A first-timer's guide to New Orleans

Dubbed “The Big Easy” for its freewheeling spirit, New Orleans has energy to spare. Take time to explore – each neighbourhood has its own story to tell, especially the legendary French Quarter. Let your emotions guide you as your ears enjoy Bourbon Street jazz and your palate tingles with spicy Cajun flavours.

When to go

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• In February and March, Mardi Gras is extravagant celebrating galore: parades and floats, flamboyant costumes and live music. Heritage Festival. It's an ideal time to be dancing in the streets!
• In April and May, the city comes alive with the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. It’s an ideal time to be dancing in the streets!

Where to stay

• The French Quarter: This iconic area never sleeps and has a unique atmosphere. 
• Marigny/Bywater: Adjacent to the French Quarter, this bohemian part of town is very trendy, featuring colourful Creole cottages and a vibrant arts scene. 
• Uptown/Carrollton: This district is known for magnificent homes, fabulous shopping and terrific dining along Magazine Street.

What to eat

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• Don't leave New Orleans without sampling gumbo (a thick seafood soup), jambalaya (a rice dish with meat or seafood and vegetables), shrimp po' boy (fried shrimp stuffed in a crusty baguette), charbroiled oysters at Drago's and turtle soup at Brennan's.

Getting around

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• On foot: Many streets are closed to cars. 
• Bicycle: The city is flat, making it easy to navigate. 
• Streetcar: This mode of transit is not exactly efficient, but oh-so-charming and redolent of a bygone era. Don’t miss the world’s oldest specimen, travelling along St. Charles Avenue.

What to do

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• Enjoy a lunch-and-jazz cruise on the Mississippi River aboard the steamboat Natchez.
• Take a nighttime voodoo-themed tour of New Orleans and its spookiest graveyards.
• Spend time on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter – a feast for ears and taste buds, by day or night. 
• Soak up the captivating music of Louisiana—jazz, zydeco, and blues—at the New Orleans Jazz Museum and Louis Armstrong Park.
• Learn how to use Cajun spices and cook alligator meat at the New Orleans School of Cooking

We love these locations

Cafe du Monde

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Where: 800 Decatur St.

The ultimate stop for hot beignets and chicory café au lait. 

City Park

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Where: 1 Palm Dr.

One of the oldest and largest parks in the country, with something for everyone: a botanical garden, 800-year-old oak trees, cafés, museums, rides for kids of all ages, a golf course, biking and walking paths, and more.

Preservation Hall

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Where: 726 Saint Peter St.

Traditional New Orleans jazz club, open nightly since 1961.

Laura Plantation

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Where: 2247 Highway 18

Our guide was fabulous and well-versed in the plantation's history and the family who lived there. The experience was engrossing, and it was less than an hour from the city. Excursions can be arranged if you don't have a car.

Bring a piece of New Orleans home

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• Mardi Gras souvenirs: masks as well as gold, green and purple bead necklaces 
• Cajun hot sauce and spices (like Joe’s Stuff from the New Orleans School of Cooking)
• A Bourbon Street sign
• Creole pralines

Content courtesy of CAA Quebec Magazine.