New Orleans. The Big Easy. Nawlins. NOLA. Whatever you choose to call it, New Orleans is famed for its reputation as one of the United States’ most unique cities: where culture meets cuisine, history meets hospitality, and the good times are always rolling. Admittedly, during my four days in New Orleans, I wasn’t able to experience everything the city has to offer. I was even more surprised to learn that most people spend an average of just 3 days in New Orleans. Crazy, right? If you’re pressed for time and looking to experience the highlights of New Orleans, I got you. This New Orleans itinerary showcases the best of the city. And if you have some extra time to explore, I’ve got you covered as well.

So, without further ado: three days in New Orleans…

New Orleans Itinerary: Day 1 in New Orleans

The French Quarter

You can’t visit New Orleans and not walk around the French Quarter, famed for its unique and historic architecture – namely, Spanish homes with wrought-iron balconies (Royal Street is where it’s at). And while this area is certainly not to be missed and totally worth the hype, do not make the mistake of spending your entire trip in the French Quarter. There’s so much more to the city than this area.

The French Quarter’s central attraction is Bourbon Street. Quiet during the day but especially rowdy at night, Bourbon Street channels some serious spring break frat party vibes: not cute when you aren’t in college anymore. So while it’s worth spending a little time on Bourbon Street to get a feel for it, you’re better off going elsewhere for a more low-key night out.

What is particularly noteworthy on Bourbon Street is New Orleans Musical Legends, a cozy park with live jazz music flowing daily. There’s outdoor seating available for you to enjoy the music and it’s connected to Café Beignet (the BEST beignets), if you’d like a snack along with your musical enjoyment.

Beignets

If you haven’t already snacked at Café Beignet at this point, then head over to the French Market District for your first snack of the day: beignets! Café du Monde is the most famous place to get ahold of some deep-fried sugary goodness, but the real MVP is actually Café Beignet. I know I’m likely going to get hate comments for this, but my friend and I both did side by side taste tests and agreed that Café Beignet’s version is lighter, fluffier and overall yummier. Don’t believe me? Get both and do a taste test for yourself! Accompany your beignets with a cup of local brew from PJ’s.

Louis Armstrong Park

Just outside of the French Quarter is Louis Armstrong Park, a public space honoring the jazz musician it was named after. Inside, there are iconic sites like Congo Square, a historic meeting place for slaves in the 1800s. There are also sculptures, a duck pond and plenty of green space where you can relax after spending your morning walking around the city.

Po’Boys

New Orleans has many quintessential dishes, but one of the most famous is po’boys. These hearty sandwiches are a Southern staple and with good reason – they’re delicious! The OG ones are typically made of seafood (namely, shrimp) and served in a baguette, but they come in a variety of flavors. Your po’boy experience should commence at Killer Po’Boys. What originally started as five flavors being served out of the back of the Erin Rose Bar has since expanded to its own storefront on Dauphine Street (although you can still visit the original, if you so wish). While I’m a personal fan of the shrimp po’boy, our group agreed that the BBQ chicken and beef debris deserve accolades as well.

Jackson Square and Surrounds

Take your food coma and march yourself over to Jackson Square for a healthy dose of New Orleans history. Jackson Square is the plaza where the final version of the Louisiana Purchase was signed (remember that from history class?). It’s also an excellent place to people watch and where a number of New Orleans’ historical landmarks like The St Louis Cathedral,  The Cabildo, and The Presbytère are located (with Preservation Hall and The Historic New Orleans Collection nearby). Tons of artists, musicians, and fortune tellers hang out in Jackson Square and in the spirit of disclosure, I spent most of my time here people-watching and eating beignets. However, if you want to be a little more cultured than I was, visit one or several of the above-mentioned landmarks for even more NOLA history.

Arnaud’s

By the time dinner time rolls around, you’ll be eager to sample even more of New Orleans’ delicious eats. What better place to do so than at Arnaud’s, one of New Orleans’ oldest restaurants? I’m not here to tell you what to order but I’m just going to say that even if you think you don’t like seafood, you won’t know for certain until you’ve sampled it in New Orleans. Because seriously, this is a city that knows how to do seafood right. At Arnaud’s, you can choose to eat either in the Jazz Bistro with live music or at the main dining room for a quieter experience.

