If you travel a lot, every place starts to look like every place else, with rare exceptions. Most cities seem the same; even Beijing China starts to look like Brooklyn.
Not New Orleans.
New Orleans is one of the special cities in the world with a very special character. It is known for its wild partying, Jazz music and brass bands, Creole and Cajun cuisine, and historic architecture.
During the summer months, it is Hot and Humid — located as it is at the base of the Mississippi River Delta.
It is important to have a 50,000-foot idea of where you are in the world at all times, and this is especially important for New Orleans. So let’s start with a map:
A closer looks shows how New Orleans sits on the Mississippi River as it enters the Mississippi River Delta, consisting of bars and marshes that bring the river into the Gulf of Mexico.
Looking even closer — you can see how downtown New Orleans sits on the north bank of the river.
An even closer look shows you the streets of the French Quarter.
1. Visit Bourbon Street
Bourbon Street is the first destination for most first-time visitors to New Orleans. It is in the heart of the French Quarter, extending 12 blocks from Canal Street to Esplanade Avenue, and is known for its many bars and strip clubs.
Bourbon Street was designed and built in the 1690s when France had claim to the land. It was named after France’s ruling family at the time, the House of Bourbon. The United States gained control of the land with the Louisiana Purchase of 1803.
2. Explore the Rest of the French Quarter
The streets of the rest of the French Quarter around Bourbon Street are a wonderful place to walk, with interesting architecture, bars, boutiques, antique stores, eateries, and old restaurants.
Peruse the Antiques on Royal Street
Royal Street — one block to the southeast of Bourbon Street (see last map above) — is especially known for its Antique shops.
3. Enjoy Cajun and Creole Food
New Orleans is known for its Cajun and Creole dishes. Fish is the most plentiful food in this town just north of the Gulf of Mexico — especially shrimp and Crawfish, and you will find numerous places where all kinds of shrimp- and crawfish-based dishes are available — from Gumbo to Etouffees.
Picture comes to life below:
Cajun and Creole dishes have many similarities — but also some differences.
- Cajun food usually uses more pork and crawfish. Usually does not use tomatoes or tomato-based sauces.
- Creole food uses more tomatoes, shrimp, oysters, and crab.
Jambalaya, a Creole dish, can also be considered Cajun food with different preparation and ingredients.
4. Have a Coffee & a Beignet at Cafe du Monde
If you are a fan or coffee — then Cafe du Monde is a must. It is a famous cafe in the French Quarter (see last map above) known for its beignet — which is a type of deep-fried pastry covered in confectioners sugar that originated in France.
5. Catch Jazz Music on Frenchmen Street
Frenchmen Street, which is to the northeast of French Quarter by a few blocks (near Hotel Peter and Paul in the map above) is known as the spot for Jazz clubs — especially a compact stretch in the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood. Notable Jazz clubs included the Spotted Cat, d.b.a., Blue Nile, and Café Negril.
6. Enjoy a Drink at Hotel Monteleone’s Carousel Bar
A fun thing to do is visit the lobby of Hotel Monteleone — which features a Beaux-Arts architectural style with an eclectic flair — and have a drink at its Carousel Bar.
Hotel Monteleone dates to 1886 and is still owned by the same family. Many famous writers and artists have stayed at the Hotel Monteleone — including Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote and William Faulkner — and many famous entertainers such as Liberace and Louis Prima.
The hotel is located at 214 Royal Street in the French Quarter (see last map above).
The Bar
The Carousel Bar is a 25-seat circular bar that literally rotates (on 2,000 large steel rollers underneath) — at a rate of one revolution every 15 minutes. The bar also has an adjoining room with booths and tables, and live entertainment nightly.
The Story of the Hotel
The hotel was founded by Antonio Monteleone, a cobbler who immigrated to the United States in 1880, setting up his shoe shop on Royal Street, and then in 1886, purchasing a small hotel on the corner of Royal and Iberville streets. When a hotel named the Commercial Hotel became available at 214 Royal Street, he purchased it and in 1908 named it Hotel Monteleone.
Antonio died in 1913 and his son Frank took over the hotel. The hotel underwent 3 renovations to expand, and then in 1954, the original hotel was demolished and a new foundation built.
Frank died in 1958 and was succeeded by his son Bill. Bill died in 2011 and was succeeded by his son William Jr.
Both the hotel and the Carousel bar have wikipedia pages.
7. Take a Ride on a ‘Streetcar’
See New Orleans by taking a ride on a Streetcar. New Orleans has one of the few remaining above-ground Streetcar trolly systems in the US, the other famous one being in San Francisco.
You can take the Streetcar around town — if you are paying cash, you need exact change — which for adults is $1.25 per ride (children aged five to 12th grade are $0.50 and seniors/riders with disabilities are $0.40). You can also download Le Pass, the RTA App and pay on your phone.
If you are going to ride the Streetcar multiple times back and forth between places, then a 1-day pass for $3 (at current writing) is the thing to do. There is a 3-day pass for $9.
