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French Quarter, New Orleans
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New OrleansTravel Guide

United States5 stories

The Creole soul of America — a below-sea-level city of jazz, iron-lace balconies, beignets, and second-line parades on a crescent of the Mississippi.

Is New Orleans right for you?

When to come

Late winter through spring

Around 33°C by day in July, 17°C in January — recorded at the local weather station.

What it costs

It depends where you stand. There is a cheap version and an expensive one — the guides below say which is which.

What we've planned, and who for

We publish a multi-day route for this one.

When to go
January: around 17 degrees by day, 8 at night, 132 millimetres of rain, wet.
February: around 19 degrees by day, 10 at night, 105 millimetres of rain, wet. We recommend this month.
March: around 22 degrees by day, 13 at night, 111 millimetres of rain, wet. We recommend this month.
April: around 26 degrees by day, 17 at night, 133 millimetres of rain, wet. We recommend this month.
May: around 30 degrees by day, 21 at night, 143 millimetres of rain, wet. We recommend this month.
June: around 32 degrees by day, 24 at night, 194 millimetres of rain, very wet.
July: around 33 degrees by day, 25 at night, 173 millimetres of rain, very wet.
August: around 33 degrees by day, 25 at night, 176 millimetres of rain, very wet.
September: around 31 degrees by day, 23 at night, 130 millimetres of rain, wet.
October: around 27 degrees by day, 18 at night, 94 millimetres of rain, wet.
November: around 22 degrees by day, 12 at night, 98 millimetres of rain, wet. We recommend this month.
December: around 18 degrees by day, 9 at night, 122 millimetres of rain, wet. We recommend this month.
Cold to hot, by dayDry to wetWhen we would go

Late winter through spring

Average daily highs, recorded at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY), 1991-2020 normals.

Where this comes from

NOAA (via Wikipedia 'New Orleans') — Weather box is in degrees F and inches; converted to C and mm.

Budget level

Mixed

Typical cost profile for visitors

Combine it with

Nothing else we cover is within a comfortable hop — this one is a trip of its own.

Plan itWhere to stay in New Orleansad · Booking.comTours and tickets
On the map

Finding New Orleans

Open in Google Maps Larger map
The stories

Reading New Orleans

A sunlit French Quarter street in New Orleans with colorful Creole buildings, iron-lace balconies hung with plants, street musicians, and bicycles on the sidewalk
01
Destinations

New Orleans for First-Timers: The Complete Guide

America's most intoxicating city runs on jazz, Creole cooking, and ritual. How to plan a first visit — French Quarter and far beyond.

United States · 2 min
St. Louis Cathedral on Jackson Square in New Orleans, its three slate spires and clock face pale against a sky of towering clouds with the sun burning through behind them
02
Itineraries

Four Days in New Orleans, and Why They Should Start on a Friday

New Orleans keeps a weekly calendar that ignores tourism entirely, so which four days you pick matters more than how many you book.

United States · 11 min
A heap of boiled crawfish from a Louisiana crawfish boil, shells stained deep red with seasoning
03
Stays

What a Night Buys You in New Orleans: Sleeping Well on Three Different Budgets

The room matters less than the four hundred metres around it, so here is which New Orleans neighbourhood to sleep in at the top, the middle and the bottom of the market.

United States · 9 min
Beignets buried in powdered sugar with a cafe au lait and the customary glass of water, the classic New Orleans Cafe du Monde order
04
Food

The Markets of New Orleans: What to Taste, and the Month to Taste It

Beignets at dawn, Creole tomatoes in June, satsumas in December. A market-by-market, dish-by-dish guide to eating New Orleans on the calendar the city actually keeps.

United States · 3 min
A dark green St. Charles Avenue streetcar, number 904, waiting on its tracks under the spreading branches of live oaks in New Orleans, low sun falling through the leaves onto the roadbed.
05
Hidden Gems

New Orleans Off-Season: The Secret Best Months Nobody Books

Everyone comes for Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest. The city is arguably better in the weeks when nobody is looking — and considerably cheaper.

United States · 2 min
In pictures

New Orleans, framed

The pale yellow arched entrance of the French Market in New Orleans, its name carved above the doorway and a wreath hung beneath, with visitors streaming into the covered hall between potted palms in soft evening light.
Photo: JR Harris / Unsplash
Late September to early December, New Orleans
Photo: Olga Müller / Unsplash
French Quarter, New Orleans
Photo: Aya Salman / Unsplash
Our picks

What we'd do in New Orleans

See and do

Eat and drink

Where to stay

Before you go

Practical essentials for United States

Money

United States dollar (USD)

Language

English, designated the official federal language by executive order in 2025; Spanish is widely spoken in Miami, Los Angeles and the Southwest.

Power

Type A/B, 120V 60Hz

Getting around

New York runs entirely on OMNY, which takes a tapped contactless bank card or phone now that the MetroCard was withdrawn at the end of 2025; other cities have their own cards (Chicago's Ventra, Boston's CharlieCard, Washington's SmarTrip, San Francisco's Clipper), while Los Angeles and Las Vegas effectively require a car or ride-hailing.

Tipping

Tipping is expected rather than optional: 18-20% in restaurants, and bartenders, taxi drivers and hotel staff are tipped too.

Tap water

Tap water is safe to drink.

Driving

Right-hand side; there is no federal International Driving Permit requirement and many visitors drive on their home licence, but rules vary by state and rental firms may ask for an IDP, which must be obtained before you travel.

Emergency

911

Country-level guidance, checked against official sources. Currency, fares and entry rules change — confirm anything time-critical before you travel.

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