New Orleans 3-Day Itinerary

New Orleans runs late and eats well, so plan light mornings, long lunches and big nights. This plan keeps each day to one part of the city.

Day 1: The French Quarter

Start with beignets at Café du Monde, then follow our French Quarter walking route through Jackson Square, the riverfront and the quiet lower Quarter. Have a po'boy or muffuletta for lunch. In the afternoon, visit the Historic New Orleans Collection, then catch an early set at Preservation Hall. Dinner at one of the old Creole restaurants, then Frenchmen Street for music.

Day 2: The Garden District and the WWII Museum

Ride the St. Charles streetcar to the Garden District in the morning and walk among the mansions. Have lunch on Magazine Street. Spend the afternoon at the National WWII Museum in the Warehouse District, which needs at least three hours. In the evening, eat in the Warehouse District or head Uptown to Tipitina's or the Maple Leaf for live music.

Day 3: Swamps or the city

Choose one. Take a morning swamp tour, with hotel pick-up, to see alligators in the bayous, or go upriver to the Whitney Plantation. Or stay in town: take the Canal streetcar to City Park and the New Orleans Museum of Art, then cross the river on the Algiers ferry for the skyline at sunset. If it's Sunday, find a second line. Finish with a Sazerac.

With more time

Add Tremé and the Backstreet Cultural Museum, a jazz brunch, or a drive into Cajun country. Our food guide has plenty of reasons to stay longer.