Why go
- It is the birthplace of jazz, and live music is a nightly, neighbourhood fact — not just on Bourbon Street but on Frenchmen and in the wards.
- The food is a cuisine of its own: gumbo, po'boys, crawfish, beignets, and the Creole–Cajun line between them.
- The French Quarter and the Garden District preserve architecture — courtyards, ironwork, shotgun houses — you see nowhere else in America.
- The calendar of festivals, from Mardi Gras to Jazz Fest, is the city expressing itself, and worth planning around.
History
Founded by the French in 1718, ceded to Spain, sold to the United States in the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, and shaped throughout by enslaved and free people of colour, New Orleans became the great port of the American South and a singular cultural crucible — Creole, Cajun, Caribbean and African traditions meeting in one place. Jazz was born here around 1900. Below sea level and ringed by water, it has always lived with flooding; Hurricane Katrina in 2005 devastated the city, and its recovery is still part of the story.
Major sights
French Quarter (Vieux Carré)
The oldest neighbourhood — courtyards, balconies and Jackson Square. Walk it in the morning; Bourbon Street is a late-night circus, the rest is genuinely lovely.
Frenchmen Street
Where locals go for live music — a two-block run of jazz and brass clubs in the Marigny, just past the Quarter. Better than Bourbon by a mile.
Garden District & St Charles streetcar
Antebellum mansions and live oaks, best reached by riding the 1835 St Charles streetcar out from downtown. Lafayette Cemetery nearby.
Beignets and chicory café au lait, open around the clock by the river since 1862. Touristy, essential, cash for the tip jar.
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1
The famous above-ground 'cities of the dead' tombs — required on a guided tour now, which is the responsible way to see them.
Mississippi riverfront
The Moonwalk promenade, a paddlewheeler cruise, and the Crescent City Connection view. The reason the city is here at all.
When it rains, or in the summer heat
The National WWII Museum
Consistently rated among the best museums in the country — immersive, moving and enormous. The obvious all-day rainy anchor.
New Orleans Museum of Art & Sculpture Garden
A strong collection in City Park, with a free sculpture garden among the oaks and lagoons.
A neighbourhood music club
Preservation Hall for trad jazz (cash, early queue) or a dim Frenchmen room — the indoor default any night the weather turns.
Southern Food & Beverage Museum
The history of the region's cooking and cocktails, fittingly with a bar attached.
Airports
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) 8.9 mi to the centre
New Orleans, LA, US — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 33 airlines (Southwest Airlines, AirTran Airways, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines…) · direct flights to 39 destinations incl. New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 33 airlines, 39 direct destinations
- Southwest Airlines WN (737-700, 73C, 737-300, 735, 737-800) · 20 routes: Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Kansas City, Key West, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Nashville, Newark, Orlando, Phoenix, San Diego, St. Louis, Tampa
- AirTran Airways FL (737-700, 73C, 737-300, 717, 735) · 17 routes: Atlanta, Austin*, Baltimore*, Chicago*, Dallas*, Denver*, Fort Lauderdale*, Houston*, Kansas City*, Key West*, Las Vegas*, Milwaukee*, Newark*, Orlando*, San Diego*, St. Louis*, Tampa*
- Delta Air Lines DL (A319, MD-88, ERJ, CRJ-900, A320, 757…) · 9 routes: Atlanta, Cincinnati*, Detroit, Los Angeles, Memphis*, Minneapolis*, New York*, New York, Salt Lake City
- United Airlines UA (A320, A319, 737-800, 737-900, ERJ, 737-700…) · 9 routes: Chicago, Cleveland*, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco, Toronto*, Washington
- American Airlines AA (Embraer 175, A319, Embraer 170, A320, 737-800, CRJ-900…) · 7 routes: Austin, Charlotte*, Chicago*, Dallas-Fort Worth, Miami, Philadelphia*, Washington*
- Air Canada AC (A320, A319, ERJ, 737-800, CRJ-700, 737-700…) · 6 routes: Chicago*, Denver*, Houston*, Newark*, Toronto*, Washington*
- US Airways US (A319, A320, 737-800, Embraer 175, MD-80, M83…) · 6 routes: Charlotte, Chicago*, Dallas-Fort Worth*, Miami*, Philadelphia, Washington
- Pinnacle Airlines 9E (CRJ-900, CRJ) · 5 routes: Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis, New York, New York
- Air France AF (CRJ-900, A319, 757, M90, MD-88, CRJ-700) · 4 routes: Atlanta*, Detroit*, Minneapolis*, New York*
- KLM Royal Dutch Airlines KL (A319, MD-88, CRJ-900, 757, M90, CRJ-700) · 4 routes: Atlanta*, Detroit*, Los Angeles*, New York*
- Lufthansa Cargo LH (A320, 737-800, ERJ, A319, CRJ-700, Embraer 190) · 4 routes: Houston*, New York*, Newark*, Washington*
- Alaska Airlines AS (A319, A320, 757, M90, MD-88) · 3 routes: Atlanta*, Los Angeles*, Salt Lake City*
