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New Orleans
Photo: Justin Watt · Public domain

7 Days · in New Orleans

Seven Days in New Orleans: The Complete City Itinerary

A full week lets you experience New Orleans the way residents do, blending marquee sights with slower neighborhood days. The first five days cover the French Quarter, the Garden District and Uptown, City Park and Mid-City, historic Tremé, and the creative Marigny and Bywater. Days six and seven then reach the National WWII Museum, the Warehouse District's galleries, the Mississippi riverfront, and a ferry ride to Algiers Point. You'll eat across the city's signature traditions, gumbo, po-boys, beignets, and crawfish, and see its music, architecture, and green spaces. Each day stays geographically tight, so a week feels immersive rather than exhausting.

7 days
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Day 01

The French Quarter & the River

Jackson Square, the French Market, beignets, and Royal Street galleries.

  1. Morning

    Jackson Square & St. Louis Cathedral

    Start at Jackson Square beneath the spires of St. Louis Cathedral before crowds gather, the perfect orientation to the old city.

  2. Late Morning

    The Cabildo

    Spend an hour at this Louisiana State Museum building on the square, where the Louisiana Purchase transfer was signed.

  3. Lunch

    Café du Monde

    Order beignets and café au lait at the original French Market stand, dusted in powdered sugar and open around the clock.

  4. Afternoon

    French Market & Royal Street

    Browse the open-air French Market, then wander Royal Street past antique shops and galleries.

  5. Late Afternoon

    The Presbytère

    Step into the Presbytère for its Mardi Gras and Hurricane Katrina exhibits, right beside the cathedral.

  6. Evening

    French Quarter dinner

    Close with a classic Creole dinner at a Quarter institution, then hear live music drift from the bars along Bourbon and Frenchmen.

Day 02

Garden District & Uptown

The St. Charles streetcar, grand mansions, Magazine Street, and Audubon Park.

  1. Morning

    St. Charles Streetcar

    Ride the historic green streetcar up St. Charles Avenue beneath a canopy of live oaks toward the Garden District.

  2. Late Morning

    Garden District mansions

    Walk the leafy blocks around Prytania and First streets to admire antebellum and Victorian mansions.

  3. Lunch

    Commander's Palace

    Lunch at Commander's Palace on Washington Avenue, a turquoise landmark famous for its jazz brunch and turtle soup.

  4. Afternoon

    Magazine Street

    Shop the boutiques, bookstores, and cafés lining Magazine Street's six-mile stretch of local businesses.

  5. Late Afternoon

    Audubon Park

    Stroll Audubon Park's oak-lined paths and lagoon across from Tulane and Loyola universities.

  6. Evening

    Uptown dinner

    Dine Uptown, with options from neighborhood po-boy joints to refined Creole rooms along Magazine and Freret.

Day 03

City Park & Mid-City

An art museum, a sculpture garden, ancient oaks, and a classic po-boy.

  1. Morning

    New Orleans Museum of Art

    Explore NOMA's collection of French, African, and American art inside City Park's Beaux-Arts building.

  2. Late Morning

    Besthoff Sculpture Garden

    Wander the adjacent Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden among lagoons, moss, and modern sculpture.

  3. Lunch

    Parkway Bakery & Tavern

    Grab a dressed roast beef or shrimp po-boy at Parkway, a Mid-City institution since 1911.

  4. Afternoon

    Bayou St. John

    Walk or bike along Bayou St. John past historic Creole cottages and the water's calm bends.

  5. Late Afternoon

    City Park's oaks & Big Lake

    Return to City Park to see some of the world's oldest live oaks and stroll around Big Lake.

  6. Evening

    Mid-City dinner

    Dine in Mid-City along Carrollton and Canal, home to relaxed neighborhood restaurants and cocktail bars.

Day 04

Tremé & Esplanade

Congo Square, cultural museums, Creole soul food, and a cemetery tour.

