Mardi Gras Unlocked: Five Days Inside New Orleans

Arrive, settle in, and get your bearings. New Orleans has a way of grabbing your attention the moment you step outside — the smells, the sounds, the architecture — but tonight is about easing in, not keeping up. Your guide meets you for a Welcome Cocktail Hour to make introductions and set the tone for the week ahead. Think of it as the warmup act. Then it's off to dinner at a restaurant that will quietly set the standard for everything that follows over the next five days. The rest of the evening is yours. If the city is calling you, answer it! The nightlife here has earned its reputation. Or head back to the hotel, rest up, and save your energy. Day 2 has a full agenda (starting with beignets that have your name on them!).

Morning starts the right way: beignets and café au lait in the French Quarter, followed by a stroll with your guide through streets that have been surprising visitors for three centuries. You'll uncover the history, architecture, and colorful characters that shaped this city into what it is today. Consider it your orientation; the kind that actually sticks because it comes with the entertaining stories behind everything you're looking at. The afternoon is yours to do with as you please. Come evening, your guide rejoins you for a bespoke cocktail crawl through some of the French Quarter's best craft cocktail bars. Drinks are on your own so you can order exactly what you want rather than being locked into a set menu. Just show up thirsty. Dinner reservations are made on your behalf at a highly rated restaurant showcasing the world-class local cuisine this city has built its reputation on. Then it’s parade time! Floats the size of houses. Beads flying in every direction. Marching bands that make your chest vibrate. This is Mardi Gras, and tonight you're in the middle of it!

Take your morning slow. Breakfast at your own pace, no agenda until your guide picks things back up. Then it's time to see the city properly. Your guided tour moves through New Orleans' many distinct neighborhoods — each one its own world. The Garden District stops you in your tracks with its block after block of antebellum mansions. And yes, you'll visit one of those above-ground cemeteries and finally hear the real reason they're built that way. Hint: it has nothing to do with the water table. From there, the Magazine Street Foodie Tour takes over for a guided culinary walk through one of New Orleans' most beloved streets, with stops that cover everything from local institution dishes to hidden gems most visitors walk right past. Afterward, there will be free time on Magazine Street to peruse the upscale boutiques, funky independent shops, and some great watering holes if you need a reason to sit down. Browse, wander, or do absolutely nothing — it's your afternoon. Dinner tonight is your call. Pick the spot yourself or let us handle the reservation. Either way, no one is rushing you. The night is wide open. Tonight's parades are rolling, and Frenchmen Street's live music clubs and night art market are both worth your time. Pro tip: do both!

The morning and afternoon are entirely yours, and New Orleans will give you plenty of ways to fill them. A slow wander through the French Quarter. A long-overdue massage. A few hours inside the Smithsonian-quality National World War II Museum, which has stopped more than a few people in their tracks. Or a visit to Mardi Gras World, where you can get behind the curtain on the floats and artistry that make Carnival Season such a spectacle. Your guide knows this city deeply; just say what you're in the mood for, and they'll point you exactly where to go. Tonight is where things get interesting, and you get to choose your own adventure. Tonight's dinner is at a James Beard Award-winning restaurant that most visitors never find, such as Mosquito Supper Club or Frank Brigtsten's. These are the kind of places that regulars keep quietly to themselves, and the type of meal you'll still be talking about a year from now. Or, if you'd rather have your hands literally in the thick of it, roll up your sleeves for a hands-on Creole cooking class led by a fantastic local chef! Equally as entertaining as it is enlightening, you'll leave with new skills, a full stomach, and a set of tried-and-true New Orleans recipes to take with you.