The Ultimate 3 Day New Orleans Itinerary (From a Louisiana Native)

We’ve been to New Orleans 14 times since 2021, okay, we went four times as a couple before we moved here, but Desi had the joy of growing up in this beautiful, diverse, hot state.. Before Finley it was girls’ weekends, a bachelorette trip and one very rainy weekend. Now it’s aquarium days, stroller walks and a lot of beignets(we aren’t mad).

So here’s the 3 day New Orleans itinerary we’d hand a friend. It’s built from our real days there, it works with a baby or a toddler, and every day has a nap break built in. 🤍

For every spot we eat at, here’s what to eat in New Orleans. For the full list of sights, here are the places to see in New Orleans.

Our 3 Day New Orleans Itinerary, at a Glance

Screenshot this one:

• Day 1, the French Quarter: beignets at Café Beignet, Jackson Square, the Pharmacy Museum, Royal Street, the riverfront and the Steamboat Natchez.
• Day 2, the aquarium and the Garden District: brunch at Atchafalaya, Audubon Aquarium, the St. Charles streetcar and dinner at Jack Rose.
• Day 3, Uptown and the lake: Audubon Park, lunch on Carrollton, the Audubon Louisiana Nature Center and a sunset on the lakefront.

Tours and Things to Note

Things to Note:

• Go Thursday through Saturday if you can. That lines up with every stop’s hours. Friday through Sunday works too. Just pick Juan’s for lunch on Sunday, since the Milk Bar is closed.
• Day 1 is all on foot. Day 2 works on the streetcar. Day 3 needs a car, since the Nature Center and the lakefront are a drive.
• The streetcar is $1.25 a ride with exact change, or $3 for a day pass in the Le Pass app.
• Book the Natchez ahead, especially on holidays. It fills up.

I will drop a few of our recommendations below and you can get discounted tickets!

Where to Stay in New Orleans

Staying the night? For a first trip, stay in the French Quarter so you can walk to everything. For something quieter, the Garden District puts the streetcar at your door and the Marigny puts you a short walk from Frenchmen Street. Here’s the map plus our top 3.

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Day 1: The French Quarter

Park the car, put on comfy shoes and plan on a lot of walking.

Okay, don’t get me wrong. You have to go to Cafe Du Monde atleast once in your life, but we usually go to Cafe Beignet on Royal (it’s also near Brennans, which is one of our favorite places to eat! Beignets are available at multiple restaurants, not just ones that have beignet in the name. We love to walk around and look in the little shops in the French Quarter- which have the best gifts and home furnishing.

Late Morning: The New Orleans Pharmacy Museum

Be at the Pharmacy Museum on Chartres when it opens at 11. If you only do one museum in the Quarter, make it this one. Old medicine bottles, a jar of leeches, a giant old cash register and a staircase up to even more. It’s tight in there, so this is a carrier stop, not a stroller stop. That’s how we did it with Finley. We loved this museum, especially since Hannah is in the medical field. You can see different items medical related 100 years old from all over, which is quite shocking.

• Address: 514 Chartres St
• Hours: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday
• Tickets: $10 adults, free for kids 6 and under

Afternoon: A Po’boy, Royal Street and a Break

Walk over to Mother’s on Poydras for a po’boy. You can go there for breakfast, but don’t be shocked if the line is out the door. Then wander Royal Street and look up at the balconies on the way back. After that, go back to the hotel for nap time. Everybody will be happier tonight.

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Day 2: The Aquarium and the Garden District

This is the same order we did it when Finley was two months old. The same order we did it anytime we went into New Orleans. The garden district and Mid City is where you will find locals eating and hanging out.

Late Morning: Brunch at Atchafalaya

Start with brunch at Atchafalaya on Louisiana Avenue. We had the waffle piled with blueberries and whipped cream, and the fried chicken sandwich.

