Best walking routes in New Orleans

11 routes ranked on sights, efficiency, hills & length — real foot distance and elevation.

3.9 scoreHills 0/106.7 kmBest Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov
—

Scroll to previewauto-fits in a momenttap card to open

Ranked routes

Same score for every walk. Click a card to expand details on the map.

…
#1
Viewpoint

One Hour in New Orleans: A Short Walk

1 hour

6 stops1.7 km55 min

1.7 kmdistance55 minwith stops6stops+6 mgain
4.0 sights8.4 efficiency0.1 hills8.7 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 25 min+ up to 1 h 20 min insides+6 m climb along route
  1. Saint Louis Cemetery
  2. Saint Louis Cemetery #1
  3. Congo Square
  4. The Cabildo
  5. St. Louis Cathedral
  6. Jackson Square
0–6 m

Photo: ViewpointDiego DelsoCC BY-SA 3.0

5.4/10
#2
Viewpoint

New Orleans in One Day: Walking Itinerary

One day

22 stops7.0 km3 h 45 min

Inside visits push a full day to ~5 h 30 min.

Inside: The Cabildo (~1 h) + The Presbytere (~45 min). Estimates only.

7.0 kmdistance3 h 45 minwith stops22stops~5 h 30 minfull day+14 mgain
2.6 sights8.3 efficiency0.2 hills7.0 length
Open in Google Maps 1/3 ↗Open in Google Maps 2/3 ↗Open in Google Maps 3/3 ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 1 h 35 min+ up to 5 h 45 min insides+14 m climb along route
  1. Aquarium of the Americas
  2. Saenger Theatre
  3. Saint Louis Cemetery #1
  4. Saint Louis Cemetery
  5. Backstreet Cultural Museum
  6. Louis Armstrong Park
  7. Congo Square
  8. Pat O'Brien's Bar
  9. Napoleon House
  10. New Orleans Pharmacy Museum
  11. The Cabildo (inside ~1 h)
  12. Jackson Square
  13. St. Louis Cathedral
  14. The Presbytere (inside ~45 min)
  15. Madame John's Legacy
  16. New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum
  17. Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop
  18. Gallier House
  19. Beauregard-Keyes House
  20. Old Ursuline Convent
  21. New Orleans Mint
  22. French Market
0–12 m

Photo: ViewpointNew Orleans newspaper photographer. (I don't recall ever seeing his name credited, if the identity is known.)Public domain

4.5/10
#3
Viewpoint

Self-Guided Walking Tour of New Orleans

Walking tour

11 stops7.1 km2 h 55 min

7.1 kmdistance2 h 55 minwith stops11stops+6 mgain
3.3 sights8.1 efficiency0.1 hills4.2 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 1 h 35 min+ up to 20 min insides+6 m climb along route
  1. Caesars Superdome
  2. Aquarium of the Americas
  3. Napoleon House
  4. St. Louis Cathedral
  5. Jackson Square
  6. French Market
  7. Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop
  8. Congo Square
  9. Louis Armstrong Park
  10. Carver Theater
  11. Saint Louis Cemetery
-1–8 m

Photo: ViewpointFlickr photographer LobberichCC BY 2.0

4.3/10
#4
Viewpoint

New Orleans Old Town Walking Tour

Old town

8 stops4.5 km1 h 50 min

4.5 kmdistance1 h 50 minwith stops8stops+12 mgain
2.3 sights8.3 efficiency0.2 hills7.2 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 1 h+ up to 1 h 25 min insides+12 m climb along route
  1. Saint Louis Cemetery #1
  2. Congo Square
  3. St. Augustine Church
  4. The Presbytere
  5. St. Louis Cathedral
  6. Jackson Square
  7. Historic New Orleans Collection
  8. Lee Circle
0–12 m

Photo: ViewpointMr. LittlehandCC BY 2.0

4.3/10
#5
Viewpoint

French Quarter, New Orleans: Walking Route

DistrictFrench Quarter

11 stops2.1 km1 h 30 min

2.1 kmdistance1 h 30 minwith stops11stops+0 mgain
2.7 sights7.7 efficiency0.0 hills5.9 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 30 min+ up to 3 h 45 min insides+0 m climb along route
  1. New Orleans Mint
  2. Old Ursuline Convent
  3. Gallier House
  4. Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop
  5. Pat O'Brien's Bar
  6. The Presbytere
  7. St. Louis Cathedral
  8. Jackson Square
  9. The Cabildo
  10. Napoleon House
  11. New Orleans Pharmacy Museum
3–8 m

