How to spend (a minimum) of 5 days in New Orleans

People often say that the price you pay for travel is to leave your heart behind, and finally I truly understand what they mean by this. I first visited New Orleans during my bucket list road trip in September 2015 when I intended on staying for 5 days and ended up spending 14. Before leaving I decided that still wasn't enough and started making plans to return in February 2016 for 3 months. And that's when it happened. The city had my heart and there was nothing I could do to stop it. A city with colourful architecture, mouthwatering food, live music running through it's veins, interesting people, an endless list of things to do and a vibrant calendar of parades, festivals and events, I didn't stand a chance.

So it may be obviously biased when I say the following but make sure that when you visit New Orleans you give it enough time. During my last stay I saw lots of tourists dashing in and out, ticking it off their list before hurtling off somewhere else. They probably enjoyed the city, but they couldn't possibly have had enough time to see it properly. So please, don't rush through this fabulous city, let it steal your heart too.

It's hard to compress all the city has to offer into 5 short days, but I've done my best. Here's how to enjoy my NOLA:

Day 1

• The perfect starting point to any visit to New Orelans is the beautiful and historic French Quarter. For breakfast try a famous beignet from either Cafe Du Monde or Cafe Beignet, it's essentially just a deep fried donut, but you can't leave the city without trying one!

• After breakfast take your time exploring all the French Quarter has to offer. This small section of New Orleans is bursting with life and activity and my suggestion is to wander freely, seeing where the Quarter takes you! Grab a to-go drink, stop to listen to street musicians, duck into interesting shops and admire eclectic galleries as you go. Royal is my favourite street and from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. each day the street is a pedestrian mall meaning it's a great spot for catching street performers, it also has some of the most beautiful architecture in the quarter making it a photographers dream.

• For lunch I recommenced Green Goddess in the relatively quiet Exchange Place. It's the perfect spot to sit out in the sun and relax. Try the meatloaf Poboy, it's a twist on the traditional.
• In the afternoon wander over to vibrant Jackson Square to admire the majestic St. Louis Cathedral. There is usually a live brass band performing here and lots of artists and tarot readers if you want to know what the future has in store for you. I highly recommend the Hurricane Katrina exhibit housed in the Presbytère (located to the right of the Cathedral), it's an excellent exhibit which will provide you with the background necessary to understanding the city as it is today. You will also find an exhibit on Mardi Gras in this museum, but I think this somehow manages to leave you with more questions than when you started.

• In the late afternoon catch the Canal Street ferry ($2) to Algiers Point to watch the sunset over the New Orleans skyline. Take a bottle of wine, someone special and let the city do the rest.

• Head back to the French Quarter for dinner at Cafe Amelie, then wander over to Frenchmen Street for a poke around the Art Market followed by an evening of live jazz music. Make sure you get to Cafe Negril and Bamboula's. 

Day 2

• Start your day with a Southern style breakfast from Surrey's Juice Bar at 1418 Magazine Street, allow time to stand in line (it's worth it), the whole menu is great but I recommend the Bananas Foster french toast or shrimp and grits for local flavour. 
• Walk-off breakfast admiring the opulent antebellum mansions and homes in the beautiful Garden District. General boundaries for this famous neighborhood are St. Charles Avenue to Magazine Street and from Jackson Avenue to Louisiana Avenue. Make sure to stop at historic Lafayette Cemetary #1 which is one of the cities best-maintained, swing by before 2 PM when it closes.

• Directly across from the cemetery you will find Commander's Palace Restaurant, making it the perfect place to stop for lunch, especially when martini's are 25 cents! Just be aware that this is a fancier place for lunch and there is a dress code, reservations recommended.

• Head back down to Magazine Street for an afternoon of retail therapy. The street is 6-miles long and packed full of funky shops, restaurants and bars, I don't recommend walking the whole length (although I have) but rather explore the parts that interest you the most. Bus number 11 services this street every 20 mins, and with a $3 day-pass you can hop on and off as you wish. As a rough guide I personally recommend walking from Felicity Street to Louisiana Avenue then Jefferson Avenue to Audubon park.

Tree of Life, Audubon Park

• Treat yourself to an ice-cream from Creole Creamery at 4924 Prytania St before spending the late afternoon strolling through the very beautiful Audubon park and exploring Tulane and Loyola Universities.
• Grab a frozen daiquiri from Fat Tuesdays in Riverbend and take it to The Fly to sip while you watch the sun set over the Mississippi with a local crowd. (Yes another sunset, I like them, what can I say?)

• For dinner try Avo or Shaya on Magazine Street and finish the night with a famous blueberry Mojito from St. Joe's bar and live music at Les Bon Temps Roule (check the schedule in advance).

Day 3

• Prepare for another jam-packed day with a hearty breakfast at Ruby Slipper on 2001 Burgundy, mix-and-match Eggs Benedict are the best idea since sliced bread!

