New Orleans, Louisiana Destination Guide
Section 1: Intro to New Orleans
New Orleans is a melting pot of different cultures, languages and traditions that give the city its unique feel and identity. Spanish, French, Haitian and Cuban influences all hold sway here and are reflected in the wild jazz scene, delectable cuisine, and strong festival culture. Tradition is important in New Orleans, and it usually isn’t long before visitors are completely captivated by its charm, character and unique personality.
Which of the Following Phrases Best Describes this Destination?
Eclectic, Musical, Southern
What’s the Destination Known For?
Music – New Orleans is perhaps best known for its incredible music scene. As the birthplace of jazz (arguably!) New Orleans has taken on diverse influences to produce a unique sound. Music is a core part of the city, which is filled with live music venues, and street performers.
Visitors are increasingly drawn to New Orleans for its diverse gastronomy, which draws on Cajun, Creole, and French influences and which has undergone a renaissance in recent years. The city has it all – from upmarket restaurants with Louisiana-inspired takes on haute cuisine, to unassuming dive bars where you’ll find the best Po Boys and fried chicken you ever tasted.
Mardi Gras – otherwise known as Shrove Tuesday, is traditionally the day before Lent begins and a day for using up all of the rich ingredients forbidden during the fasting period. However, in New Orleans, Mardi Gras is a week-long spectacle of street parades, parties and music. An incredible event that should be on everyone’s bucket list.
The French Quarter – the historic heart of the city, nestled in a crescent in the Mississippi river, boasts unique architecture based on Spanish courtyard designs and laced French galleries. This is also the city’s cultural heart, filled with restaurants, bars and music, and it’s not a place that’s easy to leave!
Hurricane Katrina – In 2005, a devastating hurricane destroyed large parts of the city, killing at least 1245 people and destroying countless homes and livelihoods. The city has bounced back but there is still a sense of palpable anger among some communities towards the authorities for their handling of the flood defenses and the aftermath of the catastrophe.
Getting There
MSY Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
Location: 900 Airline Dr, Kenner, LA 70062
Located 11 miles west of central New Orleans
Train: There are no trains connecting New Orleans airport
Shuttle bus: Tickets for the regular shuttle bus to downtown New Orleans may be purchased for $24 per person (one way) from the Shuttle booth located in baggage claim.
Car: Taxis may be found on the first level of the terminal outside baggage claim, and charge $36 (based on two people sharing) to destinations in downtown New Orleans.
1001 Loyola Avenue
Tipping: Tipping is expected across the US, and New Orleans is no exception. 15-25% is expected in most restaurants, 20% in taxis, and around $1 a drink in bars.
Greeting:
Smile! Greet people with a firm handshake.
When greeting someone, it’s usual to enquire how they are doing.
Tread cautiously when discussing the events surrounding Hurricane Katrina – this is a sensitive subject for many people living in the city.
Words/Phrases to know: Louisiana’s colonial past has left it with a strong French identity, and this may be observed in the language just as in the food. Here are a list of slang terms that you may come across in New Orleans.
Banquette – Pavement/Sidewalk
Fixing to – Getting ready to do something
Mais yeah – But yes! (used to express agreement)
Pirogue – A flat-bottomed Cajun boat
Where y’at? – How are you?
Shotgun house – A typical long, narrow hall-less house, so-named as if someone fired a shot through the front door, it would go straight through the house and out of the back doo without hitting any walls
Boo-coo – A lot (from the French ‘beaucoup’)
Temperatures:
Spring:
High: 77F / 25C
Low: 61F / 16C
Summer:
High: 89F / 32C
Low: 75F / 24C
Fall:
High: 78F / 26C
Low: 64F / 18C
Winter:
High: 65F / 18C
Low: 48F / 9C
Elevation: -6.5ft to 20ft / -2m to 6m
The best month for swimming is August, the average sea temperature is 84F. The wettest month of the year is July.
