New Orleans: The Ultimate 4-Day Bachelorette Itinerary & Guide

PLANNING THE ULTIMATE 4-DAY NEW ORLEANS ITINERARY

Ready to pass a good time in NOLA your favorite girls? This ultimate New Orleans bachelorette itinerary covers everything you need for the perfect weekend, from thrilling private swamp tours and historic ghost walks to world-class jazz on Frenchmen Street and the best local eats.

The Quick Guide to a Long Weekend in New Orleans

Day 1 (Thursday): Arrivals at The Eleanor, cozy taco night, & Bad Bitches Ghost Tour.
Day 2 (Friday): Private Swamp Airboat Tour, Lafitte’s happy hour, dinner at Muriel’s, & live music on Frenchmen Street.
Day 3 (Saturday): Jackson Square walking tour, Café Du Monde, Sazerac House tasting, & a backyard Crawfish Boil at Clesi’s.
Day 4 (Sunday): Historic New Orleans Collection Museum, gluten-free street food at Bon’s, & live music before departure.

Essential New Orleans Travel Info & Need-to-Know

Currency: US Dollar

Language: English

Airports:

MSY – Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport

120 V at a frequency of 60 Hz. Outlets accommodate Type A (two flat pins) and Type B

New Orleans Transportation:

We used a combo of Ubers, street cars, and walking to get around. We stayed in a very centralized location which allowed us to walk almost everywhere.

Ubers: We used an Uber to get to and from the airport, and any longer distances. They definitely came faster than Lyft and were pretty affordable.

Streetcars: You can jump on an iconic streetcar by downloading the Le Pass app on your phone and buying a pass. You can buy a day pass if you plan to ride 3 or more times, otherwise buy single ride tickets. Note that the streetcars will often be pretty full coming out of Bourbon Street Area. We waited for two to come and they were both packed. We finally ended up getting to take a streetcar from dinner at Clesi’s back to our apartment.

Walking: We walked to 90% of the places we went in NOLA. There’s a lot of people around in the downtown area so we always felt pretty safe and all the top sights and things to do are pretty consolidated.

Swamp Tour: For the gator cruise, we opted for the shuttle from the tour company. This was an extra fee but I did the math and it was much cheaper than trying to Uber out there and back. You would have to pre-book an Uber for your way back since the location is way out in the swamp. I’d recommend just pay for the coordinated shuttle.

Where to Stay in New Orleans for Groups

Finding a place that fits a massive crew without feeling cramped is an Olympic sport. Enter The Eleanor New Orleans on Loyola Avenue. We checked into our 5-bedroom suite at 1:00 PM and were immediately obsessed. It features a massive kitchen, plenty of modern living space, and a shared rooftop pool and hot tub with panoramic city views. Plus, it’s just a 10-minute walk to the edge of the French Quarter.

The Full Itinerary: Thursday to Sunday

Day 1: Arrivals, Tacos, & Spooky Vibes

Afternoon: Welcome to NOLA! Thursday was all about arrivals. As the girls trickled in, we gathered at The Eleanor to settle in. Eating out for every single meal with a group of 12 gets exhausting, so we hit a local grocery store to stock up on snacks and ingredients for a low-key, DIY ground turkey taco night in our kitchen.

Evening: Bad Bitches Ghost Tour New Orleans is one of the most haunted cities in America, making a ghost tour a fun option. We booked the Bad Bitches Ghost Tour through Ghost City Tours ($35pp). It focuses on the famous, and sinister women who left their mark on NOLA’s history—equal parts educational, thrilling, and hilarious. The tour took us to LaLaurie Mansion, Harry’s Corner bar, Old Ursuline Convent, and more! This tour was just fine – I wouldn’t highly recommend it but it’s a good option. Next time I want to try a cemetary tour!

Day 2: Gators, Ghosts, & Live Music

8:00 AM – Fuel Up at the Airbnb

We kept breakfast quick and easy with light options in our suite: fresh fruit, yogurt, oatmeal, and plenty of Keurig coffee.

8:45 AM – 1:30 PM – Raging Cajun Private Airboat Tour

At 8:45 AM, our shuttle arrived for the ultimate Louisiana experience. We booked a private airboat excursion with Raging Cajun Airboat Tours, and having transportation included made the logistics seamless. Make sure to wear sunscreen and bring sunglasses, water, and a hat with a tie! Once you get going on the airboat – your hat might fly away unless you secure it down.

This was a 10/10 experience! Flying through the bayous on a high-speed airboat is a total thrill, and our captain got us up close and personal with tons of wild alligators. If you do one excursion outside the city, make it this one.

