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Louisiana · the United States
The French Quarter and jazz, Creole and Cajun cuisine, Mardi Gras, and the bayous and old plantations along the Mississippi.
In the photo: Mississippi River and downtown New Orleans at dusk
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Get to know the place
New Orleans was founded by the French in 1718 on a bend of the Mississippi River and passed under Spanish rule before being sold to the United States in 1803. The mix of French, Spanish, African and Caribbean origins gave the city its own architecture, music and cuisine. The French Quarter, the oldest neighborhood, has wrought-iron balconies and a central square dominated by a cathedral with white towers.
The city is considered the birthplace of jazz, which you can hear in the music venues on Frenchmen Street and in the brass bands that play in the streets. Creole cuisine, from the city, and Cajun cuisine, from inland Louisiana, appear in dishes such as gumbo and jambalaya. Mardi Gras, the local carnival, fills the streets with parades in the weeks before Lent.
Outside the center, the Garden District has 19th-century mansions, and the National WWII Museum occupies several pavilions. In the surrounding area, boardwalk trails cross the bayous of the Barataria Preserve, and along the Mississippi lie old sugarcane plantations, such as the Whitney Plantation, dedicated to the history of slavery.
This destination brings together 1 city: New Orleans.
One destination, many paths
Start with one city or combine several in your itinerary.
Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau / geoBoundaries (public domain). Adapted by Cidade Turismo.
✈ Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY), in Kenner · 20 km to New Orleans
Flights land at Louis Armstrong Airport (MSY), in Kenner, west of the city, connected to downtown by bus and taxi. The Union Passenger Terminal receives long-distance trains from Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. Entry requirements depend on nationality: confirm the rules before traveling.
The local experience
The oldest neighborhood of New Orleans, with wrought-iron balcony houses, inner courtyards, street music and Bourbon Street.
The central square of the French Quarter, with the Andrew Jackson statue, street artists and St. Louis Cathedral, with white towers.
Museum in multiple pavilions in the Warehouse District about America’s role in World War II, with aircraft, films and veterans’ testimonies.
Residential neighborhood with 19th-century mansions, gardens and oak trees, served by the St. Charles Avenue streetcar and Lafayette No. 1 Cemetery.
Former sugarcane plantation on the banks of the Mississippi, turned into a museum and memorial dedicated to the enslaved people who lived there.
Before you go
A little planning leaves more time to enjoy the journey.
Late winter, spring and autumn are usually the mildest times. In the height of summer, the heavy humidity makes walks taxing. Gulf hurricanes typically occur between June and November. Mardi Gras falls between February and March, depending on the date of Easter.
The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.
Three days for the French Quarter, the Garden District and the museums; four days to add the bayous and a plantation.
The French Quarter puts everything within walking distance, but it gets noisy at night near Bourbon Street. Faubourg Marigny, next to Frenchmen Street, is quieter; the Central Business District and the Warehouse District are close to the museums. The Garden District, served by the St. Charles Avenue streetcar, is residential.
Take your trash with you, follow the signs and support local businesses. In natural areas, follow the visiting guidelines.
Get your questions answered
Via MSY airport, about 20 km from downtown, or by long-distance trains that arrive at Union Passenger Terminal.
Three days for the center and neighborhoods; four to include the bayous and a plantation.
From February to May and from October to November, when it’s cooler. During Mardi Gras and the Jazz Fest in April and May the city gets very crowded.
Not within the city, which has streetcars and is walkable. For the plantations and the bayous, use a car or organized tours.
On the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, between February and March, with parades in the preceding weeks.
New Orleans follows Central Time, six hours behind UTC; during Daylight Saving Time, from March to November, it is five hours behind.