The weather is best between February and May, with the sunshine lasting between 7 and 10 hours per day. During the summer months the weather becomes very hot and humid, making sightseeing uncomfortable. October and November are comfortably cool and sunny, and tend to be quieter months for those who wish to avoid the crowds.
How to dress: Cool, comfortable clothing is a must for the spring and summer months. The humidity can make the city feel particularly hot and sticky. Layers are important for the winter, although it rarely gets very cold, even in January.
Getting Around
In-city transportation:
Bus/Streetcar: Public transport is limited and fairly unreliable in New Orleans (despite the novelty of the streetcar!), and many locals opt to use their own cars or taxis
Single journey: $1.25
1 Day Jazzy Pass: $3
3 Day Jazzy Pass: $9
5 Day Jazzy Pass: $15
Uber/Lyft: Uber operates in New Orleans
Bikes: New Orleans is easily explored by bikes and there are a number of helpful cycle routes and bike rental agencies
City Card: The New Orleans Pass offers free entry to over 25 attractions and reduced fees on many more. Cards may be ordered online and printed at home, or collected from the Redemption Center at 141 Canal Street
Price: 1 Day: Adult $70, Child $50; 2 Days: Adult $120, Child $80; 3 Days: Adult $150, Child $110; 5 Days: Adult $200; Child $160.
Hop-On Hop-Off Bus: Price: Adult: $39; Child: $10
Walking: The best way to experience the atmosphere of New Orleans is by foot, and the city is extremely walkable due to its natural beauty, European character and flat terrain.
Section 2: What to see, do and eat
Breakfast
Café; Brunch
$$
Location: 601 Gallier Street
Times: Daily 8:00-14:30; Thursday to Saturday also 17:00-22:00
Casual dress
Elizabeth’s is the go-to place for a hearty breakfast in New Orleans, known for its excellent food, colorful décor and friendly service.
Best dish: The breakfast Po Boy, and the incredible praline bacon
Café
$$
Location: 5433 Laurel Street
Times: Monday to Friday 6:30-14:00; Saturday & Sunday 8:00-14:00
Casual dress
A popular breakfast hangout for tourists and locals alike, serving reliable breakfasts in three chic, airy cafes across the city.
Best dish: Fried chicken and waffles with maple syrup and cayenne butter
Café; Deli; American
$$
Location: 2207 Magazine Street
Times: Tuesday to Friday 7:00-19:00; Saturday & Sunday 9:00-17:00; Monday: closed
Casual dress
New Orleans boasts very few places where you can find a really great bagel, but Stein’s Market and Deli is one of those places. This classic American deli serves great produce, tasty sandwiches, and classic breakfast bagels
Best dish: The bagel with lox, capers and cream cheese
Brunch
American; French; Seafood
$$$
Location: 801 Chartres Street
Times: Daily 10:00-16:00; Thursday to Saturday also 18:00-23:30; Tuesday: closed
Smart casual
New Orleans is the home of jazz, and where better to start the day than with a fabulous Sunday Jazz brunch overlooking Jackson Square? Muriel’s is classy, atmospheric and a real New Orleans treat in the heart of the French Quarter.
Best dish: Classic Louisiana shrimps and grits.
Café; Vegetarian; Vegan
$
Location: 4017 St Claude Avenue
Times: Daily 10:00-21:30
Casual dress
For a health conscious vegan breakfast, Sneaky Pickle is the place to head. This cool little brunch café supplies healthy, ethically-supplied food that doesn’t have to be boring.
Best dish: Vegan mac ‘n cheese with a cashew crumble
Creole; Southern
$$
Location: 1500 Esplanade Avenue
Times: Monday to Saturday 7:00-14:00; Sunday 8:00-14:00
Casual dress
Li’l Dizzy’s Sunday brunch buffet is the stuff of New Orleans legends. With efficient service and a lively atmosphere, this is the place to sample Creole cuisine at great value for money.
Best dish: Try the seafood gumbo – you won’t regret it.
Lunch
French; American; Seafood
$$$
Location: 209 Bourbon Street
Times: Tuesday to Saturday 11:30-22:00; Sunday 12:00-22:00; Monday: closed.
