Despite being one of the most popular and exciting tourist cities in the United States, NOLA isn’t especially large when compared to metropolises like New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago. This means that, while you might end up wanting to stay longer, two days is more than enough time to get a taste of the city on your next New Orleans tour.

If you only have a couple of days in New Orleans, we’d recommend starting with its most iconic neighborhood: the French Quarter. Also known as the Vieux Carré (French for “old square”), the French Quarter is the oldest part of the city and contains the beating heart of its famous nightlife. Party animals and music fans will want to spend the evening on Bourbon Street, known for its bars and music halls. New Orleans is one of the few places in the US that allows open alcohol containers on the street, so feel free to take a daiquiri to go and do a little bar hopping.

During the day, we’d recommend stopping by Jackson Plaza to see the street artists and tarot card readers before exploring the rest of the neighborhood. The French Quarter is known for its distinctive French and Spanish colonial architecture, which has been heavily featured in movies and TV shows set in New Orleans. It’s also home to some of the oldest buildings in the city, including the Old Ursuline Convent Museum, built in 1745, Brennan’s, an upscale French restaurant constructed in 1795, and Preservation Hall, built in 1817 as a Creole townhouse but converted into a music hall in the 1950s. Located on Bourbon Street, Preservation Hall is famous as one of the few fully integrated music venues in the Jim Crow-era South.

To make the most of your time in the Big Easy, we recommend checking out our New Orleans Self-Guided Walking Tour.

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