New Orleans is a fascinating, mesmerizing city with many things to see and explore. You could stay here for an entire week and never grow tired of the art, music, food, and culture. However, some of us can only afford to spend a couple of days in the city, trying to experience as much as we can. Fortunately, you can see most of the city’s essential attractions with this two-day itinerary in New Orleans.
Put on your walking shoes and prepare to explore one of the most culturally-rich cities in America. These are the must-sees and must-dos of New Orleans, cramped in 48 hours of excitement and fun.
Day 1
Grab a Beignet at Café du Monde
A beignet is a must-eat in New Orleans, a fried piece of dough with powdered sugar sprinkled on top — simple and perfect. So, for your first day in the city, head over to Café du Monde for the most famous beignets in the city. For decades, this timeless establishment has served classic and delicious beignets inside the French market. It is always packed with locals and visitors who want to taste authentic New Orleans food.
Grab a coffee to-go, nibble on your warm beignets, and start walking.
Explore the French Market
The French Market is where you will find the heart of New Orleans commerce. Walk around as you finish breakfast and watch the vendors go about their day. Cafés, food stands, small boutiques… Everything is mixed together in one of the most lively parts of the city.
This is a taste of the local and tourist worlds combined, and you will surely be entertained.
Take a Stroll Around Jackson Square
Jackson Square is the epicenter of Louisiana culture and action. To burn off those beignet calories, walk around the square and check out to the local artwork being sold by street vendors or even on the walls of some buildings. Many of these artists still use wood from the homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, so it is a piece of history and a beautifully painted portrait of the city.
Listen to live music at the square, talk to palm readers and fortune tellers about your future, and visit the beautiful Saint Louis Cathedral. The whole place has a bohemian European vibe, and it is the perfect way to be introduced to the culture of New Orleans.
Embark on a Food Tour
New Orleans’s cuisine is one of the reasons why it is one of the most famous cities in America. Once you feel like you’re ready to eat, prepare for a food tour that will take you to some of the most renowned food establishments in the city.
Devour Tours has some of the best food tours in New Orleans, where you get to taste classic Louisiana dishes and learn about their history and the history of the city as a whole. Be prepared to eat like a king (or queen), and embark on a unique and delicious gastronomic journey.
Walk Around the French Quarter
A complete New Orleans food tour will also take you to some of the most famous gastronomic spots around the french quarter. This is the most famous neighborhood of New Orleans, and you can definitely spend hours and days roaming its streets and discovering new things to do. So, wander down the colorful and magical streets of the city’s cultural hub for a few hours.
Explore art on the streets, colonial architecture, and vintage shops. Taste a hurricane or sazerac in one of the many bars around you. These two New Orleans creations have became worldly classics. Mingle with locals, learn about their history, and get recommendations on where to go next.
This is where you will find the true essence of New Orleans, so take it all in. Go shopping at Chartres Street and buy unique items for your wardrobe or home decor. Bring souvenirs for your loved ones too, we’re sure they’ll appreciate it.
Walk Down Bourbon Street for Drinks
Still in the French Quarter, find Bourbon Street, one of the most famous streets in New Orleans. This is where you’ll find the city’s renowned nightlife, bustling with bars, cocktails, lights, and live jazz.
Bourbon Street tends to get crowded with tourists, so it might not be a place to spend too much time. However, it is a must-see in New Orleans. So grab a drink at one of its many bars and experience the shenanigans for a while. Maybe you’ll even find some live jazz performances on the street.
Afterward, still in the French Quarter, grab a sit at one of the best restaurants in New Orleans for dinner. Taste authentic cajun food and watch how it blends well with European influences and modern cooking techniques. Finish off the day with a mouthwatering meal and a sazerac.
Day 2
Grab Breakfast at a Popular NOLA Venue
New Orleans proudly serves outstanding breakfasts. With a blend of creole dishes and modern brunch classics, many restaurants surprise customers with unique and delicious flavors. The best places to have breakfast in New Orleans will leave you wondering how you’ve spent your whole life without these flavors.
So, to kick start your second day in New Orleans, choose from one of these spots and grab a big and mouth-watering breakfast.
Visit a Historic Plantation
With a belly full of delicious food, prepare to drive for about 30 minutes to get to a historic plantation around New Orleans. You can either rent a car, get an uber, or even book a tour that will take you there by bus. Although you only have a few days in the city, this is an essential activity to learn more about the history of the city and Louisiana as a whole.
Learn about the dark history of slavery and how the American south lived off agricultural goods for over 200 years. The main plantations open to visitors are Oak Alley Plantation, Houmas House, and Laura Plantation. These places consist of colonial mansions, extensive plantation lands, and slave quarters from the 19th century.
Have a Po’Boy for Lunch
A po’boy is one of the most classic Louisiana dishes. It consists of a French baguette-like bread with lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, remoulade sauce, and some type of meat. The most famous po’boys are made with shrimp and other seafood, but you can find plenty of other proteins to make up your sandwich.
In New Orleans, there are many places you can get amazing po’boys, all serving authentic and traditional wonders. Some are sit-down restaurants, and others invite you to sit outside at a picnic table. What matters most is how delicious your lunch will be.
Magazine Street has some delicious po’boy restaurants, so it is an excellent destination for lunch. Also, you can explore the surrounding shops and art as you take a digestive walk around the block.
Take a Tour of the St Louis Cemetery
After lunch, tour one of the most famous cemeteries in America.
St Louis Cemetery is truly something unique. Since New Orleans is so close to the water, its first inhabitants had difficulty burying their dead underground. Because of that, they adopted the Spanish tradition of creating above-ground vaults decorated with statues and keeping ornate tombs inside.
St Louis Cemetery No. 1, the oldest of them all, can only be accessed with a guide, so make sure you book ahead and get a complete lesson on the history of New Orleans.
Visit the Garden District
Visiting the Garden District is just an excuse to grab the St Charles streetcar off Canal Street. Sure, the neighborhood has beautiful houses and a remarkable architectural style, but there’s something magical about sitting down after so much walking, observing the city as you move past its streets inside the 19th-century troller.
Go to a Jazz Club on Frenchmen Street
Frenchmen Street has jazz bars lining up left and right, where you will find some of the best performances in New Orleans. Jazz carries all the lively essence of New Orleans. Its history, flavors, and culture are all compacted into live music, transporting you to the past and future simultaneously.
Arrive a bit earlier and grab dinner at a restaurant nearby, exploring the wonders of Cajun food. Afterward, move down the street and find a club that appeals to you. The Spotted Cat is the most popular and is worth waiting in line by the door. Besides, bars like Three Muses and D.B.A. are popular and less crowded.
FAQs: New Orleans Trip Itinerary
Where are the best places to eat and drink in New Orleans?
As a food tour company, we’ve got you covered! Our local experts have put together articles on famous New Orleans restaurants, upscale restaurants, the best cocktail bars, the best bars in the French Quarter, and more. In addition to some of the more traditional local specialties, we also recommend trying Viet-Cajun food while you’re here.
Do you have any budget-friendly restaurant suggestions for New Orleans?
What are the top souvenirs to pick up in New Orleans?
No matter what time of year you’re visiting, we’ve got a guide to the very best New Orleans souvenirs for everyone on your list!
Camila has lived in New York for over six years. Writing about food, drinks, and travel, she has moved around the city gathering tales, flavors, and restaurant recommendations for her fellow explorers. A lover of bars and baos, Camila can introduce you to the most famous and best-kept secrets of New York!