Our 5 day itinerary showcases what there is to do in the 'Paris of the South' and the surrounding areas but fear not if you have less time, you can mix and match the days suggestions to suit you. The birthplace of Jazz has music running through it's every vein, Ellen DeGeneres, a New Orleans native recently put it well when she said 'What's New Orleans without music? And what's music without dancing?'
Day 1
The French Quarter Start by getting to know the city's most famous neighbourhood. Café au lait and beignets at Café du Monde are a good place to begin, followed by a stroll around Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral. Cross the seawall and take in the views of the Mississippi River from Woldenberg Riverfront Park. Wander along North Peters Street to the shops and market stalls in the French Market, followed by a stroll around the mostly residential Lower Quarter. After lunch, explore the antique stores and art galleries on Royal and Chartres streets, winding it all up with a cocktail in a shady courtyard; try Napoleon House, an atmospheric bar and café that makes a mean Pimm's Cup, or the French Quarter mainstay Pat O'Brien's. Save Bourbon Street for later in the evening; like anything that's lived hard and been around as long, it's much more attractive in low light.
Day 2
Uptown & the Garden District The St. Charles Avenue streetcar rumbles past some of the South's most prized real estate; take a seat in one of the antique wooden seats, raise a window and admire the scenery on the way to leafy Audubon Park. Follow the paved footpath to the Audubon Zoo, keeping an eye out for the zoo's white tigers, a pair of albino brothers named Rex and Zulu. Board an inbound Magazine Street bus near the zoo entrance and take it to just past Napoleon Avenue, where a number of restaurants, some with sidewalk tables, are clustered. Continue on Magazine to Washington Avenue and head left through the Garden District. Prytania Street, just past Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 is a good axis from which you can explore the neighbourhood's elegant side streets. Catch a Downtown bound streetcar on St. Charles, or wrap up the afternoon shopping and dining on Magazine.
Day 3
Remembering Katrina It may strike some as macabre, but touring the neighbourhoods devastated by Hurricane Katrina and its subsequent floods has become a ritual for many visitors, not unlike the hordes that have made Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan a pilgrimage site. You can opt for a guided bus tour, which takes you to Lakeview and the infamous 17th Street Canal levee breach; some companies also travel to the Ninth Ward and Chalmette. If you have your own transportation, take a drive through Katrina's aftermath. After a sombre tour of Katrina's devastation, a good antidote is to look for signs of renewal and rebirth. City Park, which sustained extensive wind and flood damage, has reopened its stately botanical gardens; nearby stands the venerable New Orleans Museum of Art and the adjacent Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden. Wrap the day up with dinner and live music downtown at one of the clubs on Frenchmen Street, in the Faubourg Marigny neighbourhood, where the city's diehard party spirit soldiers on.
Day 4
Art, History & Culture Dedicate one day to a deeper exploration of the city's cultural attractions. Art lovers shouldn't miss the Warehouse District, where a pair of fine museums, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art and the Contemporary Arts Centre, anchors a vibrant strip of contemporary art galleries, most of which feature local artists. History buffs will want to check out the National D-Day Museum, also in the Warehouse District, and the Historical Collection of New Orleans in the French Quarter, which hosts changing exhibits in a beautifully restored town home. New Orleans music aficionados can browse the bins at the Louisiana Music Factory, which has a wide selection of CDs, and occasional in-store performances, by Louisiana musicians.
Day 5
Heading Out of Town Consider a day trip out of town to one of the region's elegant plantation homes, a trip to Cajun Country, or a guided swamp tour. Some tour companies offer a combination, with lunch included. Many of the antebellum mansions between New Orleans and Baton Rouge have been painstakingly restored and filled with period furniture; nature lovers will want to set aside time to explore the grounds and lush flower gardens. Swamp tours may sound hokey, but they're actually a good way to see south Louisiana's cypress-studded wetlands (and get up close and personal with the alligators and other critters who live there). Continue the nautical theme in the evening with a ride to Algiers Point aboard the Canal Street ferry for sunset views of the New Orleans skyline.
What next…
Please give us a call…
We'll have a brief discussion to get what information we need from you before preparing a personalized proposal. Our city experiences are totally flexible, include them in a wider holiday you might like to do or have us arrange a short break, it's your call…
We'll arrange as much or as little as you like but we'll make sure you get the information you need to fully prepare and get the most from your visit. Flights, suited hotels, show tickets, tour tickets, helicopter flights, dinner reservations, limousines, bungee jumps….
The only limits are your sense of adventure…
