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New Orleans, Louisiana or NOLA is a city so full of history and culture. There is so much to do and see here that I fully plan on going back because 3 days was not enough time to see and do it all. I must say it really surprised me how much I loved it down here. Definitely a must see.

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What to See and Do in New Orleans

Jackson Square

This square is SO CUTE! The garden and of course the white chapel. There are also the street performers around, the tarot card readers and of course the other tourists. We went about 3 times in as many days. First to walk around and see everything, then early in the morning to take pictures the second day and finally in the afternoon to just sit on the benches and just enjoy the warm weather.

Jackson Square is in the middle of the downtown area, near tons restaurants and cafes and only a block away from bourbon street.

Oak Alley Plantation and Laura Plantation

These plantations are stunning and I love learning a little about life in the south and the contrast between the life of a slave and the plantation owners. History and stunning country side is my kind of day.

The Oak Alley plantation and the Laura plantation are down the street from each other about an hour outside of NOLA. I do recommend going to both because they are very different from each other, you can find package deals for them online.

The plantations will take a few hours to see and walk around so bring water and snacks in your car. There is a good restaurant nearby called DJ’s Grille if you get hungry for a full meal.

Ride the St. Charles Streetcar

These old street cars are very cute and this line in particular goes past the garden district with the prettiest mansions. Its not the fastest way around town but it is the most scenic. For us it went directly between our Airbnb and downtown so we used it everyday. I think its worth a ride.

Use ride simply download the RTA GoMobile 2.0 app and you pay only $1.25 per ride or $3.00 for a day pass.

Haunted Histories 5-in-1 Tour

NOLA is 301 years old (in 2019) making it one of the oldest cities in the United States. (I know thats nothing compared to the rest of the world but hey, its what we have).

With the history comes a lot of interesting stories and culture in witches, ghosts, voodoo, vampires etc. Since we only had 3 days so we took the 5 in 1 tour offered by Haunted Histories. We enjoyed our tour guide so much and I loved hearing the local stories.

They offer so many tours and honestly I would take them all if I had the time and money. It was fascinating. If you have limited time then the 5-in-1 is the perfect compromise.

Take a Food Tour (with Confederacy of Cruisers)

In all seriousness you can take a food tour with anyone, there are so many foods to try in the area, a food tour helps make sure you hit them all. We had an AMAZING time with Confederacy of Cruisers. It was on bikes with a tour guide and just that 6 of us.

Everything we ate was delicious and our guide really listened to what we wanted and was very personable. Each food tour they do is customized to your group the day of so they take into account what you’ve tried already and what you want to try most. I could go on but just try it out for yourself. It’s awesome!!

Visit an Above Ground Cemetery

These cemeteries are all over the place and all but one are free (the one that isn’t free costs $1). Go alone or take a tour but it’s definitely worth a visit. We went to Metairie Cemetery which worked out nicely because it is VERY close to the best ice cream shop in New Orleans which I talk more about below.

Walk and Shop

This one might seem obvious since you’re a tourist but seriously check out the shops. There are so many hot sauce places with samples. Have everyone in your group see how hot they can go! Its fun seeing everyones reactions!

There are also delightful dessert shops with SAMPLES of pralines and Missouri Mud and Fudge. I actually didn’t love pralines but they’re a local delicacy so you’ve got to try them.

And of course shop for souvenirs. I really enjoyed looking at the Mardi Gras masks, they were my favorite.

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Where to Eat in New Orleans

Cafe Du Monde

RIGHT NEXT TO JACKSON SQUARE. I love beignets. Like a lot. They are fried dough covered in powdered sugar. We used to make something very similar at home as a kid so they were like a taste of childhood. I could have eaten a million of them. This cafe has the best prices, the simplest menu and I dare say the best beignets in New Orleans.

Cafe Beignet

This cafe is so cute (the location off Royal St was my favorite). The prices are higher and they don’t give you enough powdered sugar but in a pinch they’ll do. I’d still eat them. P.S. their gumbo was not my favorite and my dad said their po’ boys were dry. Just our honest opinions.

Brocato Italian Ice

This restaurant is something like 105 years old. It has amazing gelato and other Italian treats. We went twice and I did not regret that at all. I tried gelato, a cannoli, the almond macaron, and the hot chocolate, it was all good. On the inside of the restaurant door look for the marker telling you where the water came up to during hurricane Katrina. Its pretty crazy the mark that natural disaster left on the city.

The Gumbo Shop

So if you’ve been around here for any length of time you know Robin and I have a gumbo recipe we LOVE, (if you haven’t, you need to try it now). We were on the hunt and tried so many different places. This one had the best gumbo we had during our trip. Their classic chicken and andouille was delicious. Robin tried their seafood gumbo and he says: ” I liked it but it wasn’t as good as the classic.”

Parkway Bakery

This is where we had the best po’ boy sandwiches. It is very popular though so the lines can get pretty long. We all tried the alligator sausage, the shrimp, and the roast beef. They were all good but I surprised myself and the alligator was my favorite one! I never would’ve tried it on my own but I’m so glad I did. I can’t recommend it enough.

Bevi Seafood Co.

Here is all about the crawfish boils. Where I am from in Missouri crawdads (as we call them) are known as bait. Here in the south however they are their own food group and are celebrated while they are in season. I HATE seafood, I tried one, it wasn’t bad. Robin loves seafood and he was in heaven, it was while eating them that he told me he’d be down to move to NOLA one day HAHA.

P.S. My mom got the gumbo here and we all tried it. It was pretty good but it still did not beat out The Gumbo Shop.

Piece of Meat

Besides having the greatest name in the world this BBQ place also has the best (and maybe only) sausage egg rolls. So delicious. Their brisket doesn’t hold a candle to Missouri BBQ (sorry). But it was still good. Definitely worth a visit and buy a shirt for the special man in your life because its too good not to.

Picture Places

LeBranch House (700 Royal St)

This is a cute building with gorgeous iron balustrades. Its off of Royal St. which is crazy busy though so unless you’re there crazy early in the morning its hard to get a picture without lots of people around.

Colorful Walls near The Old Convent

So many of the buildings near the old Nuns Convent are very colorful! They are great for pictures and really just beautiful to walk by!

New Orleans has Soul

Have you been to New Orleans before? What did you do and eat there? I want to know for next time sooo, slide into my DM’s on IG, Pinterest or down below and tell me all your favorites!

While we were in New Orleans we ran into a random parade put on by local Italians. We also tried going to see some jazz but my brother and my parents exchange student are only 16 so none of the bars would let us in. Still this crazy hectic city is amazing. Definitely try and see some jazz music if you have time, I really enjoy it in KC so I’m sure its awesome in NOLA too.