Welcome to New Orleans (NOLA)! This is one of the most sought after US cities, with its crazy nightlife, tantalizing cuisine, distinguished culture, vibrant architecture and amazing music on every corner. You and your guests will have an endless list of fun things to do!
We’ve provided a guide to the best neighborhoods, restaurants, and activities – check it out!
Neighborhood: French Quarter
What to do: Go to Bourbon Street! In the heart of French Quarter, this is one of the most famous party streets in the world! Filled with amazing entertainment such as bars, restaurants, strip clubs and world famous festivals like Mardi Gras. While enjoying the nightlife on Bourbon Street make sure you get the Hurricane Cocktail (one of New Orleans’ most popular drinks) or one of their “huge ass beers”, served in big plastic cups for a low price. The best part? You can walk around with your drink through the charming downtown corridors!
Have a cocktail: Pat O’Brien’s Bar is the one and only to grab a drink when visiting the Quarter. Home of the Hurricane Cocktail – yes, they invented it! – this casual bar is filled with lush gardens and tons of charm. Have a great time enjoying your drink listening to a live piano at the lounge or even at one of its private party rooms!
Grab dinner or a snack: Saints & Sinners is a must stop for a bachelorette party! The restaurant and bar was created in 1897 and it was a haven for jazz musicians, risque women and men with questionable moral standards. Closed in 1917, it was re-opened by actor Channing Tatum (that should be reason enough to go) and a friend, as a tribute to the city’s ribald reputation. Have fun with your best ladies grabbing drinks, dinner and partying!
Where to stay:
Live it up in this French Quarter chateau that has a private balcony overlooking the street. There is plenty of room to have a private dinner in the lower corridor – why not have it catered with some delicious creole food?!
Neighborhood: St. Charles Streetcar corridor
What to do: Get on the St. Charles streetcar of course! NOLA’s oldest continuously operating streetcars in the world are probably the best and most original way to see the city using its three different lines: St. Charles, Canal Street and Riverfront. The St. Charles route will offer you a great ride through a tunnel of Live Oaks, Tulane and Loyola universities and historic mansions and monuments – not to mention dozens of shopping centers, hotels and fine restaurants.
Have a cocktail: Pontchartrain hotel rooftop deck. What better way to enjoy a fine drink then with an amazing view? With a design inspired in the 1940s, the Hot Tin – Rooftop Bar has a breathtaking 270 degree view to the Mississippi River and downtown New Orleans. Pop a bottle and soak in the view!
Grab dinner or a snack: Head to Bacchanal. Truth be told, this restaurant/garden is not in the St. Charles area but Bacchanal is such a cool spot that you MUST visit while in New Orleans. It’s in the Bywater area and this specialty wine shop and restaurant have delicious dishes and an impeccable selection of wine. The night we were there, we were lucky enough to catch a blues/jazz band that took us back in time. I cannot recommend this place highly enough! Get the rigatoni with cream and roasted cauliflower!!
Where to stay:
Don’t just admire the antebellum mansions alongside the streets, stay in one! This STUNNING luxury home is the definition of what the old, classic New Orleans was all about! It was recently remodeled and now has 6 bedrooms, 5.5 bathrooms, two kitchens and a balcony overlooking St. Charles. Enjoy all the great shops and restaurants near by and feel like you are back in the 1800’s!
Neighborhood: Garden and Lower Garden District
What to do: Known by many as the “Hollywood South”, the Garden District has been featured in countless movies! Enjoy the beauty of the Live Oaks, as well as the many antebellum mansions you can find in the district – nowhere else in South has a better collection of antique mansions clustered together in one strip. Tip: stop by Washington Avenue and visit the Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 by Prytania Street. With its unique tombs and vaults, the cemetery was featured in many movies and it’s one of the oldest, spookiest cemeteries in town.
Have a cocktail: Barrel Proof. In the middle of the historic Garden District, this bar is actually a modern spot, opened in 2014 featuring over 50 beers and a list of 150 + whiskey bottles! Even if you are not a whiskey person like me, trying out one of their whiskey flights is a worthwhile experience, the ambience is classy, comfortable, and perfect for it!
Grab dinner or a snack: I honestly could add Commander’s Palace both as a place to grab dinner and a cocktail. With countless awards, including six James Beard Foundation Awards, and being New Orleans Best Restaurant for four years in a row, this should be enough reason to visit this 1893 landmark. But there is another excellent reason: 25-cent martinis. Yes, you read it right: grab lunch at this NOLA jewel and drink basically free martinis!
Where to stay:
Located only a mile away from Bourbon Street, this 1907 built jewel is located right behind Elmeril’s Delmonico. Have fun enjoying all the shops and restaurants nearby, spend a couple hours at the balcony overlooking the Crescent City Connection or get one of the 3 bikes available in the house to explore the area!
Neighborhood: CBD (Central Business District)
What to do: Take a walk around the historic Lafayette Square in the evening and enjoy free concerts, theaters and numerous bars and restaurants! If you are visiting the city during summer, make sure to leave wednesday free for the Wednesday at the Square festival, featuring the top names in local acts! During the fall, the Square becomes home to a blues music festival.
Have a cocktail: Need a little help to start the day? Fear not! No better way than at Daisy Dukes drinking their famous, award winning Cajun Bloody Marys! They also have a 24/7 amazing breakfast menu, which means that you get an excuse to keep sipping those Bloody Marys past lunch time!
Grab dinner or a snack: Willa Jean. This is the best place for breakfast or brunch! I personally just went and after a rather aggressive evening of cocktails, I sopped up all that alcohol with their award-winning banana bread, a green juice, coffee, water, orange juice AND avocado toast with a fried egg. I was a NEW WOMAN!
Where to stay:
If you are hosting a bachelorette weekend, there’s no better place to be! Located in downtown NOLA, right where all restaurants, bars, music festivals, art galleries, bands and beads are! This newly renovated condo is perfect for a weekend of jazz, cocktails and the unique NOLA atmosphere.
Hope you enjoyed! Email us if you need anymore tips or help organizing your trip! [email protected]