Business Casual (men must wear jackets after 17:00 and all day Sunday)
Friday lunch at Galatoire’s is a must on any New Orleans itinerary. The restaurant doesn’t take reservations for the Friday lunchtime service, and locals have been known to pay people to spend the morning queuing for them to make sure they bag a table! This is really the grand dame of the New Orleans restaurant scene.
Best dish: The crabmeat Sardou, or any of the fresh fish market selections
American
$
Location: 2401 St Ann Street
Times: Monday to Saturday 10:00-20:00
Casual dress
Try this excellent-value Treme stalwart for the best fried chicken you’ve ever tasted. One of those rare occasions when the reality really does live up to the hype.
Best dish: Keep it simple – take the fried chicken and the green beans.
American; Cajun & Creole
$
Location: 2301 Orleans Avenue
Times: Tuesday to Friday 11:00-15:00; Friday 17:00-21:00
Casual dress
Another legendary New Orleans venue, with a history to rival that of Willie Mae’s Scotch House. The daily lunch buffet offers up a variety of Creole classics that will satisfy the largest of appetites.
Best dish: Try the Gumbo, or the Shrimp Clemenceau.
Dinner
Seafood; American; Cajun; Creole
$$
Location: 416 Chartres Street
Times: Monday to Saturday 17:30-22:00
Business casual, no tank tops
In a city of gastronomic excellence, K Paul’s still manages to rise to the top of the pile. Opened by chef Paul Prudhomme in 1979, it quickly became a sensation, and popularized Creole and Cajun cuisine at an international level.
Best dish: Try the bronzed salmon with fried oysters and herbal brie cream
American; Cajun; Creole
$$$
Location: 534 St Louis Street
Times: Sunday to Thursday 11:30-22:00; Friday & Saturday 11:30-23:00
Casual elegant
This critically acclaimed restaurant provides Creole and global fusion food of the highest quality, using only the best local ingredients.
Best dish: Tamarind barbeque glazed beef cheek
American
$$
Location: 2900 Chartres Street
Times: Wednesday to Sunday 17:00-22:00; Saturday & Sunday Brunch 10:30-14:00
Casual Elegant
Top chef Nina Compton recently opened this critically acclaimed restaurant, with a new Caribbean-inspired take on traditional Louisiana cuisine.
Best dish: Spaghetti pomodoro – a signature dish that apparently marks the beginning of a new pasta trend.
Other
American; Seafood
$
Location: 4330 Magazine Street
Times: Thursday to Saturday 11:00-14:00, 17:30-21:00; Sunday 17:00-21:00
Casual dress
This tiny, unassuming restaurant is simply the best place for oysters in the city. It’s inexpensive, friendly, and efficient, and you are guaranteed to leave happy and satisfied.
Best dish: Oysters: raw, fried, or in a stew – they are all excellent.
American; Seafood
$
Location: 3000 Elysian Fields Avenue
Times: Daily 7:00-10.30, 10:45-17:00; Friday close at 19:00; Sunday close at 16:00
Casual dress
Sammy’s is arguably one of the best places to find that Louisiana classic – the Po Boy. Essentially a sandwich served in French bread with some form of fried seafood, the Po Boy is a serious business in New Orleans, and Sammy’s takes them seriously.
Best dish: Not for the faint-hearted – the hot sausage Po Boy.
American; Snack Bar
$$
Location: 326 N Jefferson Davis Pkwy
Times: Daily 11:00-2:00 am
Casual dress
Serving food until midnight, the Bayou Beer Garden is the ideal watering hole for a night out in New Orleans. The atmosphere is lively, the menu is simple yet delicious, and you can pair a laid-back dinner or snack with one of their excellent draft beers.
Best dish: The peanut butter bacon burger is dangerously good.
Top things to See and Do
Take a walking tour through the city’s historic French Quarter and soak up the atmosphere of New Orleans’ most charismatic district.
Main attractions: Pass through the legendary Pirate’s Alley, and step back in time as you hear about the various theories that explain why this passageway earned its name.