The Jazz Playhouse

If you still have some energy left in you, head over to The Jazz Playhouse inside the Royal Sonesta Hotel for an evening of live music. The show usually starts around 8pm and admission is on a first come first serve basis, with a one drink minimum order. Inside, you’ll find an intimate and lively venue with a crowd of both locals and visitors alike. It gets crowded fast so be sure to arrive early.

New Orleans Itinerary: Day 2 in New Orleans

French Quarter / Central Business District

On your second day in the city, head back to the French Quarter and Central Business District and check out some of the activities you missed (It’s impossible to visit everything around Jackson Square in one day). You can also wander near the Mississippi River Front, check out the small but colorful Mardi Gras Museum, or get up close and personal with Voodoo at the Voodoo Spiritual Temple.

St. Charles Streetcar

Once you’re ready for lunch, dole out $1.25 at the St. Charles / Common stop and make your way to the Garden District, home to some of the city’s most impressive and iconic mansions. For $3, you can get unlimited rides for 24 hours. Not only is this streetcar the world’s oldest continuously operating street railway system, but it’s also a unique and inexpensive way to transport yourself throughout the city.

Commander’s Palace

Not far from one of the streetcar stops is The Commander’s Palace, an iconic New Orleans landmark that boasts award-winning cuisine. Here you can sample local eats such as turtle soup, crawfish, and fresh fish. The multi-course meal I had here was delicious, although I have to say that the turtle soup was a tad too salty for my liking. The Commander’s Palace does have a business attire / semi-formal dress code, so be sure to plan accordingly!

Garden District and Lafayette Cemetery

Commander’s Palace is located in the heart of The Garden District, so it’s a leisurely transition from lunch. I chose to do a tour of the Garden District and Lafayette Cemetery. It was fascinating to learn more about the history and symbolism behind the impressive mansions and decorated headstones and mausoleums. If you’d rather wander on your own, then check out this self-guided tour so you know what you’re looking at!

Magazine Street

Magazine Street is six miles long and runs through six different neighborhoods in New Orleans. In the Garden District area, it has tons of cute coffee shops and cafes, little boutique shops and of course, plenty of historic homes. You can actually follow the street all the way down to Audubon Park if you wish. If biking is your thing, rent a bike in the Garden District and go; this is the best way to explore from one end to the other.

Ghost Adventures Haunted Houses Tour

New Orleans has quite the cryptic and disturbing history, and you can learn all about it on the Ghost Adventures Haunted House Tour back in The French Quarter. Tours run twice every evening (5pm and 8pm) and include visits to the Lalaurie Mansion (where American Horror Story Coven was filmed), LaFitte’s Blacksmith Shop, and more. Our guide had plenty of creepy tales to share and clearly believed a lot of the ghost stories herself, which made it all the more fun. Our tour group was a little on the larger side, but otherwise, the experience was entertaining.

Frenchmen Street

Frenchmen Street is everything I imagined New Orleans to be: impromptu jazz performances on the street, people dancing along, and overall merriment. It’s known as the “locals’ Bourbon Street,” although now it’s popular even amongst tourists. Unfortunately, I didn’t spend nearly enough time here (with the exception of eating at Dat Dog, which was delicious) but I’ve heard great things about the music at The Spotted Cat. You can read an entire guide to this street alone here. It’s the best place to eat and end your second night in New Orleans.

New Orleans Itinerary: Day 3 in New Orleans

Honey Island Swamp Tour

While you could easily spend another day or two in the heart of the city, I recommend getting out to the countryside and seeing another part of Louisiana: the Bayou. Most swamp tours are located at least an hour outside of the center and offer round trip transport at an extra charge. We went with Cajun Encounters on a boat ride through the famous Honey Swamp. While on the tour, we spotted multiple (!!) alligators as well as several species of birds, raccoons, and more. Since it takes awhile to get to and from the tour and the tour itself is two hours long, I strongly recommend doing the first tour of the day so you can still take advantage of the afternoon to do something else.