Photo: ViewpointNo machine-readable author provided. Krakers assumed (based on copyright claims). (Corrected by User:StAn)CC BY-SA 3.0

4.2/10
#6
Viewpoint

Museums of New Orleans in 2 Hours

Museums

8 stops2.2 km1 h 10 min

2.2 kmdistance1 h 10 minwith stops8stops+7 mgain
2.0 sights8.4 efficiency0.1 hills6.4 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 30 min+ up to 6 h insides+7 m climb along route
  1. Backstreet Cultural Museum
  2. New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum
  3. 1850 House
  4. Old Ursuline Convent
  5. Madame John's Legacy
  6. Louisiana State Museum
  7. The Cabildo
  8. New Orleans Pharmacy Museum
1–7 m

Photo: ViewpointInfrogmation of New OrleansCC BY-SA 3.0

4.1/10
#7
Viewpoint

New Orleans Loop Walk from Musee Conti Wax Museum

Loop

30 stops5.5 km4 h

5.5 kmdistance4 hwith stops30stops+5 mgain
1.4 sights7.8 efficiency0.1 hills7.8 length
Open in Google Maps 1/4 ↗Open in Google Maps 2/4 ↗Open in Google Maps 3/4 ↗Open in Google Maps 4/4 ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 1 h 15 min+ up to 6 h 25 min insides+5 m climb along route
  1. Musee Conti Wax Museum
  2. Hermann-Grima House
  3. French Opera House
  4. Williams Residence
  5. Historic New Orleans Collection
  6. park service (Visitor Center)
  7. Jean Lafitte National Park and Preserve
  8. Cigar Factory New Orleans & Museum
  9. Napoleon House
  10. New Orleans Pharmacy Museum
  11. Louisiana State Museum
  12. The Presbytere
  13. Madame John's Legacy
  14. Pontalba Buildings
  15. 1850 House
  16. Moon Walk
  17. French Market
  18. Old French Market
  19. New Orleans Mint
  20. Old Ursuline Convent
  21. Beauregard-Keyes House
  22. Gallier House
  23. Royal Street
  24. 1850 House
  25. New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum
  26. Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop
  27. Théâtre d'Orléans
  28. Bourbon Street
  29. Pat O'Brien's Bar
  30. Congo Square
1–9 m

Photo: ViewpointRichard KochPublic domain

3.8/10
#8
Viewpoint

Hidden Gems of New Orleans in 2 Hours

Hidden gems

7 stops3.3 km1 h 20 min

3.3 kmdistance1 h 20 minwith stops7stops+30 mgain
0.6 sights8.0 efficiency0.5 hills9.4 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 45 min+ up to 2 h 45 min insides+30 m climb along route
  1. Ogden Museum of Southern Art
  2. Lafayette Square
  3. State Palace Theatre
  4. Orpheum Theater
  5. French Opera House
  6. Louisiana State Museum
  7. Madame John's Legacy
2–27 m

Photo: ViewpointInfrogmation of New OrleansCC BY 3.0

3.8/10
#9
Viewpoint

New Orleans Museum Walk

Museums

11 stops5.0 km2 h

5.0 kmdistance2 hwith stops11stops+17 mgain
1.7 sights8.4 efficiency0.3 hills5.7 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 1 h 5 min+ up to 7 h 20 min insides+17 m climb along route
  1. Southern Food and Beverage Museum
  2. Confederate Memorial Hall
  3. Ogden Museum of Southern Art
  4. New Orleans Pharmacy Museum
  5. The Cabildo
  6. Louisiana State Museum
  7. Madame John's Legacy
  8. Old Ursuline Convent
  9. 1850 House
  10. New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum
  11. Backstreet Cultural Museum
0–21 m

