A self-guided dessert tour through classic beignets, praline-filled dough, century-old Sicilian pastry, and the new generation of New Orleans artisan baking.
5Stops
8–10 milesTotal distance
40–50 minutesTravel time
About 3.5–4 hoursExperience
Established and Evolving
The Sweet Story of New Orleans
New Orleans’ dessert story has been shaped by generations of people bringing their recipes and traditions to the city. Follow the Dough connects five stops that reveal those layers—from the classic powdered-sugar beignet and Loretta Harrison’s praline-filled innovation to century-old Sicilian pastry and a new generation of bakers interpreting New Orleans through laminated dough, local ingredients, and global flavors.
Itinerary for Your Self-Guided Tour
Follow the Dough through New Orleans
New Orleans - Follow the Dough through New Orleans and taste a dessert story shaped by migration, family recipes, resilience, and reinvention. From naturally leavened pastry and century-old Sicilian cannoli to praline-filled beignets and the city’s classic powdered-sugar finish, these five stops reveal some of the cultures and bakers behind New Orleans’ sweet side.
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Choose a date for your self-guided tour, add it to your calendar, and check in as you visit. Check in at any 3 tour stops to unlock your New Orleans Follow the Dough badge.
Plan your visit
Choose when you want to go, then save the tour to the calendar you already use. Your event will include the tour link, starting stop, estimated duration, and a reminder to verify current hours.
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Visit any 3 tour stopsUse the Check In button on the corresponding bakery card when you arrive. You can keep exploring after your badge is earned.
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Unlock your city badgeCheck in at any 3 tour stops, then save or share your badge with your favorite tour photos. Visit all 5 stops if you want to complete the full tour.
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Plan Your Tour
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Choose where to begin, remove stops you do not plan to visit, or change the order using the arrow controls. The numbered map updates instantly.
Know Before You Go
Tour Tips
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Best time to begin
Begin around 9:00 AM, Thursday through Sunday, for the full five-stop experience. Levee Baking Co. currently closes at 1:00 PM, so an early start gives you time to enjoy its pastry selection before continuing through Mid-City, the Marigny, and the French Quarter.
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Cost guidance
Plan to spend about $5–$15 per person at most stops. Sharing pastries is highly recommended—the tour includes five stops, and New Orleans portions have a way of catching up with you.
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Parking
The tour moves from Magazine Street through Mid-City and the Marigny before finishing in the French Quarter. Plan to drive or rideshare between the first three areas, then park once for the final French Market stops. Loretta’s French Market stall and Café Du Monde are close enough to enjoy on foot, and walking the final portion lets you finish the tour inside the historic heart of the city.
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Accessibility
Accessibility, seating, and parking vary significantly across the tour. Visitors who need specific accommodations should confirm entrances, seating, restrooms, and parking directly with each business. The French Quarter also includes historic sidewalks, curbs, uneven surfaces, and crowded pedestrian areas that may require additional planning.
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More tour tips
• Start early. Levee is currently open only Thursday through Sunday from 8 AM–1 PM.
• Share along the way. Two stops feature beignets, but they tell completely different stories: Loretta's praline-filled version is an innovation built around New Orleans praline culture, while Café Du Monde represents the classic powdered-sugar style.
• Save the French Quarter for last. Loretta's French Market location and the original Café Du Monde create an easy walking finish.
• At Angelo Brocato, choose the cannoli. It connects most directly to the Sicilian techniques Angelo Brocato learned in Palermo.
• At Ayu, embrace the rotating menu. Seeing what is available is part of the experience.
• Dong Phuong deserves a spot in the tour. So, if you're visiting during Carnival season or simply want a deeper look at Vietnamese New Orleans, add the New Orleans East bakery as a separate Worth the Drive stop.
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Keep Exploring New Orleans
Browse every bakery and baked dessert destination in New Orleans, including places beyond this self-guided tour.
