How to Spend 3-Days in New Orleans

Four friends, 1,708 miles, lots of snacks, and great stories. My girl’s road trip from Durham, North Carolina, to New Orleans, Louisiana, was EVERYTHING! At first, a 12.5-hour drive seemed overwhelming (especially if you are like me and hate to drive), but split among four drivers who are good co-pilots, the drive was doable. We hit the road around 9 pm on a Thursday and arrived Friday morning around 9 am. Nola is on Central Daylight Time, so even though we spent about an hour taking food and gas stops, we gained an extra hour when we arrived!

What I loved about this road trip was that we maximized our short weekend stay. Our time in Nola was filled with good food, laughs, cultural experiences, and great nightlife.

Here’s my guide to spending 3-days in New Orleans:

Transportation

We parked our car in a Premium Parking lot that was a 5-minute walk from our hotel in the downtown area. We paid for 24 hours at a time. In Premium Parking lots, you can come and get your car as much as you’d like. However, they say parking isn’t guaranteed if you leave and return. But we found that parking was abundant. This should probably be considered if you visit during a major event like Mardi Gras. Parking is free on Sundays! For the most part, our car stayed parked, and we ubered or walked throughout the trip.

Restaurants & Cafes to Check Out*

*This list has been updated based on my recent trip to NOLA

Cafe Du Monde

You can’t go to Nola and not eat beignets at Cafe Du Monde. We went about three times! This $3 goodness is the perfect sight-seeing break snack.

Parkway Bakery and Tavern

A Po’ Boy is a classic New Orleans sandwich. It is a long French baguette packed with either meat or fried seafood. During my most recent visit to NOLA, we ate fried shrimp Po’Boys at Parkway Bakery and Tavern, which locals highly recommended.

Cajun Seafood

Cajun Seafood is the place to get the best crawfish. Many people recommended it to us, so we visited their Treme location. We knew we made a great decision when we saw a long line with many locals (they always know the best places). I bought 2 pounds of crawfish (I probably could have been okay with 1 to 1.5 pounds) and corn on the cob. We sat by New Orleans’s Riverfront and enjoyed our food with a view of the Mississippi River.

Hansen’s Sno-Bliz Shop

Hansen’s Sno-Bliz Shop was another popular spot. They had an abundance of flavors. I got the honey lavender with lemon and condensed milk, which was delicious!

Bacchanal Wine Bar

Bacchanal has a beautiful ambiance and delicious food. You can’t go wrong with your decision. We ordered 75% of the menu, and it was all tasty. They have live music from 6-9 p.m. on Wednesday- Monday and 12-3 p.m. on Friday—Sunday!

Bearcat Nola

We had a life-changing breakfast at Bearcat. All their ingredients are fresh and high-quality. I’m still thinking about this meal.

Copper Vine

Copper Vine is a Wine Bar and restaurant. The food was excellent! Their beautiful, lush courtyard and balcony seating are in high demand and available on a first-come-first-served basis.

Places to Visit

History & Culture

Whitney Plantation

I highly recommend visiting the Whitney Plantation. While there are many plantations surrounding Nola, Whitney is the only one that focuses on the experiences of the slaves on the plantation. We were fortunate to go on a 2-hour walking tour led by their Director of Research. The Whitney Plantation is a powerful homage to all the slaves on the plantation and in the U.S. South.

Jackson Square

If you’ve watched The Princess and the Frog, this may look familiar. It is a historic landmark and a nice place to take a stroll. It’s right across the street from Cafe Du Monde, the perfect opportunity to walk off your beignets.

Night Life

Frenchmen Street

This was my second trip to New Orleans. I was in my early 20s on my first trip, and our nightlife was soley Bourbon Street. On this second trip, we walked through Bourbon Street at night once for a drink, and it was OVERWHELMING.

Frenchmen Street was more our scene. All the bars have live music, so we spent much time hopping around and listening to the amazing bands. One of my favorite memories is when my friend Joy and I got on stage to be backup dancers for a singer performing Tina Turner’s Proud Mary. We were low-key celebs that night!

Adventure

Swamp Tour

We went on Groupon to book a Covered Swamp Tour Boat ride with Ultimate Swamp Adventures. They offer transportation to the tour for an additional cost, but we drove there on our own. The staff were hilarious! Our tour guide was knowledgeable and a lot of fun. We saw a few alligators and pet a baby alligator on the boat. The next time I visit, I want to try the tour on an airboat.

I’m amazed about what we accomplished during our short weekend stay in Nola. And I must add that we did all this well-rested (nap time was prioritized)!

If you’re wondering how much money to budget for a short trip to Nola, check out this article on the cost of a weekend trip to New Orleans.

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