How many days in New Orleans? Plans for 1–5 days

New Orleans is unlike any other American city: French and Spanish colonial history, Creole cooking, brass bands in the streets and wrought-iron balconies above the lanes of the French Quarter. The city is compact; the old town and the music clubs of the Marigny are walkable, and the historic St. Charles streetcar rolls out to the mansions of the Garden District. The short answer: 2 days for the essentials, 3 days are ideal, and from 4 days a swamp tour or the plantations on the Mississippi fit in.

How many days in New Orleans? The overview

Plan around the calendar: during Mardi Gras in February or March and the big music festivals in spring, the city is full and hotels are expensive. From June to November it is hurricane season, and summer is hot and very humid.

One day in New Orleans: the French Quarter and Frenchmen Street

The day begins on Jackson Square, the old parade ground, framed by St. Louis Cathedral, the Cabildo, where the Louisiana Purchase was formally completed in 1803, and the Presbytère. From there, walk along the river to the French Market, then through the lanes of the French Quarter: Royal Street with its galleries, antique shops and street musicians is quieter and more beautiful than the famous Bourbon Street one block away. In the evening, cross into the Marigny to Frenchmen Street, where the music clubs are packed side by side.

This is the first day of our three-day plan, and it works on its own.

Two days in New Orleans: by streetcar to the Garden District

On the second day, take the St. Charles streetcar, in service since the 19th century, up St. Charles Avenue under the oak trees. Get off in the Garden District, with its antebellum mansions and the Lafayette Cemetery, then walk along Magazine Street, lined with shops and cafés. The line continues to Audubon Park and the universities. Before or after, the National WWII Museum in the Warehouse District is one of the city's most visited sights and easily fills half a day.

Tickets for museums and walking tours in New Orleans^* are on Tiqets; if you plan several paid sights, compare a city pass for New Orleans^* (Go City) first.

Three days in New Orleans: the ideal length

Three days are right for a first visit. Our ready-made plan divides the city like this:

• Day 1 – the French Quarter and Frenchmen Street: Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral, the Cabildo, the French Market, Royal Street, Frenchmen Street.
• Day 2 – by streetcar to the Garden District: National WWII Museum, St. Charles streetcar, Magazine Street, Garden District, Audubon Park.
• Day 3 – Tremé, City Park and Esplanade Avenue: Louis Armstrong Park and Congo Square in Tremé, where enslaved Africans gathered for music and dance on Sundays; City Park with the New Orleans Museum of Art and its sculpture garden; a walk along Bayou St. John and back down Esplanade Avenue with its Creole mansions.

Four days or more: swamps, plantations and Cajun country

From the fourth day, leave the city. A swamp tour by boat through the bayous south and west of New Orleans shows cypress forests, herons and alligators. Along the River Road on the Mississippi lie the former plantations; some, like the Whitney Plantation, focus on the lives of the enslaved people who worked there. With five days or more, continue west to Cajun country around Lafayette, known for its music and food. For the swamps and plantations, a day tour from New Orleans^* (Klook) usually includes the transfer.

Where to stay in New Orleans

Three areas suit a short stay:

• French Quarter: right in the historic centre, with everything on foot. Around Bourbon Street it is loud at night, while the streets at the lower end are quieter.
• Faubourg Marigny: colourful wooden houses next to the French Quarter, close to the music on Frenchmen Street. A little more relaxed than the old town.
• Garden District: quiet streets of old mansions and guesthouses, right on the St. Charles streetcar and a few minutes from the centre.

The RTA runs the streetcars and buses. At night, stick to busy, well-lit streets and take a taxi for longer distances. Visitors from Visa Waiver countries need an approved ESTA; a travel eSIM for the USA^* (Airalo) is usually much cheaper than roaming, and our eSIM price index compares prices per gigabyte.

Best time to visit New Orleans

Averages 2015–2024 from the ERA5 reanalysis (via Open-Meteo), rounded.

The most pleasant months are February to April and November, with 19 to 25 °C by day – spring is also festival season. October, at 26 °C, is warm but drier than the summer months. From June to September, days reach 29 to 31 °C, nights hardly cool below 24 °C, the humidity is high and afternoon thunderstorms are common; August is the wettest month. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June to November, according to NOAA – keep an eye on the forecasts if you travel then. Winter is mild, at 17 to 19 °C by day.

New Orleans compared: how many days for other cities?

In this series we recommend three days for New Orleans and four to five each for Miami and Chicago – more in how many days in Miami and how many days in Chicago, and all cities of the series in the overview how many days in each city.

How YesTrip helps you plan

YesTrip has a ready-made three-day plan for New Orleans with times, short walks and a map for each day. With one tap you copy it into the app, then move stops, drop what does not interest you and add your hotel or a swamp tour. The app shows the weather for your travel days, the packing list suggests light clothes and a rain jacket for the humid months and the adapter for US plugs, and with the offline package you have the map without a connection. YesTrip is free.

New Orleans trip planDay by day, with map and tips

* Ad – Partner link: if you book there, we earn a commission. Your price stays the same.