New Orleans

New Orleans, Louisiana—affectionately referred to as NOLA or “The Big Easy”— is known for its nightlife, distinct music (i.e. jazz), Creole cuisine, unique architecture, and Mardi Gras.

Overview Attractions / Activities Adventurous Activities Food Final Comments

New Orleans, Louisiana’s largest city, is a major port and commercial hub in the Gulf of Mexico. With a vibrant music scene and wild nightlife, this city along the Mississippi River is considered one of the most unique cities in the United States.

Equally important, the seafood here is phenomenal. And, since I am a huge fan of seafood boils (especially crawfish), this place was basically seafood heaven. I honestly would drop by for the seafood alone.

When you visit, make sure to follow this New Orleans Adventure Guide to maximize your time here.

Recommended Duration of Visit

3 days (ideal), 2 days (doable), 1 day (difficult)

Click for some interesting facts about New Orleans

The city is named after the Duke of Orléans
The famous Bourbon Street was actually named after a French royal family, not the whiskey. You’re disappointed, I know.
Due to its history rooted in dark magic and voodoo, New Orleans is considered one of the most haunted cities in the United States. Understandably, ghost and cemetery tours are very popular here.
Very little of Marie Laveau’s supernatural career (discussed later in the attractions section) can be substantiated. Her divinations were likely supported by a network of informants she developed while working as a hairdresser. In other words, she was very good at obtaining inside information about people.

Before You Go

Flights / Getting There: Flying into the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport is the most efficient strategy.

Overview

Climate: New Orleans has a warm sea climate with mild winters and warm summers, but summers can be very humid and hot.

Communication: English is the official language. Despite the French influence, French is not spoken in New Orleans at all.

Navigation: Driving around New Orleans can be quite a pain. Ideally, you would use hotel parking and/or walk around. Fortunately, most of the major attractions are within walking distance of each other.

Lodging: The general French Quarter region is a good place to stay if you don’t mind above-average costs. Ideally, you want to stay in the French Quarter because it will minimize the driving.

For example, the Best Western Plus French Quarter Courtyard Hotel is a good hotel that is within walking distance of most major attractions.

Activities Planning: If you are visiting specifically for Mardi Gras (i.e. Fat Tuesday), note that the date for Mardi Gras is not consistent from year to year. It can be any time from around mid-February to the beginning of March, so make sure to research ahead of time.

Most importantly, in New Orleans, the majority of Mardi Gras celebrations are held in the two weeks leading up to Fat Tuesday.

Special Considerations

Generally, the crawfish season in Louisiana runs from mid-January through early July for crawfish caught in the wild, with the peak months being March, April, and May.

General: NOLA can often be dirtier and more crowded depending on the time of the year. Make sure to visit during nice weather, so you’ll at least deal with it better.

Peak Seasons: Early spring (mid-February to early March) is the absolute peak season in New Orleans (due to Mardi Gras). Outside of that time range, spring and early summer (March to June) are popular due to cooler weather.

Currency: United States Dollars (USD). Currency Converter.

Things to Do: Attractions and Activities

Most of the time, attractions are paired up based on similarity and/or proximity. All the names provided are easily searchable on Google Maps.

Marie Laveau’s House of Voodoo: Marie Laveau is a renowned practitioner of voodoo. She was also a healer and herbalist whose colorful life is ingrained into New Orleans lore. This house specifically belongs to her daughter (Marie Laveau II).

The House of Voodoo is easily one of the top attractions in New Orleans. This humble and tiny shop features voodoo dolls, magical charms, spell kits, psychic readings, and talismans, among other trinkets.

Cost: Free to visit but variable based on spending. Recommended Duration of Visit: 15 – 30 minutes.

New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum: Shrouded in secrecy, mystery, and history, this small voodoo museum (it’s literally just 2 rooms) is the only museum in the world dedicated to voodoo—and nothing else. Similar to Marie Laveau’s House of Voodoo, It is arguably one of the most unique experiences in the entire city (if not the state)—and one certainly worth experiencing.

Cost: Visit the official New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum website for more information. Recommended Duration of Visit: 30 – 60 minutes.

There is a strict no photo policy in the store. Don’t ask me how I got the photo 😉. If you want psychic readings, you have to line up around opening and sign up.

On the official website, you can also book a 2-hour cemetery tour that also includes numerous other voodoo attractions throughout New Orleans.

Bourbon Street: This is where the party happens. Nuff said.

All kidding aside, Bourbon Street is the commercial artery of the French Quarter. As the number 1 party destination in New Orleans, it features an outrageous number of bars, strip clubs, restaurants, and attractions throughout. It would be difficult to walk more than 5 seconds and not find a place that sells alcohol.

