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Consolidated city-parish in Louisiana, US
Photo: Chris Litherland, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Way down yonder in New Orleans (French: La Nouvelle-Orléans), you'll find the roots of jazz and a blossoming culture that is unlike anything else on Earth. Here, the laid-back atmosphere of the riverfront South has mixed with French sophistication, Spanish style, and African-American energy to create something greater than the sum of its parts. "NOLA" is the largest city in Louisiana and one of the top tourist destinations in the United States. "Laissez les bons temps rouler" is what they say here in the Big Easy, and you too can "let the good times roll" with a cool stroll down Bourbon Street, a hot Dixieland band, and even hotter Creole cuisine. Mardi Gras may be the city's calling card, but that's just one day out of the hot and muggy year in New Orleans.
The oldest, most famous, and most visited section of the city. Most tourists will want to center their visit here (though those who explore other parts of town as well will find the city offers additional treats). Many old-line restaurants are in the Quarter, along with music clubs, museums, antiques shops, and drinking establishments.
What many cities call "Downtown" (though in New Orleans this term is often used to refer to a different part of town downriver). Adjacent to the French Quarter; has many attractions. The "CBD" has the Superdome, high-rise hotels and some excellent restaurants, along with many museums (the National World War II Museum, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, the Contemporary Arts Center) and a gallery district on and around Julia Street. Includes the "Arts District" and the "Old Warehouse District".
Old neighborhoods "Downriver" from the French Quarter. The Marigny's Frenchmen Street is the leading authentic music district. Marigny and neighboring Bywater have a hip Bohemian vibe. The Lower 9th, notorious as one of the worst hit in the 2005 Katrina disaster, has some unexpected historic sites.
19th-century residential neighborhoods upriver from the CBD, famous for beautiful historic architecture including the "Garden District". The St. Charles Avenue streetcar runs through here. The Uptown sections contain some of the city's best local restaurants. Magazine Street hosts some 80 blocks of antique stores, art galleries, interior designer studios, and clothing stores ranging from funky thrift shops to upscale boutiques. Popular Audubon Park and Audubon Zoo, Tulane & Loyola Universities, and the Riverbend & Old Carrollton section at the far end of the streetcar line.
Central part of town, with historic attractions and many great restaurants more known to locals than visitors. Mid-City is home to City Park, the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Louisiana Children's Museum, the Botanical Garden, and beautiful historic cemeteries; New Orleans Fair Grounds (a racetrack that hosts the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival every spring) is in old Espalande Ridge. Tremé is a Historic Franco-African (Creole) neighborhood inland from the French Quarter. Central City is another historic mostly Black neighborhood, which is more troubled.
Northern parts of the city around Lake Pontchartrain. Mostly newer parts of town generally unknown to visitors, but includes restaurants (including the popular cluster of eateries along Harrison Avenue in Lakeview), historic forts, impressive Art Deco and other 20th-century architecture, and a smattering of other attractions. A series of pretty parks line the edge of the lake in the neighborhoods west of the Industrial Canal. Eastern New Orleans covers a large area, including the Little Vietnam neighborhood, historic Lakefront Airport and Fort Pike.
The part of New Orleans across the Mississippi River. Includes historic old Algiers Point neighborhood; the ferry ride across the Mississippi alone is worth the trip.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
Holds regular celebrations of the Catholic Mass
The hosts the Gnostic Mass and frequent classes on Magick; Bywater
Distributes Voodoo goods and holds Voodoo ceremonies in the Marigny
Supplies wares, herbs, and oils in the French Quarter.
Two-hour cruise on a stream-powered paddlewheel boat. Boarding 30 min before departure (1 hour before dinner cruise). Live narration of historical facts and highlights of the port. Bar and gift shop. Snacks and light meals available for purchase if you're not buying a meal.
A diesel-powered paddlewheel boat. A one-hour shore excursion at the battlefield features a guided tour and talk by National Park Rangers. Boarding 30 min before departure.
Pedal a stationary bike around a communal bar that powers a paddlewheel. Up to 18 participants.
Heading eastbound Highway 90 from the intersection with Highway 190, it is beside the first bridge that you reach (about 1 km east of the intersection)
A two hour flat boat tour involving seeing the swamp, wildlife (e.g. alligators, birds, raccoons), and houses of people living in the swamp lands.
Also known as Jazz Fest. Held the last weekend in April and the first weekend in May every year at the New Orleans Fairgrounds, F-Su 11AM-7PM. It is second only to Mardi Gras for importance and size for New Orleans. The festival has been held every year since 1970. The true heart and soul of the Jazz Fest, as with New Orleans, is music. That includes jazz, both traditional and contemporary, Cajun music, blues, R&B, gospel music, folk music, Latin, rock, rap, country music and bluegrass. But it's not just music. This is a cultural feast with food and crafts. There are thousands of musicians, cooks and craftspeople at the festival and 500,000 visitors each year. Visit the two large food areas where you can sample Louisiana cuisine and see demonstrations from top New Orleans chefs. Bring plenty of sunscreen.
Big free music festival at locations all around the French Quarter each Spring, usually the week before the start of JazzFest.
Big music festival in the Superdome and Convention Center in early July featuring top R&B, Gospel, and Hip-Hop artists, and a general celebration of contemporary African-American music and culture.
Started as a bit of silliness by a bunch of friends in 2007: The idea was to replicate the famous "running of the bulls" in Pamplona, but with roller-derby girls with plastic baseball bats serving as the "bulls" chasing the runners. It caught on, and now attracts thousands of participants and even more spectators each July in the French Quarter and CBD.
First held in 2001 to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of New Orleans jazz legend Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong. Organizers were unsure how many people would come out for a music festival in the August heat, but it was such a success that it's been repeated ever since. On and around the grounds of the Old Mint on Esplanade in the lower French Quarter, first weekend in August.
Each summer, big event for LGBTQ+ people and those who love and respect the LGBTQ+ community.
An annual event each July in the Quarter and CBD with seminars, tastings, and other events, drawing in people from master bartenders to casual cocktail lovers. There's even a "jazz funeral" procession for the cocktail which top bartenders would most like to see buried (past "funerals" have included "sex on the beach" and the "appletini").
By car
By train
New Orleans is served by several long-distance Amtrak routes.
By bus
The bus station for long distance buses is the same as the train station (Union Passenger (Amtrak) Terminal) at 1001 Loyola or somewhere nearby:
With a car
Be alert that the streets of much of the city were laid out before the automobile, especially in the older parts of town of most interest to visitors. There are many one way streets.
Without a car
Those staying in or near the French Quarter can easily get around by foot, with optional occasional trips by streetcar, bus, or cab if they wish to visit other parts of town.
Knowing which way is up
The older neighborhoods of the city, (which comprise nearly 45% of the city), were laid out along the banks of the Mississippi River.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
New Orleans · International · MSY
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