2 Days in New Orleans : Weekend Guide

New Orleans was one of those cities that I knew I would connect with on a deeper level than just being a tourist. Yes, there was sightseeing, history, and a fair amount of drinking… but there was also live music in lesser known areas, ferry rides, exquisite food and so so much colour and life. For a weekend trip, I recommend at least 2 days in New Orleans. Here are some suggestions to make the most of your weekend in NOLA!

Things to do in New Orleans in 2 days:

I’m going to break this down into 3 different itineraries – for 1, 2 or 3 days in New Orleans. Perfectly suited to help you create a versatile weekend itinerary for your trip to NOLA. While the optimum time would be 3 nights and 2 days in New Orleans, hopefully these daily itineraries will help you make the most of whatever length of time you have in this epic city.

New Orleans in a day

Take a Cemetery Tour

The grand cemeteries of New Orleans are famous the world over. The grandiose graveyard crypts are a legacy of the Spanish colonists, where the efficiency of crypts has been used for hundreds of years. The celebratory funeral processions known as ‘Jazz Funerals’ and ‘Second Line’ traditions come from African slaves. Enriching the fabric of society still, dancing your loved ones into the next life remains a strong tradition in New Orleans.

We learnt more about St Louis Cemetery No.1 on a walking tour with 2 Chicks Walking Tours.

Explore the French Quarter

The French Quarter, suitably named because of the French colonial architecture, is as pretty as it looks in guide books. I’m going to be straight with you though – it is a bit of a tourist trap and can sometimes verge on a parody of itself. That said, visiting during the day offers a pleasant experience, with a good buzz and lots to see. I would wait until brunch / lunchtime, after the chaos of the previous night has been washed away by the street cleaners.

The wonderful side of the French Quarter? Gorgeous architecture, amazing brunch spots, and great galleries and art. I found so many little back corner galleries and pop-up shops for artisans. For foodies, there are both food tours and booze tours of the French Quarter too!

Carousel Bar at Hotel Monteleone

Don’t leave the French Quarter without visiting the utterly ridiculous, yet somehow perfect carousel bar at the Hotel Monteleone! This rotating bar is over 70 years old and seats 25 people. Rotating at a pleasant 1 full turn every 15 minutes, there’s no fear of being thrown off (even when tipsy)! I recommend you try their Old Fashioned.

Frenchman Street

An evening visit to Frenchman Street is an absolute must. And if you’re only in New Orleans for one day, then make sure you put Frenchman Street on the itinerary. Located in the Faubourg Marigny neighbourhood, there are 3 blocks of Frenchman Street that are dedicated to live music venues and fun food spots. With live music every night at the venues, alongside epic busking spectacles, Frenchman Street is where to go for a music-filled night out!

2 Days in New Orleans

Brunch at Curio

After a late night on Frenchman Street, you’re going to need a good brunch! Curio in the French Quarter offers bottomless mimosas and an interesting menu. From modern takes on the southern classics like biscuits and gravy, and shrimp and grits, to plates of hot and delicious beignets. We enjoyed Curio so much that we returned twice.

TOP TIP: Sit at the bar if you want to take full advantage of the bottomless mimosas or bloody mary’s. The bartender is in a better position to fill your glass than the servers.

Take in a museum or historic site

There is so much history in New Orleans, and much of it is just obvious as you wander the streets. But if you want a concentration of history and heritage, there are some great museums and sights to visit. The National WWII Museum is located on Magazine Street in the Business District. Formally known as the D-Day Museum, it has comprehensive military history from WWII.

If you’re looking for something macabre, why not visit the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum (724 Dumaine St) or the Museum of Death (227 Dauphine St). If you’re short on time, you can weave in the voodoo magic of the French Quarter in a walking tour.

