One Day in New Orleans
Prices & schedules checked October 18, 2026
One day is enough for a taste: one great museum, a streetcar ride under the oaks, the French Quarter on foot and a ghost story after dark. Everything below is within a short ride of the Quarter.
The plan
| When | What | Why / key fact |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00 a.m. | The National WWII Museum (Warehouse District) | Opens 9 a.m. daily; we’d allow about 3 hours |
| Lunch | Warehouse District or the Quarter | You can leave the museum and return the same day until 5 p.m. |
| Early afternoon | St. Charles streetcar to the Garden District and back | Oak-lined avenue and Garden District mansions |
| Mid-afternoon | St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 tour (55 min) or a French Quarter history walk | Cemetery tours limited to 20 people; book ahead |
| Sunset | Jackson Square and the riverfront | Or swap in an evening jazz cruise on the Natchez |
| After dinner | French Quarter ghost walk (about 2 hours) | The classic way to end a first night |
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Viator prices change often, so we don’t quote them: the Viator buttons open the live listing, where you’ll see today’s price, times and cancellation terms. Facts on this page come from the operators’ own sites.
Swaps
- Nature instead of the museum: a morning swamp tour with hotel pickup, then the Quarter in the afternoon.
- In December: end the day at Celebration in the Oaks in City Park instead of a ghost tour (closed Dec 7, 14, 24 and 31).
- On Mardi Gras Day (Feb 9, 2027): the WWII Museum and Mardi Gras World are closed; plan around the parades.
Need a base? See where to stay.