this post was updated December 2021. 
It is safe to say, New Orleans is my favorite place to visit in all of the United States. I’ve ventured down to The Big Easy countless times and the sights, sounds, and delights of the French Quarter never cease to continuously amaze me. Typically, when I’m spending a weekend in this three-hundred-year-old city, I tend to pop into my favorite haunts over and over again. After all, a Nola visit isn’t complete without coffee and beignets at Cafe Du Monde or Char-Grilled Oysters at Desire Oyster Bar on Bourbon Street.
This past weekend, Patrick and I headed down to New Orleans to celebrate his birthday and to carve out some kid-free one-on-one time with each other. The two of us haven’t experienced a weekend in New Orleans together in ages!! We were excited to stop by some of our old favorite spots but we knew we wanted this getaway to be special – feeling like a new Nola experience for both of us.
I had our weekend in New Orleans planned for months when the travel app Journy reached out to me about trying one of their custom travel itineraries. I jumped at the chance to work with Journy on our custom itinerary! After experiencing a three-day weekend with a perfectly packed itinerary, Patrick and I can attest that we have not only fallen even more in love with New Orleans but we both felt like we experienced the city in an entirely new way this time. I’m sharing more on how you can use Journy to plan a trip along with a look into our Positively Perfect New Orleans Weekend Travel Guide below!
Shop my New Orleans Look:
Save Time & Let the Experts Plan Your Travel For You
To me, half the fun of traveling is discovering new places and experiencing recommended well-loved spots by locals and tourists alike in each city a visit. I’ve always loved doing the research myself in anticipation of big trips. But these days carving out the time I’d need to pour into creating the perfect travel itinerary just doesn’t fit into my busy schedule.
Did you know the average person spends 10-30 hours of travel planning?
Journy took the weight off my shoulders – and took our vacation to New Orleans from being good (if I had planned it myself) to BETTER than great. We opted for the Journy Full package that cost only $50 and included restaurant reservations, activity bookings, a 30-minute call, and even in-destination support. Four separate revisions were also included in the case of changed plans or if any of the original activities didn’t suit our fancy.
Journy also offers free destination advice and a Journy Lite package for only $25. This package creates a curated itinerary for you but does not book any activities or reservations.
A Peek Inside Journy
Above is an example of what a piece of our New Orleans itinerary looked like. The app included features telling you when restaurants would open along with the walking or driving distance between activities. You could also click on each specific item on the itinerary for detailed information, images and a thorough description of the destination or activity. I honestly was SO blown away by the ease of our experience with Journy. I don’t think I will ever be traveling the same!
Weekend in New Orleans: An Old World Stay in the French Quarter
Journy may have created our perfect New Orleans itinerary, but I still had some creative control over planning our Big Easy getaway. I booked a room at the Cornstalk Hotel on Royal Street. I’ve marveled at this charming historic hotel for years now – daydreaming about staying here one day. Our turquoise and gold wallpapered room was oh-so-quaint, decorated with Old World antiques and oozing with Southern charm.
Cornstalk Hotel’s location may be the best in all of the French Quarter. I’ve stayed all over The Quarter, on Bourbon, on the edge of the Business District and right on Decatur. The Cornstalk Hotel sits on Royal Street a few blocks away from some of the most bustling spots in all of the city. We loved how it felt “quieter” down here. Street performers played tunes right on our block to passersby, letting us enjoy their melodies from the comforts of the Cornstalk Hotel’s lovely front patio too.
The one picture we got together all weekend in new Orleans – all thanks to the self-timer button and a generous windowsill lol.
Take a Travel Quiz & Get Paired with a Personal Trip Designer
The travel experts at Journy picked my brain with a fun little quiz before creating our itinerary. Questions included what kind of budget we were thinking for meals, did we want a mix of leisurely and structured activities? What type of nightlife were we interested in and more. I was able to tell my Trip Designer exactly what we envisioned for our New Orleans Getaway and they put it on paper precisely. One of the most amazing features of the itinerary was that everything was selected with the proximity in mind – even choosing fabulous breakfast spots & coffee shops only a few blocks walking distances from our hotel too!