• Address: 901 Louisiana Ave
• Brunch: about 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., closed Tuesday and Wednesday
• Website: atchafalayarestaurant.com

Finley does really well napping, the first time he was in the aquarium he napped until the end of it…. BUT now he LOVES to roam around. They have a ton of kid activities, so he gets to play. The good thing about the location is the mall is also nearby, so you can stroller your baby (if they sleep in a stroller). Finley can handle naps anywhere when he is tired enough. We have yet to take him on the trolley, but he is starting to be obsessed with trains, so may add that to our list soon.

Evening: The St. Charles Streetcar and Dinner at Jack Rose

Rest at the hotel, then hop on the green St. Charles streetcar and ride past the big Garden District houses. You can also check out some history on the way. Get off at the Pontchartrain Hotel for dinner at Jack Rose. It’s a dress up a little kind of dinner, so book ahead. Want something easier? Joey K’s on Magazine Street is our casual pick.

• Jack Rose: 2031 St Charles Ave, dinner Wednesday through Saturday from 5 p.m. (the famous Lil Wayne painting)
• Joey K’s: 3001 Magazine St, open until 9 p.m., closed Sundays

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Day 3: Uptown and the Lake

Lunch: Carrollton Avenue

Head up to Carrollton for lunch. Juan’s Flying Burrito on Oak Street for the queso, or the Milk Bar for a hot sandwich. Both are a short drive from the park.

Afternoon: Audubon Louisiana Nature Center

Then drive out to the Nature Center in New Orleans East and walk the boardwalk trail. Get there by about 1:30, since the trails close at 3. We pulled Finley along in the wagon.

• Address: 11000 Lake Forest Blvd
• Open: Wednesday through Sunday, trails 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., free

Evening: Sunset on the Lakefront

End the trip on Lakeshore Drive. Find the Mardi Gras Fountain, sit on the steps by Lake Pontchartrain and watch the sun go down. On our September trip we fit the Nature Center, the aquarium and a lakefront sunset into one day, so you can swap the aquarium in here if you skipped it.

The lakefront is one of the most overlooked areas. You can fish, sit and watch the boats. There are restaurants, or you can walk near some amazing houses.

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Have More Time?

• The Country Club drag brunch, Bywater: Saturdays and Sundays. We went in June 2025 and the queens put on a show. In the summer, the pool is one of the best times you can have.
• Mardi Gras World: tour the warehouse where the parade floats are built, with king cake. Open daily 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The kids LOVE THIS.
• Besthoff Sculpture Garden, City Park: free, with more than 90 sculptures.
• Frenchmen Street, Marigny: live music at night. Bring a babysitter if you want to do this one tho. 😉

Tips for New Orleans With a Baby

• Bring the carrier and the stroller. We used the carrier at the Pharmacy Museum, the stroller at Audubon Park and the wagon at the Nature Center. Tight spots get the carrier, parks get the stroller.
• Plan around nap time. One big thing in the morning, a break at the hotel and one more thing in the evening. Every day in this itinerary is set up that way.
• So much is free. Kids under 2 get into the aquarium free, and Jackson Square, the riverfront, Audubon Park and the lakefront cost nothing.
• Pack wipes and a spare outfit. Beignet sugar gets everywhere, and if your baby is anything like Finley at the aquarium, you’ll want the extra clothes. 😅
• Summer afternoons get hot and stormy. Keep a rain cover on the stroller and save the inside stops for the afternoon.

Traveling with a newborn? Here’s how we did Boston with a two month old.

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That’s Our New Orleans

Beignets, leeches, penguins, gumbo and a sunset by the lake. That’s our 3 day New Orleans itinerary, and honestly, we’ll keep tweaking it every time we go.

Planning more? Here’s what to eat in New Orleans, the places to see in New Orleans, our rainy weekend in New Orleans, our New Orleans bachelorette guide and our Shreveport and Bossier City weekend.

Tell me if you go! Come say hi on Instagram and tell me how you’d spend 3 days in New Orleans. 🤍

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