Location: Most tours start at the Andrew Jackson statue in Jackson Square
Opening hours: Tours run year round, by a number of companies
Price: Free; tours run on a pay-what-you-wish model
Wear comfortable shoes and clothing, as it can get hot and sticky!
This imposing cathedral is the oldest active Roman Catholic church in the United States, and was originally built in 1727. Dedicated to the pious king of France, Louis IX, it is a fine example of 19th century architecture, with a stunning Rococo altarpiece.
Main Attraction: The central spire of the cathedral, which towers over the French Quarter
Location: 615 Pere Antoine Aly
Opening hours: Wednesday to Saturday 13:00-16:00
Price: Free
At the heart of the French Quarter lies Jackson Square, named after Andrew Jackson, hero of the Battle of New Orleans. Today it is a central meeting point for many of the city’s artists, musicians and painters, who set up shop and affix their works to the square’s iron fence.
Main Attraction: The restaurants and artists give this place a convivial atmosphere, making it a lovely place to grab a pre-dinner drink and soak up the New Orleans vibes.
Location: French Quarter
Opening hours: Daily 8:00-19:00; Closes at 18:00 in winter.
Price: Free
Christmas is particularly special in Jackson Square, when carol singers and worshippers gather to celebrate the holidays.
Ride a Streetcar in the Garden District
New Orleans’ antiquated streetcars are yet another blast from the past that give this city its charm. These clunky old trams are brimming with character and offer the best value tour of the Garden District possible.
Main Attraction: The mahogany seats and original brass fittings surround you as you travel down through tree-lined boulevards populated by grand mansions.
Location: The St Charles Line starts at Canal Street in the Central Business District
Opening hours: daily
Price: $1.25
This beautiful art museum is nestled inside the City Park, and boasts an impressive collection of 40,000 objects. It is particularly well known for French and American art, in addition to holding a fine Japanese collection.
Main Attraction: In addition to the excellent permanent collection inside the museum, there is also a sculpture park on the five-acre site surrounding the museum.
Location: One Collins C. Diboll Circle, City Park
Opening hours: Tuesday to Thursday 10:00-18:00; Friday 10:00-19:00; Saturday, 10:00-17:00; Sunday 11:00-17:00; Closed Monday
Price: Adult: $12; Concessions: $10/$8 Child (7-12): $6.
The Sculpture Garden offers free admission, and is open daily.
Preservation Hall is an iconic jazz venue in the heart of the French Quarter. The band that runs this small theatre puts on three sets a night, transporting viewers back to the golden age of New Orleans jazz.
Main attraction: The fabulous house band, and the weathered décor.
Location: 726 St Peter Street
Opening hours: Daily Shows at 17:00, 18:00, 20:00, 21:00, 22:00 Price: $15-$20
Preservation Hall only seats 100 people, mainly on benches or floor cushions, so be prepared to queue and get there early to secure a ticket.
Just a short drive from the city center, the Whitney Plantation offers tours of a traditional Southern plantation. However, this museum addresses the brutality of the plantations head-on, transforming itself into an important educational resource for the slave trade, illustrating the brutality of Louisiana’s past.
Main Attraction: The harrowing and important educational tour tackles the South’s difficult past, and is an important monument to the enslaved peoples who worked the plantation.
Location: 5099 Highway 18, Wallace, Louisiana
Opening hours: Daily 9:30-16:30; Tuesday closed
Price: Adult: $11; Concessions $17; Child: $10
The only way to see the plantation is through the excellent guided tour, which leaves every hour between 10am and 3pm.
City Park is the largest green space in New Orleans, and is really is a breath of fresh air. It’s populated with huge oak trees, filled with birdlife, and you may even spot the odd alligator lurking in the waters that run through the park!
Main Attraction: There is a beautiful botanical garden, a miniature train garden, and even a mini-golf course.
Location: 1 Palm Drive
Opening hours: Daily, Sunrise to Sunset
Price: Free
Christmas is a particularly special time to visit, when the trees are lit up with a dazzling display of lights, creating a magical atmosphere.
