In Spring of this year, I was finally able to fulfill my dream of visiting New Orleans. Those of you who know me in real life know that I’ve been traveling for work within the US for several years now, and New Orleans has always eluded me. I’ve been to both Baltimore and Chicago three times each for work, but NOLA remained ever elusive. Of course, since I had to be there for work anyways, I planned for us to arrive a few days early so I could do some exploring. One doesn’t go to the Big Easy and not do things! If you’re in a time crunch, or only have a long weekend, here’s how to make the most out of your time!

Day 1: The French Quarter
Spend your first day exploring the French Quarter, the city’s historic heart. It’s famous for its vibrant nightlife, colorful buildings with cast-iron balconies, and fantastic Cajun restaurants. It’s also home to Bourbon Street, filled with jazz clubs and raucous bars.

Stop by Jackson Square, a historic park where they used to hold executions and public punishments. In the center of the square is a bronze statue of Andrew Jackson. On the other side is St. Louis Cathedral, a 1700s church with beautiful stained glass and a painted ceiling.

Have breakfast at Café Du Monde, known for their world famous beignets. The Original Café Du Monde opened in 1852 in the New Orleans French Market. Now, it is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, offering a menu of dark roasted coffee and chicory and beignets. Their coffee is served black or Au Lait, which means mixed half and half with hot milk. Their beignets are, by far, the best that I’ve ever had, and a visit to NOLA is not complete without beignets at Café Du Monde.

The French Quarter is filled with super interesting stores and souvenir shops. Some of my favorites include the Grandad’s General Store, which is Café Du Monde’s gift shop, Royal Praline, and Forever New Orleans.

After spending the day in the French Quarter, walk a few blocks out of the FQ to Canal Street and visit the Sazerac House, a multi-floored museum dedicated to the history of Sazerac – the company and the drink. There you can do a self-guided tour of their interactive museum or you can take a cocktail class, where their experienced guides teach you so much about the history and culture of Sazerac spirits and liquors. You can check out a more in-depth review of our experience here.

Day 2: City Park
Your first stop of the day will be the New Orleans Botanical Gardens, a ten acre garden containing more than 2,000 varieties of plants from around the world. It is the first classical garden in New Orleans and offers a serene retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city.

The Conservatory of the Two Sisters has two exhibits – Living Fossils and Tropical Rainforest. The Living Fossil exhibit showcases a variety of prehistoric plant life from throughout the world and the Tropical Rainforest features an immersive experience and plants from the warm, moist regions of the world.

After walking through the Conservatory, you can check out the Helis Foundation Enrique Alférez Sculpture Garden offers 8,000 sq. ft. of beautiful gardens, featuring 15 sculptures set within sweeping footpaths surrounded by greenery and oak trees.

After visiting the Botanical Gardens, you can opt to stop by the Café Du Monde that’s in City Park for an afternoon pick me up! Also right next door to the Botanical Gardens and Café Du Monde is the New Orleans Museum of Art, which features more than 40,000 pieces by global artists of various historical periods. It’s completely free to visit, which is absolutely fantastic for those of us on a budget.

Finish your day grabbing a drink or taking a tour at Seven Three Distillery, a small-batch distiller of fine American spirits. Founded in 2016, they currently produce 8 flagship spirits named for some of the 73 distinct neighborhoods in New Orleans. We booked the 75-minute Spirit Tasting Tour, which features a tasting of all of their spirits, a tour of the distillery, and a short cocktail making class. Check out my Boozy Activities post for more about our tour at Seven Three.

Day 3: Audubon Park
Start the day off in the Audubon Zoo, which is home to over 2,000 animals and stretches over 58 acres. Animals have been on site since the 1884 World Exposition in Audubon Park and more animals have been added to their roster since. Visitors are treated to large and clean exhibits with favorites such as elephants, tigers, monkeys, alligators, and a variety of reptiles and amphibians. They recently just debuted their Tropical Birds Sanctuary, which allows visitors to walk amongst the birds.

We spent about 2.5 hours at the zoo and didn’t even finish everything that we had wanted to see! I highly recommend going as soon as they open, so you get to see the animals without the crowds. The downside is that some of the monkeys might still be asleep in the early morning, so make sure you visit them last!

If you’re not too tired by now, head on over to the World War II Museum, which is rated as one of the top attractions in New Orleans. The Museum features immersive exhibits and an expansive collection of artifacts and first-person oral histories to take visitors inside the story of the war.

If more museums aren’t your thing, that’s fine too! End your last day with one last stroll through the French Quarter. For great live music, check out Frenchmen Street. Have a fancy dinner at GW Fins or a more casual meal at Napoleon House.