Spend 3 days in New Orleans with us
June 27 – July 1, 2025
📍Location: New Orleans, Louisiana 🏕️Campground: KOA New Orleans
Welcome to NOLA, which stands for New Orleans, Louisiana, aka the Big Easy, which in turn stands for southern serenity. And we can absolutely confirm it! When you enter the city, you immerse yourself in a colorful, loud world of jazz, southern cuisine, all-day-long cocktails, and a true celebration of life. Street performers, young and old, amateur and professional, pull out their instruments and share their art with the crowds of tourists. There is no other city quite like New Orleans, and it is an absolute must-visit!
New Orleans captivates with its flair and the beautiful blend of cultures that come together here on the Mississippi, the longest river in North America. Seven days a week, there is something for everyone: countless bars, clubs, museums, and endless shopping, alongside culinary and historical offerings from the times of French, Spanish, and African occupation.
The city celebrates an average of around 400 festivals a year. One of the best known is Mardi Gras (a masked carnival very similar to our Swiss Fasnacht!), which lasts for roughly a month and a half from February to March. Mardi Gras translates to "Fat Tuesday", the day before Ash Wednesday, when people eat fatty, indulgent foods one last time before the fasting period of Lent begins.
Day 1 - First Impressions and the Garden District
If, like us, you visit New Orleans for the first time, we highly recommend grabbing a three-day HoHo bus ticket (hop-on hop-off). It proved to be the absolute best way to hit all the city's hot spots of the city, learn some history, and easily transport ourselves between the famous districts.
You will likely be advised to start your day at Café du Monde, famous for its iconic beignets and coffee. Yes, it is incredibly popular, and the line to get a table is usually insane. But for a first impression? Totally worth it! To avoid the massive line, we simply grabbed our iced coffee and beignets to go, enjoying a mini breakfast while waiting for our HoHo bus.
The first major stop was highly unusual and probably one of the spookiest excursions: a tour of St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. The cemetery here is entirely different from what we are used to. Because New Orleans is situated approximately 6 meters below sea level, all the graves are elevated in above-ground tombs to protect the dead from flooding. You will find large family and community graves dating back to the 18th century (housing unknown musicians, military personnel, and early European immigrants) right alongside modern burials. Probably the most famous tomb here is a large pyramid purchased by actor Nicolas Cage for his future use—though its unusual shape means it occasionally gets struck by lightning!
Our tour guide herself looked incredibly mystical. With her dark skin and bright blue eyes, she beautifully embodied the Creole culture that shaped New Orleans just as much as the French did. She shared fascinating stories about Voodoo and its practitioners, like the famous Marie Laveau, who is also buried in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. Voodoo plays an important role in the city's culture to this day and was the most significant religion here 300 years ago. People still visit Laveau's grave to leave offerings—like coins, candles, and Mardi Gras beads—in hopes that she will grant them a favor.
Booking a three-day Hop-on-Hop-off ticket usually includes two additional walking tours in the city's most famous districts: French Quarter and the Garden District. For our first day, we chose the Garden District.
The bus makes several stops along Magazine Street, which is packed with beautiful art galleries, clothing boutiques, souvenir shops, and incredible restaurants. We chose a lunch spot based on a tip from our bus driver and did not regret it. At Joey K's Restaurant & Bar, you get all traditional Louisiana dishes for a very modest price. We ordered Po-Boys (a classic sandwich originally prepared as a cheap, hearty meal for working-class "poor boys"), accompanied by red beans & rice and Jambalaya (a richly seasoned Creole rice dish).
And of course, a cocktail is a must with any dish! In New Orleans, daytime drinking is widespread and totally permitted: everywhere, every day, and in every form. Many bars serve drinks in plastic "go-cups" so that you can easily take your sip with you onto the street. We heard that the very first cocktail as we know it today was invented right here in New Orleans, so they definitely know what they're doing—and they certainly do not skimp on the alcohol!
Our Garden District walking tour was led by a highly theatrical guide named Colin. With passion, he took us through one of the oldest residential neighborhoods in the U.S. He showed us lavish 18th-century mansions and massive 170-year-old live oak trees rising out of the sidewalks. All of these have a strictly protected status, meaning everything else has to give way to them. As a result, the sidewalks are completely covered in sprawling roots and are beautifully uneven.
Day 2 - The French Quarter
We dedicated our second day entirely to the famous French Quarter. Between a walking tour by day and a bar crawl by night, we experienced a bit of everything.
The French Quarter stretches across 6 x 13 block radius. It was originally built entirely of wood by French immigrants in the 18th century, featuring typical high French windows. Unfortunately, it was later destroyed by a massive fire and rebuilt during the Spanish colonial era using brick. That Spanish architecture influence is a huge part of why it remains so charming 250 years later.
We absolutely had to walk down the infamous Bourbon Street, which transitions into a lively pedestrian-only zone in the evenings. Truthfully? The street—which parties 365 days a year—did not impress us quite as much as we had hoped. The drinks are expensive, the crowds can get pretty wild, and the loud mix of music isn't always so enchanting to the ears. However, given the sheer number of venues, you can still find a cozy bar playing soothing Louisiana R&B or relaxing blues. The highlight of our evening actually belonged to a street artist who poured his absolute soul into his performance for the crowd.
Day 3 - Natchez Steamboat and All That Jazz
We saved a truly exciting experience for our third and final day in NOLA. As soon as we boarded the Natchez Steamboat and the jazz band began their set, we felt instantly transported back to the 1920s.
This traditional steamboat was modeled after the original "New Orleans" from 1812 and officially went into service in 1975. While the ship itself is celebrating its 50th birthday, the steam engine powering it is actually over 100 years old! During the cruise, you can visit the engine room to watch the antique steam engine driving the massive paddle wheel. The ship also features a souvenir shop, several bars pouring classic NOLA cocktails, and a dining room for those who book a lunch, dinner, or Sunday brunch ticket. Right in the middle of our Mississippi river cruise, a thunderstorm rolled in, so we were perfectly happy to post up in the Captain's Salon bar to sample a few more cocktails.
We ended our visit to New Orleans in an enchanting way. Using our trusty HoHo bus and guided by another enthusiastic young local, we headed back to or favorite spot in the city: the Garden District. We enjoyed an excellent, healthy lunch at a Caribbean restaurant called The Rum House (the food is fantastic!) and bought our last souvenirs in a cute artisan shop called Fleurty Girl.
We will remember this vibrant city for a very long time!
TACTICS FROM THE ROAD ➡️Skip the City Stress: There is no need to drag your rig into the stress of tight city traffic. We found the perfect solution just outside the city: the New Orleans KOA. You get the reliable KOA chain standards, full hookups, nice amenities, and incredibly friendly staff who will happily give you city information and even book tours for you. ➡️ Leave the Truck Behind: Parking in the city can get tricky and expensive. We used the KOA's convenient shuttle service. They drop guests in the city every morning and pick them up in the afternoon (if you are planning a late night out on Bourbon Street, just grab an Uber back!). ➡️ Get the 3-day HoHo Pass: The Hop-On-Hop-Off buss is absolutely the best way to get your bearings, learn the history, and easily commute between the district neighborhoods. ➡️ Ride the Natchez Steamboat: A cruise on the Mississippi with live jazz music is a must. You can opt to just do the historic sightseeing tour, or upgrade to combine it with a meal. ➡️ Dine in the Garden District: When it comes for food, we definitely recommend the Garden District over the French Quarter. The variety and quality are generally much better, and the prices are noticeably lower.
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