New Orleans in 3 Days: everything you need to know

New Orleans is one of the most culturally rich cities in the United States and is distinct in its food, music, religious beliefs and historical legacy. There are many things to see and do in New Orleans, so be prepared for an activity-packed trip.

Even if you only have three days to get to know New Orleans, you'll find that with the itinerary I suggest you'll get the most out of your stay and you'll return home knowing that you've experienced the essence of magnificent New Orleans. In these three days you will sail, listen to great music, eat delicious Creole food, learn about the sad history of slavery and get scared in the city's cemeteries.

On the first day of the itinerary, you'll get an overview of the city by taking a sightseeing bus tour.

In the afternoon you'll visit one of the world's best World War II museums and end the day on a relaxing cruise. What do you think, are you ready? Hurry up or you'll miss the bus!

New Orleans city tour by hop on hop off bus

You'll start the first day of your visit with a tour onone of New Orleans' tour buses, hopping on at 09:30 at the stop closest to your hotel.

The hop-on hop-off buses run for two hours, with 18 stops where you can hop on and off as many times as you like. You can opt for 1 or 3 day tickets, on this itinerary you will only need a one day pass.

Tickets cost approximately 35 euros per person. You will take the full tour to get an overview of the main sights of the city. After finishing the tour you will get off at the French Quarter stop.

French Quarter Tour

Once you get off the bus at the French Quarter stop (around midday), you can explore the area on your own or if you prefer, you can book one of the tours of the French Quarter with professional guides.

Guided tours last between one and a half and three hours. You should choose a tour that lasts no more than two hours to complete this itinerary. You can have a light lunch at one of the many restaurants in the area.

After finishing this tour you will return to the hop on hop off bus stop in the French Quarter to get on and continue to the National WWII Museum stop.

National World War II Museum

It is now around 14:00, time to enter the World War II Museum.

The WWII Museum is considered one of the best WWII museums globally. The entrance fee is around 30 euros per person. You can tour the museum at your own pace, the visit lasts on average 2 to 3 hours and you will learn all about the role of the United States in the war through first-generation interactive content. Both the building housing the museum and the exhibits are very modern and technology plays a key role in the museum's exhibits.

Hurry up, it's already around 16:00 and you have to go to the bus stop to get back to the hotel, shower and head to the port for your cruise.

Mississippi Night Cruise with dinner on board and Jazz Concert

After a busy day, there's nothing better than relaxing on board an evening cruise on the Mississippi, with dinner and live music included in the price. There are several options for cruises on the Mississippi, choose one that offers evening cruises with dinner included.

Dinner and jazz concert cruises are priced at around 50 euros per person and are well worth the price.

You will be able to delight your palate with delicious regional dishes and your ears with the typical music of the city: jazz. After this evening, which is an excellent option to do with your partner, you will return to the hotel with renewed energy to face the second day of your itinerary.

On the second day of your itinerary you will visit the typical cotton plantations of the southern United States, while learning all about the slavery era. You will also take a boat trip to tour the swamps surrounding the city of New Orleans.

Swamp boat tour

The swamps surround the city of New Orleans and can be accessed by boats that travel along its waterways. For this second day of the itinerary you'll take a full day tour that includes the swamp tour by boat and a visit to the plantations, both of which are included in the price. The swamp tour takes place in comfortable boats with local captains and guides who are used to navigating these waters. You will be able to observe the wonderful local wildlife, including beautiful caimans, birds, turtles, snakes and more.

Visit the cotton plantations

The city of New Orleans is sadly linked to slavery in the southern United States. Its cotton plantations are world-renowned for their use of slave labour, mainly from the Congo in Africa.

On the Oak Alley Plantation tours , one of the oldest cotton plantations in New Orleans, you will learn about life on a cotton plantation in those days and you can tour the plantation at your own pace.

You will visit the gardens and the French-style mansion. Guided tours last approximately 35 minutes, the rest of the time is for you to wander the vast gardens at your own pace.

You can have lunch at the restaurant located inside the plantation and visit the gift shop to do some shopping for local handicrafts.

Your full day trip is coming to an end and it's time to head to your hotel for a good night's sleep because tomorrow, your last day in New Orleans is packed with activities. Good night, have a good night's rest!

