Self-Guided Walking Tour in New Orleans

Why Walk New Orleans? A Self-Guided Tour

This route cuts across the heart of New Orleans from Jackson Square through the French Quarter's oldest streets, past a cemetery older than the United States, and finishes in the Faubourg Marigny where locals actually go for live music. Six stops, 11.7 kilometers, roughly 3.5 to 4 hours of walking. The distance is longer than it looks on paper because the route reaches from the river to Basin Street and then east into the Marigny, but this is a flat city at sea level and every block has something to look at.

What makes this particular sequence worth following is the contrast. You start in the polished, tourist-facing center of Jackson Square with its cathedral spires and fortune tellers, walk through the party-strip chaos of Bourbon Street, sit down for a proper Creole breakfast at one of the most historically important restaurants in the South, then stand among the dead in a cemetery that has been receiving burials since 1789. After that, the mood shifts entirely. Frenchmen Street and the Jazz Museum pull you out of the tourist bubble and into the city that New Orleanians actually inhabit. The music on Frenchmen is not performed for tourists. It is performed because this is a city where playing music is as natural as breathing.

The Route: 6 Stops

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Route Map

Your New Orleans Walking Tour, Stop by Stop

1. 1

   Jackson Square

   

   The smell of powdered sugar and hot oil from Cafe Du Monde hits you before you round the corner. Jackson Square is a 2.5-acre park hemmed in by the triple spires of St. Louis Cathedral, the oldest continuously active Roman Catholic cathedral in the United States. The wrought-iron fence around the square is lined with artists displaying paintings and sketches, a tradition protected by city ordinance since the 1970s. Street performers, tarot card readers, and brass bands fill the pedestrian zone on three sides. The 15-ton bronze statue of Andrew Jackson in the center was the first equestrian statue in the world to balance on two rear hooves. Open daily 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Free to enter. Come before 10:00 AM to see it calm, or come later and accept the swirl as part of the experience. Walk one block inside the square to the Cabildo and Presbytere flanking the cathedral, both part of the Louisiana State Museum. Skip anyone who offers to guess where you got your shoes.

   Learn more about Jackson Square →

   Hours

   Daily: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM

   Price

   Free

   5 min walk to next stop

2. 2

   Bourbon Street

   

   Love it or roll your eyes, walking Bourbon Street once is part of seeing New Orleans. This 13-block stretch dates to 1721 and takes its name from the French royal family, not the whiskey. During the day it is quieter, a bit sticky underfoot, and easier to appreciate the ironwork balconies and Creole architecture hiding above the neon signs. The Old Absinthe House at 240 Bourbon Street has been pouring drinks since 1807 and still has the original copper absinthe fountains behind the bar. Walk the first few blocks from Canal Street to get the picture, then get out. The parallel streets, Royal and Chartres, have better architecture, better shops, and significantly fewer plastic cups on the ground. Notice the width of the balconies on the upper floors: they were designed so residents could socialize above the mud and filth of the unpaved colonial streets below. Five to ten minutes of walking here is enough. Turn south onto Royal Street and head toward Brennan's.

   Learn more about Bourbon Street →

   Hours

   Check locally

   Price

   Free

   3 min walk to next stop

3. 3

   Brennan's

   

   At 417 Royal Street, the pink stucco facade of Brennan's conceals a courtyard restaurant that helped define modern Creole cuisine. The building dates to the late 18th century and once served as the first bank of the United States. The restaurant opened in 1946 and invented Bananas Foster in 1951, a dessert that reportedly goes through 35,000 pounds of bananas per year at this single location. They flambe it tableside. Breakfast is the signature meal: eggs Hussarde with hollandaise and marchand de vin sauce, turtle soup, then Bananas Foster to finish. Free to enter. Open Monday through Friday 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM, weekends from 8:00 AM. Reservations are strongly recommended for weekend brunch. Even if you skip the meal, step through the iron gate into the courtyard to see the fountain and the banana trees growing along the walls. This is one of the most beautiful hidden spaces in the Quarter. From Brennan's, walk north and west through the Quarter toward Basin Street.

   Learn more about Brennan's →

   Hours

   Mon-Fri: 9:00 AM – 10:00 PM | Sat-Sun: 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM

   Price

   Free (entry, restaurant)

   10 min walk to next stop

4. 4

   St. Louis Cemetery No. 1

   

   The whitewashed walls appear suddenly on Basin Street, a small city of the dead pressed between the French Quarter and Treme. Opened in 1789, this is the oldest existing cemetery in New Orleans. The tombs are above ground because the water table here sits just a few feet below the surface. Dig down and you hit water. Over 700 tombs crowd the narrow lanes, many crumbling and patched, the plaster peeling to reveal old brick beneath. Marie Laveau, the legendary Voodoo Queen, is buried here, though which tomb is genuinely hers remains debated. Nicolas Cage owns a stark white pyramid-shaped tomb near the center, purchased in 2010, which stands out conspicuously among the aged surroundings. You can only enter with a licensed tour guide or proof that a family member is interred here. Guided tours cost 25 USD per person, run daily from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and typically last about an hour. The guides are worth it for the stories. From the cemetery, head east and south toward the Faubourg Marigny.

