How to spend 3 Days in New Orleans
- rowofthree
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
Planning your first trip to New Orleans?
Here's exactly how we spent three unforgettable days exploring the French Quarter, listening to live jazz, taking a swamp tour, and discovering the history and culture that make New Orleans one of the most unforgettable cities we've visited in the United States.
In This Guide
Planning Three Days in New Orleans
Trip Essentials | Details |
Time needed | 2–3 days |
Best area to stay | French Quarter |
Getting around | Walk from the French Quarter, use the historic streetcar for longer trips and Uber when needed |
Need a car? | No |
Perfect for | First-time visitors, couples, families with older children, food lovers, music lovers and history enthusiasts |
Our highlights | Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro, Steamboat Natchez, Cemetery & Hurricane Katrina Tour, Airboat Adventure |
Row of Three Tip | Leave time to wander—the atmosphere is just as memorable as the attractions. |
How many days do you need?
If you're planning your first trip to New Orleans, we'd recommend allowing 2–3 days.
While you could comfortably fit this itinerary into two full days, having a third day gives you time to slow down and really soak up the city's atmosphere.
Where to Stay
If we visited New Orleans again, we'd stay in the French Quarter without hesitation.
Although Bourbon Street is the area's most famous attraction, it makes up only a small part of the French Quarter. Beyond it are quieter streets lined with historic buildings, wrought-iron balconies, hidden courtyards and local cafés that feel worlds away from the party atmosphere.
Staying here meant we could walk to almost everything while soaking up the atmosphere every time we stepped outside.
Approximate Activity Costs
Experience | Cost |
Aquarium + Insectarium | Adults $45–55 • Children $40–50 |
Steamboat Natchez | Adults $43.50 • Children $21 |
Airboat Adventure | From $89 pp • Premium from $119 pp |
Cemetery & Katrina Tour | From ~$45–60 pp |
Snug Harbor Jazz | Ticket ~$36–53 pp (meal extra) |
St. Charles Streetcar | $3 day pass |
Prices are a guide only and were correct at the time of writing. Check the official websites for current pricing.
Day One – Explore the French Quarter & Cruise the Mississippi
Explore the French Quarter
Spend your first day soaking up everything that makes New Orleans unique. Visit Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral and the riverfront before simply wandering through the French Quarter. Don't rush.
The music, architecture and atmosphere are just as memorable as the attractions themselves.
Visit the Audubon Aquarium
In the afternoon, we visited the Audubon Aquarium before walking just a few minutes to board the Steamboat Natchez.
Cruise the Mississippi on the Steamboat Natchez
Cruising along the Mississippi River felt like stepping into another era. Listening to live music onboard while slowly travelling towards Chalmette Battlefield made us feel like we'd truly arrived in the American South.
It was one of those classic New Orleans experiences we'd absolutely recommend.
Day Two – History, Cemeteries & Live Jazz
We started the day by hopping aboard New Orleans' historic St. Charles Streetcar before joining a combined cemetery and Hurricane Katrina tour, two experiences that gave us a much deeper understanding of the city beyond the French Quarter.
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 Tour
One of the reasons we love travelling is learning about the places we visit—not just seeing them.
The cemetery tour explained why New Orleans is famous for its above-ground tombs while sharing fascinating stories about the city's unique history.
Understanding Hurricane Katrina
The Hurricane Katrina portion of the tour was equally memorable. Rather than simply focusing on the devastation, it helped us understand how the hurricane shaped modern New Orleans and highlighted the resilience of its community.
We came away with a much deeper appreciation for the city than we would have gained simply wandering around on our own.
Riding the historic St. Charles Streetcar
Riding the historic St. Charles Streetcar was one of our favourite experiences. It wasn't just a way to get around—it felt like stepping back in time. Sitting on the wooden seats as the streetcar rattled beneath the city's famous oak trees and through elegant neighbourhoods gave us a completely different perspective of New Orleans than simply exploring the French Quarter on foot.
Dinner & Live Jazz at Snug Harbor
If there's one evening we'd recommend to every first-time visitor, it's dinner and live jazz at Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro.
Getting to Snug Harbor
Throughout our time in New Orleans we kept hearing the same advice: if you want authentic live jazz, head to Frenchmen Street. Our cemetery tour guide recommended Snug Harbor without hesitation, and after visiting ourselves, we completely understand why.
Following his advice (and Snug Harbor's own recommendation), we caught a taxi from the French Quarter. It was quick, inexpensive and made the evening completely stress-free.
Dinner Before the Show
I ordered the shrimp and grits—one of Louisiana's classic Cajun dishes—before we headed into the music room.
Why We Loved It
Watching a live jazz band perform just a few metres away was unlike anything we'd experienced before. The atmosphere was intimate, the musicians were incredible, and for the first time we truly understood why New Orleans is known as the birthplace of jazz.
It became one of the most memorable evenings of our entire USA holiday.
Row of Three Tip: If you're choosing between another evening on Bourbon Street or dinner and live jazz at Snug Harbor, we'd choose Snug Harbor every single time.
Day Three – Airboat Adventures
One of the absolute highlights of our trip was our small-group airboat tour with Airboat Adventures.
We booked hotel pickup and drop-off from the French Quarter, meaning we didn't need to hire a car or organise transport ourselves. It made the whole experience incredibly easy.
Book the Small Airboat
If your budget allows, we'd strongly recommend paying a little extra for the small airboat. Although it's still a shared tour, it only carries up to ten passengers, making the experience much more personal.
It Was About More Than Seeing Alligators
Of course, spotting alligators was exciting—and yes, we saw them. But surprisingly, that wasn't actually our favourite part.
Simply skimming across the Louisiana bayous on an airboat was an incredible experience in itself.
Flying through the moss-covered swamps was unlike anything we'd ever done before, and we'd happily do it again even if we hadn't seen a single alligator.
In fact, we loved it so much that we've already decided to book another airboat adventure during our next trip to the USA so Henry can experience it too.
Why New Orleans Stole Our Hearts
New Orleans completely exceeded our expectations.
We arrived expecting great food, live jazz and vibrant nightlife, but left with a much deeper appreciation for the city's history, resilience and culture.
If you're planning your first visit, we'd recommend allowing at least two or three days, staying in the French Quarter, and leaving plenty of time to simply wander. Some of our favourite memories weren't planned at all.
Our biggest tip is not to fill every hour with attractions. Leave time to wander—the music, atmosphere and unexpected moments are a huge part of what makes New Orleans so memorable.
It's a city unlike anywhere else in the USA, and one we'd happily return to.
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