For the remaining time of your third day in New Orleans, you have several options to choose from. If you have a car, you can be extra ambitious and try to hit up a plantation, although I don’t recommend that since the majority are an hour in the opposite direction from the city. If you’d prefer a more leisurely option, you can escape to one of the local parks (City Park or Audubon Park) not far outside of the Historic District. If you haven’t gotten your fill of jazz yet, you can do the Harbor Jazz Cruise on the Steamboat Natchez. I’ve listed more details on all the options below.

City Park or Audubon Park

Get your dose of nature at one of New Orleans’ two large parks. City Park is larger than Central Park in New York and is home to the New Orleans Museum of Art, as well as several gardens. Audubon Parkboasts the Audubon Zoo and is easily accessible by street car. Either way, both are excellent options for a relaxing afternoon. Picnic, anyone?

Natchez Steamboat Cruise

Take a two-hour boat ride along the Mississippi River complete with live jazz (and an optional meal) on an authentic steamboat. It’s a great way to see New Orleans from a different perspective and enjoy beautiful views of the city. Given that there are so many great eats in New Orleans, skip the lunch buffet and opt for food at one of the city’s iconic restaurants instead.

Whitney Plantation

Unless you have a car with you, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll be able to visit a plantation the same day as doing a swamp tour because they’re located far apart. However, if you do choose to do a plantation tour, choose Whitney Plantation, the only plantation museum in Louisiana with a focus on slavery. Unfortunately, I did not do my research and visited a different plantation house and was incredibly disappointed that they didn’t address slavery whatsoever. Although I didn’t visit Whitney Plantation personally, it comes highly recommended from several local sources.

Lunch and dinner options will vary depending on where you choose to go on this day but be sure to get your fill of good New Orleans eats such as fried chicken, soft shell crab, etouffee, gumbo and jambalaya.

*Note: If you plan on spending four days in New Orleans, I recommend doing a plantation tour during the day then choosing another activity to do in the afternoon / evening. Again, your schedule will largely depend on what you’re interested in seeing and what you do on day three.

Getting Around New Orleans

With the exception of the swamp and plantation tours, the majority of places in New Orleans are relatively close together so getting around is pretty painless. Most neighborhoods are walkable. Your transportation options are as follows:

Streetcar

The streetcar system has several routes and costs $3 for unlimited rides for 24 hours – truly a steal! The St. Charles route should take you to the majority of places you’d like to go.

Bike

Since the majority of things to do and see in New Orleans are within a ten-mile radius, biking is a relatively simple way to get around the city. Weather in New Orleans can be extreme, so this option is largely dependent on what time of year you visit.

Hop On, Hop Off Tour

Depending on just how pressed you are for time (if you have two days in New Orleans or just can’t be bothered to figure out transit maps), then the three day hop on hop off pass is a good bet. You get a healthy dose of history and convenient stops at the majority of the tourist attractions.

Uber

Uber is reasonably priced but can add up quickly if you use it as your primary method of transportation. If you follow the above itinerary, you likely won’t need to use it very often.

Where to stay in New Orleans

I stayed at the New Orleans Downton Marriott at the Convention Center, which was about a 25 minute walk to the French Quarter. In retrospect, the New Orleans Marriott would have been a better option, since it’s closer. No matter where you choose, the best strategy is to be close to the French Quarter but far enough away that you don’t have to deal with the rowdiness that is Bourbon Street. Apparently the noise is palpable.

There you have it, the perfect New Orleans Itinerary for three days in New Orleans. There’s honestly SO much to do and see in the city and if you can stay for four or five days instead, you’ll be able to see a lot more without feeling rushed. New Orleans is by far one of the most unique cities I’ve visited in the United States, and I’m sure I’ll be back for a visit in the near future. Until then, “Laissez les bons temps rouler!” (“Let the good times roll!”).