During Mardi Gras, the street’s crowd density rivals that of the most popular clubs—only it’s much bigger and rowdier.

Cost: As much as it takes. Recommended Duration of Visit: 1 – 5 hours.

French Market: The French Market started out as a Native American trading post hundreds of years ago, making it the oldest market of its kind in the United States.

Most importantly, the food in this festive open-air market is phenomenal—many of them unique to only this region of the country. Restaurants offer a diverse selection of foods such as beignets, baked goods, seafood, etouffee, jambalaya, Cajun, crepes, shaved ice, fruits, and meats, among others.

Naturally, there are many unique shops that sell anything from masks (for Mardi Gras) and souvenirs to dream catchers.

As a bonus, there’s often live music being played throughout the entire market. And the scenic Mississippi River is within view.

Cost: Free to visit but variable depending on spending. Recommended Duration of Visit: 1 – 2 hours.

While Bourbon Street is often the tourist destination, the locals’ favorite spot is arguably Frenchmen Street. It is essentially the locals' Bourbon street.

The famous Café Du Monde (discussed in the food section) is actually where the French Market first started. You can basically grab breakfast/coffee there and walk straight to the market.

Jackson Square: Named in honor of Andrew Jackson, the hero of the Battle of New Orleans, this National Historic Park in the French Quarter is the site where Louisiana was made a state (via the Louisiana Purchase).

The park, known for its centralizing statue of Andrew Jackson and scenic perimeter, is flanked on all sides by historic buildings.

And, if Bourbon street is considered to be the commercial artery of the French Quarter, then Jackson Square is the heart of it.

Cost: Free to visit. Recommended Duration of Visit: 15 – 45 minutes.

St. Louis Cathedral: As the oldest cathedral in use in the United States, the St. Louis Cathedral is dedicated to Saint Louis (King Louis IX of France). The original cathedral was actually burned in 1788, so little of the original structure actually remains.

And although Jackson Square is the heart of the French Quarter, it’s the cathedral that gets the most attention due to its majesty and size. The cathedral’s architecture is an excellent representation of the French and Spanish influences that once existed in New Orleans.

Cost: Free to visit. Recommended Duration of Visit: 15 – 30 minutes.

Jackson Square is a very short walk from Café du Monde. You can sit inside the cafe, but it might be nicer to wander the park instead.

In addition to being able to attend mass on Sundays, you might find some people doing tarot card readings as well.

Louis Armstrong Park: Born in New Orleans and the namesake of the New Orleans airport, Louis Armstrong was one of the most influential figures in jazz. He is mostly known for the song “What a Wonderful World.”

This scenic park features numerous unique statues scattered throughout and, of course, a giant sculpture of Louis Armstrong himself.

Cost: Free to visit. Recommended Duration of Visit: 30 – 60 minutes.

Musical Legends Park: Arguably one of the coolest parks I’ve seen, the Musical Legends Park isn’t even a traditional park.

Situated right on Bourbon Street, the park features various statues of jazz legends alongside live local bands. Visitors can enjoy the nice music and atmosphere while they sit and eat.

Cost: Free to visit but variable depending on spending. Recommended Duration of Visit: 1 – 2 hours.

Even though the park is closed at night, the gate lights up in a brilliant photo-worthy display.

There should be beignets (discussed later in the Food section) and drinks available for purchase in the area.

The National WWII Museum: This military history museum focuses on the United States’ contributions to WWII. It is the official National World War II Museum of the United States. This remarkable museum is in New Orleans because the Higgins boat—the landing craft that carried U.S. soldiers in every major amphibious assault of WWII—was built here.

With elaborate, grand, incredible displays and historical movies, this multi-building museum is the largest World War II museum in the world. In general, it is also considered among the largest and greatest museums in the world.

Its mission is to “tell the story of the American experience in the war that changed the world—why it was fought, how it was won, and what it means today—so that all generations will understand the price of freedom and be inspired by what they learn.”

Cost: Refer to the official National WWII Museum for more information. Recommended Duration of Visit: 3 – 8 hours.

Mardi Gras World: Mardi Gras World—perhaps the most New Orleans thing about New Orleans—is exactly what you would expect. It’s a massive complex where floats are made and stored.

Its mission is to “give you an authentic Mardi Gras experience year-round.” The tours offered will showcase what it truly takes to bring Mardi Gras to life.

Cost: Refer to the official Mardi Gras World website for more information. Recommended Duration of Visit: 1 – 3 hours.

Some movie scenes are graphic, so watching them with children is not advised. Parking is also a pain. Premium 319, the nearest parking lot, charges over $10 an hour.

There is a massive gravel parking lot nearby. But daily parking is quite expensive, so it would be better to get someone to drop you off while you explore.