5 days in New Orleans

Day by day

1. Day 1: Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral

   Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral and Café du Monde and the French Market, then Bourbon Street in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Jackson Square

      Climb up to the Moonwalk riverfront promenade opposite the square for a view of the Mississippi and the cathedral together. (45 minutes, free).

   2. Late morning

      St. Louis Cathedral

      Walk round to St. Anthony's Garden behind the cathedral on Royal Street after dark, when the floodlit statue of Christ casts a giant shadow on the back wall. (30 minutes, free).

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Beignets

      Café du Monde at the French Market, serving them since 1862, and Café Beignet on Royal and Bourbon streets.

   4. Afternoon

      Café du Monde and the French Market

      Table queues build by mid-morning; the takeaway window round the side usually moves faster. Avoid wearing black. (1 hour, low cost).

   5. Evening

      Bourbon Street

      See it once early in the evening, then head to Frenchmen Street for better live music.

2. Day 2: Frenchmen Street and The National WWII Museum

   Frenchmen Street, The National WWII Museum and St. Charles streetcar, then Preservation Hall in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Frenchmen Street

      Carry small bills for the band's tip bucket and a one-drink minimum, wander between clubs and stay where the music grabs you. (An evening, free).

   2. Late morning

      The National WWII Museum

      Allow at least five hours, and see the film early in the day before museum fatigue sets in. (Full day, mid-priced).

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Gumbo

      Almost every Creole restaurant; Dooky Chase's in Tremé is known for its gumbo z'herbes, a green gumbo served on Holy Thursday.

   4. Afternoon

      St. Charles streetcar

      Ride out to Audubon Park, walk through to the zoo or the river, and come back at dusk; have exact change or a pass in the Le Pass app. (About 45 minutes each way, low cost).

   5. Evening

      Preservation Hall

      Stand near the front for the closest view of the band; sets are about 45 minutes, so it fits before a late dinner.

3. Day 3: Steamboat Natchez river cruise and Audubon Aquarium

   Steamboat Natchez river cruise, Audubon Aquarium and The Cabildo, then Frenchmen Street in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Steamboat Natchez river cruise

      Go below deck during the cruise to watch the steam engines working. (2 hours, mid-priced).

   2. Late morning

      Audubon Aquarium

      Combine it with the riverfront walk and the Canal Street ferry to Algiers Point. (2 hours, mid-priced).

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Jambalaya

      Creole and Cajun restaurants across the city, and food stalls at Jazz Fest and French Quarter Festival.

   4. Afternoon

      The Cabildo

      Pair it with the Presbytère on the other side of the cathedral, which has exhibitions on Mardi Gras and on Hurricane Katrina. (1.5 hours, low cost).

   5. Evening

      Frenchmen Street

      The best concentration of live-music clubs, with jazz, brass and funk from late afternoon into the small hours.

4. Day 4: Day trip to Whitney Plantation

   About 1 hour by car each way. Getting there: Car or guided tour.

   1. Morning

      Travel to Whitney Plantation

      About 1 hour by car (Car or guided tour); about 80 km.

   2. Day

      Whitney Plantation

      On River Road in Wallace, the Whitney is a museum dedicated to the lives of the enslaved people who worked Louisiana's sugar plantations, told through memorials, first-person testimony and preserved buildings. Best for culture.

   3. Evening

      Back in New Orleans

      Dinner: try Po'boy.

5. Day 5: Garden District walk and St. Louis Cemetery No. 1

   Garden District walk, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 and City Park and NOMA Sculpture Garden, then Bourbon Street in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Garden District walk

      Start from the Washington Avenue streetcar stop and finish with lunch or shopping on Magazine Street. (2 hours, free).

   2. Late morning

      St. Louis Cemetery No. 1

      Never draw marks on the tombs; despite the old legend, it is vandalism and damages the plaster. (1 hour, mid-priced).

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Po'boy

      Parkway Bakery & Tavern in Mid-City, Domilise's Uptown and Johnny's Po-Boys in the French Quarter.

   4. Afternoon

      City Park and NOMA Sculpture Garden

      Take the Canal streetcar's City Park/Museum branch to the end of the line, which stops at the museum steps. (Half a day, free).

   5. Evening

      Bourbon Street

      Neon, cover bands, daiquiris and balcony parties, busiest at weekends and during festivals.

Before you go

Reserve timed tickets for Preservation Hall and St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 before you travel; the rest of this plan needs no advance booking.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 5 nights, French Quarter keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Faubourg Marigny ($$) suits nightlife, solo travellers and budget. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 24–29 hours of visiting over 5 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10.2 hours in December to 14.1 hours in June.

More or fewer days

• One day in New Orleans
• 2 days in New Orleans
• 3 days in New Orleans
• 4 days in New Orleans
• 7 days in New Orleans

Questions travellers ask