Photo: ViewpointInfrogmation of New OrleansCC BY 3.0

3.8/10
#10
Viewpoint

2 Days in New Orleans: Walking Itinerary

Multi-day

2 days60 stops28.9 km

14.2 kmdistance6 hwith stops28stops+12 mgain
1.3 sights7.9 efficiency0.2 hills0.0 length
Open Day 1 in Google Maps 1/4 ↗Open Day 1 in Google Maps 2/4 ↗Open Day 1 in Google Maps 3/4 ↗Open Day 1 in Google Maps 4/4 ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 3 h 10 min+ up to 5 h 20 min insides+12 m climb along route
  1. New Orleans Mint
  2. Old French Market
  3. French Market
  4. Old Ursuline Convent
  5. Beauregard-Keyes House
  6. Gallier House
  7. Royal Street
  8. 1850 House
  9. New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum
  10. Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop
  11. Théâtre d'Orléans
  12. Bourbon Street
  13. Pat O'Brien's Bar
  14. Louisiana State Museum
  15. Moon Walk
  16. Aquarium of the Americas
  17. Mount Olivet Episcopal Church
  18. Old Courthouse
  19. Morial Convention Center
  20. Lafayette Square
  21. Ogden Museum of Southern Art
  22. National World War II Museum
  23. Confederate Memorial Hall
  24. Lee Circle
  25. Southern Food and Beverage Museum
  26. Ashé Cultural Center
  27. St. Mary's Assumption Church
  28. Lafayette Cemetery No. 1
0–14 m

Photo: ViewpointPresident RhapsodyCC BY-SA 3.0

2.7/10
#11
Viewpoint

Hidden Gems of New Orleans: Off-the-Beaten-Path Walk

Hidden gems

11 stops6.8 km2 h 35 min

6.8 kmdistance2 h 35 minwith stops11stops+30 mgain
0.4 sights8.1 efficiency0.5 hills0.5 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 1 h 30 min+ up to 2 h 45 min insides+30 m climb along route
  1. St. Augustine Church
  2. Mahalia Jackson Theater of the Performing Arts
  3. Louisiana State Museum
  4. French Opera House
  5. Orpheum Theater
  6. State Palace Theatre
  7. Lafayette Square
  8. Ogden Museum of Southern Art
  9. Lee Circle
  10. Confederate Memorial Hall
  11. St. Mary's Assumption Church
1–27 m

Photo: ViewpointInfrogmation of New OrleansCC BY-SA 3.0

2.4/10

Hills: higher = steeper along the walk. Stairs (when shown): metres of mapped stairways near the route — approximate, not a step countvisit times are estimates.

New Orleans walking stats

From the 12 rated routes185 stops total63 unique places.

Most climbHidden Gems of New Orleans: Off-the-Beaten-Path Walk+30 m along route
Most stops / kmNew Orleans Loop Walk from Musee Conti Wax Museum5.5 stops per km
Least climbFrench Quarter, New Orleans: Walking Route+0 m along route
Most stairs2 Days in New Orleans: Walking Itinerary — Day 2~65 m mapped stairways (approx., not step count)
Longest / shortest14.6 km1.7 km2 Days in New Orleans: Walking Itinerary — Day 2 / One Hour in New Orleans: A Short Walk
Places on routes63unique stop ids
How we score. Same formula for every route: Sights 50% (how notable the stops are)Efficiency 25% (less backtracking between stops)Hills 10% (how steep the walk is)Length fit 15% (distance vs the kind of walk). Stairs stay a fact in metres, not a quality bar. Avg score in the hero is the mean across all ranked walks.

New Orleans FAQ

Short answers from this city’s data.

Best first-visit walk?
One Hour in New Orleans: A Short Walk (1.7 km, 55 min with stops) ranks #1 here.
Best months to walk New Orleans?
Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov are usually the nicest months for walking.
Shortest walk?
One Hour in New Orleans: A Short Walk1.7 km, walking 25 min.
One hour in New Orleans?
One Hour in New Orleans: A Short Walk: walking 25 min, with stops 55 min, 6 stops.
One-day plan?
New Orleans in One Day: Walking Itinerary: 22 stops, ~3 h 45 min on-route; suggested insides on marked stops; full day ≈ 5 h 30 min. Visit times are estimates.
Stairs and hills?
Hills is 10% of the score (higher = steeper along the walk). Stairs are not scored — when shown, they are metres of mapped stairways near the route (approximate; not a step count). Example: stairways ≈ 0 m.
Can I change stops?
Yes — open in Maps, edit, then paste into Lineo for a cleaner order.
Why are some Google Maps links split?
Google Maps caps how many stops fit in one directions link (we use 11). Longer walks are split into numbered buttons (1/2, 2/2, …). Open them in order — each part starts where the previous one ended.