Neighborhood 48H guide
French Quarter: Where to Stay & What to Do in 48 Hours
Jackson Square, beignets at Café du Monde, a muffuletta at Central Grocery and jazz at Preservation Hall.
The French Quarter is the city’s oldest neighborhood, a grid of iron-balconied Creole townhouses between Canal Street, Esplanade Avenue and the river, centered on Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral. Bourbon Street is the loud part; Royal and Chartres are quieter.
Photo gallery
Photo: Brandon · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Jesse James · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Jeremy Thompson · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Why stay here
Almost everything a first trip needs is within a 15-minute walk, and the Marigny and the CBD are just beyond its edges.
Who it's for: First-timers, history and architecture fans, and anyone who wants to walk out the door into the city.
Pros
- Walk to Jackson Square, the river and Frenchmen Street
- Historic hotels with courtyards and pools
- Food and music at all hours
Cons
- Bourbon Street is loud and crowded at night
- Expensive parking
- Very busy during festivals and Mardi Gras
48H in the French Quarter
Beignets, Jackson Square, a muffuletta, jazz at night.
08:00 – Café du Monde
Beignets and café au lait at the French Market before the line builds.
09:30 – Jackson Square & St. Louis Cathedral
Walk the square, then the Pontalba galleries and the riverfront.
12:00 – Central Grocery
A muffuletta to share, eaten on the riverfront benches.
17:00 – Napoleon House
A Pimm’s Cup in the 18th-century building on Chartres.
20:00 – Preservation Hall
Short traditional-jazz sets in a small room.
Named recommendations
Real places with links to their official site or a Maps place page. We do not invent hours, prices, or ratings.
Coffee
Coffee
Café du Monde
800 Decatur St
Beignets and chicory café au lait at the French Market since 1862.
Photo: Jeremy Thompson · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →
Eat
Eat
Central Grocery
923 Decatur St
Home of the muffuletta; reopened in December 2024 after storm repairs.
Official site / map →
Drink
Drink
Napoleon House
500 Chartres St
Pimm’s Cups and muffulettas in a crumbling 1800s landmark.
Official site / map →
See / do
See / do
Jackson Square & St. Louis Cathedral
700 Chartres St
The Quarter’s main square, with the cathedral, Cabildo and Pontalba buildings around it.
Photo: Brandon · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →See / do
Preservation Hall
726 St Peter St
Traditional New Orleans jazz in a small, bare room. Ticketed sets most nights.
Official site / map →
Where to stay
Specific named properties—not vague city-wide searches. Expedia stays use tracked Creator links; others open the hotel's official site.
Roam48 may earn a commission when you book a stay through Expedia or Vrbo links on this page, at no extra cost to you. All commercial stay links use rel="sponsored nofollow".
Hotel · Expedia
Hotel Monteleone
214 Royal St
Historic Royal Street hotel with the rotating Carousel Bar and a rooftop pool.
Check rates on Expedia →Hotel · Expedia
The Royal Sonesta New Orleans
300 Bourbon St
On Bourbon Street with a courtyard pool; ask for a courtyard-side room if you want sleep.
Check rates on Expedia →
Vacation rentals
Prefer an apartment or whole home in this neighborhood? Browse Vrbo listings for French Quarter.
New Orleans limits short-term rentals: whole-home rentals are banned in most of the French Quarter and capped in residential blocks. Book listings that show a city permit number.
Browse vacation rentals in French Quarter on Vrbo →Other ways to spend 48 hours in New Orleans
- Marigny — Live music on Frenchmen Street, the night art market and Creole cottages under the oaks.
- Bywater — Crescent Park on the river, wine in Bacchanal’s backyard and a long brunch at Elizabeth’s.
- Tremé — Congo Square, St. Augustine Church, Mardi Gras Indian suits at the Backstreet museum and gumbo at Dooky Chase’s.
- CBD / Canal Street — The Roosevelt’s Sazerac Bar, fried chicken at Willie Mae’s and the river at the foot of Canal.
- Warehouse / Arts District — The WWII Museum, Southern art at the Ogden, galleries on Julia Street and dinner at Cochon.
- Lower Garden District — Coliseum Square’s oaks, Magazine Street shops and the best sandwich at Turkey and the Wolf.
- Garden District / Uptown — Mansions under the oaks, Commander’s Palace, Lafayette Cemetery tours and the streetcar to Audubon Park.
- Mid-City / Bayou St. John — City Park’s oaks, NOMA’s sculpture garden, a po’boy at Parkway and the Canal streetcar back downtown.