Hi, welcome to r/AskNOLA, looks like you’re planning a vacation to New Orleans and would like some local advice.
A couple of things to think about before posting: PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE FAQ, search this subreddit or google first, and then ask specific questions or post a proposed itinerary for higher quality and more relevant suggestions. Help us help you by avoiding these broad inquiries:
Question: Where should we eat or drink?/What are the “must-dos”?
Check out the SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS section below and if you have any further questions or need more guidance please make sure to include details about who you are and what you are looking for. For example: is there a particular type of food or beverage you would like to try, do you have any budget or dietary restrictions, what time are you looking to dine, what neighborhood will you be in - do you like history, music, the paranormal, nature, art, bridge infrastructure etc? The more you can tell us about your interests the better our responses will be.
Question: What are some hidden gems?
We’re not hiding anything from you. New Orleans is a tourism economy and this city lives and dies by your patronage. We want you to go to the places we love and spend your money there.
Question: What are the tourist traps I should avoid?
A lot of the places that make “best of” lists year after year are tourist traps, and they often are popular for good reason. Parkway Tavern is always near the top of the “best poboy” lists, is always full of tourists, and it’s actually one of the best poboy shops in the city. Pat O’Brien’s is 100% a tourist trap, yet it has an awesome courtyard, strong drinks, and the dueling pianos are a fucking blast. Don’t avoid a potential tourist trap merely because it’s a potential tourist trap if it’s something you’d otherwise be interested in.
Question: Where do the locals eat/drink?
We eat fried chicken from gas stations and drink at the nearest quiet bar. Seriously. If you want to do the same, you won’t be disappointed, but I doubt that’s why you’re visiting.
Question: Is it safe?
In the vast majority of the places you will be spending your time, YES. Exceptions would be: Bourbon Street after midnight, your Airbnb (see next question for more information,) and anywhere you’re wandering around wasted. Keep your wits about you, stay away from drunk idiots, don’t be a drunk idiot, don’t wander down dark empty streets and don’t talk to anyone offering you a bracelet or telling you they know where you got your shoes at.
Question: What’s the best area to get an Airbnb in?
It is in your best interest to avoid short-term vacation rentals like Airbnb or VRBO. Airbnbs are often cheaper because they are in dangerous areas that no local would recommend tourists wander around at night, and out of state plates will be a target for car break-ins. Stay in a hotel. Hotels are in safer, well lit, popular neighborhoods that are within walking distance of all the action and have staff on hand to keep watch over guests and their belongings. If, for some reason, an Airbnb stay actually makes sense (typically, a stay longer than 2-3 weeks, or needing a consistent place for frequent business travel - both markets that existed prior to Airbnb but have been taken over by them), please try to verify that the Airbnb is legal by cross-referencing the address to the city’s permitting website and looking for a current short-term rental license. If you have a larger party please consider booking an entire Bed and Breakfast or looking at hotels like Homewood Suites or Sonesta ES Suites with connecting rooms and kitchens.
Post Script: Short-term vacation rentals have significant negative impacts on this city. Airbnb/VRBO/etc pulls rental properties out of the long-term housing market, driving up rent and decreasing availability for residents. In New Orleans, neighborhoods that were once affordable for the working-class are seeing rates spike because property owners in these areas can make more money from short-term rentals for tourists than from long-term local tenants. Neighborhoods like the Marigny and Bywater, which were once home to lower-income, mostly Black and Latino residents, have seen a surge of gentrification. This displacement has led to a loss of cultural identity and community disruption as locals are being pushed out and can no longer afford to live there. Neighborhoods with a lot of short-term rentals also become more transient, with visitors cycling in and out rather than long-term residents who actually care about the community. The constant churn of tourists changes the essence of what makes these areas special and takes away from the authenticity that drew people in the first place. It destroys social ties and contributes to serious cultural erosion by shifting the dynamic of local neighborhoods which can make areas feel less like home and more like a tourist zone (case-in-point, the French Quarter). On top of all that, regulatory issues make it harder to address these concerns allowing Airbnb to continue disrupting housing markets without facing real consequences. The city has tried to place restrictions on Airbnb, but enforcement is inconsistent and a large percentage of these properties in New Orleans are not in compliance with local regulations and operate illegally. Airbnb only benefits property owners, most of which are multi-national corporations or investors and not local residents. Spending tourist dollars in restaurants and gift shops on Bourbon St doesn’t erase the deficit you inflict when you support these places. The people who create and sustain the culture you’re coming to visit are bearing the cost in terms of rising rents, displacement, and a loss of local identity.
