2 Days in New Orleans: First-Timer Itinerary
Two days covers the French Quarter’s essentials plus a half day at the National WWII Museum, tight but genuinely doable. Have more time? Step up to the 3-day , 4-day , or 7-day version, all of them build on this exact two-day spine rather than starting over.
Book these before you go
- National WWII Museum ticket: browse tickets on Viator
- St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 guided tour, mandatory, no walk-ins: book on Viator
- Preservation Hall: no reservations exist, arrive 30-45 minutes before doors instead
- French Quarter hotel: check rates on Booking.com
| Day | Focus |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | French Quarter, Jackson Square, Preservation Hall |
| Day 2 | WWII Museum, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, departure |
Day 1: The French Quarter
- Start at Cafe du Monde (open from 7:15am, cash only) for beignets and cafe au lait, $3.60-5.43 for an order of three. It closes by 11pm most nights and midnight Friday-Saturday, it is not a 24-hour spot, whatever you may have read
- Walk Jackson Square (free) and step into St. Louis Cathedral (free, 9:30am-4pm, last entry 3:45pm)
- Compare Royal Street’s antique galleries with Bourbon Street’s bar strip, two completely different registers of the same few blocks
- Lunch: a po’boy “dressed” (lettuce, tomato, mayo), $8.50-15 depending on the filling
- Evening: Preservation Hall, door-only, no advance reservation system exists. General admission runs $15-20 standing or $35-50 for reserved “Big Shot” seating, cash only, arrive 30-45 minutes early since there’s no bar, food, or air conditioning inside. Check tonight’s lineup at preservationhall.com
- If you’ve still got legs, a second set on Frenchmen Street in the Marigny is where locals actually go for live jazz, a real contrast to Bourbon Street’s cover-band scene
Day 2: WWII Museum, Cemetery, Departure
- Morning: the National WWII Museum, $36 adult ($33 senior, $26 student or military), budget a half day minimum for this multi-building campus in the Warehouse Arts District. Arrive at the 9am opening to beat tour groups. Confirm current hours at nationalww2museum.org
- Early afternoon: a guided St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 tour, $33, roughly 45 minutes, departing the Basin St. visitor center between 9am and 3:45pm. Book ahead, there is zero walk-in access. See official listing at neworleans.com
- Late afternoon: one more Creole meal before the airport run, gumbo ($8.50-17.50) or jambalaya ($12-16.50)
- Depart via Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY), budget 25-30 minutes and $35-55 for a rideshare from the French Quarter, more during Mardi Gras or Jazz Fest surge pricing
Is 2 days enough for New Orleans? It covers the French Quarter and the WWII Museum comfortably, and a cemetery tour if you move at a good clip. It is not enough for the Garden District, a streetcar ride, or a slower pace, those genuinely want a third day. If above-ground tombs interest you more than antebellum mansions, this two-day version already has you covered without adding one.
Keep cash on hand: Cafe du Monde and Preservation Hall’s door admission are both cash only, and tip 18-20% on restaurant checks (not on the tax). Want the Garden District, the streetcar, and a jazz-history deep dive too? The 3-day itinerary adds exactly that on top of what already works here.