A Guide To New Orleans, Louisiana | The Basics

When I decided that travel was going to be my biggest goal of life as a single woman, New Orleans topped my list of places in the United States. The thought that I could be caught by the surprise of live music on any street at any time or the idea that I could possibly have the best food dish I will ever have were good enough reasons to make a trip to NOLA happen.

Most of what you’ll experience is sensory- things to see, things to taste, things to hear. It’s not like other tourist cities where there are more definitive activities. For me, New Orleans is about feeling the pulse of the city and absorbing the vibes. Walk with me through this guide to get an idea for what you can do in The Big Easy.

FRENCH QUARTER

You can hear so much of the life of the city in the French Quarter and it’s not uncommon to hear an amazing band or musician right on the street. On my solo trip, I stayed in the Chateau Hotel (recently reopened!), which is in the middle of French Quarter and could not have been a more convenient location. It’s incredibly close to Jackson Square (home of the famous Cafe Du Monde), Bourbon Street, the Mississippi River, and the Old French Market, so it’s a very walkable area.

If you don’t prefer to walk, you can also pay for a horse and carriage tour to see the area and get a bit more of the history from a tour guide. There are lots of shops and cafes that it would be nearly impossible to even make a dent in visiting them all, but there is certainly no shortage of food options or things to see and do. As you can probably tell from the pictures, I could get lost in the vibrant buildings for hours. The architecture is so beautiful that, if you’re interested in that kind of thing, it’s an activity all by itself.

St. Louis Cathedral

This is a historic city landmark that isn’t necessarily an activity but more or less something beautiful to see. It’s overlooking Jackson Square and there are street vendors, shops and benches nearby. If you decide on a horse and carriage tour, you’ll also find that many of them meet up just in front of here.

The Shops At Jackson Brewery

Jackson brewery is a museum and shopping area that used to be the home of Jax Beer. If you’re traveling with a group, but everyone wants to eat something different, then there’s a food court here with a selection of restaurants that might make it easier for everyone to get what they want. If you’re the type of person to buy traditional souvenirs then this may also be worth checking out.

Swamp Tour

I’ve toured the Honey Island Swamp twice with Cajun Encounters, and it is a very interesting experience, as the bayou is a big part of New Orleans culture. If you’re not interested in seeing the flora of a swamp or being within inches of alligators, raccoons, wild hogs, and snakes, then you could definitely skip this part of seeing New Orleans. It’s two to three hours long and it’s breezy as long as the boat is moving, which also makes this a good opportunity to catch the wind amidst the hot and humid weather.

This particular tour is almost an hour drive from the French Quarter, and one thing I regretted the first time was taking an Uber. It turned out to be an expensive ride, about $200 dollars roundtrip, when they offer a bus/shuttle with the purchase of your ticket that you can take advantage of. I recommend taking bug spray, sunscreen, and water at the very least for this trip. For me, it’s such a relaxing and enjoyable experience, but you also get an opportunity to learn a little history about the land.

Garden District

On my first trip to New Orleans, I spent time walking along Magazine Street in the lower garden district where you’ll find more eateries and boutiques. I would definitely describe it as a more hipster area if you prefer more of that scene. It runs to the central business district; however, I tried to avoid the business district of the city as best I could on my solo trip, as it’s significantly noisier and definitely feels less cultural.

In the garden district you’ll see older homes from the 19th century that are beautiful to look at. Not only that, you’ll also find trees that have Mardi Gras beads tossed over them. At least a couple local people told me to take advantage of them to avoid doing anything you don’t want to for the beads or overpaying for them from peddlers. If you prefer not to walk then there are also bus tours that go through the garden district.

Nightlife

Bourbon Street

If you’ve heard anything about New Orleans, you’ve most likely heard about Bourbon Street; it’s the most touristy attraction. I will be honest in saying that aside from the drinks, I don’t know why it’s so popular. It’s overcrowded, it stinks and there's trash everywhere. Even worse, it’s more hectic post-covid. If you don’t prefer to be in close proximity to a lot of people or are still really concerned about covid, I would avoid Bourbon at all costs.

We ended up here twice on my second trip to the city and my recommendation is not to walk very far down the street unless you like chaos. I would have a couple drinks from somewhere like Mango Mango, Spirits, or Tropical Isle and then move on to another attraction or part of the city. We were able to make reservations at a couple of the restaurants here; however, most of them don’t allow reservations. Instead, there are extensive lines to get in and depending on your group size, it can be very difficult to get a table quickly. For me, once I had seen Bourbon Street one time, that was enough for me, but again, if you are a party type of person, then it definitely would be more your speed.

Frenchman Street

Frenchman Street is similar to Bourbon Street in terms of bars, but it’s cleaner and a little less chaotic. It is very loud because live music is a big thing here; we heard some really great music at Maison, for example. There is no cover to get into a lot of bars; however, some of them do require a one drink minimum. There are a few restaurants here as well. As I mentioned earlier, the city is much smaller than it seems and it becomes easy to learn your way around. Frenchman Street runs into Decatur Street which is where Jackson Square is so the area is very walkable if you don’t mind getting around that way. If not, Ubers are typically no more than $15 or $20 to get from one side of the city to another.

For now, I’m on a mission to visit so many other places on my list, but New Orleans is a city that I would never mind coming back to. It’s a must-visit city in the US because it’s so rich in culture and because it’s such a full sensory experience. My guide doesn’t cover all there is to do here, but hopefully it gives you some idea of what to expect from The Big Easy.