GENERAL GUIDANCE
Public Transit
FROM THE AIRPORT
- Taxi rides cost $36.00 from the airport to the Central Business District (CBD) or French Quarter (west of Elysian Fields) for up to two (2) passengers. For three (3) or more passengers, the fare will be $15.00 per passenger. Taxis are required to accept credit card payments.
- Uber, Lyft
- 202 Bus ($1.25, 1+ hour)
AROUND TOWN
- Streetcar and/or bus via Le Pass
- Cabs, Uber, Lyft
- Pedicabs: Bike Taxi Unlimited, Need A Ride and NOLA Pedicabs
Driving
RENT A CAR? Unless you’re planning to visit areas outside of New Orleans renting a car is not advised. The areas most frequented by tourists like the French Quarter/Marigny/CBD are walkable and often not parking friendly while other areas of interest like the Garden District/Magazine St and Midcity/City Park are easily accessible using public transit. Most of the swamp and plantations tours will have transportation to their location available.
PARKING? Pay whatever the hotel fee is. It is possible that a cheaper lot exists but it will be less protected and further away. Street parking is precarious at best for locals and break ins and theft are a very real possibility even in good areas but especially for an unfamiliar car abandoned in a residential neighborhood for days on end. You’re paying for convenience and peace of mind.
Weather
SUMMER: If you’re coming between April and September it’s going to be hot. That might mean hot by your standards but from June to September it’s also hot by our standards which means you’ll be melting. Plan accordingly by staying hydrated and strategically doing your outdoor activities in the morning and maybe evening (it does not get cooler at night.) Otherwise plan to be inside in the air conditioning with the rest of us in the afternoon.
LESS SUMMER: Between October and May it could be anywhere from hot and balmy to chilly-cold (most likely not below freezing) and humid which many people say feels colder because the damps sets into your bones.
RAIN: New Orleans has a tropical weather pattern which means it rains often. Bring an umbrella and water proof shoes and plan to be flexible.
HURRICANES: Yes, if you're traveling between June 1 and November 30, you are traveling during hurricane season. We are not qualified to make storm forecasts, but The National Hurricane Center is. Check the NHC forecasts at least daily starting about 10 days ahead of your trip, and do your own risk calculus. Generally speaking, a tropical storm means temporary street flooding (from rain) and possibly losing power for a bit. A category 1 or 2 hurricane means more temporary street flooding (from rain) and very likely losing power for multiple days. A lot of locals evacuate for category 3 or stronger storms because the risk of property damage and losing power for a week or more is high. Personally, I wouldn't cancel a trip over a tropical storm, but would consider it for an actual hurricane. If your trip is scheduled immediately after a storm, check the news to see how much damage there is. Most businesses in the downtown area reopen fairly quickly (if they close at all), and large hotels are very safe during storms.
SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS
Food
Where should I eat?
