If you’re dreaming of a long weekend that blends food, history, nightlife, cemeteries, jazz, and a little ghostly magic, New Orleans is the place. I went in October, which I’m convinced is the best month to visit New Orleans. The weather is warm but not suffocating, spooky season is in full swing, and the whole city is alive with festivals, performances, and haunted tours.
This itinerary is based on my exact trip — everything we did, loved, ate, and learned. If it’s your first time in NOLA, this 4–5 day itinerary will show you the best of the French Quarter, Bywater, New Orleans history, plantations, swamp country, and local culture.
Where to Stay in New Orleans
For your first time in New Orleans, stay in the French Quarter, where you can walk to almost everything.
We stayed at the Best Western Plus French Quarter, and it was a perfect balance of comfort, price, and location. You’re close enough to the action but not directly in the noise, which matters more than you think. We were able to easily walk to everything and only needed to rent a car the last two days of our trip to venture outside of the French Quarter. Plus they have affordable parking which is rare!
Day 1: Friday — French Quarter Icons, Beignets & Haunted New Orleans
✔️ Jackson Square
Kick off your trip with a stroll through Jackson Square, framed by the stunning St. Louis Cathedral, street artists, palm readers, and the sound of jazz floating through the air. This is the heart of the French Quarter and one of the most photographed spots in the United States — and once you’re there, you’ll understand why.
✔️ Café du Monde
You can’t be in New Orleans and skip Café du Monde. It’s literally the first place we went to in NOLA and is located right across Jackson Square. Grab a plate of beignets (yes, you’ll get powdered sugar all over you), order chicory coffee, and call it your official “I have arrived in NOLA” moment.
✔️ Haunted New Orleans Tour — Ghosts, Vampires, Voodoo & Gris-Gris
As the sun lowers, head to Armstrong Park for a Haunted New Orleans walking tour. October is the perfect time to do this, but tours are available year-round, as New Orleans is one of the most haunted cities in the world! There are so many tours to choose from, but I highly recommend Adults-Only New Orleans Ghost, Crime, Voodoo, and Vampire Tour.
Our tour blended folklore with real history — how voodoo queens like Marie Laveau shaped New Orleans, the origins of vampire legends like Jacques St. Germain, and haunted homes like the infamous Lalaurie Mansion (which funny enough Nicholas Cage once owned –he’s a surprisingly big topic in this city). You learn about the city’s dark history: epidemics, fires, hauntings, and unsolved mysteries. It’s a great way to start your weekend and gives you the lay of the land as well, plus you can ask your guide for recommendations!
✔️ Bourbon Street at Night
End your night on the one and only Bourbon Street, grabbing a drink and exploring until you find a bar with a gallery (aka a wide balcony running the lenght of the building) overlooking the chaos. Watching people try to catch beads even when it’s not Mardi Gras is unmatched entertainment.
Some people give Bourbon Street a bad reputation, but it’s a must-experience in New Orleans. It can get wild, but as long as you party safely, it’s a great time!
Day 2: Saturday — Pharmacy Museum, Bywater Adventures & Jazz on Frenchmen Street
✔️ New Orleans Pharmacy Museum (Haunted Tour in October!)
The New Orleans Pharmacy Museum looks quaint from the outside, but it’s packed with one of the most fascinating — and creepy — collections.
This restored 1823 apothecary belonged to Louis J. Dufilho Jr., America’s first licensed pharmacist. The building still contains:
- 19th-century surgical tools
- Voodoo dolls and folk remedies
- Early medical concoctions
- Original apothecary drawers and scales
If you visit in October, the Haunted Pharmacy Tour adds eerie layers about questionable medical practices and superstitions. Let’s just say I am incredibly grateful for sterilization after that tour.
✔️ Explore Beyond the French Quarter
Hop on a trolley or bus and head into local neighborhoods.
Lunch at Marrow’s: A delicious spot with a modern Creole vibe.
Bacchanal Wine: Build your own cheese board, grab a bottle, and enjoy an afternoon in the back garden area.
Walk the Mississippi River in Bywater: The riverwalk area is calm and takes you into a more residential area of New Orleans— the total opposite of Bourbon Street and perfect when you need a break from all the other tourists.
✔️ Frenchmen Street
In the evening, make your way to Frenchmen Street, which is the real soul of New Orleans music and where locals go.
We popped into:
- Maison
- Café Negril
Some charge a cover and some didn’t, but luckily there is no shortage of live music bars and venues in NOLA to choose from. There were street musicians everywhere too — we even stumbled on a performance by Crawdaddy Issues, and they were incredibly talented. Their performance was one of the highlights of my weekend.
✔️ Late-Night Po-Boys & Bourbon Street
Grab a late-night po-boy at NOLA Po-Boys, then wander back toward Bourbon Street to end your night dancing at Razzoo Club & Patio.
Day 3: Sunday — St. Louis Cemetery, Napoleon House & Historic Jazz Bars
✔️ St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 Tour
We did the St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 tour in the afternoon… and nearly melted. If you go, choose morning or evening.
