New Orleans

🛎️ Best Hotels

Hotels in New Orleans range from extreme luxury to quirky, historic sites. Check out a few of these options:

• The Hotel Monteleone – A historic upscale hotel in the heart of the French Quarter, famous for its (slowly rotating) Carousel Bar
• The Windsor Court Hotel – Elegant luxury hotel with a world-class restaurant, full spa, and museum-quality art.
• Hotel Peter and Paul – A quirky but sophisticated boutique hotel inside a historic school and convent.

🍽️ Restaurants

New Orleans is a foodie’s paradise. Whether you’re looking for New Orleans classics or newer, innovative dishes, make sure you check these restaurants out:

• Neyow’s – Black-owned Creole restaurant (also serving Cajun food and soul food) that’s a neighborhood staple in Mid-City
• Johnny Sanchez – Mexican food with a modern twist by famous chefs Aaron Sanchez and John Besh
• Cochon/Cochon Butcher – Cochon is a rustic, upscale Cajun and southern restaurant, with an unbelievable sandwich shop (Cochon Butcher) attached
• Dat Dog – Fun, funky hot dogs with a Louisiana twist. Enjoy crocodile sausage topped with crawfish etouffee.
• Atchafalaya – Upscale New Orleans food with innovative dishes and frequent live music.

🍽️ Read the full list of best restaurants in New Orleans.

🚗 Day Trips

• The Mississippi Gulf Coast – About an hour east of New Orleans lies miles of beaches and adorable coastal Mississippi towns like Bay St. Louis and Pass Christian
• The Bayous and Swamps – Just outside the city is where you’ll find the best swamp tours, like Honey Island Swamp Tour just north of the city
• Avery Island – The site of the Tabasco Hot Sauce factory, the expansive Jungle Gardens, and chock full of Cajun culture and influence
• Jean Lafitte National Park -The Barataria Preserve just outside the city is a wonderful spot for outdoors enthusiasts (just don’t expect any hills!) and naturalists
• Baton Rouge – The state capital is about 90 minutes from New Orleans and will scintillate fans of museums or the LSU Tigers

🚗 See the full list of day trips from New Orleans.

🏘️ Neighborhoods

• The French Quarter – This is the area that’s usually depicted in movies and TV shows about New Orleans. It’s the bustling heart and soul.
• The Central Business District – The tamer, quieter, neighborhood is just a short walk away from the French Quarter. It has some of the best hotel options.
• The Warehouse District – A longer walk (or a short ride) from the Quarter but has some of the best restaurants and museums in town.
• Uptown – Contains the scenic Garden District and its opulent mansions, as well as fine dining and cute Bed and Breakfast options.
• Bayou St. John – A mostly-residential neighborhood close to the City Park and the Fairgrounds (where events like Jazz Fest take place)

🍸 Bars

• Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop – A dimly-lit 18th-century blacksmith shop that was likely owned by the pirate Jean Lafitte’s brother. 
• Pat O’Briens – The French Quarter bar that invented the Hurricane cocktail. Sprawling property with indoor and outdoor areas and famous for its dueling piano acts.
• Vessel – Bar and restaurant in an old church. LGBT friendly.
• Good Friends Bar – Two-story LGBT bar in the French Quarter with a Victorian-themed upper story and a balcony.
• The Spotted Cat – Cozy jazz venue for a standing-room crowd on Frenchman Street

🎸 Best Live Music Venues

• Tipitina’s – What began as a neighborhood juke joint has grown into a local favorite for concerts, often with well-known acts.
• Snug Harbor – A jazz bistro on Frenchman street that requires tickets but will serve you food and beverages while you enjoy your jazz.
• Preservation Hall – An intimate French Quarter jazz club with shows 350 days out of the year. Seating can be on the floor and there is no air conditioning.
• Fritzel’s European Jazz Club – Located right on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter, Fritzel’s has nightly live jazz music.
• Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge – Founded by Kermit Ruffins of Rebirth Brass Band (who plays himself in the HBO show Treme).

👻 Best Spooky Attractions

• Krewe of Boo! – The Krewe of BOO parade in the French Quarter is a Mardi-Gras-like parade around Halloween with fun, macabre floats
• Mortuary Haunted House – Housed in the city’s old mortuary, the Mortuary Haunted House is a scary Halloween haunted house
• Voodoo Museum – The Voodoo Museum in the French Quarter is small but fascinating. This is a good attraction to skip if a mummified cat will freak you out.
• Cemetery Tours – Some of the most famous cemeteries in New Orleans include St. Louis #1 (where you can see the tomb of Marie Laveau, a voodoo priestess) and Uptown’s Lafayette #1
• Ghost Tours – Ghost tours leave out of the French Quarter and will give you both the heebie-jeebies and a dose of New Orleans history

👉 Tips & Things to Know

• 🌞 Take the heat and humidity seriously – During the summer and early fall, the heat index can be in the 100s and the humidity makes it hard to cool off. Carry water with you and take breaks to cool off.
• 🌀 Don’t play with hurricanes – It’s probably best to avoid hurricane season, but if you do visit during June-November, be sure to book refundable reservations. If a hurricane is on its way, you shouldn’t be.
• 🌧️ Bring a raincoat and boots – It rains in New Orleans–a lot. This happens all year but particularly from June through September. If there’s bad lightning, seek shelter.
• 🌎 Venture out of the French Quarter if you can – While the French Quarter is the heart and soul of New Orleans, try to sneak in a visit to City Park (Bayou St. John), Audubon Zoo, or Park (Uptown), or the amazing restaurants in the Warehouse District
• 🍹 Get your cocktail to go – In New Orleans, you can request a go-cup for your drink or cocktail and drink it on your walk. Your bartender will give you a plastic cup–don’t bring bottles out of the bar.

🧳 What to Pack

• 🌞 Sunscreen – The sun can be brutal in New Orleans–I’ve even been burnt in February.
• 👒 A hat – A great way to stay cool and protect your cheeks from the sun is with a cap or a floppy, brimmed hat.
• 🥾 Rain Boots – Not only does it pour rain in New Orleans, but streets like Bourbon Street can get gross fast.
• 🧊 A cooling towel – Especially in the summer or early fall, a cooling towel on your neck might make or break your day.
• 👗 Your weirdest article of clothing – Trust me: it’s almost impossible to stick out in this city. Got something you wore one Halloween? Bring it. Just in case.

🤓 Facts & Info

• Census Population (2020) – 383,997 (city), 1,261,726 (metro area)
• Time Zone – Central Time (UTC -6 / UTC -5 during daylight savings)
• Area Codes – 504
• Airports – Louis Armstrong International Airport (MSY)
• Nickname – The Big Easy, The Crescent City
• Demonynm – New Orleanian
• State – Louisiana
• Country – United States of America

💵 Costs & Budgeting

• 3 Star Hotel Room – $150-$350/night
• 1 Bedroom Apartment Rental – $150-$300/night
• Rental Car – $50/day
• Public Transit Ticket – ~$3/1 day ($2 to airport from center)
• Ride Share from Downtown to Airport – $38
• Take Out Meal for Two – $25-$40
• Sit Down Dinner for Two – $30-$60
• Draft Beer – $5-$8