Itinerary · New Orleans · United States
One day in New Orleans
A day-by-day plan grouped by neighbourhood, so you spend your time seeing New Orleans, not crossing it.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: John Durkin, Public domain
Quick answer
One day is a taster: the plan below covers the essentials, but most visitors want 4. Day 1: Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral. Base yourself in French Quarter.
Key facts
- Days
- 1
- Sights covered
- 5
- Day trips
- None
- Best base
- French Quarter
- Book ahead
- Nothing essential
Day by day
Day 1: Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral
Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral, Café du Monde and the French Market and Bourbon Street, then Frenchmen Street in the evening.
Morning
Jackson Square
Climb up to the Moonwalk riverfront promenade opposite the square for a view of the Mississippi and the cathedral together. Allow 45 minutes.
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. Allow 30 minutes.
Lunch
Lunch: Beignets
Café du Monde at the French Market, serving them since 1862, and Café Beignet on Royal and Bourbon streets.
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. Allow 1 hour.
Late afternoon
Bourbon Street
See it once early in the evening, then head to Frenchmen Street for better live music. Allow 1–2 hours.
Evening
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.
Before you go
If it rains
- Swap in The Cabildo (French Quarter): Pair it with the Presbytère on the other side of the cathedral, which has exhibitions on Mardi Gras and on Hurricane Katrina.
- Swap in The National WWII Museum (Warehouse District): Allow at least five hours, and see the film early in the day before museum fatigue sets in.
- Swap in Audubon Aquarium (Riverfront): Combine it with the riverfront walk and the Canal Street ferry to Algiers Point.
Where to stay for this itinerary
$$$ · Best for first-timers, nightlife, couples and culture
French Quarter
Cast-iron balconies, Jackson Square, Royal Street galleries and Bourbon Street's bars
Pace and daylight
The sights in this plan add up to roughly 5–7 hours of visiting over one day, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10.2 hours in December to 14.1 hours in June.
Getting between stops: Tram. The St.
More or fewer days
Questions travellers ask
+Is one day enough in New Orleans?
One day is a taster: the plan below covers the essentials, but most visitors want 4. How many days New Orleans needs.