  1. Morning

    Louis Armstrong Park & Congo Square

    Enter Louis Armstrong Park to stand in Congo Square, the birthplace of many of the city's musical traditions.

  2. Late Morning

    Backstreet Cultural Museum

    Visit this small Tremé museum devoted to Mardi Gras Indians, social aid clubs, and jazz funerals.

  3. Lunch

    Dooky Chase's Restaurant

    Lunch at Dooky Chase's on Orleans Avenue, Leah Chase's landmark of Creole cooking and civil rights history.

  4. Afternoon

    St. Louis Cemetery No. 1

    Join a licensed tour of the city's oldest cemetery to see its above-ground tombs on Basin Street.

  5. Late Afternoon

    Esplanade Avenue

    Walk shaded Esplanade Avenue past grand Creole mansions linking the Quarter to City Park.

  6. Evening

    Tremé jazz dinner

    End with dinner and live brass or traditional jazz at a Tremé club steeped in the neighborhood's sound.

Day 05

The Marigny & Bywater

Riverside parks, vivid street art, casual eats, and Frenchmen Street music.

  1. Morning

    Crescent Park

    Start along Crescent Park's riverfront promenade for skyline and Mississippi views from the arched Rusty Rainbow bridge.

  2. Late Morning

    Bywater street art

    Wander Bywater's colorful shotgun houses and murals, including the vast works at Studio BE.

  3. Lunch

    The Joint

    Grab smoked ribs and brisket at The Joint, a beloved Bywater barbecue spot on Mazant Street.

  4. Afternoon

    Faubourg Marigny

    Stroll the Marigny's tidy Creole cottages and side streets, one of the city's oldest surviving neighborhoods.

  5. Late Afternoon

    Bacchanal Fine Wine & Spirits

    Relax in Bacchanal's backyard with wine, small plates, and live music in the late afternoon light.

  6. Evening

    Frenchmen Street

    Cap the day club-hopping along Frenchmen Street, from The Spotted Cat to d.b.a., the locals' answer to Bourbon.

Day 06

CBD & the Warehouse District

A world-class war museum, Southern art, riverfront strolls, and top dining.

  1. Morning

    The National WWII Museum

    Devote the morning to this expansive museum, consistently ranked among the country's best, with immersive galleries and personal stories.

  2. Lunch

    Cochon

    Lunch at Cochon on Tchoupitoulas, chef Donald Link's celebration of rustic Cajun cooking and house-cured meats.

  3. Afternoon

    Ogden Museum of Southern Art

    Explore the Ogden's five floors devoted to art of the American South, a short walk from the WWII Museum.

  4. Late Afternoon

    Woldenberg Riverfront Park

    Walk the Woldenberg Park promenade along the Mississippi as riverboats and freighters pass by.

  5. Evening

    Warehouse District dinner

    Book dinner in the Warehouse District, home to some of the city's most ambitious kitchens along Fulton and Julia.

Day 07

Algiers Point, the River & Farewell

A ferry across the Mississippi, a riverboat cruise, and flexible time for favorites.

  1. Morning

    Canal Street Ferry to Algiers Point

    Ride the ferry across the Mississippi to Algiers Point, a quiet historic enclave of pastel Creole and Victorian homes.

  2. Late Morning

    Algiers Point levee walk

    Walk the Algiers levee for one of the finest skyline views of the French Quarter across the water.

  3. Lunch

    Algiers Point cafés

    Lunch at a corner café or tavern in Algiers Point before catching the ferry back downtown.

  4. Afternoon

    Steamboat Natchez cruise

    Board the Steamboat Natchez for a paddlewheeler harbor cruise with narration and calliope music.

  5. Late Afternoon

    Riverfront streetcar & French Market

    Ride the riverfront streetcar back to the Quarter for a final leisurely browse or a last café au lait.

  6. Evening

    Farewell dinner downtown

    End the week with a favorite New Orleans meal, a bowl of gumbo, a shrimp po-boy, or a Creole classic, before departing.