How to Spend 5 Days in New Orleans, An Easy Trip From the Dallas–Fort Worth Area
New Orleans is one of the simplest getaways from the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Direct flights from DFW International Airport put you in Louisiana in under two hours, making a trip easy to pull together. The city is filled with fun activities, fascinating history and delicious food well worth hopping on a quick flight. Whether you have family ties to the city or just want food, music and culture you can’t find anywhere else, here’s how to fill five days in NOLA.
Day 1: The French Quarter and the classics
Start your morning walking Bourbon Street and Royal Street, taking in street performers, iron balconies and local art galleries. Make Café Du Monde your first stop for beignets and chicory coffee — it’s open 24/7. In the afternoon, explore Jackson Square to see street artists, fortune-tellers and St. Louis Cathedral. End the evening with dinner on Frenchmen Street and live jazz at The Spotted Cat or Snug Harbor.
Day 2: History, cemeteries and the Garden District
Take a guided tour of St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, the oldest surviving cemetery in New Orleans, home to above-ground tombs. Walk or ride the streetcar to the Garden District to see celebrity mansions, oak-canopied streets and Lafayette Cemetery. Book a table at Commander’s Palace for a legendary New Orleans lunch — reservations are required, and a visit on a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday gets you 25-cent martinis.
That evening, visit the National WWII Museum, open until 5 p.m. every day. North Texans with military connections will find the museum worth the trip alone. If time remains, finish out the evening with some bar-hopping on Magazine Street.
Day 3: Food, markets and the Warehouse District
Walk along the Mississippi River at Crescent Park, then grab breakfast at a local spot in the Marigny or Bywater neighborhoods. Browse the French Market, a historic open-air market stretching along the riverfront. Don’t leave without a muffuletta sandwich from Central Grocery, the sandwich’s birthplace and a NOLA original since 1906. Spend the evening with dinner and gallery-hopping in the Warehouse/Arts District, home to the Contemporary Arts Center and dozens of galleries.
Day 4: Bayou, jazz history and local neighborhoods
Walk or bike the Bayou St. John trail for a peaceful escape from the French Quarter. Visit the New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Old U.S. Mint, then explore Tremé, the oldest African American neighborhood in the U.S., founded in 1783. Stop for a meal at Dooky Chase’s Restaurant, where civil rights leaders met — a James Beard Award-winning Creole institution. DFW residents who already love Cajun and Creole cooking at home will want to taste it at the source. Cap the night with a second line parade (check local event listings) or a live brass band at Tipitina’s.
Day 5: Swamp tour, Audubon and a proper send-off
Book a half-day swamp tour outside the city to see alligators, cypress trees and local wildlife up close. In the afternoon, visit the Audubon Zoo or City Park and the New Orleans Museum of Art. For your farewell dinner, go all out at Galatoire’s with the classics: gumbo, shrimp remoulade and bread pudding. Close the trip with one final stroll down Frenchmen Street for live music.
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