Festivals/Parades
The most important day on the New Orleans calendar is Mardi Gras, to mark the beginning of Lent. The city explodes in a week of parades, street theatre and parties, as the New Orleans residents dress up to mark the festivities in style!
Main Attraction: Watching the parades and floats with a beer in one hand and a Po Boy in the other.
Location: Various locations across the city
Date: February or March depending on the Lent calendar
Price: Free
Mardi Gras is the busiest time of the year in New Orleans, so book early. However, it’s best not to plan your days too much – get swept up in the general chaos and enjoy it!
New Orleans plays hosts to one of the most important jazz festivals in the world. Jazz Fest gathers the best jazz, blues and swing musicians from across the world, and puts on a 10 day extravaganza that will surely satiate the appetites of even the most ardent music fans.
Main attraction: The lineup changes every year, but anything that comes out of the Gospel Tent is usually a winner.
Location: Fairgrounds Racecourse and Slots, New Orleans
Date: late April/early May
Price: $80 per day
Don’t limit yourself to the big stages – check out the smaller tents for lesser-known gems.
Nightlife
If you’re craving that New Orleans sound and want to lose yourself in live music until the sun comes up, then the Maple Leaf bar is the place to go.
Main Attraction: Come for the live music and great atmosphere.
Location: 8316 Oak Street
Opening hours: Daily 15:00-3:00 am
Price: Entrance varies (usually between $10 and $20)
The Rebirth Brass Band plays here every Tuesday, and the poetry readings are also worth catching.
The ‘quintessential jazz club of New Orleans’ – the Spotted Cat is a local favorite and a fixture on the city’s jazz scene. The bar is fairly stripped back and basic, and all drinks are served in plastic cups, but the quality of the music is second-to-none.
Main Attraction: Check out the upcoming events in the hope of catching some of New Orleans’ most famous jazz musicians.
Location: 623 Frenchmen Street
Opening hours: Daily 14:00-2:00 am
Price: $
No reservations are accepted and it’s a cash-only bar.
This local favorite is one of the best places in the city to dance the night away while snacking on excellent Creole food. The large venue, over three levels, contains a restaurant, bar, live music stage and event space.
Main Attraction: The building itself is fabulous, and the musical line-up never disappoints.
Location: 508 Frenchmen Street
Opening hours: Daily 16:00-2:00/3:30 am
Price: $$
Reserve a table for one of the dinner shows, for the best Creole cooking combined with New Orleans’ incredible live music.
Hidden Gems
This eccentric little museum is an educational and eerie experience on any New Orleans tour! This 40-year old museum provides an insight into the occult and mystical aspects of the city’s history.
Main attraction: A fascinating tour through the history of Louisiana voodoo, brought via the slave trade, which evolved into something quite local and distinctive.
Location: 724 Dumaine Street
Opening hours: Daily 10:00-18:00
Price: Adult: $7; Concessions: $5.50
Don’t miss the gift shop, where you can buy chicken feet and snake skins!
While the City Park is the more famous, Audubon Park offers a retreat from the world – the perfect place to relax and reflect. It is particularly well known for the ‘Singing Tree’ – a mighty oak dressed with wind-chimes, which sing in perfect harmony as the wind gently moves them about.
Main attraction: The ancient live oaks and lagoon.
Location: 6500 Magazine Street
Opening hours: Daily 5:00-22:00
Price: Free
Don’t miss the stone maze, created in the wake of Hurricane Katrina as a monument to healing in the wake of the disaster.
The rotating bar in this classic hotel has been spinning since 1949, and shows no sign of stopping. This stylish venue is far more than a simple gimmick, and the bar has propped up a number of American greats, including Ernest Hemmingway and Truman Capote.
Main attraction: Try the signature cocktails, including the Goody, a delectable rum-based treat.
Location: 214 Royal Street
Opening hours: Daily 11:00-24:00
Price: $$$
This famous bar completes one revolution every 15 minutes.
