New Orleans runs on live music, Creole cooking and a French Quarter that looks the part at any hour. It rewards slow mornings and later nights more than any efficient itinerary.
Month by month
Best: January, February, March, April, October, November, December
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Avoid Poor OK Good Excellent Peak
Worth avoiding: July, August.
How long to stay
3–5 days is the sweet spot.
Flight time
About 3h from the US East Coast, 10h from Europe, 18.5h from South Asia.
Good to know
- Hurricane season (June–November) can disrupt trips; watch the forecast, especially August–October.
- It's legal to walk around with a drink in a plastic 'go-cup' in the French Quarter — bars will pour it into one for you.
- Frenchmen Street is the better bet for live music than Bourbon Street, with better bands and no cover most nights.
Plan a trip to New Orleans
Pick your dates and Offdays builds a day-by-day itinerary from New Orleans's best places.
Destination