I’m planning my ninth visit to New Orleans (for Mardi Gras 2025) and just love the city.
I have written lots about it over in my Blogger at Large blog, but if you only have one day because you’re here for work or maybe you’re about to take a cruise on the Mississippi, I’ve laid out what I would do in this post.
For a way more comprehensive New Orleans itinerary, you can check out my post over on my other site, Blogger at Large.
Sooo, you have a day to check out this amazing city. Don’t worry, I’ve got you. Think of this post like a platter of tapas. A starter. A little taste of what the Crescent City has to offer, so next time, when you come back, you’ll know where you want to spend a bit more time.
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Start with a Tour
I always say a bus tour is a great idea in any city I visit for the first time. In fact I usually recommend a Book this 2.5 hour sightseeing bus tour >
You’ll go through the French Quarter, past St Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square, past the French Market, down Frenchmen Street into Faubourg Marigny, out to the Lower Ninth Ward and the Musicians Village that was built for displaced musicians after Hurricane Katrina, past St Louis Cemetery No. 3, a 15-minute break at Cafe du Monde in City Park (for a beignet – see below). You’ll go uptown and into the Garden District to see the amazing old homes, then back via Magazine Street (where you’ll want to hop off for the great shops!), and back to two drop off spots.
This is a fantasic orientation to New Orleans, and best of all it’s not a walking tour so you won’t be exhausted!
Grab Coffee and a Beignet
Ok, THIS is my favorite thing and how you really need to start your day in New Orleans! There are a few cafes in the French Quarter that have beignets on the menu – the powdered sugar-coated hot donuts, shaped like pillows.
The most famous, and most crowded one is Café du Monde at Jackson Square on the corner of Decatur Street. It’s busy and you’re rushed through, which might be fine since you only have a day. But if you want to take your time over your beignet then head to Café Beignet, which is smaller and just a bit along at 600 Decatur.
Wander Jackson Square
Since you’re at Jackson Square, anchored by St Louis Cathedral in the heart of the French Quarter, having eaten your beignets, walk off your sugar high with a stroll around the square and check out the street artists. It’s the perfect place to enjoy some people-watching.
Maybe pick up a lovely souviner (this is my pick for where to get an authentic piece of New Orleans, rather than the French Market, which has a lot of tat – although in fairness to some of the vendors, you will find some treasures too).
This is where street performers gather to treat you to live music, so bring a couple of bucks to throw into their buckets. For some it’s the way they make their living.
Browse along Royal and Decatur Streets
Honestly, you only need to walk down Bourbon Street once! It’s a smack in the face of your senses, but fortunately the parallel streets are delightful.
Royal Street is famous for its antique shops and galleries, standing cheeky by jowl. Be warned, they are amazing and you’ll find everything from chandeliers to smoking pipes, candleabras and jewelry.
Parallel to that is Decatur, and it’s along here you’ll find gift and clothes shops. I love the kitchen/slash/souvenir shops for cute gifts, cook books, boxes of pralines or wacky seasonings like Slap Ya Mama Cajun seasoning which I throw on my roast veges.
Steamboat Jazz lunch cruise on the Mississippi
If you have enough time, and if shopping isn’t your thing, lunch on a steamboat tootling up the mighty Mississippi River is a once in a lifetime experience.
This 2-hour lunch and live jazz cruise sets off from the heart of the French Quarter, and you’ll dine on Creole food. Watch the mesmerising wheel powered by steam and listen to the old fashioned sound of the calliope being played on the deck.
Preservation Hall Jazz
This is one of the oldest and most authentic jazz experiences you can have in the Big Easy and is on my list of best venues in NOLA. Tickets are required, although you might be able to wing it, if you find yourself at a loose end. Located at 726 St Peter, go early and line up for a ticket. This is accoustic jazz played in a small room, just like the old times.
Seating is bench or standing room only. They play about three 45-minute shows a night, and it’s really great. Shows start at 5pm. Get your tickets at Preservation Hall.
See a Show at Saenger Theatre
If your one day in New Orleans includes an evening, you have a few great choices to decide between. If you’re a theater-kinda-gal (guy) then see what’s on at the historic Saenger Theatre on Canal Street.
Built in 1927, it was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 when 14-feet of water flooded it. But it’s now lovingly restored. It’s housed everything from silent movies to Broadway shows and is a great place to spend a few hours.
See Kermit Ruffins live
For more live music, see my favorite trumpete, local New Orlean Kermit Ruffins. He plays a couple of venues each week, including his own Mother-In-Law Lounge on Monday nights. If you’re in town on a Monday, this is where I’d suggest you go. It’s nothing fancy, in fact his bar and “stage” is in a former parking lot in Treme.
It costs $20 and you can get beans and rice for your dinner, they pour doubles in plastic cups, and take a seat on garden chairs to listen to some of the best jazz musicians in the city. I’ve done this twice now, and both experiences were the highlight of the trip.
Want a recommendation for where to stay in New Orleans?
Firstly, if I am booking a place to stay in New Orleans, I would choose somewhere IN the French Quarter.
Don’t be deceived by how close everything looks on a Google map, it’s a couple of kms walking from the business or financial district into the heart of the French Quarter, and when time is not on your side, I say stay in the quarter and walk to your conference.
If you’re looking for where to stay in New Orleans, I recommend these 7 French Quarter hotels for easy access to everything. I’ve stayed in a few of them, and been through the others to check them out for you.
Other tours and day trips in New Orleans
>> Book a visit to Whitney Plantation if you want to really delve into what makes this part of the United States so unique. Whitney tells the warts-and-all story of slaves and their owners, through exhibitions throughout the antebellum mansion. This is the only plantation in the area that truly tells this story.
The Big House is one of the finest examples of Spanish Creole architecture and one of the earliest Creole cottages in Louisiana. Includes transport from New Orleans and self-guided tour. Book your Whitney tickets here >
>> Take a Swamp Tour. I’ve done two different ones and my recommendation would be Jean Lafitte National Historical Park. This one isn’t on a fast airboat, but rather a gentle glide where you’ll see alligators swimming right up, and maybe raccoons and other wildlife. Book your Swamp Tour tickets here >
>> High speed swamp tour on an airboat in Jean Lafitte National Park. This tour also offers pick ups at French Quarter hotels, if you don’t have a car. Get your airboat swamp tour tickets here >
>> Or this full day trip combines a visit to Oak Alley Plantation with a Swamp Tour and offers pick ups and drop offs in the French Quarter. It’s a 7-hour day, so you’ll probably only have time for dinner and maybe a jazz show when you get back! Get your Oak Alley and Swamp Tour tickets here >
>> Ride the St. Charles Streetcar from Canal Street for a little look from your trolly at the magnificent homes and gardens in the Garden District. A lovely way to while away a couple of hours for next to no cost, just your streetcar ticket.
