How to Spend a Weekend in New Orleans (Itinerary)

New Orleans is a great weekend destination, but one needs to spend much more time in the city to fully discover its history and what it has to offer. I’ve had the pleasure of visiting the city multiple times, but there are always so many things to do in the area. Here’s a sample itinerary on how to spend a weekend in New Orleans based on my personal experience.

Special thank you to New Orleans & Company for helping arrange this trip. If you have spare time and have questions about your own trip, head on over to the official Visitor Center at 339 Decatur Street. The lovely staff there can help answer any questions you may have about your itinerary, and you can pick up some local souvenirs and tips along the way.

This post is part of our New Orleans and Louisiana series.

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Louisiana (all posts under the state)

One Day Itinerary in New Orleans

Here’s a sample itinerary if you only have one day to spend in New Orleans. Read on for more details on the bottom part of the post. However, for those who would like a summarized version, here it is:

• Start your day with breakfast and walk around the French Quarter or Canal Street (wake up at 8 AM or earlier)
• Head to Vue Orleans by Canal Street as soon as they open (10 AM) or go straight to the WW2 Museum (opens at 9:30 AM)
• Spend the rest of the day at the National World War 2 Museum until they close.
• Head a block from the museum to take the Saint Charles Streetcar to the Garden District
• Walk around the streets of the Garden District
• Take St Charles Streetcar back to Canal Street and eat at the Palace Café
• If you still have the energy, walk around the French Quarter in the evening.
• Go back to your accommodation and sleep.
• Wake up early the next morning to move on to your next destination.

Two-Day Itinerary or a Weekend in New Orleans

Following the one-day itinerary above, here are some ideas on how to spend your second day in New Orleans. A weekend or two days may not feel enough in New Orleans (the main reason why I keep going back whenever there are seat sales for ultra-low-cost airlines), so there are plenty of reasons to come back the next time!

• Take a streetcar from Canal Streetcar to City Park/Museums (see our Complete Guide to New Orleans City Park)
• Have breakfast (or a coffee) at Café du Monde City Park while waiting for either the Louisiana Children’s Museum or the New Orleans Museum of Art to open.
• Alternatively, you can choose to walk around City Park itself if the museums are still closed.
• If traveling with little ones, head on over to the Louisiana Children’s Museum to get their wiggles out (and maybe spend a few hours there, depending on how the children like the play areas)
• If you’re not traveling with children or you finished the Louisiana Children’s Museum, go to the New Orleans Museum of Art.
• After, go for a quick stroll at the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden (free!)
• Take the Canal streetcar back from City Hall/Museums to the end of the line (near Harrah’s Casino)
• Walk over to the Audubon Insectarium & Aquarium (get combo tickets to both to save more)
• Eat dinner at Palace Café (Canal Street)
• Take the 7:30 PM Ghost Tour offered by Free Tours by Foot (meets in front of the church)
• Go back to your accommodation or leave late for your next destination.

Here’s what to expect from these destinations. We have also created a complete guide to New Orleans City Park, which can help enhance your trip even further.

Vue Orleans: An Interactive Exhibit and Unique Viewing Area of New Orleans

Address: 2 Canal St, New Orleans, LA

Cost: $20 for adults, 

Hours: Daily 10 AM to 6 PM

Located off Canal Street, across the street from the Audubon Aquarium and sharing the same building as the Four Seasons New Orleans is Vue Orleans. This attraction recently opened, with three floors that you can view. The first-floor entryway shows you the culture of the city, as well as the people. It is highly visual, with so many big screens you can interact with. Topics include the music, food, and culture. It is very visually engaging and nothing like I’ve ever seen before.

The highlight of Vue Orleans is the observation decks. From the first floor, you are whisked into an interactive elevator onto the 34th floor, which is an indoor observation deck. The interactive elevator is pretty cool because all the sides except the door are showing different videos as if you are in the video itself. The indoor observation deck shows a 360-degree view of the city, with TVs that act as binoculars pointing out some city attractions and highlights. The back part traces the Mississippi River and its tributaries across the different states.

You’ll then board another elevator to get to the 36th floor, which is the outdoor observation area. 

This is also the floor which has the café, showing amazing views of the city. There’s really nothing fancy available in the café, it’s mostly sandwiches, snacks, and drinks. After you’re done with the observation area, you can head back down the indoor observation area and out through the interactive elevators towards the first floor.

Expect to stay at least 2 hours in the attraction, but you could finish it faster if you don’t care much about interacting with every single exhibit there.

The World War 2 Museum: A highlight and must-visit in New Orleans

Address: 945 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA

Cost: $25 for entry to the galleries. Additional fees for extra experiences.

Hours: 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM daily

As soon as you land and start walking through New Orleans airport, you’ll see giant advertisements about the World War 2 Museum and that it is the number 1 rated destination in New Orleans. I had my doubts, but wow, now I know why it is number one. I won’t say too much about this attraction here, given that I already talked about it in a separate post about the World War 2 Museum. However, if you love history and learn more about it, do not hesitate to go here. 

If you have a whole day, spend the whole day in the museum from the time it opens to the time it closes. Time will pass by so quickly, and the museum is so huge, spanning multiple buildings and floors, that you really won’t be bored here.