Visit Algiers

Algiers is over the Mississippi River from downtown New Orleans. Algiers is unlikely to show up on tourist guides, but if you want an authentic New Orleans evening, I recommend heading over to Algiers Point on the local ferry. The ferry takes foot passengers over to Old Algiers every 30 minutes or so (our local source called it ‘mystery timing’). Once over the river, head to the Old Point Bar – where the drinks are cheap and the hospitality is rich.

We enjoyed our afternoon watching live music at Old Point Bar so much that we stayed into the evening and missed the last ferry… but decided we didn’t care at all! If you miss the ferry, just catch an Uber back across the river. The Old Point Bar showed us what true New Orleans hospitality looks like.

If you still have energy left, why not take a night cemetery and ghost tour on a BYOB bus!

3 Days in New Orleans

Learn about the music history of New Orleans

There are nods to the music and music legends of New Orleans all around the city. Two parks are of particular note: Music Legends Park (311 Bourbon St) – this bijou park pays homage to jazz music legends such as Fats Domino, Allen Toussaint, and Irma Thomas. Buskers use the space during the day, and concerts start after 5pm Incidentally, we had some of the best beignets ever there!

If you have time, visit Louis Armstrong Park (701 N Rampart St) to see the statue of the man himself. While you’re in Tremé, take a walking tour of some of the quirky corners where many jazz legends were born!

Eat a Po’ Boy

Need I say more? You can’t leave New Orleans without trying one. Overloaded with ingredients, and very much a whole meal in a sandwich, po’ boy’s are a delicious NOLA tradition. I recommend the catfish, or the fried oysters – alongside lettuce, pickles and Louisiana hot sauce of course!

Try Absinthe in New Orleans

As a connoisseur of absinthe, I enjoy visiting absinthe houses around the world! Jean Lafitte’s Old Absinthe House was established in 1807, and unlike many similar bars in North America, it isn’t just full of lime green shots of fake absinthe. It has brands such as La Clandestine from Couvet in Switzerland (the birthplace of absinthe), and Jade from France (created by New Orleans native, T.A. Breaux).

Where to stay in New Orleans

Personally, I love to stay in the Garden District. Anywhere along St Charles Avenue. You can hop on a streetcar and be in the centre of town within 15 minutes… not to mention the myriad of funky bars and eateries along this street! We enjoyed our stay at the mid range 3-star Maison Saint Charles by Hotel RL (1319 St Charles Ave). A more central option is Maison de la Luz (546 Carondelet St), this high end option has gorgeous suites and a bespoke concierge service. If you want to stay in the thick of the action in the French Quarter, I recommend Hotel Monteleone (214 Royal Street), for easy access to the carousel bar!

Booking.com

How to get around New Orleans

The streetcar network of trams around New Orleans is simply fantastic. For a weekend trip to New Orleans, I recommend getting a 3-day Jazzy Pass. This provides 3 days of streetcar usage for only $9. When a single ticket is $1.25, this offers a lot of value. Especially if you pick a hotel along one of the tram routes. You can get your Jazzy Pass via the GoMobile App or at vendors listed on the RTA website.

For the longer journeys or late night trips, I recommend using Uber or Lyft. This is a more convenient option than using your own vehicle and having to search for parking. We had driven about 5000 miles by the time we reached New Orleans, so we were happy to give the car a break and take public transport and taxis.

2 Days in New Orleans

Whether you spend 2 days in New Orleans or a longer, I hope these itineraries have given you some ideas for your weekend in NOLA. I found myself quite enamoured with the endless music ringing out around New Orleans, the bottomless drinks, and the super friendly people. Our afternoon in Old Algiers will remain, to this day, one of my favourite travel experiences. I think a weekend in New Orleans would suit couples and friends particularly, but there is so much to see and do, that there is enough for the family too.

Get yourself to this intoxicating city tout de suite – laissez les bons temps rouler!

Looking for more USA city breaks? Try a weekend in Chicago or Boston!

All photos & content © Hannah Henderson and may not be used without permission (sharing this blog post is fine, though!). Images shot with a Canon DSLR T3i Rebel + Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM; and an iPhone.

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