2 Day New Orleans Itinerary
Two full days, split so you’re not crossing the city twice, with the Quarter and Garden District on day one and history and City Park on day two.
Two days in New Orleans is enough to properly do the French Quarter and the Garden District and still get to the WWII Museum and a real jazz night. Here’s how I’d split it, day by day.
The French Quarter & the Garden District
Start with beignets at Café du Monde, then Jackson Square and the St. Louis Cathedral before a wander down Royal Street’s galleries and antique shops. Ride the St. Charles Streetcar out to the Garden District for lunch, the mansions, and Lafayette Cemetery’s ornate above-ground tombs.
Head back into the Quarter for dinner and a Hurricane at Pat O’Brien’s, then Frenchmen Street for live jazz, the Spotted Cat and Blue Nile are both solid choices away from Bourbon Street’s tourist crush.
Afternoon The Garden District, Lafayette Cemetery
Evening Dinner, Pat O’Brien’s, live jazz on Frenchmen Street
History, Ghosts & City Park
Start at the National WWII Museum in the Warehouse District, one of the best-regarded museums of its kind in the country, allow at least a couple of hours. Follow with a guided tour of St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, New Orleans’ oldest cemetery and home to above-ground tombs unlike almost anywhere else in America, book ahead as walk-ins aren’t permitted.
Spend the afternoon in City Park, rent bikes, visit the Botanical Garden, or just walk beneath the live oaks. End the trip with a proper Creole dinner and, if the timing works, a spooky ghost or voodoo walking tour through the Quarter’s dimly lit alleys after dark.
Afternoon St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 (guided tour), City Park
Evening Dinner, a ghost or voodoo tour
Getting around across both days
The French Quarter itself is entirely walkable, and the St. Charles Streetcar covers the Garden District cheaply and efficiently, $1.25 a ride. A car works against you here, parking is limited and the streetcar or a short rideshare covers everything on this itinerary just as well.
If you only have time for one thing each day
Day one, make it Frenchmen Street for live jazz, this is New Orleans’ actual music scene, not the tourist version on Bourbon Street. Day two, make it the National WWII Museum, genuinely one of the best of its kind anywhere in the country.
That’s everything I’ve got.
A note before you plan around this: prices, opening hours, booking requirements and admission details in this guide were correct at the time of writing, but venues change these often and sometimes without notice. Always check directly with the attraction or its official website before you travel or build a schedule around a specific time or price.
Before travelling to any destination featured on this site, please also check your government’s latest travel advice, as safety situations, entry requirements and travel warnings can change.
