New Orleans in 48 hours – places to go, where to eat
New Orleans has always held an air of mystique and charm for us. It is a city with a well-known reputation – that of great food, jazz music, the still ongoing practice of voodoo, and of course, we can’t talk about New Orleans without mentioning Mardi Gras – the annual festivities featuring loud music, crazy costumes, and intricate floats parading through its streets. New Orleans is also considered to be a party town, and there is no shortage of bars littering the French Quarter – typically the very first on the list of must-visit places for any self-respecting tourist.
Table of contents
Click here if you’d like to check out the overview of our epic USA Road Trip!
First night in New Orleans – Walking around the French Quarter
So you can imagine how difficult it must have been for us to pick and choose what to do in a place like New Orleans, especially since we only had two days to explore the city. If you ever find yourself in a tricky situation like we did, this guide will help you make the most of your limited time, without feeling like you’ve missed anything major. Of course – let’s be realistic – any city worth its salt simply cannot be fully experienced in a mere two days; however, it is just enough to give you a taste of New Orleans.
Places to go and things to see
Since we only had two days, most of the places we visited were in and around the French Quarter, which is considered the beating heart of New Orleans.
French Quarter (Free)
Operating hours: 24/7, Location
Google “New Orleans” and you’re going to get under the Images tab a bunch of its most iconic buildings and streets, almost all of them located in the French Quarter. In our opinion, if you had only one place you could visit in the entire city, this is definitely it.
From shopping to bar-hopping, ghost-hunting to food-tripping, the French Quarter has them all, and it can be quite overwhelming, especially if this is your first time visiting.
New Orleans, particularly the area in and around the French Quarter, is chockfull of historic buildings and monuments, all of which are integral to its history, and they all play an interesting role in the stories that make the city what it is today. Some of the most popular ones include:
Pirate’s Alley (Free)
Operating hours: 24/7, Location
The subject of many stories, only very little of it true, it is nevertheless considered a must-see when in New Orleans. Originally called Orleans Alley, it was more commonly called Pirate’s Alley, so in the mid 1960s, its name was officially changed to reflect common usage.
Many stories involving this otherwise unremarkable little alley between the St. Louis Cathedral and the Cabildo is mere conjecture, like slaves being sold at the nearby St. Anthony’s garden on Royal Street, or that it was a favourite hangout of pirates from long ago.
The Faulkner House on Pirate’s Alley, the former home of the novelist William Faulkner who wrote his very first novel while living there, is perhaps one of the few things we can be quite sure of. It is now a book store.
St. Louis Cathedral (Free)
Operating hours: Daily, 9am-4pm, Daily Mass at 12:05pm, Location
It is almost impossible to miss when you visit New Orleans. Dedicated to Saint Louis (aka King Louis IX of France), it is the oldest cathedral in continuous use in the United States.
Standing right in front of Jackson Square, flanked by Pirate’s Alley on one side, and sandwiched between The Cabildo and The Presbytere, it is an integral part of the city and a major landmark. Just outside the cathedral, you will find street performers, fortune-tellers and all manner of hustlers. It is also a very popular meeting area for many guided walking tours of the city.
Saint Louis Cathedral
JACKSON SQUARE
PRICE OF ADMISSION: FREE
OPERATING HOURS: DURING DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME, EVERY DAY FROM 8AM TO 7PM; DURING WINTER, 8AM TO 6PM
Right in front of St. Louis Cathedral is another one of New Orleans’ most recognisable landmarks – Jackson Square. With over two million visitors every year, it hosts many major events, and has been prominently featured in many movies. A bronze statue of Andrew Jackson (former US President) in the center of the square is the reason for its name.
Statue of Andrew Jackson towering over park visitors. St. Louis Cathedral in the back ground on the left.
ROYAL STREET
PRICE OF ADMISSION: FREE
OPERATING HOURS: 24/7
LOCATION
Royal Street is a haven for shoppers. with many antique stores and art galleries jostling for space alongside bars and restaurants. It is a busy, buzzing street, with tourists and locals alike enjoying the music being performed by street buskers, and dining in its restaurants.
BOURBON STREET AND STORYVILLE
PRICE OF ADMISSION: FREE
OPERATING HOURS: 24/7
LOCATION: BOURBON STREET, STORYVILLE
One of the oldest streets in North America, it was named for the French royal House of Bourbon, not the liquor, for it had not even been invented yet when the street was laid out in 1721. Initially a residential street, it eventually evolved into an entertainment street in the early 20th century, when Storyville, the Red Light District was established only a few blocks away.
TENNESSEE WILLIAMS AND WILLIAM FAULKNER HOMES
PRICE OF ADMISSION: TENNESSEE WILLIAMS, PRIVATE PROPERTY SO CANNOT ENTER; WILLIAM FAULKNER, FREE
OPERATING HOURS: FAULKNER HOUSE BOOKS, OPEN EVERY DAY FROM 10AM TO 5PM
LOCATION: TENNESSEE WILLIAMS, WILLIAM FAULKNER
We also visited the places where Tennessee Williams (playwright) and William Faulkner (novelist) used to live. This will probably only be interesting for people who like to read or who are fans of one or the other, or both. Either way, it was pretty interesting (for me, at least) to imagine what it must have been like for these writers (who were still relatively unknown at the time they lived in these homes) to have lived here, and how much of an influence their surroundings made on the work they produced.
