Navigating the Heart of New Orleans’ Most Iconic Neighborhood
New Orleans is the kind of place where you stay up way too late, stumble back to your hotel in the early hours, only to wake up to ghostly quiet streets. But somehow, you always manage to recover in time for a leisurely brunch, and then it’s time to do it all over again. The French Quarter is full of surprises, from its lively nightlife to its quirky charm, and even with just four days, there’s never enough time to take it all in. And pro tip—pack the Imodium because the food is rich, and you’ll want to try everything. Looking back on my first visit, I’d definitely do a few things differently—like avoid Sunday and Monday when most places are closed—but no matter what, the energy of the city makes it all worth it. Already have another trip in the books to dive deeper.
Table of Contents
Itinerary
Here’s an outline of the places and routes we explored during our 4-day adventure in New Orleans, with more details on each stop and activity below to help you plan your own experience.
Evening
Arrived in French Quarter late afternoon. This gave us plenty of time for a full night out.
- Bourbon Orleans Hotel – Central location
- Pat O’Brien – Started here for a pre-gram Hurricane to-go.
- Peche Restaurant – Dinner for seafood (Reservations Recommended)
- Mardi Gras Parade – (Full parade schedule and routes.)
- Swig & Swine – we stumbled here to watch a basketball, but there was also a DJ, small and good people, good vibes.
- Tropical Isle – Ended our nice here for a final drink.
Morning
- Antonie’s Restaurant (Reservations recommended)
- French Market
Afternoon
- Garden District
- Cemetery
- Magazine Street
Evening
- Dinner: Shay
- Hotel Bourbon Bar
Morning
- Cafe Beignet
- Frenchmen All Day
Afternoon
- Spotted Cat
- Bacchanal
Evening
- Commanders
Things to Know
Weather – We had originally budgeted $2,980 for two people to split across the board. We ultimately saved on airfare.
Transportation – We stayed within budget, but how much you end up spending on food and drinks is always a good sign of how much fun you’re having. This time around, we definitely indulged, but the experience was worth every penny.
Budget
The following total was a trip for two people. We had points on airfare, so we saved a little there.
| Categories | Spend |
|---|---|
| Airfare | $452.01 |
| Lodging | $762.13 |
| Transportation | $195.49 |
| Activities | $128.94 |
| Total | $1,538.57 |
Food & Drinks
Arrived in French Quarter late afternoon. This gave us plenty of time for a full night out.
- Pat O’Brien – Started here for a pre-gram Hurricane to-go.
- Peche Restaurant – Dinner for seafood (Reservations Recommended)
- Swig & Swine – we stumbled here to watch a basketball, but there was also a DJ, small and good people, good vibes.
- Tropical Isle – Ended our nice here for a final drink.
Activities
Swamp tour
Parades
Drink
Ghost tour
Lodging
We had originally budgeted $2,980 for two people to split across the board. We ultimately saved on airfare. We stayed within budget, but how much you end up spending on food and drinks is always a good sign of how much fun you’re having. This time around, we definitely indulged, but the experience was worth every penny.
Conclusion
There’s just so much going on in this city. I’m already planning to go back. Stay tuned for more on New Orleans. Just felft like there wasn’t enough time.
