New Orleans Travel Guide
To jumpstart the year, we took a trip to New Orleans. Unfortunately, the night before our arrival there was a tragic incident harming several people on New Year’s Eve/ Day. We are consistently praying for the families of those who lost their lives in this horrific event.
Our Trip was scheduled from Wednesday, Jan 1st- Saturday Jan 4th. Now this is not our first time in New Orleans but the details I give you will help you plan for the perfect vacation.
Time of Year to Travel
The best time to visit New Orleans depends on your interests and what you're looking to get out of the trip. There are many options of things to do that range from Mardi Gras, New Orleans Jazz Festival, Essence Fest, Football games, Swamp Tours, Food Tours, Concerts and so much more.
February–May
The most popular time to visit, with mild weather and famous events like Mardi Gras, and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. However, plan ahead because hotel accommodations can be expensive and scarce to get, especially for Mardi Gras.
Winter
A quieter and semi-slower time to visit more reasonable hotels. You can also avoid the summer heat and fall hurricanes. We went the first week of January and the weather was perfect light jacket only.
Summer
A budget-friendly option, but it's hot and humid with afternoon showers and hurricane risks. You should consider travel insurance. We went to New Orleans one year in August, and it was pretty disgusting in terms of the heat, instant sweat walking outside of the hotel, we mostly waited until the sun went down when it was more bearable to go out.
Fall
A very popular time for travel here. The driest season with lower temperatures, crowds, and higher hotel rates.
Other things to consider when planning your trip include:
Mardi Gras
The exact time frame varies each year, but it's usually from January through March. A large amount of information regarding Mardi Gras can be found here https://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/
New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival
This festival takes place on the last weekend in April and the first weekend in May.
Hurricane season
Hurricane season officially runs from June 1 through November 30, but hurricanes usually arrive with plenty of notice, so you can plan accordingly. If you plan to travel during this time travel insurance is highly suggested.
Where to Stay
Now this all depends on the vibe you're looking for. Do you want to stay in the mix on Burbon Street? Do you want to be within walking distance? Are you in town for an event at the Superdome? All these questions may impact the location you choose to stay at.
This year's stay was the Hilton New Orleans Downtown Riverside. Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) is approximately 25 minutes away. I love the hotel it had onsite restaurants and a bar scene with a pool. However we were able to hear the steamboat early some mornings so if this will bother you then you may want to stay a little further from the river.
Some other options in the area within walking distance to Bourbon and Canal street and just a short ride to the French Quarter are below.
Caesar’s Hotel and Casino
Windsor Court
The Four Seasons
Nobu
Lowes
DoubleTree
Intercontinental New Orleans, IHG Hotel
Where to eat
Ruby Slipper
Ocen
Nice Guys Nola -
Grand Isle
B Spot
Katie’s
Morrow’s
Lux Cafe
The Country
Cafe Fleur-de-lis
Mambo’s
Things to do
Frenchmen St.
Riverwalk Outlets
Aquarium and Insectarium
World War II Museum
Events at the Super Dome
How to Get around
Now depending on what you plan to do determines my answer for this. If you are staying in the city center where everything is mostly walkable, I’d suggest just taking Ubers or Lyft's to your hotel and any outside destinations. I also suggest this if you plan to drink since New Orleans is an open container city that you can walk around with alcohol.
Note that most hotel parking was around $30-50 per night.
If you plan to stay outside of downtown or don’t mind the parking fees, then I suggest renting a car and having your vehicle at your disposal. This is especially true if you’re participating in a swamp tour without transportation.
Things You Need
Comfortable Shoes for walking
Crossbody Bag
Portable Charger
Sunglasses
What To Know
Music: Birthplace of Jazz so you will find live music everywhere
Cuisine: New Orleans is very popular for their po'boys, chargrilled oysters, gumbo, crawfish etouffée, and beignets, the city has a rich culinary scene influenced by Creole, Cajun, and French cuisines.
Voodoo and Ghost: This city has a very deep connection to voodoo in its culture. If you're interested in exploring this, they have many tours available daily.
Whatever you decide to do you’ll have an amazing time. Enjoy and Be Safe!