On the third and final day of your tour of New Orleans, the activities will focus on two of the characteristics that make this city famous: gastronomy and the occult.

You'll take a tour of the Garden District and Lafayette Cemetery, then you'll explore the best of Creole cuisine and end the day with a tour of the city's most mysterious and hidden aspects.

The itinerary I suggest for the third day includes activities that are not suitable for children as they may be frightened. If you're travelling with your little ones, I recommend swapping the visit to the Garden District with the Lafayette Cemetery and the voodoo and occult tour for one of these 10 things to do in New Orleans with kids.

Garden District and Lafayette Cemetery Tour

The first leg of the third day's itinerary begins outside Lafayette Cemetery, where your guide will tell you all about the cemetery's unique burial method and occult history.

The Lafayette Cemetery is world famous and has been associated with voodoo due to the alleged performance of rituals within the cemetery. The cemetery is currently closed to the public, but you can see it from the outside and learn all its secrets.

You'll then tour the magnificent Garden District, where you'll see breathtaking mansions and breathtaking gardens. Your guide will show you the homes of celebrities and places that have been featured in TV series and films. You'll have time to take photos, so bring your camera.

There are guided tours of around two hours that include the Garden District and Lafayette Cemetery for around 30 euros per person. These tours are recommended because the guides can show you places that only locals know about.

Food Tour

After your two-hour stroll through the Garden District, you should be quite hungry. It's getting close to lunchtime and there's nothing better than sampling the best of New Orleans cuisine while a guide tells you the story behind the dishes.

During this three-hour food tour of New Orleans, you'll sample the city's most iconic dishes at the best restaurants.

You'll learn the differences between Cajun and Creole food and the ethnic contributions each culture has made to New Orleans cuisine. The price per person is around 67 euros and tastings are included in the price.

New Orleans Mysteries Tour: Cemeteries, Ghosts, Vampires, Voodoo and Vampires

You'll end your three-day visit to New Orleans with a tour that will make your hair stand on end. The city of New Orleans as well as Haiti has a huge heritage of people who came from the Congo and gave birth to an African-American religion, which blends African practices with Christian beliefs.

The voodoo of New Orleans is explained on these tours as well as other points of interest.

The New Orleans ghost, voodoo and occult tours give you an overview of the city's mysteries and myths, lasting around 2 hours and costing between 20 and 30 euros.

You can also opt for a tour of the cemeteries of New Orleans, which in about 2 hours will give you a tour more focused on the historical and architectural and not so much on the myths.

That's it for the suggested itinerary of things to see and do in New Orleans in three days. As you can see, you can see and do a lot in a short time if you stick to the itinerary.

Day 1

• New Orleans Bus Tour
• French Quarter Tour
• World War II Museum
• Mississippi River Night CruiseDay 2
• Swamp Boat Tour
• Cotton Plantation TourDay 3
• Garden District and Lafayette Cemetery
• Food Tour
• New Orleans Mystery Tour

When you are organising your trip to New Orleans with a set amount of days, as in this case 3 days, you should keep in mind that there is not much room for error.

You'll need to organise everything from the first to the last detail to avoid setbacks and make the most of your stay in the city. To help you plan your trip to New Orleans and stick to your itinerary:

• Start planning early once you have decided on your travel date.
• Book your tours and visits to attractions in advance to ensure availability of activities on the date you want to do them.
• Choose reputable, reputable companies to book your tours with, check the customer reviews on their websites.
• Choose companies that have a clear refund policy in case you have to change your plans and can't travel.
• If you don't speak English, opt for activities in Spanish or you won't enjoy the experience.

If this is your first visit to New Orleans, you should know that it's a city with a very special culture and traditions that may seem strange to you. You may not like some things, but as with all travel, the cultural exchange is the best thing you'll take home with you. So keep the following in mind:

• Go with an open mind and without prejudice
• Respect all the beliefs of the locals, even if you find them strange or do not share them, maybe they find your beliefs strange
• Do not joke with the religion of others, you may find it funny or hard to believe, they may think the same of your religion
• If you are going to eat traditional dishes (they are delicious), Keep in mind that the food has African roots and the flavours are intense and many combinations of ingredients may seem strange to you, once again I say, leave your prejudices aside and try
• Listen, observe, smell, touch and taste New Orleans, it is a city that deserves to be experienced to the fullest!