3 Days of Eating & Drinking in New Orleans
I mentioned I had a few favorite eateries in Nola, but I’m always up for trying something new. Journy surprised and delighted us with their restaurant recommendations. Patrick and I had some of the best meals of our lives this past weekend and y’all … I think my belly is still full from all of the delicious meals we dined on during the trip! I’m rounding up all of the restaurants included in our itinerary and a few we added on below.
Weekend in New Orleans Itinerary – Day 1:
Cocktails at Hotel Monteleone’s Carousel Bar: the most iconic bar in New Orleans. Guests can take a spin around the bar in an actual rotating carousel.
Dinner at Sylvain: This gastropub is a local favorite among the Nola-trendy. We had a romantic cozy dinner with delicious cocktails and innovative dishes.
Weekend in New Orleans Itinerary – Day 2:
Envie Espresso Bar & Cafe: A cute coffeeshop with sidewalk seating fit for people watching.
Brunch at Muriel’s Jackson Square: Old World Elegance and Classic Creole fare make for a wonderful combination. We ordered the Boudin Eggs Benedict with Bloody Marys. Both were superb!
Bloody Mary at Lafitte’s: On the quieter end of Bourbon Street, this piano bar is the oldest bar in the USA!
Snack at Desire Oyster Bar: We come here every visit for a glass of champagne and chargrilled oysters.
Happy Hour at Arnaud’s French 75: This classic cocktail bar boasts memorabilia from Mardis Gras gone by + it has perfected the iconic French 75 cocktail.
Dinner at Brennan’s: After a long leisurely dinner here, I can see why Brennan’s has always been regarded as the ultimate classic New Orleans luxury. Don’t forget to finish your meal with their famous Banana’s Foster.
Late Night Cafe Au Lait at Cafe Du Monde: Most visitors will scoop up Cafe Du Monde’s famous chicory coffee and beignets for breakfast. But here’s a secret, it tastes just as delicious at night time too! We grabbed a cup after dinner to perk up before catching a show at Preservation Hall.
Weekend in New Orleans Itinerary – Day 3:
Breakfast at Croissant D’Or Patisserie: I couldn’t help but swoon over the decor in this Victorian-era space. The quiche looked delicious but I opted for a Croque Madame that tasted absolutely divine.
Lunch at Central Grocery & Deli: this old-fashioned Italian-American deli is famous for serving up the original Muffaletta. We grabbed a sandwich, a bag of chips & a bubbly soda to enjoy at the high top bar in the back. This affordable & easy meal was one of the most delicious of our trip!
Weekend in New Orleans: Can’t Miss French Quarter Activities
Antique Shopping on Royal Street – Don’t miss perusing over all three floors of the exquisite antique artifacts for sale in MH Roy
A Horse Drawn Carriage Tour with Royal Carriages
People Watch in Jackson Square
Visit Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Louis
Authentic New Orleans History at the Backstreet Cultural Museum
Explore & Shop the French Market – We scooped up a few fabulous Christmas presents from the many unique vendors and one-of-a-kind shops
The Best Spots to See Live Brass & Jazz at the Weekend in New Orleans
The Spotted Cat – Our favorite spot to listen to music on Frenchman Street. This cash bar venue (pictured above) is more intimate and named as one of the best places to listen to jazz in all of New Orleans
Cafe Negril – an eclectic Frenchman Street gastropub playing music from reggae and rock to soul and blues.
Blue Nile – another great spot on Frenchman Street for dancing to live music
Preservation Hall – Preservation Hall was opened in the Sixties in an effort to preserve the traditional and local jazz that New Orleans was known for. We visited Saturday night for an intimate show we will never forget. You can order tickets online in advance for $30-$50 or wait in line before the show starts in the hopes of snagging a $20 ticket. We decided to skip the line and the risk of the show selling out and booked in advance. I’m so glad we did because our seats were amazing too!
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It seems a span of six months doesn’t go by without making my way down to New Orleans. I know when I do visit again, I’ll definitely be trying out an entirely new itinerary with Journy. If we bring Annie along in the future I can only imagine how wonderful it would be to have an itinerary planned with a toddler’s needs in mind too.
No matter where you’re headed, Journy has a slew of travel experts ready to whip up the getaway of your dreams. You can head to their website or download the app directly to learn more. Big big thank you to Journy for sponsoring this weekend in New Orleans itinerary post and creating the most wonderful weekend for us. As always, all opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the blogs that make Lone Star Looking Glass possible.
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xo, alice
