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New Orleans travel guide: what to do, when to go, how long to stay

The most distinctive city in America, and the easiest to plan badly.

How long to stay
3–4 days
Best time to go
February to May, and October to November
Rough daily budget
Mid-range: roughly $130–200 per person per day

New Orleans is a food and music city that happens to have great architecture. Almost everyone's first trip is too Bourbon Street–heavy and too short. The version worth having is Frenchmen Street instead of Bourbon, the Garden District on foot, and at least two meals you plan the whole day around.

It's compact, hot, and best in the shoulder months. Three or four days is plenty, and a long weekend built around a festival is one of the best trips in the country.

When to visit New Orleans

Warm without the summer swamp, and the festival calendar — Mardi Gras, French Quarter Fest, Jazz Fest — lands in spring.

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  • Best window: February to May, and October to November
  • Quieter and cheaper: December and January are cool and quiet, with the lowest hotel rates of the year.
  • Worth avoiding: July to September: extreme humidity plus peak hurricane season.

Places to visit in New Orleans

Frenchmen Street
Where the live music actually is. Three or four venues within a block, most with no cover before 9pm.
The Garden District
Oak-lined streets, antebellum houses and Lafayette Cemetery. Take the St Charles streetcar out and walk back.
French Quarter, early morning
At 8am it's residential and beautiful. Beignets at a café, then the Cabildo before the heat.
Bywater and the Marigny
Painted shotgun houses, Crescent Park along the river, and the best neighbourhood restaurants.
Tremé
The oldest Black neighbourhood in America, with the jazz museum and Backstreet Cultural Museum. Go with context, ideally a local guide.
A swamp tour or Barataria Preserve
Half a day out of the city for cypress, alligators and a completely different landscape. Barataria is free and walkable if you have a car.
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A 3-day New Orleans itinerary

A workable shape rather than a schedule to obey — two fixed things a day, and room to change your mind.

Day 1 — Quarter and Frenchmen
Beignets and chicory coffee early, then walk the Quarter before it wakes
Cabildo or the Historic New Orleans Collection
Po'boy lunch, then an afternoon on Royal Street
Dinner in the Marigny, then Frenchmen Street until late
Day 2 — Uptown and the Garden District
St Charles streetcar out to Uptown
Walk the Garden District and Magazine Street
Lunch at a Creole institution — book it
Evening in Bywater; Crescent Park at sunset
Day 3 — Water and music history
Swamp tour or Barataria Preserve in the morning
Tremé in the afternoon: jazz museum and Backstreet
Early dinner, then a brass band show
Late-night at a neighbourhood bar rather than Bourbon
See the full 3-day New Orleans itinerary guide →

Getting around

Walk the Quarter, Marigny and Bywater. St Charles streetcar for Uptown, Uber for everything else. A car is only worth it for the swamp and plantation drives — parking in the Quarter is expensive and awkward.

Planning New Orleans with a group

The city runs on booked tables and shows, and the best restaurants take reservations weeks ahead. Split the bookings across the group rather than leaving it to one person, and keep them all on one shared plan so nobody double-books a night.

New Orleans FAQs

How many days do you need in New Orleans?
Three days is right for the Quarter, the Garden District, music nights and one trip out of town. Four if you're there for a festival.
Is New Orleans expensive?
Cheaper than most major US cities for food and drinks, but hotel rates spike hard around Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest and big football weekends.
Should you stay in the French Quarter?
Only if you don't mind noise. The Marigny, Bywater and the Garden District are quieter, cheaper and still a short walk or streetcar ride in.
Is New Orleans good for a group trip?
Excellent — it's walkable, the music is free or cheap, and a bachelorette or reunion weekend has an obvious shape. Just book the dinners early.
Plan your New Orleans trip together

Pairs well with

United States

New York City

Pick two neighbourhoods a day and stop trying to do the rest.

Mexico

Mexico City

World-class food, walkable neighbourhoods, and prices that still feel like a mistake.

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