- Fine Dining: Commander’s Palace, Clancy’s, Brigtsen’s, MaMou
- Seafood - fancy: GW Fins, Peche, Pigeon & Whale
- Seafood - fried & boiled: Clesi’s, Seither’s, Salvo’s
- Crawfish: Buggin’ Out Boils pop ups (traditional & viet cajun)
- Oysters: Casamento’s, MRB, Fives, Seaworthy, Luke
- BBQ shrimp: Mr. B’s Bistro, Brigtsen’s, Liuzza's by the Track (poboy)
- Classic New Orleans: Lil Dizzy’s, Mandina’s, Frankie and Johnny’s, Heard Dat Kitchen
- Fried chicken: Lil Dizzy’s, Dooky Chase, Key Fuel Mart, Popeyes
- Gumbo: Lil Dizzy’s, Gabrielle, Palm & Pine
- Jambalaya: Parkway Bakery and Tavern, Clesi’s, Coop’s Place
- Poboys: Parkway Bakery and Tavern, Parasol’s, Domilise’s
- Muffuletta: Napoleon House (warm), Central Grocery (cold)
- Other sandwiches: Butcher, Stein’s Deli, Turkey and the Wolf, Francolini’s
- Cajun: Toup’s, Cochon
- Vegetarian & Vegan: Meals from the Heart Cafe, Sweet Soulfood, Sneaky Pickle & Bar Brine, Small Mart, Breads on Oak
- Off the beaten path: Plume, Dong Phuong
- Breakfast: Bearcat, Who Dat Cafe, Willa Jean, Alma
- Jazz Brunch: Commander’s Palace, Atchafalaya, Saint John
- Drag Brunch: The Country Club, Basin, The Elysian Bar
- Bakery: Ayu Bakehouse, La Boulangerie, Bywater Bakery, Levee Baking Co.
- Beignets: Loretta’s Pralines, Morning Call, Cafe du Monde in City Park
- Pralines: Loretta’s Pralines
- Snoballs: Hansen’s Snobliz
- King Cake: is cursed if it’s not Carnival, don’t do it
- & more: 38 Essential Restaurants in New Orleans
Where SHOULDN’T I eat?
- Generally: restaurants with N’awlins (anywhere in the city,) or Cajun or Creole (within the French Quarter) in the name
- Specifically: Oceana, Court of Two Sisters, Mother’s, Antoine’s, Steamboat Natchez
Please don’t ask the main sub why - the answer is that better options exist and these places are universally considered underwhelming/overpriced (if not outright bad) by people who live in New Orleans
Drinks
What bars should I go to?
- Hotel: The Carousel Bar, The Sazerac Bar, Chandelier Bar, St. Vincent
- Cocktail: Bar Tonique, Jewel of the South, Cure, Revel
- Beer: Brieux Carre Brewing Co, Parleaux Beer Lab, Miel Brewery, Care Forgot Beercraft, Courtyard Brewery
- Wine: Bacchanal, The Wine Bar at Emeril's, The Delachaise, Pluck Wine Bar, Patula
- Gay: Cafe Lafitte in Exile, Good Friends, Rawhide, Bourbon Pub, The Phoenix, QiQi
- Dive: Snake and Jake’s, The Abbey, The Saint, The Goat, The Dungeon
- College: The Boot, F&M, The Tchoup Yard, The Bulldog, Fat Harry’s
- Sports: Finn McCool’s (soccer), Cooter Brown’s, MRB
Where can I get famous New Orleans drinks?
- Casual: Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop (Purple Drank/Hurricane), Erin Rose (Frozen Coffee), Tropical Isle (Hand Grenade/Shark Attack), Port of Call (Monsoon)
- Fancy: Tujaque’s (Grasshopper), The Sazerac House (Sazerac), Napoleon House (Pimm’s Cup), French 75 Bar (French 75), Bar Tonique (Ramos Gin Fizz)
Where is the best coffee?
- Coffee: Cherry Coffee Roasters, HONEY’S, Mojo, Congregation Coffee
- Third Wave: Pond Coffee, Fourth Wall, Mammoth Espresso, HEY Coffee Co
Music
Where is the best place to see live music?
- Popular Venues: Anywhere on Frenchmen Street, Preservation Hall, Maison Bourbon, Fritzel's, Mahogany Hall, Tipitina’s, Maple Leaf Bar, Kermit’s Tremé Mother-in-Law Lounge
- All Ages: Jazz Museum, Davenport Lounge at the Ritz Carlton, Three Muses, Maison, Snug Harbor, Buffa’s, Broadside, outside of the Rouses on Royal Street in the French Quarter during the day
What shows should I see while I’m in town?
