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So you want to try to do New Orleans in a day on your upcoming trip to the Big Easy, and want to know how it can be done. Maybe you’re in town for a short stint, like a business trip or wedding (like us), and just want to see all that you can with your limited time. Thankfully, it is possible to do quite a lot and get a flavor of the culture with just 24 hours in New Orleans. The trick is some very good planning and prioritizing, as well as excellent time management skills.
Will it be your most relaxing trip ever? Heck no! It may be called the Big Easy, but the only laid back thing about this city is its view on calorie intake. That being said, New Orleans is one energetic, fun, exciting, vibrant, and historical place to visit. Even such a short amount of time there will certainly be worth it for the incredible food scene and colorful balcony-wrapped buildings of the French Quarter. So let’s get into it already!
How to See New Orleans in a Day
Where to Stay
On a one day trip to New Orleans you’ll want to be as efficient with your location as possible. I recommend staying near, but not in, the French Quarter. The French Quarter is known for being loud and rambunctious, so unless you like falling asleep to the sounds of drunken stupidity, you’ll probably want to stay elsewhere. Note that I didn’t say not to partake in the drunken stupidity – that’s entirely different. No judgement here…
Anyhow, were should you stay instead? The Central Business District is right outside of the French quarter, and contains many options for lodging. From there, it’ll only be a 10 to 15 minute walk to the French Quarter. We recently stayed at a boutique hotel called Q & C Hotel Bar, and we really enjoyed its style and history of being a former train station.
8:00 AM – Start Your Day with Beignets
Café du Monde in Jackson Square is the most famous place to find beignets in New Orleans. This is an institution that you simply must partake in for a proper experience in this city. I personally believe beignets themselves are overrated, but Café du Monde sure does a damn good job making them. They’ve been doing it since 1862, after all! The line here can sometimes be long, but moves rather quickly.
9:30 AM – Tour a Cemetery
Yes, you heard that right, and I’m not just being creepy and morbid. Oddly enough, the cemeteries in New Orleans are about as iconic as their beignets. Basically, due to the swampy nature of the bayou the city sits on, graves cannot be dug underground. Therefore, the dead are buried above ground instead in family-sized stone structures. The result is both beautiful and Eerie “city-like” cemeteries where deceased New Orleanians have been buried since the 18th century.
There are a few of these cemeteries in the city, but since you only have one day in New Orleans, why not visit the oldest one? This would be St. Louis Cemetery #1, which can only be entered with a guided tour due to some vandalism over the years. Free Tours By Foot has a daily tour at 9:30 every day, and only charges a $2 fee.
12:00 PM – Eat a Decadent Southern Brunch
Since calories don’t exist for today, it’s time to indulge in what New Orleans is known for: shamelessly heavy and delicious food! You won’t want to miss out, so definitely leave the diet at home for today. Since time is short when doing New Orleans in a day, no need to overcomplicate things. Stop right in at The Ruby Slipper restaurant right on grand ol’ Canal Street in the French Quarter. Get your Southern fixins like Banana Pudding Stuffed French Toast or Nashville ‘Hot’ Catfish Benedict.
2:00 PM – Tour the French Quarter
Time to burn off brunch! New Orleans is most known for its French Quarter, so there is no way you can miss it on your 24 hour visit. I highly recommend doing a pub tour to get a taste of the city’s most famous libations. Many pub tours will take you to various bars, but still require you to pay for your own drinks. However, Drink and Learn is a tour that provides all of your drinks while teaching you history. It’s a lovely mixture of two of my favorite things!
4:00 PM – People Watch in Jackson Square
Before dinner, hang out in the lovely and lively Jackson Square for a bit to do some people watching. There is a nice green space in the center you can stroll through or just relax in. For those who didn’t taste enough drinks during their tour, there are also some bars in the area to check out. Just don’t get too sloshed before dinner!
6:00 PM – Eat a Po’ Boy for Dinner
For an insanely drool-worthy and potentially food coma inducing po’ boy experience, visit Parkway Bakery and Tavern. Loved by locals and visitors alike, this restaurant has been serving up the most delicious and overstuffed po’ boys since 1911. The roast beef, shrimp, or hot sausage po’ boys are most traditional, but I gotta say the fried oyster version was delicious. Oh goodness, now my mouth is watering…
8:00 PM – Find Nightlife on Bourbon or Frenchman Street
You’ll definitely want to get a taste of the New Orleans nightlife before your time in this city is over. The two best places to do this are either in the party atmosphere of Bourbon Street or Jazz-filled Frenchman Street. Both streets have endless bars to choose from, so stop into how ever many you want before you find your perch for the night. Don’t think you have to skip Bourbon Street if you don’t want to participate in the craziness – just grab a drink and a chair for some brilliant people watching.
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I’m guessing after that you are pretty exhausted, so it’s time to head back to your hotel and chug some Pedialyte before hitting the sack for the night. Bed never felt so good! That 24 hours in New Orleans was such a blur, but hopefully you took some great photos and captured the amazing time that you undoubtedly had in bayou country.
