Your best 3-day weekend in New Orleans

The good times never stop rolling in party-loving New Orleans, which is one of the USA’s most popular destinations for a weekend getaway.

Yet there’s much more to the city than just the to-go cocktails and lurid neon of Bourbon St. New Orleans teems with creative energy, most famously expressed during Mardi Gras season and at Jazz Fest – but on ample display every day at the city’s live-music venues, on gallery walls and in public squares, where musicians and performers strut their stuff. The city’s food scene is legendary – and while it would take years to fully taste your way across town, three days of decadent meals will provide an excellent overview of the culinary culture here (without worrying your cardiologist too much).

Beyond the tourist magnet of the French Quarter, visitors can get close to the real New Orleans in its marvelous neighborhoods, where gracious architecture, vibrant community life and some of the warmest welcomes you can imagine all await.

While you can spend weeks exploring NOLA’s wonders, here’s a 3-day itinerary covering enough ground to give you a solid introduction to the city.

A streetcar trundles down a city street shaded by large oak trees. — The St Charles Ave streetcar, New Orleans. AevanStock/Shutterstock

When to arrive: Plan on touching down on Thursday night and heading out Monday morning, to pack in as much as you can over 3 full days.
How to get from the airport: The 25-minute taxi ride from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport to the center of town costs a flat rate of US$36 (US$15 per person for three or more passengers). A rideshare will run closer to US$50 – a better deal for larger groups.
Getting around town: Bring your walking shoes, for the French Quarter is one of the most pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods in the entire US. To get between neighborhoods, count on taking NOLA’s delightful (if slow) streetcars. A trip on the St Charles Ave line, connecting central Canal St with Uptown, is a must-do.
Where to stay: Since tourism is the lifeblood of the New Orleans economy, accommodation options abound all over town. Hotels pack the French Quarter, ranging from the budget La Galerie (from US$130) to the historic Olivier House (from US$100) to the posh Ritz Carlton (from US$360). Major chains have outposts in the Warehouse District; we love the elegant Roosevelt New Orleans (from US$150). To get closer to the locals, consider a stay at a charming B&B in the Garden District (Creole Gardens, from US$100), Mid-City (The Okra Inn, from US$150) or Tremé-Lafitte (La Belle Esplanade, from $129).
What to pack: Bring sturdy shoes for the cobblestones of the French Quarter, and lightweight layers if you’re visiting in the sticky summer months (a rain jacket for downpours is also a good idea). New Orleans is fairly “anything goes” when it comes to fashion, though some fancier restaurants do have a jackets-required policy for men (they’ll often have loaners at the front desk). When dining out, count on sporting a collared shirt.

Two men wait outside a music club on a city street. — **Left:** Lining up at the Blue Nile, Frenchmen St. Shutterstock **Right:** The Cabildo, the French Quarter. Shutterstock

A historic building with arched windows and a mansard roof graces a city square. — **Left:** Lining up at the Blue Nile, Frenchmen St. Shutterstock **Right:** The Cabildo, the French Quarter. Shutterstock

Friday: the French Quarter, Tremé and Marigny

Morning

Start with a quiet morning stroll around the French Quarter, stopping for a coffee and pastry at Croissant d’Or.

How to spend the day

In the Quarter, get a dose of history at the Cabildo and Presbytère, where you can learn more about New Orleans’ and Louisiana’s many eras and milestones. Continue to the Historic New Orleans Collection, which has some of the Quarter’s best cultural exhibitions (all free to visit).

For lunch, have a Creole feast at Dooky Chase, a legendary spot in Tremé. Afterward, continue getting to know this fascinating community at the Backstreet Cultural Museum, where you can learn about Mardi Gras Indians, the Skull and Bones gang and other elements of New Orleans’ singular heritage. Have a wander past the colorful Creole cottages in the neighborhood followed by a visit to St Augustine’s, a church that’s been going strong since 1841.

Dinner

Feast on oysters Bienville, Gulf fish topped with crabmeat and other delicacies at Arnaud’s.

After dark

Back in the Quarter, keep the evening going with a Hurricane by the flaming fountain at Pat O’Brien’s. After getting a taste of Bourbon St’s madness, continue to Frenchmen St in Marigny, the epicenter of NOLA’s live-music scene. End the night with fiery jazz at the Spotted Cat or d.b.a.

A bronze sculpture of a nude figure stands in a city park with large live-oak trees. — **Left:** The Sculpture Garden, City Park. Shutterstock **Right:** BJ’s Lounge, the Bywater. Camille Farrah Lenain for Lonely Planet

People sit outside at dusk under the awning of a bar in a city. — **Left:** The Sculpture Garden, City Park. Shutterstock **Right:** BJ’s Lounge, the Bywater. Camille Farrah Lenain for Lonely Planet

Saturday: Mid-City and the Bywater

Morning

Start off the morning with an easy-going streetcar ride up to City Park. Grab beignets and chicory coffee at Cafe du Monde, then take a stroll amid the live-oak trees.

How to spend the day

Wander through the Sculpture Garden, or take in the floral abundance of the Botanical Garden. Continue to Bayou St John for a walk along the peaceful waterway. Come lunch, refuel over a filling plate of gumbo or a barbecue shrimp po’boy at Liuzza’s by the Track.

In the afternoon, head to the Bywater for a bit of unstructured exploring in this boho-minded neighborhood. Colorful Creole cottages line the narrow streets here, with vintage stores, cafes and pocket-sized parks woven into the streetscape. Peek in Euclid Records, then clamber over the Rusty Rainbow Bridge for a walk along the river in Crescent Park.

Dinner

Find your way into the barely signed N7, a junkyard-chic wine bar and restaurant serving creative small plates.

After dark

Continue the evening by heading to Parleaux Beer Lab for creative brews and courtyard seating, then move on to the backyard setting of Bacchanal, known for wines, cheese and sharing plates, with a side of live jazz on the outdoor stage.

The pink-painted facade of a shop on a city street. — **Left:** Shops on Magazine St, the Garden District. Shutterstock **Right:** The National WWII Museum, the Warehouse District. Shutterstock

Vintage warplanes hang from the ceiling in a huge gallery space in a museum. — **Left:** Shops on Magazine St, the Garden District. Shutterstock **Right:** The National WWII Museum, the Warehouse District. Shutterstock

Sunday: the Warehouse District, the Garden District and Uptown

Morning

Arrive at opening time (9am) to visit the extraordinary National WWII Museum. Spread across five pavilions, the collection has many highlights; don’t miss the Road to Tokyo and the Road to Berlin exhibits.

How to spend the day

Change gallery gears by heading to the nearby, much smaller Ogden Museum for a look at captivating works by Southern artists.

For lunch, make a reservation at Pêche, one of New Orleans’ best seafood restaurants, where the uber-fresh, high-quality ingredients speak for themselves. Digest your meal by taking in more art, this time at the galleries along Julia St, the core of NOLA’s Arts District.

Next, hop on the throwback streetcar and head to the Garden District. Stroll the leafy lanes before making your way to Magazine St, which is dotted with indie boutiques. Zèle NOLA, Century Girl Vintage and Antiques on Jackson are good places to start.

Dinner

Take a break from Creole fare at Saba, whose modern Israeli cuisine reflects the diversity of the Jewish diaspora.

After dark

Finish the evening on Oak St, Uptown’s nightlife hub. Stop in for wine and lively chit-chat at Oak St Brewery, or kick things up a notch with live music at the Maple Leaf Bar. Alternatively, head down to Tipitina’s, another Uptown classic, for more live sounds.

This article was adapted from Lonely Planet’s New Orleans guide, published in August 2025.