- WWOZ Livewire
Where do I catch a second line?
- WWOZ Takin’ It To The Streets
Nightlife
Where should I go see a show?
- Burlesque: The Allways Lounge
- Drag: Oz, Golden Lantern
- Comedy: Sports Drink, 504 Comedy
What clubs should I go to?
- Dance: The Rabbit Hole, Republic, Metro
- Goth: The Goat, Poor Boys, Santos
- Strip: The Penthouse, Rick’s Cabaret, Visions
- Swingers: Colette
Shopping
What neighborhoods have the best shopping?
- The French Quarter: Royal Street, Decatur Street, The French Market, Canal Place/Riverwalk Outlets
- Magazine Street: Felicity to Jackson - Washington to Valence - Jefferson to Nashville
Where should I go if I’m looking for something specific?
- Vintage: Low Timers, Little Wing, Vice & Graft, Century Girl, Funky Monkey
- Antiques: M.S. Rau, Magazine Antique Mall, Merchant House
- Books: Garden District Bookshop, Octavia Books, Beckham’s, Faulkner House, Blue Cypress
- Records: Euclid Records, Domino Sound Record Shack, Louisiana Music Factory
- Souvenirs: Zèle, Dirty Coast, Fleurty Girl, Frenchmen Art Bazaar
Nature
What outdoor spaces should I visit?
- Parks: City Park, Audubon Park
- Mississippi River: Crescent Park, Woldenburg Park, The Fly
- Bayou St. John: Moss Street from Lafitte Ave to Esplanade Ave (on land), Kayak-iti-Yat (on water)
- Lake Pontchartrain: New Canal Lighthouse, Breakwater Park
How should I explore the swamp?
- By foot: Jean Lafitte National Park at Barataria Preserve
- By boat: Cajun Encounters, Ultimate Swamp Adventures
- By kayak: Wild Louisiana Tours
- Without feeding the wildlife: Last Wilderness Tours, Lost Lands Tours, Honey Island Kayak Tours
Museums
What are the best Museums?
- History: Historic New Orleans Collection (free), Pharmacy Museum, WWII Museum
- Art: Ogden Museum of Southern Art, NOMA, NOMA Sculpture Garden (free), Contemporary Arts Center
- Culture: Backstreet Cultural Museum, Le Musée de f.p.c., Mardi Gras World
- Historic Houses: Hermann-Grima House, Gallier House, 1850 House, Beauregard-Keyes House, Pitot House
Tours
Which plantation tour should I do?
- The Whitney Plantation
Which city tours should I take?
- Neighborhood tours: Garden District, Treme
- Food & Cocktail tours: Dr. Gumbo
- Voodoo tour: Voodoo in Congo Square with High Priest Robi
- Spooky tours: see Halloween section below
Post Script: TIP YOUR TOUR GUIDES, MUSICIANS & SERVERS. New Orleans is a service industry economy and whether or not it is a good or fair system many of the people providing the services that make your vacation to this city so special rely on tips to make a living wage. Please respect that this is a part of the culture you are coming to experience and prepare accordingly.
HOLIDAYS
Plan early, book WAY in advance, expect everything to be more expensive
Mardi Gras
When is Mardi Gras?
Mardi Gras is the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, which changes every year. However Carnival is the season that proceeds the day and starts on January 6th. The main event is Wednesday night to Fat Tuesday but depending on the length of the season most of the weekends before the big week will have parades. Here is the parade schedule. Look up a parade tracker in your phone’s app store - it will have schedules and routes, and is also useful for live parade updates.
Where is Mardi Gras?
Most of the big parades follow St. Charles from uptown into downtown. You can check out one of the more typical routes here. The two weekends before Mardi Gras all the action is on this route, but Lundi and Mardi Gras most of the action is downtown. Uptown parades (the ones on St. Charles) are the parades with the big bands and elaborate floats that throw all the beads etc, downtown parades (usually start in the Marigny but go through parts of the French Quarter, Treme and Bywater) are more walking parades focused on costumery and unique handmade throws.
Where should I stay?