• This morning I suggest a trip to the Ninth Ward which was the community most effected by Hurricane Katrina and is still struggling to rebuild itself 10 years on. I wouldn't suggest visiting the area without either a tour guide or a friendly local showing you around as you will need the local knowledge to help make sense of what you are looking at. Ninth Ward Rebirth Bike Tours roll through at 9:30 AM Wednesday to Monday and last 4 hours.
• In the afternoon it's time to explore my favourite New Orleans neighborhood; The Marigny. It's the colourful shotgun architecture that makes the Marigny my favouirite part of the city, I also enjoy the artistic (possibly hipster) vibe and how quiet and peaceful the streets are despite being so close to the French Quarter. Generally speaking the boundaries of this neighborhood are North Rampart Street, St Claude Ave, Press Street and the Mississippi River. 

• Be sure to stop for a late lunch, snack or just a glass of wine at the fabulous St. Roch Market. The food hall houses a dozen local vendors including a raw oyster bar and has a great outside seating spot to enjoy your food in the sun.

• If you haven't visited a cemetery yet you should take this opportunity to visit St. Roch cemetery close by, the chapel has a particularly interesting relic room where visitors have left gratitude offerings to St. Roch who is the patron saint of miraculous cures.

• Wander through the Bywater neighborhood for the rest of the afternoon which also has beautiful architecture but more importantly is home to Bacchanal Wine, a relaxed Bywater shack with the best wine and cheese the city has to offer. If you visit between 12 and 3 or 6 and 9 your wine will be accompanied by live music. Stay for dinner here, they have a great small-plates menu, then head back to the Marigny for drinks at Mimis and live music on St Claude Avenue.

Day 4

• Grab donuts and a brew at District Donuts on Magazine Street before hiring a bike for today's adventure to Mid-City! You can hire bikes per hour/day from near by A Musings Bikes, Buzz Nola or Alex's Bikes (among others).
• Get to Mid-City along beautiful Esplenade Avenue lined with elegant town houses and creole mansions. Start at Royal Street and cycle all the way to City Park, which is made easy by the mixture of shared and dedicated bike lanes.

• When you reach City Park you must visit the free sculpture garden adjacent to New Orleans Museum of Art which is home to over 60 sculptures ranging from classic to modern art. The garden itself is beautiful and it's easy to spend longer than you meant to there.

• Stop for lunch at Katie's (the charbroiled Oysters are lovely), before heading over to Bayou St. John. Take some time to watch the world go by next to the bayou, and be sure to stop by the oak tree transformed into a sculpture by chain saw artist Martin Miller.

• It's time for an afternoon appreciating some of the fantastic bars Mid-City has to offer! Start at Bayou beer garden with 180 beers to choose from or if you prefer wine it's newly adjoining wine garden may be more up your alley. Then hop on your bike and head over to The Bulldog (Mid-City location), which also has a fantastic selection of beer and garden to enjoy it in. As the evening approaches finish your time in Mid-City with a cocktail at Twelve Mile Limit and Mid-City Yacht Club (don't worry, it's not a yacht club, that confused me too).
• Take your bike home or back to the shop before you are too intoxicated to ride it (I've done it) then it's time for dinner at The Franklin at 2600 Dauphine street.
• You may have noticed I am yet to recommend a night on the infamous Bourbon Street, well tonight's the night! Walk from The Franklin to Port of Call (Esplanade Ave) to begin the 'Holy Trinity' drinking challenge concocted by some hard-core locals. The challenge involves drinking three of B‎ourbon Street's iconic‬ cocktails in one night- a Hand Grenade from Tropical Isle, a Hurricane from Pat O'Briens and a Monsoon from Port of Call. Hit up these famous Bourbon Street Venues as well as La Fitte's Blacksmith Shop bar, The Cat's Meow, The Dungeon, Funky 544 and The Beach for a truly unforgettable night!

Lafitte's blacksmith shop, one of the oldest bars in the city.

View from Funky 544's balcony

Day 5

• Today you have earned a lie-in or sleep-in as the American's would say, especially if you did Bourbon Street properly last night!
• Grab brunch at Brennan's in the French Quarter before exploring the country beyond the city limits on a Plantation or Swamp tour. Cajun Encounters provide excellent tours to both the Swamp or Plantations, prices include pick up/drop off at your hotel, admission and a short city tour on the journey. If you have your own transport however I would recommend travelling this way as it gives you more freedom over your schedule.

• I personally preferred visiting the Plantations (but I am a history geek), and if you visit independently I would recommend visiting Oak Alley and Whitney Plantations, otherwise the combination of Oak Alley and Laura provided by Cajun Encounters is also very good. On the drive home make sure you stop off to get a drive-thru daiquiri, famous in Louisiana and somehow legal.
• It will be late afternoon by the time you are back in the city, so I suggest stopping by Hansens Sno-Blitz at 4801 Tchoupitoulas Street for a treat. I was lucky enough to have a local advise me how to order this bizarre super-sweet dessert, but definitely get yours 'stuffed' and 'topped' with condensed milk, the rest I'm leaving up to you!

• Catch the historic St Charles street car uptown, to admire the beautiful homes on tree-lined St Charles Avenue. Stay on the car until you reach Riverbend which is close to the end of the line (approx 35 mins). Get off here and explore funky Maple then Oak streets which are popular with both locals and students and alike.

• I've saved the best 'til last, enjoy a fabulous dinner at Jaques IMO's (I highly recommend the Alligator cheesecake and Carpetbagger steak) followed by drinks and live music at Ale on Oak, Oak and the Maple Leaf.

Until next time my love!