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Major city · United States

New OrleansLa Nouvelle-Orléans

Give New Orleans 3 nights: one for the French Quarter and riverfront, one for music on Frenchmen Street, one for Uptown or a swamp and plantation run.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
USD
Best months
Feb–May, Oct–Nov
avoid Jun–Sep (heat, humidity, hurricane season), Mardi Gras week unless that is the point
Airports
MSY · NEW
Nights
3
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • United States ↗Check whether you need an ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) or a visa on the official CBP and State Department sites; apply only through esta.cbp.dhs.gov, not third-party sites, and allow time before you book.
  • United States ↗Several popular national parks use timed-entry or vehicle reservations in peak season; check each park's page on nps.gov and book on recreation.gov before fixing your dates.
  • United States ↗Medical care is very expensive for visitors; buy travel insurance with high medical cover before you fly.
  • United States ↗Tipping is expected: about 15–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, and a tip for taxis, hotel staff and guides.

New Orleans is a compact, walkable city where the trip is food, music and neighbourhoods rather than a checklist of sights. Three nights covers the French Quarter, the CBD museums and a night of live music; four or five adds Uptown, City Park and a day trip. Spring and autumn are the good windows; summer is hot, wet and inside the hurricane season.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about New Orleans, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee and a beignet$5–10
  • Sit-down mealSit-down Creole dinner, main course$25–45
  • Street or quick mealStreetcar or bus ride$1.25 (check)
  • BeerCocktail in the Quarter / beer at a corner bar$12–18$5–8
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum entry (WWII Museum, NOMA)$20–35
  • Budget bedHostel dorm bed, a night, per personUS$40
  • Mid-range bedBoutique or chain double room, a night, per roomUS$220
  • High-end bedBoutique or chain double room, a night, per roomUS$450

A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$90 · Mid US$170 · High US$320

Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

French Quarter and Bourbon StreetLive jazz and brass bandsCreole and Cajun foodMardi Gras and Jazz FestSt. Charles Avenue streetcar
Airports
MSY Louis Armstrong New Orleans International (In Kenner, about 20 km west of the centre; taxi flat fare to the French Quarter or CBD, or RTA route 202 for $1.25) · NEW Lakefront Airport (General aviation only; the restored 1930s terminal is free to visit)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

New Orleans: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

18°C

8°C

5 rd

Feb

20°C

10°C

4 rd

Mar

24°C

13°C

5 rd

Apr

27°C

17°C

5 rd

May

31°C

21°C

5 rd

Jun

33°C

24°C

7 rd

Jul

34°C

25°C

9 rd

Aug

34°C

25°C

7 rd

Sep

32°C

23°C

6 rd

Oct

28°C

18°C

4 rd

Nov

23°C

13°C

4 rd

Dec

19°C

9°C

5 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The French Quarter, CBD and Marigny are walkable and you rarely need a car. Streetcars run on Canal Street, along the riverfront and up St. Charles Avenue to Uptown; buses fill the gaps. Rideshare and taxis are cheap for short hops; a car is only worth it for plantations or the swamp.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Plantation country (River Parishes)

go

Door to door: About 1 h each way

Car or an organised tour upriver on I-10 and River Road

Two houses in a day is enough; Oak Alley and Laura are the usual pairing.

Honey Island Swamp

go

Door to door: About 1 h each way

Guided boat tour from Slidell or a West Bank launch

Book ahead; morning tours see more wildlife.

Baton Rouge

caution

Door to door: 1.5–2 h

Amtrak City of New Orleans or I-10 by car

Doable as a day, but the state capital rewards an overnight more.

Chalmette Battlefield

go

Door to door: About 30 min

Car or rideshare downriver

The 1815 battlefield site; pair with a riverfront stop.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

French Quarter

Walk to most sights and music; loudest streets are Bourbon and the lower Decatur blocks, so ask for a courtyard-side room.

Central Business District (CBD) and Warehouse District

Chain hotels, the National WWII Museum and Julia Street galleries; 10–15 min walk to the Quarter, quieter at night.

Faubourg Marigny

Across Esplanade from the Quarter; Frenchmen Street clubs are on the doorstep and rooms are often cheaper.

Uptown and Garden District

St. Charles Avenue streetcar, Magazine Street shops and local restaurants; 20–30 min by streetcar to the centre.

Mid-City and Esplanade Ridge

City Park, the New Orleans Museum of Art and the Fair Grounds; cheaper, more local, needs the streetcar or a bus.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
$70–120 excl. bed
Mid
$120–220 excl. bed
High
$220+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Boutique or chain double room1 × 3 nights × US$220US$660
Food, local transport, entries2 × 3 days × US$170US$1,020
Taxi MSY to French Quarter or CBD, flat fare1 × US$36US$36
RTA 202-Airport Express, one way2 × US$1US$3
Streetcar single ride2 × US$1 · checkUS$3
eSIM, about a week of data2 × US$20US$40
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUS$176
Trip total≈ US$323 per person per day, bed includedUS$1,938

2026 estimate in US dollars; flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee and a beignet$5–10
Po-boy or plate lunch$12–20
Sit-down Creole dinner, main course$25–45
Cocktail in the Quarter / beer at a corner bar$12–18 / $5–8
Streetcar or bus ride$1.25 (check)
Museum entry (WWII Museum, NOMA)$20–35
Live music cover on Frenchmen Street$5–20

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Central tourist areas are busy and generally fine by day and night; the real risks are heat, drink spiking, pickpockets in crowds and wandering into unfamiliar blocks after dark. Stay in lit, populated streets and use rideshare late.
  • Summer heat and humidity: plan outdoor sightseeing before 11:00 and after 17:00, and carry water.
  • Hurricane season runs 1 June to 30 November, most active in September; check forecasts and know your airline's change policy.
  • Drinks on Bourbon Street are often served in open containers and the street is crowded at night; keep phones and wallets out of back pockets.
  • Some bars and clubs in the tourist core post no prices: ask the total before you order.
  • Parking is expensive and street parking rules are enforced; if you keep a car, use a garage.
  • Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest weeks sell out months ahead and rates double.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

New OrleansLa Nouvelle-Orléans

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911

Embassy

Most countries keep consulates in Houston or Atlanta; check your embassy's website for the nearest office.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • MSY → French Quarter or CBD, taxi: flat $36 for one or two people, $15 each for three or more
  • MSY → CBD, RTA 202-Airport Express: $1.25, about 30 min
  • Streetcar single ride: $1.25; day pass available (check)

Say or show

  • Where's the streetcar stop? — Where is the streetcar stop?
  • Can I get the check, please? — Can I get the check, please?
  • Is there a cover? — Is there a cover charge?
  • To this address, please — To this address, please

Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for New Orleans. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Feb–May, Oct–Nov · avoid Jun–Sep (heat, humidity, hurricane season), Mardi Gras week unless that is the point · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 5 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 6 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for MSY: taxi flat fare, RTA 202 and the last departure, rideshare fallback.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: French Quarter, CBD and Warehouse District, Marigny and Bywater, Uptown and Garden District.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (National WWII Museum, Mardi Gras World, NOMA, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Weather and festival fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to United States

Sources