Get a hotel on the St. Charles parade route or as close to the parade route as you can afford, and no farther away from the route than you can walk, with easy access to a bathroom. If you don’t have children I’d recommend staying in the CBD or Warehouse District so you can get the full parade experience while being central enough to walk uptown (“west”) or downtown (“east”) as necessary. Long walks are fine, especially when you’re drunk, but closer spots are great for staging drinks and snacks and for mid-parade pees or naps. Ubers to the cheap hotels in the ‘burbs will likely run triple digits.
Is Mardi Gras family friendly?
Yes and no. For a more family friendly experience look for a spot before the turn from Napoleon to St. Charles or on St. Charles between Napoleon and Jackson. For Endymion try somewhere closer to its Midcity start and get there early. And while both the Uptown and Midcity routes will have pockets of college student tomfoolery for the most part it’s local families and the parade content and costuming is fairly tame. However French Quarter and Marigny parades usually feature more nudity and politics, except for Chewbacchus, Barkus and ‘tit Rex. Of course Bourbon Street is not for the children but the only people who do the entirety of Mardi Gras there only want to party and don’t know any better.
What parades should I see?
Uptown - St. Charles parade route (mostly)
* Thursday night: Babylon/Chaos/Muses
* Friday night: Hermès/Krewe D’Etat/Morpheus
* Saturday day and night: Tucks/Iris and/or Endymion (this follows a different route but you can watch it on the edge of the Quarter on Canal St)
* Sunday day and night: Okeanos/Mid-City/Thoth/Bacchus
* Monday night: Proteus/Orpheus
Downtown - French Quarter & Marigny (get the parade tracker app or talk to locals about where they hit these parades up)
* Monday (Lundi Gras) day: Red Beans/Dead Beans/Green Beans
* Tuesday (Mardi Gras): Zulu, St Anne (note: Mardi Gras day starts early. Zulu rolls at 8am, St. Anne around 10am. So if ya roll outta bed hungover around 2pm you’ll have missed much of the fun so plan a lighter Monday night if you want the full Mardi Gras day experience.)
Should I buy tickets or seats?
Parades are free but some hotels and restaurants sell seats in stands that include access to a bathroom usually and food sometimes. I wouldn’t recommend buying seats unless you can’t get a hotel on or close to the route or have mobility issues. It’ll limit you to one spot and the people around y’all might not be your jam. As long as you have nearby bathroom access I’d recommend going out on the street with the masses and getting into the whole spirit of clamoring for cheap throws next to children and little old ladies. It’s part of the charm.
How should I get around the city during Mardi Gras?
DO NOT PLAN TO DRIVE BEFORE, DURING, OR AFTER PARADES. Traffic is a nightmare, people are drunk, you’re probably drunk, uber will surge to like 10x or more pricing at times. DO NOT DRIVE INTO THE CITY THE MORNING OF MAJOR PARADES. You will probably just be stuck in traffic with the floats and/or with all the other idiots who thought driving to the Mardi Gras was a good idea, which isn’t nearly as fun as being at the parade. DO NOT RENT A CAR. There’s no point, for the aforementioned reasons. Parking? lol. Biking and walking are the superior forms of transportation, well, always, but especially during Carnival. Public transit is a good option when parades aren’t running (but note that that’s pretty much all weekend for two straight weekends). The streetcars and buses typically stop running along the parade routes about two hours before parades, and restart about two hours after.
What should I wear?
If y’all the kinda people who love costumes, go at it and go all out, if not, grab some glitter and sequins and purple green and gold clothes and throw them together like a drunk magpie. Otherwise wear comfortable close toed shoes and bring nothing that would make you sad if beer was spilled on it.
What other things should I do besides Mardi Gras while I’m in town?
Accept the fact that you’re traveling to a citywide party; either join in or reschedule your trip. I would not recommend talking a tour or going to any museums. Not because they’re not amazing but because Mardi Gras weekend is devoted to Mardi Gras. Traffic anywhere will be a nightmare and many places will have reduced or limited hours. The people doing your tours or checking you in will be nursing hangovers and jealously wishing they could be at the parades you’d be missing to do the other thing. Don’t do the other thing. It’s Mardi Gras. Do that.
