“If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.” – a famous quote, about how our plans are always influenced by circumstances beyond our control. Same goes for traveling – sometimes the week-long journey ends up having to be squeezed into a mere weekend. But even within the course of a few days, one can get the best out of a particular destination.
In case you are visiting New Orleans for just a few days, we offer a guide of how to experience the magnetism of the city despite the shortage of time. Here is a 3-day schedule of the top attractions in New Orleans.
Day 1
Free Tours by Foot – Name-your-own-price New Orleans informative tours that will take you through many of New Orleans’s legendary neighborhoods and cemeteries. You can explore America’s most distinct and alluring city by foot with an expert guide by your side.
Hermann-Grima House – a National Historic Landmark since 1974, Hermann-Grima House is a historic home in the French Quarter. This 19th-century house offers demonstrations of what life was like for a typical Creole family in the 1800s.
Court of Two Sisters – The only daily jazz brunch in town, Court of Two Sisters is famed for its beautiful wisteria-blanketed courtyard and soothing fountains. A history-rich, two-centuries-old restaurant is a must-see for any visitor. The restaurant serves traditional New Orleans recipes for brunch and dinner inside and out. Reservations are recommended, especially for patio seating.
Day 2
St. Charles Streetcar – You can get wherever you want within the city of New Orleans with the Regional Transit Authority (RTA). An extensive network of buses and streetcars winds throughout every neighborhood of the Crescent City. From Uptown to Downtown, from Lakeview to the Lower Nine, from Mid-City across the Mississippi River and to the parish lines. As streetcars glide underneath grand live oaks and past stately mansions, they offer up relaxing views of the beauty, charm and history of New Orleans. When boarding these historic vehicles, you board a piece of movable New Orleans history. The RTA operates three streetcar lines: the famous and historic St. Charles line, the Canal Street line and the Riverfront line.
Magazine Street – For shopping, dining or just casual strolling, no place in New Orleans outside the French Quarter beats Magazine Street. A six-mile-long stretch of this Garden District and Uptown thoroughfare features some of the best antique stores, art galleries, craft shops and classy boutiques to be found anywhere in the city.
Victorian Lounge at Columns Hotel – You can experience a true southern charm at the original Grand Dame herself – the Columns Hotel. No trip to New Orleans is complete without sipping a Bloody Mary, Mint Julep or Sazerac on the fabulous columned porch of this historic Antebellum mansion. If you take a peek inside, you will recognize the elegant interior as the brothel from the movie, Pretty Baby.
Day 3
Old St. Patrick’s Church – Another National Historic Landmark, the Old St. Patrick’s Church is one of only two early landmarks of distinction left in Lafayette Square, the other being Gallier Hall. Irish immigrants built the Gothic-style church in 1840 to rival the French St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square.
Confederate Memorial Museum – The oldest surviving museum in Louisiana houses the second largest collection of Confederate memorabilia, most of which is in vintage condition.
Creole Queen Mississippi River Cruises – The Creole Queen is an authentic paddle-wheeler that takes guests on day and night cruises for a totally different view of the Crescent City from the Mississippi River.