- British Airways BA (737-800, Embraer 175, MD-80, M83) · 3 routes: Chicago*, Dallas-Fort Worth*, Miami*
- Virgin Atlantic Airways VS (MD-88, CRJ-900, A319, 757, M90, CRJ-700) · 3 routes: Atlanta*, Detroit*, New York*
- Alitalia AZ (M90, CRJ-900) · 2 routes: Atlanta*, New York*
- JetBlue Airways B6 (Embraer 190, A320) · 2 routes: Boston, New York
- Qantas QF (Embraer 175, MD-80, M83) · 2 routes: Chicago*, Dallas-Fort Worth*
- WestJet WS (A319, 737-800, CRJ-900) · 2 routes: Miami*, New York*
- Aer Lingus EI (A320) · 1 route: Chicago*
- AeroMéxico AM (757, MD-88, M90) · 1 route: Atlanta*
- Air New Zealand NZ (737-800, 737-900) · 1 route: Los Angeles*
- All Nippon Airways NH (CRJ-700) · 1 route: Chicago*
- Asiana Airlines OZ (737-800, 737-900) · 1 route: Los Angeles*
- Cathay Pacific CX (M83, MD-80) · 1 route: Dallas-Fort Worth*
- China Airlines CI (A319) · 1 route: Los Angeles*
- Etihad Airways EY (A320, Embraer 190) · 1 route: New York*
- Frontier Airlines F9 (A319) · 1 route: Denver
- Iberia Airlines IB (737-800) · 1 route: Miami*
- Japan Airlines Domestic JL (Embraer 190) · 1 route: New York*
- Qatar Airways QR (A320) · 1 route: New York*
- Spirit Airlines NK (A319) · 1 route: Dallas-Fort Worth
- Turkish Airlines TK (737-800, 737-700) · 1 route: Houston*
- Virgin Australia VA (A319) · 1 route: Los Angeles*
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Lakefront Airport (NEW) 9.1 mi to the centre
New Orleans, LA, US — Indoor waiting areas, but some gates board by bus or on foot across the apron — plan for the weather on the day.
Southern Seaplane Airport (BCS) 8.3 mi to the centre
Belle Chasse, LA, US — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Fisher's Field 12 mi to the centre
Chalmette, LA, US
Birdwin Airport 43 mi to the centre
Port Sulphur, LA, US
Getting there by ferry
Canal Street Ferry Terminal
Ferry terminal · 4 mi from the centre
Julia Street Wharf
Ferry terminal · 4 mi from the centre · Carnival
Erato Street Wharf
Ferry terminal · 4 mi from the centre
Poydras Street Dock
Ferry terminal · 4 mi from the centre
Algiers Point Ferry Terminal
Ferry terminal · 4.3 mi from the centre · N.O. Regional Transit Authority
Chalmette Battlefield Dock
Ferry terminal · 8 mi from the centre
Algiers Point–Canal Street Ferry
Ferry route · New Orleans Regional Transit Authority
Poydras Street - Chalmette Battlefield (Creole Queen)
Ferry route · New Orleans Paddlewheels, Inc.
Where things are
Local search powered by Geoverts and geo-intelligence by Better Mapping
base map © OSM
Photographs
credit: Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons · See source page
When to go
Tourist season
February – May
Mardi Gras (Feb/Mar), then warm, walkable spring and Jazz Fest (late April–May). The city at its best — book far ahead for the festival weeks.
Shoulder season
October – December
Cooler, drier and less crowded, with a long festival season of its own. A quietly excellent time to visit.
Worth avoiding
July – September
Brutal heat and humidity, afternoon thunderstorms, and the heart of Atlantic hurricane season (peaking Aug–Sep). Cheap, but hard going.
Getting there & around
Getting there. Louis Armstrong International (MSY) is about 30–45 minutes from the centre by rideshare, taxi or the E-2 airport bus. Amtrak and Greyhound share the Union Passenger Terminal downtown; the city is a common start or end point for river cruises. By water: 6 ferry terminals within 12 mi (nearest: Canal Street Ferry Terminal, 4 mi); routes include Algiers Point–Canal Street Ferry, Poydras Street - Chalmette Battlefield (Creole Queen).
Getting around. The Quarter, Marigny and downtown are flat and walkable. Historic streetcars run St Charles, Canal and the riverfront and are the charming way to cover distance; buses fill in. Rideshare is easy and often the sensible call late at night. A car is a liability in the Quarter and unnecessary for a short visit.
Local transit
Streetcar, bus, ferry · The historic streetcars, buses and the Algiers ferry. · Fares: Le Pass app or Jazzy Pass · Airport: Route 202 airport express bus
Trains & rail
National rail
Coaches & shuttles
Intercity coach
Intercity coach
Intercity coach
Intercity coach
Private aviation
On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.
Semi-private scheduled · Embraer 135 (16 seats) · First-class-only scheduled flights from Van Nuys to Aspen, Sun Valley, Cabo and Europe in summer.
Charter, management, FBO · Managed fleet, light to ultra-long-range · Charter, management and FBOs at Van Nuys and Orange County; the original Hollywood jet operator.
Semi-private scheduled · Pilatus PC-12, King Air · Subscription and per-seat regional flights in California, Texas and Hawaii.
Fractional, jet card · Embraer Phenom 300, Challenger 350 · Fractional and jet card programme centred on the US Midwest and East.
Charter, shared flights · Light to large-cabin via partner fleet · Vista Global's on-demand charter and by-the-seat shared flights, app-based.
Tours & experiences
Food & Wine
Bus Tour
Cultural
Sightseeing