ST. LOUIS CEMETERY NO. 1
PRICE OF ADMISSION: $28 FOR A 2-HOUR TOUR
OPERATING HOURS: EVERY DAY FROM 8AM TO 4PM
LOCATION
We passed by (but did not get to explore) this still active cemetery, which is only accessible to tourists via guided tours. One of the things that is unique about cemeteries in New Orleans is that the dead are “buried” above the ground, since the city’s high water table makes underground burials impossible. Coffins that are buried underground will eventually float back to the top. This is the oldest still surviving cemetery in the city and was established on August 14, 1789.
GARDEN DISTRICT
PRICE OF ADMISSION: NONE BUT YOU DO HAVE TO PAY A LITTLE OVER A DOLLAR FOR THE TRAM
GETTING THERE
You can quite easily get to the Garden District from the French Quarter. Although there are a few other ways to get there, we took Bus 11 on the corner of Canal and Magazine Street, which should have taken us all the way to Magazine and Third Street – a 4 minute walk from the Garden District.
For some reason the bus stopped about midway through the journey, and the driver told us to get off the bus and onto the St. Charles streetcar, which was parked to his left in the middle of the road. She told us we wouldn’t have to pay anything at the tram, and that the streetcar would take us all the way to our destination.
Slightly puzzled, but excited at the prospect of riding the streetcar, everyone got off the bus, crossed the street, and got in.
We eventually got off the St. Charles and Third Street stop, and only had to walk a few minutes to the Garden District.
The Garden District is famous for its oak-lined streets, historic mansions, and opulent gardens. We even got to see the home where Anne Rice used to live.
Voodoo
The practice of voodoo arrived in New Orleans from the slaves of West Africa, with the merging of their religious rituals with those of the local Catholic population. It is an important part of their culture.
At the very core of its belief, God does not interfere with our daily lives – it is the spirits that do. A connection with these spirits is thus very important and can be done through various rituals such as dancing, music, chanting, and snakes.
We wanted to visit the New Orleans Voodoo Museum, but stopped short because of the $10 entrance fee. Not everyone in the group was interested, so we opted to just check out Voodoo Authentica, on the same street, which has no entrance fee.
Where (or what) to eat and drink
Gumbo, Jambalaya, Po’Boys, Muffaletta, Beignets … when it comes to food, New Orleans boasts of many iconic dishes. This means that a visit will not be complete without trying some (or all) of these dishes at least once.
To be clear, these are NOT necessarily the best restaurants or bars to go to – we’re not suggesting that at all. These are merely the establishments that we did go to during our brief stay.
Beignets
If you don’t mind waiting in line, you can head over to the iconic Cafe Du Monde. However, if you just want really good beignets without the wait, go to Cafe Beignet on Royal Street. The line here is a lot more manageable, and the beignets are just as good.
Chicory coffee and beignets – Cafe Beignet
Enjoying the drinks and music at the Drinkery
Mambo’s
Location
If you want to try Creole and/or Cajun cuisine, it’s hard to go wrong with Mambo’s. They serve a variety of popular local foods, and the service is spot on – waiters friendly and willing to help us navigate the menu, as well as give suggestions. They were patient with us, even though it took a while for us to get our orders in – we couldn’t decide what to order!
We ended up with: Oyster Po-Boy, Red Beans and Rice with Crispy Chicken, Fried Oyster Platter and Taste of New Orleans (chicken and sausage gumbo, crawfish étouffée and red beans and rice with smoked sausage) – all massive servings that filled six of us completely.
Cafe Beignet
Location
Beignets were first introduced by the French-Creole colonists in the 18th century. If this is your first time hearing about this sweet treat, it is simply fried dough topped with an alarming amount of powdered sugar. It is best enjoyed with coffee.
Coffee + beignets = perfect snack
Bourbon Street Drinkery
Location
You’ll be spoiled for choice (overwhelmed is more like it) when it comes to bars in New Orleans. With at least 14 of ’em on Bourbon Street, 60 in the French Quarter alone, and many more scattered throughout the city, you’ll have a dizzying array of options.
Having a good time at Drinkery
We chose the Bourbon Street Drinkery mainly because it had courtyard seating towards the back, which would allow us to listen to the band and talk normally (meaning, we did not have to scream at each other over the music) at the same time. If you’re looking for a place with a “quiet” section, but still feel like you’re part of the party, this place is a pretty solid choice.
Accommodation
We booked a room at the Harrah’s New Orleans Hotel for two nights. It’s a pretty big place and situated right smack in the downtown area of the city, and only about an 18-minute walk to the French Quarter. Although there were six of us, we got a room with two queen-sized beds, and we were able to fit two-a-bed, and for me and Nana, we slept on the floor by laying on a duvet and blanket. The carpets were pretty soft and we slept comfortably enough.
Overall Impressions
New Orleans was a whirlwind of activity. From the moment we stepped foot onto the French Quarter, we were overwhelmed with a ton of possibilities, and we knew right from the start that we would have to pick and choose and let go of many things that we’d like to do so we could thoroughly enjoy the stuff we only had time for.
Which begs the question – would we go back? Depends. America is a big place, and we’ve only scratched the surface of all the places we’d like to visit.
WANT TO BE AN AIRBNB HOST?
As long-term travelers, we book most of our accommodations on Airbnb. It is convenient, simple and quick, and you will never have to find yourself arriving at your destination in the middle of the night, with nowhere to go. Airbnb gives us the freedom and flexibility to adjust our travel plans in an instant. Having met many hosts all over the world, we know that being a host will not only provide you with additional income, but you will also be able to meet (and perhaps even make friends) with interesting people from all over the world. If you think you’d make a great Airbnb host, here’s my invitation link to learn more.