City Guide
Updated 2026
New Orleans
The Big Easy
380k
Population
$150+
Daily budget
UTC-6
Time zone
Feb-May
Best months
English/French
Languages
Why Visit New Orleans?
New Orleans is unlike anywhere else in America. French, Spanish and African roots built a city of jazz, Creole cuisine, voodoo, wrought-iron balconies, Mardi Gras, and endless good times. The French Quarter looks more European than American. Bourbon Street is chaos; Frenchmen Street is the real jazz. Gumbo, jambalaya, beignets and po$#8a9ad0;boys are eaten 3 times a day. NOLA is Americas most musical, most edible, most eccentric city.
Stay in the French Quarter, Marigny, or the Garden District. Skip the Bourbon Street hotels unless you want 24/7 noise. The Garden District has the best mansions and streetcars. Frenchmen Street (2 blocks from the Quarter) is where locals see live jazz every night.
⭐ Best time: February-May. Mardi Gras is early Feb/March (huge but crowded). Jazz Fest is late April/early May. Summer is brutally hot and humid. Hurricane season is June-November.
Top Attractions
Discover the best of New Orleans.
French Quarter
The 300-year-old heart of the city. Jackson Square, St Louis Cathedral, wrought iron everywhere.
Iconic
Read guide →
Jackson Square
The heart of the French Quarter. Cathedral, artists, fortune tellers. Café du Monde next door.
Classic
Read guide →
Frenchmen Street
Where locals go for live jazz. 3-4 bands a night in every venue. Free to walk, $5-10 cover.
Music
Read guide →
Garden District & Lafayette Cemetery
Antebellum mansions, live oaks, above-ground cemeteries. Take the St Charles streetcar.
Elegant
Read guide →
National WWII Museum
The best museum in the South. Immersive, moving, comprehensive. Plan 4+ hours.
Museum
Read guide →
Swamp Tour
Bayou, alligators, cypress trees. 45 min outside the city. Book through Cajun Encounters.
Adventure
Read guide →
Neighborhoods Guide
Where to stay and what to expect in each area:
French Quarter ↗
Historic heart
Jackson Square, Bourbon St, restaurants, voodoo. Best first-timer base.
Marigny & Bywater ↗
Bohemian
Just east of the Quarter. Frenchmen St jazz, hipster cafes, creative energy.
Garden District ↗
Elegant mansions
Antebellum homes, oak trees, streetcars. Calm and beautiful.
Uptown ↗
Residential
Magazine Street shopping, Audubon Park, locals.
Mid-City ↗
Local food
City Park, museums, authentic Creole restaurants.
Tremé ↗
African American history
Oldest Black neighborhood in America. Second lines, brass bands, birthplace of jazz.
Safety in New Orleans
⚠️ NOLA safety: French Quarter is safe but watch for pickpockets on Bourbon Street. After dark, stick to the Quarter and Marigny; avoid walking into surrounding neighborhoods. Use Uber at night.
Safest areas for visitors
- French Quarter — Safe day and night but crowded. Watch for pickpockets.
- Marigny / Bywater — Safe but use rideshare after dark.
- Garden District / Uptown — Very safe — residential areas.
- Tremé at night — Avoid walking. Take a rideshare. Day is fine.
🎷 Drinking tip: You can walk with alcohol on Bourbon Street — its legal in plastic cups. Drink-spiking is a real issue; watch your cup. Stay with your group.
Costs & Budget
| Item | Cost | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Hostel dorm | $30-60/night | Budget |
| Budget hotel | $110-180/night | Mid |
| Boutique hotel (Quarter) | $220-450/night | Luxury |
| Beignets (3) at Café du Monde | $3.50 | Budget |
| Po$#8a9ad0;boy sandwich | $10-15 | Budget |
| Dinner for two (Creole) | $60-140 | Mid |
| Jazz club cover | $5-15 | Budget |
| Streetcar ride | $1.25 | Budget |
| Swamp tour | $45-65 | Mid |
🧮
USA Trip Cost Calculator
Planning a trip to this city? Get a personalised budget estimate with our free USA trip cost calculator.
Best Time to Visit
Spring
Feb-May
Perfect. 15-25C. Mardi Gras (early) and Jazz Fest (late). Book months ahead.
Summer
Jun-Aug
Brutal (30-36C, 90% humidity). Afternoon thunderstorms. Cheapest hotels.
Fall
Sep-Nov
Improving. Hurricane season continues through November.
Winter
Dec-Jan
Mild (10-20C). Low crowds. Christmas in the Quarter is magical.
Getting Around
Walking
The French Quarter is 6x13 blocks — completely walkable.
Streetcar
$1.25/ride, $3/day pass. St Charles line is a tourist experience in itself.
Uber / Lyft
Works well. $10-20 for most trips. Use at night.
Bike
Easy and flat. Blue Bikes citywide. Great for the Quarter + Garden District loop.
Food & Drink
Must-try foods
- Beignets at Café du Monde — 24/7 French Quarter institution. Powdered sugar pillows. $3.50 for 3.
- Gumbo — Mr. B$#8a9ad0;s Bistro, Commanders Palace, Coops Place. Dark roux is key.
- Po$#8a9ad0;boy sandwich — Parkway Bakery, Domilises, Mahonys. Fried shrimp or roast beef, dressed.
- Jambalaya — Coops Place in the Quarter. One plate = 2 meals.
- Red beans and rice — traditional Monday meal. Wille Maes Scotch House does it right.
Must-try drinks
- Sazerac — NOLAs invented cocktail. Rye whiskey, bitters, absinthe. The Sazerac Bar in the Roosevelt Hotel.
- Hurricane — rum and fruit juice. Invented at Pat OBriens. Touristy but essential.
- Absinthe — legal again since 2007. Old Absinthe House is 200+ years old.
🎷 Jazz rule: Frenchmen Street (not Bourbon Street) is where locals go for live music. The Spotted Cat, Snug Harbor, dba — all within 2 blocks. No cover at many venues; just tip the band.
Day Trips
- Swamp tour (45 min) — Honey Island Swamp, bayous, alligators, Spanish moss.
- Oak Alley Plantation (1 hr) — the famous oak tree canopy. Historical context of slavery is well-presented.
- Baton Rouge (1.5 hr) — Louisianas capital, USS Kidd, Old State Capitol.
- Grand Isle (2 hr) — Louisianas only inhabited barrier island. Fishing, beaches.
🛡️
Don't forget travel insurance
US medical bills without insurance are famously catastrophic — an ER visit can be $10,000+. SafetyWing covers you from $45/month.
Get insured before you go →