This cemetery is one of the oldest in New Orleans (est. 1789) and is famous for:
- Above-ground tombs due to the high water table
- Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau’s tomb
- Pyramid tomb purchased by Nicolas Cage
- Creole burial traditions and multi-family vaults
Because it’s so historic, you can only visit with a licensed tour guide — which is great, because the stories here are wild–very educational and a deep dive into New Orleans’s history and uniqueness.
✔️ Napoleon House for Muffulettas
After the cemetery, we headed to the Napoleon House, a 200-year-old landmark originally intended as a refuge for Napoleon Bonaparte during his exile (he never made it, but the name stuck).
The building still carries its old-world charm and is famous for its muffulettas — layers of cured meats, cheese, and tangy olive salad on sesame bread. It’s one of New Orleans’ most iconic foods and my favorite meal during the entire weekend. There’s a line out the door, but it’s worth the wait!
✔️ Afternoon Wandering + Souvenir Shopping
Spend a few chill hours exploring the French Quarter’s charming streets, bookstores, and boutiques.
✔️ Pirate’s Alley Absinthe
In the evening, head to Pirate’s Alley Café for absinthe to drink it the traditional way or in a cocktail. I’m a fan of Absinthe, but be warned if you haven’t tried it before and are not a fan of licorice flavor. It can be considered an acquired taste.
✔️ Fritzel’s European Jazz Bar
End your night at Fritzel’s, one of the oldest jazz clubs in New Orleans. Cozy, intimate, and full of charm. There’s no cover, you are just required to purchase a drink. Love this Bar because you the seating is super close, almost intermingled with the audience.
Day 4: Monday — Laura Plantation, Swamp Sunset Tour & Brennan’s Bananas Foster
✔️ Rent a Car from the Convention Center
You don’t need a car for most of New Orleans — we only rented one to explore outside the city. The Convention Center is just a few minutes Uber ride away from the French Quarter or a thirty minute walk.
✔️ Laura Plantation: A Powerful and Unique Creole Story
We drove to Laura Plantation, which quickly became one of the most memorable experiences of the trip. The tour focuses on:
- The Creole family who built and governed the plantation
- The stories of enslaved people, documented through 5,000 pages of original archives
- Female leadership, including Laura herself, the granddaughter of the original owner.
You leave with a deeper understanding of Louisiana’s Creole culture and the harsh realities of plantation life.
✔️ Restaurant des Familles — Lunch with Gators
This restaurant has massive windows overlooking the swamp. We watched alligators just feet away on the other side of the glass while dinning. Truly a unique Louisiana dining experience.
✔️ Small-Boat Sunset Airboat Tour
After lunch, head to a small-group airboat swamp tour.
Small boats cost more, but are well worth it for a more intimate experience that allows you to get closer to the gators, which are just giant swamp puppies who love to eat marshmallows. It was giving “Can I pet that dawg?!” We even got to hold a baby gator! Doing the tour at sunset was pure magic during golden hour, and my personal recommendation for best time slot.
If there is only one thing you do during your time in NOLA, it has to be a swamp tour.
✔️ Dinner or Dessert at Brennan’s (Bananas Foster!)
Back in the French Quarter, stop at Brennan’s, the birthplace of Bananas Foster.
They prepare it tableside, flambéed with rum and brown sugar. It’s a full performance along with an explaination of how Bananas Foster came to be.
✔️ Monday Night Drinks
New Orleans is slower on Mondays, but we still stopped at Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop — one of the oldest bars in the U.S., lit mostly by candlelight with live piano music. It has a spooky ambiance perfect for a low-key night.
Day 5: Tuesday — Barataria Preserve + Crawfish Beignets Before Flying Home
✔️ Barataria Preserve (Jean Lafitte National Park)
Before heading to the airport, drive to Barataria Preserve, a lush wildlife area full of boardwalks and swamp trails. There are plenty of trails to choose from and I wish we could have spent all day there, but with a flight to catch we only managed to do one, the Bayou Coquille Trail. On the trail we saw several alligators sunbathing, a snake devouring a lizard (or a rat… something with a tail), banana spiders, and a frog.
One section of the trail was fenced off due to lack of maintenance, but we hopped it (at our own risk) and encountered several others who did the same. It felt like an adventure, but definitely exercise caution if you choose to be rebellious like we did.
✔️ Final Bite: Katie’s Crawfish Beignets
Before returning the car at the airport, stop at Katie’s for their famous savory Crawfish Beignets–the perfect “last bite” of Louisiana before heading to the airport.
**As you enter the restaurant check out the sign by the front door that shows how high the flood waters reached during Hurricane Katrina! A reminder of the hardship New Orleans has suffered and what a resilient city it is.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do You Need a Rental Car in New Orleans?
Not unless you plan to explore outside the city.
We only rented a car to visit:
- Laura Plantation
- The swamp
- Barataria Preserve
If you’re staying mostly in the French Quarter, Marigny, Bywater, Uptown, or Garden District, you can walk, trolley, or Uber. It’s also good to note that you can find plantation and swamp tours that include transportation from the French Quarter, but those will be more expensive and offer less flexibility to explore.
New Orleans is one of the best cities in the United States for an easy, long weekend getaway that will leave you entertained and well-fed. If you want a comprehensive list of everywhere we ate in New Orleans check out my New Orleans Restaurant Guide *here* along with recommendations of what to order at each place!