Of course, I would have to put in that the exhibits are biased toward the American POV when it comes to the war, but aren’t there always multiple sides to history? I can always go to Japan, the UK, Italy, and other places to see and hear their sides as well. Trust us, this museum is worth it!

New Orleans Streetcar: a tourist destination in itself

When you go to New Orleans, you’ll have to ride the streetcar. You must, it’s like a tourist destination by itself and a bucket list if you’re visiting the city. There are two streetcar types: the red one, which is the newer one that goes up and down Canal St, and also the riverfront. Then, there’s the best streetcar to experience: the St Charles Line. You’ll differentiate the streetcars from their color: green is the St Charles, while red is Canal.

What are the differences between the streetcars in New Orleans?

The St Charles Streetcar is on the National Register of Historic Places. In fact, it’s on every single car on a plaque. These are the original streetcars from the 1920s and still retain their qualities today. There is no air-conditioning on this streetcar, and when you ride on it, it’s like riding a piece of history. You’ll see the driver moving a lever as it accelerates or decelerates, and you’ll also hear it going down the Garden District.

If you have trouble getting up and down steps or if you need a wheelchair, the St Charles Streetcar is not ADA-accessible. Because of the historic status of the streetcar, the doors could not be changed or widened to accommodate wheelchairs or to have ramps on them.

Both streetcars run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with more frequent cars coming during the peak daytime hours than the nighttime. Make sure you board the streetcar at official stops, otherwise, they will not stop for you. It is signposted on the St Charles streetcar, and on the Canal St one, stand by one of the signposts or the waiting shed.

How to get tickets to the New Orleans Streetcar

Search for the transit pass option on Google Wallet. Then find RTA (New Orleans). You can then select what type of ticket you want on your phone and load it. You can then show that ticket to the streetcar drivers or scan on the machines (if it’s working) whenever you ride the streetcar.

Alternatively, you can ask the driver to get a one-day (or multiple-day) Jazzypass and pay in cash. There is no change provided on the machines on the streetcar, and credit cards are not accepted (unless you go through Google Wallet or Apple Pay).

Café du Monde and Café Beignet

Beignets and chicory coffee are a must-eat while in New Orleans. These are quick sweet breakfast options or even a pick-me-up snack any time of the day. The most famous place that serves beignets and chicory coffee is Café du Monde. It is so famous that it’s even featured in a few movies: Renfield, for one, where they eat beignets and drink coffee by Jackson Square. 

 These two places can be interchanged, and I honestly don’t see why one would be better than the other. The prices are comparable, as well as the products they offer. Up to you if you want to try just one, or both.

The biggest tip I would give: if there’s a long line in Café du Monde in Jackson Square, head to their other locations. They have one in City Park, in the airport, and at Veterans Parkway by the airport if you are driving a car. You don’t have to suffer in the most touristy Café du Monde branch since they’re in a lot of places anyway. Or if there’s a Café Beignet nearby without a queue, head over there instead.

Just a note about beignets: they are full of powdered sugar. The bag would be at least 1/3 full of sugar if you buy something to-go. If you choose to dine in, expect your plate to be completely covered with sugar. Yes, it is that sweet.

What are beignets?

Think of them as fried donuts without the hole in the middle with lots and lots of powdered confectioner sugar on top of it. Best served with coffee because nothing beats sweet with the bitter taste of coffee. You can even buy beignet mixes that you can take at home so you too can bring something culinary from New Orleans. Café du Monde’s cafes have little stores attached to them that sell the mix.

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Things to do in New Orleans with Kids: Audubon Aquarium & Insectarium and the Louisiana Children’s Museum

Because we have talked about the Audubon Aquarium and Insectarium and the Louisiana Children’s Museum in the things to do in New Orleans with toddlers and babies post as well as the complete guide to City Park, we won’t include much about these attractions in this post. If you are traveling with children, these are must-sees. I find it fascinating that we always try to go to different zoos, children’s museums, and aquariums whenever we visit a new destination. They’re so different yet so familiar.

If you want to read more about these destinations, we have linked our posts accordingly.

Do I need a car to get around New Orleans?

Not really. I’ve done both – I rented a car on one trip and commuted on another trip, and you don’t need a car to see New Orleans. The public transport system (RTA) has connections from the airport and throughout the city. There is a caveat though: the schedules for public transportation can be a bit sporadic and you need to follow them. Streetcars are plentiful, but public buses are not. It is a nightmare trying to find parking in the city of New Orleans, and if you do, it will cost you a pretty penny to park overnight. Public parking spots in the French Quarter and within Canal Street are usually in garages. Ask your accommodation for a safe parking area (or if they offer parking services) if you do rent a car.

It is a nightmare trying to find parking and move the car in the city, especially the French Quarter. Ridesharing options like Lyft and Uber are also available in case you don’t want to take public transportation and explore at your own leisure.

Exploring New Orleans in One or Two Days – Weekend in New Orleans Itinerary

We’ve given you some of the highlights of the city, but there’s more to see. You can read more about other things to do in the New Orleans area like plantations, swamp tours, the City Park, and the French Quarter. You can easily spend a week in the city and not be bored.

If you made it reading this far, thank you for reading this article. As always, if you feel like we left behind other things we absolutely must see and do, please feel free to leave us a comment below. We love discovering new things and will be back to check on them when we are back in the city. Hopefully, this has helped you plan your trip to the city.