New Orleans is the USA's most singular city — the birthplace of jazz, a Creole and Cajun food capital, and a place where French, Spanish, African and Caribbean cultures fused into something all its own. Live music every night, wrought-iron balconies and a party spirit that peaks at Mardi Gras.
- The birthplace of jazz — live music on Frenchmen Street every night
- Creole and Cajun cooking: gumbo, jambalaya, po'boys and beignets
- The French Quarter's balconied streets and Spanish-colonial courtyards
- Festivals — Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest are world-famous
Region: Southeast Best time: Feb–May (Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest; pleasant); avoid the hot, humid, storm-prone late summer Getting there: Louis Armstrong International (MSY) is ~30 minutes from the French Quarter by taxi or rideshare. Getting around: The Quarter is walkable; historic streetcars run to the Garden District and up St. Charles Avenue.
Neighbourhoods
French Quarter
The historic core — Jackson Square, Bourbon Street and courtyard restaurants.
Frenchmen Street (Marigny)
Where locals go for live jazz and brass bands, just downriver of the Quarter.
Garden District
Antebellum mansions, oak-lined streets and the St. Charles streetcar.
Tremé
One of the oldest African American neighbourhoods and a cradle of brass-band culture.
Bywater
Colourful, artsy and increasingly foodie, along the river below Marigny.
Things to do
- Live jazz on Frenchmen Street — club-hop the real music scene, away from Bourbon Street's crowds
- Beignets & café au lait — the classic order at Café du Monde by the river
- French Quarter wander — Jackson Square, the cathedral, and hidden courtyards
- St. Charles streetcar — ride the historic line past Garden District mansions
- WWII Museum — the acclaimed National WWII Museum, one of the country's best
- Swamp tour — day trip into the bayou for alligators and cypress swamps
A few perfect days
- Day 1The Quarter
Beignets at Café du Monde, wander the French Quarter, then live jazz on Frenchmen Street.
- Day 2History & mansions
The WWII Museum, then the streetcar to the Garden District for lunch and a stroll.
- Day 3Bayou & brass
A morning swamp tour, then Tremé and Bywater for food and a second line if you're lucky.
Eat & drink
- Gumbo, jambalaya and crawfish étouffée
- Po'boys, muffulettas and chargrilled oysters
- Beignets with café au lait, and a Sazerac cocktail to finish
National parks & day trips
Where to stay
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