Anything I should make sure not to do during Mardi Gras?
* DO NOT FLASH ANYONE (except on Bourbon Street after dark, maybe)
* DO NOT STREETPEE IN FRONT OF A COP
* DO NOT ASSAULT A POLICE HORSE
* DO NOT CROSS A PARADE IN THE MIDDLE OF A MARCHING BAND
* DO NOT BE AN ASSHOLE WHO GRABS THROWS MEANT FOR OTHER PEOPLE OR CHILDREN
* DO NOT BE RUDE OR DISRESPECTFUL TO THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU
Halloween
When is Halloween celebrated?
Usually the weekend of October 31st or the weekend closest to October 31st. However there will be spooky things to do most of the month.
What should I do Halloween night/weekend?
We go hard for Halloween, and there’s no one organized anything for Halloween. If you look around, you’ll find Halloween shows at some of the bigger music venues, but the majority of us just costume and walk around the Quarter and Marigny. I highly recommend you do the same. You can do it Halloween night, you can do it all Halloween weekend, you can do it for a full week before Halloween... You should put some serious effort into your costume, or at least some money, or you’ll stick out like a tourist thumb.
The biggest crowds will be on Bourbon Street and Frenchmen Street. The venues to look for shows at are Tipitina’s, Howlin’ Wolf, House of Blues, etc. Anything selling tickets for Halloween that’s not for music will be a complete waste of money (I may or may not be including the Halloween Saints game in that statement...)
If you’re in need of something quieter on Halloween, I’d still recommend costuming and going out, but sticking to the edges of the crowd. It’s worth going out just to see some of the costumes. The crowd tends to stick to a few blocks of Bourbon and Frenchmen Streets, and fall off pretty quickly outside those areas. By the time you get a few blocks away, you can probably find a comfy bar stool and a cheap drink with ease.
What are some spooky themed things to do?
TOURS
- Haunted night tours: almost every tour company will offer some version of a ghost and vampire tour of the French Quarter usually starting at 6pm or 8pm. French Quarter Phantoms and Hottest Hell are overwhelmingly recommended by users of this subreddit.
- Cemetery tours: New Orleans is famous for its above ground cemeteries but unfortunately one of the most well known cemeteries is currently closed to all non family visitation. There will be no tours inside of Lafayette no. 1. However a number of companies are offering tours of the Canal Street cemeteries, and St. Louis no. 1 can be accessed only by taking this tour. However these tours will be more historical than sensational. For something less accurate, Nola Ghost Riders offers a nighttime haunted cemetery bus tour.
- Halloween specific tours: Creole Death and Mourning exhibition at Gallier House.
- Voodoo tours: any tour or attraction that combines Voodoo and haunted lore is going to be exploitative and inaccurately sensationalized because Voodoo is not spooky, it is a religion practiced historically by enslaved Africans and currently by their descendants. The scariest thing about Voodoo is the persecution faced by its practitioners due to racism and prejudice and the ongoing exploitation by tour companies perpetuating discrimination by equating a good and kind religion with the paranormal.
PLACES TO VISIT
- Occult shops: Hex, Dark Matter Oddities, Boutique du Vampyre
- Readings: Bottom of the Cup, Hands of Fate, Earth Odyssey
- Haunted Houses: The Mortuary, New Orleans Nightmare, Bloody Mary’s Haunted Museum
- Macabre museums: The Pharmacy Museum, Museum of Death
- Restaurants: The Vampire Cafe, Muriel’s Seance Lounge, Tatlo
- Decorations: everywhere, but specifically The Skeleton House @ 6000 St Charles Ave, Ghost Manor @ 2502 Magazine St and The Kraken House @ 6574 Memphis St
Other Events
Check out this calendar too see what’s happening during your trip.
Special thanks to u/tyrannosaurus_cock, u/big-boss-bass and many users on r/AskNOLA