   Learn more about St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 →

   Hours

   Daily: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

   Price

   25 USD (guided tour only)

   25 min walk to next stop

5. 5

   Frenchmen Street

   

   You hear it before you see it. Even during the day, a trumpet bleeds through a propped-open door or a brass band warms up on a corner. This three-block stretch in the Faubourg Marigny is where New Orleanians actually go for live music, as opposed to the tourist-oriented clubs on Bourbon. The Spotted Cat Music Club packs people shoulder to shoulder most nights with no cover charge. The DBA on the same block books touring acts and local legends. During the day, browse the Frenchmen Art Bazaar, a converted alleyway where local artists and craftspeople sell prints, jewelry, and handmade instruments. The street is named for the 1768 execution of five French Creole settlers who rebelled against Spanish colonial rule. The neighborhood around it, the Marigny, is lined with colorful shotgun houses and small cafes that feel nothing like the Quarter. During a daytime walk, spend 20 to 30 minutes absorbing the quieter version. The real energy starts after 8:00 PM and builds until well past midnight.

   Learn more about Frenchmen Street →

   Hours

   Check locally

   Price

   Free

   15 min walk to next stop

6. 6

   New Orleans Jazz Museum

   

   The Old U.S. Mint building at 400 Esplanade Avenue is a thick-walled Greek Revival fortress that once printed both Union and Confederate currency during the Civil War, the only mint in history to serve two warring governments. Today it houses the largest collection of jazz instruments and artifacts in the world, including Louis Armstrong's first cornet, the one he learned to play as a teenager at the Colored Waif's Home for Boys. The second floor has rotating exhibits tracing jazz from its roots in Congo Square through swing, bebop, and modern styles. Live performances happen in the performance hall on many afternoons, so check their calendar before you visit. Closed Mondays. Open Tuesday through Sunday 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The building itself is worth a look from outside, with its heavy columns and iron fence along Esplanade. Budget 30 to 45 minutes inside. This is the final stop on the route, and it ties the whole walk together: you started in the French Quarter where jazz was born and end in a museum dedicated to preserving its story.

   Learn more about New Orleans Jazz Museum →

   Hours

   Mon: Closed | Tue-Sun: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

   Price

   10 USD

Self-Guided Tour vs. Group Tour in New Orleans

Guided walking tours of the French Quarter typically cost 30 to 50 USD per person for a two-hour group experience. They cover Jackson Square, Bourbon Street, maybe a cemetery stop, and you hear the same well-rehearsed anecdotes about pirates and voodoo. This route gives you 6 stops across 11.7 kilometers, reaching beyond the Quarter into the Faubourg Marigny and the Jazz Museum, places most guided tours never touch.

The real advantage is pace. New Orleans punishes hurrying. A guided tour marches you past Brennan's courtyard without stopping. It skips Frenchmen Street because it is outside the Quarter. It gives you 15 minutes at the cemetery when the stories alone could fill an hour. Walking on your own, you stop when a brass band sets up on a corner. You eat when you smell something worth eating. You sit on a bench in Jackson Square and listen to whatever song is drifting out of whatever bar is closest.

One honest note: the walk from St. Louis Cemetery to Frenchmen Street is the longest stretch at about 25 minutes. On a hot, humid day, this can feel punishing. The Rampart-St. Claude streetcar covers part of this leg for $1.25 if you need the relief.

How Long Does This New Orleans Tour Take?

The full 6-stop route covers 11.7 kilometers and takes roughly 3.5 to 4 hours of actual walking time. With proper stops, plan for 5 to 6 hours. Start by 9:00 AM to give yourself a full morning and early afternoon.

The stops that deserve the most time: St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 takes a full hour with the guided tour and is worth every minute. The Jazz Museum rewards 30 to 45 minutes, especially if a live performance is scheduled. Jackson Square and the surrounding blocks deserve 20 to 30 minutes of wandering. Brennan's is a proper sit-down meal if you choose to eat there, which adds 60 to 90 minutes but is one of the defining culinary experiences in the city.

For a quick break, Cafe Du Monde near Jackson Square serves beignets and chicory coffee at all hours. Expect a line, but it moves fast. In the Marigny, the cafes along Frenchmen Street are less crowded and often better. The longest walk without a stop is the 25-minute stretch from the cemetery to Frenchmen Street. Pace yourself on that segment, especially in summer.

Tips for Walking in New Orleans

• Start at Jackson Square by 9:00 AM. Walk from Canal Street or take any streetcar to the French Quarter. The RTA app shows real-time arrivals for all transit lines. Morning temperatures are 5 to 10 degrees cooler than midday, and the humidity is slightly more bearable. By mid-morning, the square fills with performers and the energy builds.
• New Orleans is completely flat, so elevation is never an issue. Sidewalks, however, are a different story. Tree roots push through concrete everywhere, creating uneven surfaces that can trip you in the dark. Many sections are cracked, buckled, or missing entirely. Wear shoes with thick soles and good ankle support. After rain, standing water pools on sidewalks for hours.
• Public restrooms are limited in the French Quarter. Your best options on this route are inside the Jazz Museum, at Brennan's if you are a customer, and in the Cafe Du Monde area near Jackson Square. Most hotel lobbies along Canal Street will not stop you from walking in to use their facilities. The cemetery has no public restrooms.
• For the signature meal on this route, book brunch at Brennan's. Eggs Hussarde, turtle soup, and tableside Bananas Foster make a memorable combination. For something faster and cheaper, beignets at Cafe Du Monde near Jackson Square cost a few dollars per order. In the Marigny, grab a po'boy from any neighborhood joint within a block of Frenchmen Street.
• The best photo on this route is Jackson Square from the Moonwalk riverfront promenade behind Cafe Du Monde. Walk to the river, turn back toward the square, and shoot the cathedral spires framed by the iron lampposts. Morning light before 10:00 AM gives warm tones on the cathedral facade with the sun behind you. For atmosphere, the whitewashed tombs of St. Louis Cemetery photograph beautifully in overcast light.

Common Questions