Sometimes, you just don't have the amount time in a city that you'd like to. To be honest, 72 hours is a pretty good time frame to get an overarching sample of a city.
With 72 hours in New Orleans, Louisiana you can get a little taste of everything the town has to offer!
Must Sees:
Magazine Street:
This is one of the main streets of New Orleans, where you can find quite a selection of small, independent and local shops and restaurants. Magazine Street is recommended for anyone looking for thrift stores!
The French Quarter:
Most of the sites, bars, and restaurants you are going to will be within the French Quarter, New Orleans oldest neighborhood. If you want to pack in as much as possible into a short trip you will definitely be devoting a whole day to this neighborhood.
Bourbon Street:
You cannot go to New Orleans and not go to Bourbon Street! Even if you do not drink, Bourbon Street is iconic. Go to Bourbon Street in the evening to see the street come to life with music, lights, and people from all over the world.
The French Market:
The French Market, in the French Quarter neighborhood, is described as three centuries of history in six blocks of shopping. This would be another spot I would recommend to people who like to thrift or looking for some really good food. The Market is very similar to an outdoor flea market with booth-style shops, restaurants, and dining!
Jackson Square:
There is always something going on in Jackson Square. This is a great place to go if you are looking for street vendors. There is music, art, and street performances. Check out Jackson Square for good vibes and a lot of culture.
The River Walk:
It is not actually in the French Quarter, but is still easily accessible. The River Walk is a very nice indoor shopping area right on the Mississippi River. We would definitely recommend walking down the river through Woldenberg Park. This area is really great if you would like to go for a run.
Eats:
Pizza Delicious:
This is a super cute little pizza joint with a few vegan options! Pizza Delicious offers great food for the price!
Izzo's Illegal Burrito Bar:
Izzo's is a chain restaurant specializing in Mexican style food and is similar to a Moe's or Chipotle. You can get huge burritos for a good price and you can make it exactly how you want it.
Cafe Du Monde:
We 100% recommend putting this on your stop even though it is not vegan-friendly. It was really cool to see the very first Cafe Du Monde. Open since 1862, they are famous for their cafe au laits and beignets.
The Green Goddess:
Found on a small side street in the French Quarter, The Green Goddess has such an amazing array of vegan and vegetarian dishes influenced by cultures around the world. They have a great menu, amazing staff, and delicious food. This is a great place for a quaint romantic dinner. What could be better than fairy lights out on a patio with compassionate food?!
Mister B's:
Also located in the French Quarter, Mister B's is a very fancy restaurant with a wide variety of meal selections. Nothing on the menu is explicitly vegan, but the staff was very welcoming and accommodating to help find ways to make certain items vegan. They also have amazing vegan sherbert. However, like I said, this is a fairly fancy restaurant so expect to spend a little extra.
*Carousel Piano Bar & Lounge:
This is not exactly a place for food, but we seriously cannot suggest it enough! Almost directly across the street from Mister B's, the Carousel Bar is just what its name says. It is inside the Hotel Monteleone and has a slow revolving bar that looks reminiscent of a carousel. They tend to have live jazz and the staff is amazing. Of course, the revolving bar is the main attraction so it does get pretty packed. Luckily, if all you are after is a drink, there is a second bar a little further back. Please be warned, the drinks are expensive, but strong. They definitely know how to pour a drink!
Carmo:
Carmo is a laid back vegan-friendly restaurant near the National WWII Museum with great tropical influence and good vibes. Probably one of our favorite places, the food is incredible and very well priced. We 100% recommend trying the vegan Rico!
Meals From The Heart Cafe:
If you find yourself in the French Market looking for some vegan cuisine, allow us to suggest Meals From The Heart Cafe. Set up as a very cute stand-alone diner, you can go right from shopping to eating some amazing vegan and gluten-free dishes!
Tours:
Audubon Zoo:
With the choice between the zoo and the aquarium, we decided to go with the zoo. We mostly made this decision because it was a little cheaper and they had a student discount, which was nice, but we definitely were not disappointed with our choice. The Audubon Zoo is in the middle of Audubon Park and filled with amazingly beautiful animals, many of which are rescue animals.
The National WWII Museum:
One of our favorite subjects to learn about, the WWII museum was really cool. It was set up as an interactive story where you personally follow a historical figure throughout the story of the war. The scenery is incredible and very immersive. This is definitely a museum we would suggest for young people as well as families.
*In our 72 hours, we only did two "tours" but we would also like to note that both The Audubon Aquarium of the Americas and the New Orleans Cemeteries looked extremely intriguing. If you have more time in New Orleans, or if tours are your thing, we would recommend you check these out!