Unique New Orleans Trip Itinerary
New Orleans is a place we had on our bucket list ever since we started dating in high school so it was a big moment for us when we finally got to go. If you are planning a romantic getaway with your significant other in the United States than New Orleans should be at the top of your list! New Orleans has the perfect mix of adventure, romance, culture, and great food. In this blog we are going to show the best hotels, activities, and restaurants for you and your partner to experience, creating a perfect 5 day itinerary.
Unique Hotels
The Inn at the Old Jail is the definition of a hidden gem hotel. We found this hotel through another travel blog and ended up booking it for half of our trip, which in turn easily made it on our top 3 hotel list. The building of the hotel was originally a jail in the early 1900s to lock up neighborhood delinquents, then later turned into a library, then it was destroyed in Hurricane Katrina, and finally it was restored and turned into the Inn at the Old Jail Hotel.
The inside of the hotel was like walking into a museum but also a 5 star hotel. Every piece of furniture and decoration was beautifully preserved and the rooms were so unique and cozy. We chose a room called "The Cage '' which was originally the drunk tank in the jail and the bathroom of the room still has original carvings in the walls (we highly recommend choosing this room). However the highlight of the hotel was the property manager Todd, who was the most welcoming and kind hotel manager we have ever seen. He made the stay so much more personable.
2. Parisian Courtyard Inn Bed and Breakfast
The Parisian Courtyard Inn was the second place we stayed in New Orleans which is located in the garden district. If you are looking for a romantic boutique hotel that has an old New Orleans feel but doesn't break the bank then this is the perfect place. The building itself is beautiful and is one of the oldest buildings in New Orleans (built in 1846!) As soon as we walked in it felt like we traveled back in time. All of the decorations and furniture were antique and there was New Orleans Jazz playing on a record machine.
Our room had the exact same feel but also was cozy and had all the updated amenities you would need. One of the main reasons we booked this hotel was because it is very central in the garden district and you can walk to the main road with all the restaurants. We also were able to do our own walking tour starting right from our hotel to see all the old mansions in the district (will talk about this more below). If you want to go to the French quarter you can hop on the trolley which takes you straight to town and it's really fun to ride!
As an added bonus, the hosts of this hotel were extremely kind and they make a lovely breakfast for you each morning you can enjoy outside on the porch. The combination of Parisian Courtyard Inn and the Inn at the Old Jail provided the best experience for us to see all of what we wanted to see in New Orleans and truly enjoy our stays.
Unique Things to Do
This was one of our favorite activities we did in New Orleans. The Natchez steamboat has live jazz music playing as you float down the river seeing the city from a unique perspective. You can choose to book the dinner option or you can do the steamboat cruise without dinner.
You will not regret doing this tour! Highlight of the trip!! On our tour we saw so many different kinds of animals, including about 10 alligators. The guides are super fun and they explain all about the animals and the swamp. We chose kayaks over boats because you get to see a lot more animals because the boats scare them away.
New Orleans has many above ground cemeteries due to historical flooding. There is so much history in each cemetery but doing it with a guide is a lot more fun because you actually get to learn the history instead of just walking around and looking.
4. Other Notable Free Activities
- Ride the cable cars
- Walk the French Quarter
- Do a beignet taste test
- Happy hour in Garden District
- Live music on Frenchman Street
- Night out on Bourbon Street
Best Restaurants in New Orleans
New Orleans is FULL of incredible food so it honestly is hard to choose where to go. Almost every place we chose had great food so here is a list of some of our favorites that we promise you will not be disappointed!
1. Bearcat Cafe - brunch
2. Willie Mae's Scotch House - Fried Chicken
3. Cafe Beignet or Cafe Du Monde - Beignets
4. Central Grocery and Deli - Muffuletta
5. Commanders Palace - Fun Vibes
6. Dooky Chase - Traditional
7. Parasols - Bar and Poboys
8. Coops Place - Gumbo
9. Turkey and the Wolf - Sandwiches
10. Ruby Slipper Cafe - Mimosas
Things to know before going to New Orleans
1. You do not need to rent a car. Everything is either walkable or you can easily use public transportation. Also Ubers are very cheap.
2. Try to stay in both the Garden District area and the French Quarter area. They are both completely different and splitting up your time in both allows for easy walking to everywhere you want to go.
3. Talk to people! Most people we met in New Orleans were so friendly and social. Coming from Seattle, it was a huge change in how people interacted with each other, so don't be scared to make friends and be social.