There are several Streetcar lines — described here:
- The Saint Charles Streetcar Line
- The Canal Street Line
- The Riverfront Line
- The Loyola/UPT Line
- The Rampart/Saint Claude Streetcar Line
8. Check out the Historic Mansions of the Garden District
Another fun thing to do is walk around the Garden District and see the gorgeous mansions of yesteryear. The area is to the South West of the French Quarter (see 2nd to last map above). You can walk there or take a cable car.
Here is a drone tour of this area:
9. Dine at Brennan’s New Orleans
Brennan’s New Orleans is considered a must-visit to at least have its Bananas Foster desert.
Brennan’s is also known more for its breakfast than dinner — with dishes like its Eggs Hussarde — poached eggs and Canadian bacon served with both Marchand de Vin and hollandaise sauces.
Owen Brennan opened the restaurant in 1946, to prove the owner of another restaurant wrong, when that owner publicly stated that “an Irishman’s culinary skills ended with boiled potatoes.” Brennan opened his restaurant to serve French-and-Creole dishes. He located the restaurant in a pink 1795 Spanish-era structure — the building has become iconic.
10. Have a Drink at the Sazerac House
The Sazerac House is a free museum, cocktail bar, and distillery that opened in 2019, and serves the famous New Orleans drink called the Sazerac (and the Gin Fiz).
The Sazerac consists of rye whiskey, absinthe (or an anise-flavored liqueur), sugar, and bitters.
You can book a tasting or go on a free self-guided tour that features samples along the way. You start the free self-guided tour on the 3rd floor of the 3-story building, and work your way down.
Here is a good video on the tour:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Mpu7wMiwiY
11. Visit During Mardi Gras
New Orleans is of course known for Mardi Gras — which translates to “Fat Tuesday” — the festival held on the first Tuesday in March.
The origins of Mardi Gras go back to medieval Europe — the traditional revelry of “Boeuf Gras,” or fatted calf — reflecting the practice of the last night of consuming rich, fatty foods in preparation for Lent. The festival began in Rome and Venice in the 17th and 18th centuries and passed on to the French House of the Bourbons, and from there was passed on to the French colonies.
Mardi Gras is a celebration of life before the more-somber occasion of Ash Wednesday — and thus the revelry includes use of masks and costumes for clowns, Indians, fairies, animals, people from myths, etc. The most popular celebratory colors are purple, green, and gold. According to Wikipedia, the practice of some women exposing their breasts during Mardi Gras in New Orleans has been documented since 1889.
12. Visit During Jazz Fest
New Orleans has become known for its Jazz Fest, an enormous festival featuring all kinds of music and food. It is held the last week of April and the first week of May. In 2025, for example, the fest is scheduled for Thursday, April 24, 2025 – Sunday, May 4, 2025.
The food featured at Jazz Fest is amazing; here is a current list of food items sold. Here is a partial list:
- Cracklins — ham fat and meat of a hog
- Loretta’s Authentic Pralines
- Po Boys
- Cochon de Lait Po-Boy
- Love at First Bite
- Patton’s Caterers
- Stuff Crab
- Bread pudding
- Jombalaya
- Trout Amondeen
- Alligator
- Cajin Boudin
- Boudin Balls
- Crawfish Remoulade Salad
- Shrimp and Lump Crab Meat Ravigote
- Fried Oysters
13. Visit the Dead at St. Louis Cemetery No. 1
New Orleans offers up its cemeteries as tourist attractions. St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is the oldest and most famous cemetery in New Orleans. It is on the edge of the French Quarter, and dates back to 1789.
Cemetery No 1 is considered one of the most haunted cemeteries in the country. One person buried here is Marie Laveau, a free black woman who was a voodoo practitioner in the 1800s. You can visit her tomb; many people lay down gifts like money, alcohol, and candy in the hopes of having their wishes granted. Beyond Laveau, there are more than 1,000 family tombs and nearly 500 wall vaults in the cemetery.
14. Visit Lafayette and the Bayou Swamp
If you really want to see the Bayou and the Mississippi delta, it is advised to rent a car and take Highway 90 West for 2.5 hours to Lafayette. You will be driving through the Mississippi Delta. You can make it a day trip, or even better spend a night in Lafayette or the adjoining area.
Seeing the Bayou and the Swamp
Driving 1 hour West on Highway 90 through the Mississippi Delta gets you to Morgan City, where you can check out Lake End Park.
Then continue West on Highway 90 for another hour to New Iberia, and visit Jungle Gardens.
Another half hour Northwest on Highway 90 gets you to Lafayette.
Cajun Food
In Lafayette, recommended for an authentic Cajun meal is:
Cajun Music
In Lafayette, local Cajun bands can be found at
- The Blue Moon Saloon
- The Hideaway
- La Poussiere, a true Cajun Dance Hall:
- The Farmer’s Market at Moncus Park — has live Cajun Music Jam sessions, usually featuring 10-15 folks playing traditional Cajun music.
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