recommend doing a cooking class with the New Orleans School of Cooking. Since it was on a Monday we were cooking red beans with a brown butter pork chop. Red bean is a classic dish on Mondays. We also made a crab salad, cornbread, and banana foster (which was created in New Orleans).

DAY 2: SWAMP TOUR

SWAMP TOUR WITH GRAYLINE TOURS

I’ve always wanted to go on a swamp tour and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to do it during this trip. It was so much fun exploring the Bayou and finding alligators! I highly recommend doing this if you have the time. The tour is about 4-hours with transportation. Gray Line Tours also offers plantation tours and this is something I would love to do when I’m back.

LUNCH AT CAFE MASPERO

Our bus driver recommended Cafe Maspero after the tour so we decided to give it a try and the food was great! If you haven’t tried alligator yet, you can get fried alligator, it tastes just like chicken! We also ordered the Muffaletta & Jambalaya pasta. Both were amazing and don’t forget the beignet fries!

EXPLORE THE GARDEN DISTRICT

If you have time, hop over to the Garden District & Magazine Street. Some of the homes in the area are still known by the names of the families that built them over a century ago. I did not get to visit the Lafayette Cemetery this time but I suggest you do!

Commander’s Palace is a very popular restaurant but worth it! Make reservations online and best to go for brunch for live jazz!

DINNER AT THE CHLOE

End the night with dinner at The Chloe. This is located at a hotel and it’s super cute and romantic. What to order: Salad of purple & golden beets and mushroom dirty rice.

DAY 3: FOOD WALKING TOUR

WILLA JEAN

Breakfast at Willa Jean is a must! I had the most amazing fried chicken and biscuit here. I also recommend getting the honey milk latte!

TOUR OF SAZERAC HOUSE

The Sazerac House is a cocktail museum in New Orleans and is really interesting to learn about the cocktail culture. It’s located just a few hundred yards from the original 1850 Sazerac Coffee House, where the Sazerac Cocktail was created! There are three floors, tours are free so it’s worth a visit. Tastings have a fee and guests can reserve online.

Since I’m currently pregnant I wasn’t able to do any of the tastings, but it was still so much fun to visit and learn about Sazerac House!

DOCTOR GUMBO FOOD HISTORY TOUR

If you’re a foodie then you gotta experience the food tour! It’s a three-hour walking tour around the French Quarter and we visited up to 5 locations. During the tour we visited the following:

SoBou for really delicious gumbo
Leah’s Praline has been around since 1944
Nola PoBoys is a great hole in the wall restaurant for great po’boy sandwiches
Pepper Palace to try hot sauces
New Orleans Creole Cookery for gumbo and banana foster

EXPLORE CITY PARK

City Park is New Orleans’ largest outdoor attraction since 1954 and one of the oldest in the country. Walk around the park and visit The New Orleans Museum of Art.

EXPLORE BYWATER/MARIGNY

This area has a vibrant art scene for all art lovers. Explore the area and visit artisans’ galleries, live music venues, and art markets. A few things to do incdlue:

Bacchanal: Great spot for wine lovers!
Crescent Park: A park along the Mississippi River and a great location for photos looking from the river the French Quarter.
Euclid Records: An independent record shop with new and used vinyl, CDs, and live music performances
StudioBE: A 35,000 square foot warehouse of art!
Webb’s: Laid-back shop offering new and pre-owned musical instruments, equipment, and accessories.
Marigny Opera: A nonprofit performing arts center housed in a landmark 1853 church.

DINNER AT SYLVAIN

End the evening dining at Sylvain. The food here is also really good! It’s a Southern bistro, I recommend ordering the Chilled Roasted Carrots, Market Salad and Pappardelle Bolognese.