1:30 PM – 4:00 PM – Chill & Get Ready

After a windy morning on the bayou, we headed back to the Airbnb for a DIY charcuterie board lunch, some downtime by the rooftop pool, and a casual getting-ready session.

✈️ Traveler Tip: When planning a bachelorette, always schedule afternoon “buffer time.” Big groups need time to shower, relax, and sip a cocktail without feeling rushed.

4:00 PM – Happy Hour at Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar

We kicked off the evening at Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar on Bourbon Street. Built in the early 1700s, it’s one of the oldest surviving structures in North America to house a bar. It’s incredibly atmospheric, lit largely by candlelight, and famous for its “Purple Voodoo” slushies.

5:00 PM – Dinner at Muriel’s Jackson Square

For dinner, we headed to Muriel’s, a classic New Orleans staple right on Jackson Square. The refined contemporary Creole food here is spectacular, and the historic building famously comes with its own resident ghost.

Note for groups: It is on the pricier side, and because of the historic layout, they couldn’t seat all 12 of us at one long table. Instead, they sat us across two adjacent tables, which still worked beautifully.

Evening – Karaoke & Frenchmen Street

After dinner, we hit Bourbon Street and popped into Cat’s Meow for karaoke, which was absolute chaos in the best way possible.

From there, we walked over to Frenchmen Street for the live music scene. Unlike Bourbon Street, which felt a bit like a “college-style let’s-get-wasted” vibe, Frenchmen Street is where the real musical soul of NOLA lives. You can pop into literally any jazz club or bar and hear world-class live brass bands. We wrapped up by walking back through Bourbon Street just to see it in all its neon glory before calling it a night.

Day 3: Culture, Cocktails, & a Crawfish Boil

Morning: A Sleep-In & Café Du Monde

We enjoyed a much-needed slow morning, cooked a hearty breakfast of bagels, bacon, and eggs at the apartment, and set out by 11:00 AM. We strolled to Jackson Square to admire the stunning St. Louis Cathedral, took in the architecture of The Cabildo and The Presbytère, and made the essential stop at Café Du Monde for hot, powdery chicory coffee and beignets.

✨ Café Du Monde Tip: This is such a popular spot so it is often quite busy. If you see a line – it is probably for takeout. There isn’t really a nice line to grab a table. You just go in and try to snag one. We waited in the line for 5 mins or so before realizing this.

Afternoon: Exploring the French Quarter

We happened to be in town during the French Quarter Festival, so we spent the afternoon wandering through the streets, catching outdoor live music stages, and browsing local shops.

✨ Festival Weekend: If you aren’t visiting during a festival weekend, don’t worry! You can easily replicate this day by checking out the street performers along the Jackson Square waterfront and popping into the boutiques on Royal Street.

4:45 PM – Sazerac House Tour & Tasting

This is a MUST-DO in New Orleans! The Sazerac House is an interactive, multi-story cocktail museum dedicated to NOLA’s official cocktail, the Sazerac. The self-guided tour is completely free, brilliantly produced, and includes several complimentary cocktail tastings along the way. Be sure to book your tickets online well in advance.

7:00 PM – Dinner at Clesi’s Seafood (Crawfish Boil!)

You can’t come to Louisiana without experiencing a true crawfish boil. We headed over to Clesi’s Seafood for a massive, messy feast of boiled crawfish, corn, potatoes, and sausage.

We wrapped up Saturday night back at the Airbnb playing bachelorette party games and laughing until our stomachs hurt.

Day 4: History, “Gluten-Free Beignets,” & Farewell

Morning: Checking Out & Storing Bags

After a lazy morning breakfast, we utilized our late 12:00 PM checkout at The Eleanor. Because we had hours before our flights, we stored our luggage using the Bounce app at The Rooster Club (a cool local barber shop that doubles as a baggage drop).

Afternoon: Museum & Calas

With our hands free, we spent our final hours exploring The Historic New Orleans Collection (HNOC). Located right in the French Quarter, this museum is completely free and packed with fascinating exhibits on NOLA’s diverse history and vibrant culture.

Next, we made a special stop at Bon’s New Orleans Street Food near Jackson Square. One of our girls is gluten-free, and Bon’s is famous for making NOLA street food accessible. We ordered their gluten-free “beignets,” which are actually Calas—a historic, West African-derived Creole street food made of rice drop-batter fried in beef tallow. They are crunchy, sweet, and absolutely delicious—just go in knowing they have a different, denser texture than a standard puffy wheat beignet!

We took one last stroll to catch some street jazz, grabbed our bags, and headed to the airport. New Orleans, you were unforgettable! 🍾✨