By air
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International (MSY), ~20 km
North America · United States
New Orleans, United States
Jazz, Creole food and the French Quarter
Getting there
Best time to visit
February to May — festivals and mild weather
Don't miss
The French Quarter
Jackson Square
The Garden District
The National WWII Museum
Things to do
Live jazz
A streetcar ride
A swamp tour
Mardi Gras (February or March)
Where to eat
What to pack
Comfortable shoes, light layers
A quieter corner
Frenchmen Street's jazz clubs
Questions travellers ask
When do the festivals happen in New Orleans?
February to May, for festivals and mild weather — Mardi Gras falls in February or March. Pack comfortable shoes and light layers.
Which airport serves New Orleans?
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International (MSY), about 20 km away.
What should I see and do in New Orleans?
The French Quarter, Jackson Square, the Garden District and the National WWII Museum, plus a streetcar ride and a swamp tour. For live jazz, head to Frenchmen Street's jazz clubs.
What should I eat in New Orleans?
Beignets, gumbo, po'boys, and crawfish in season.
About New Orleans
- Riverside
Where it is
New Orleans is in south-eastern Louisiana in the United States, on a sweeping bend of the Mississippi River, which earned it the name Crescent City, with Lake Pontchartrain to the north. Most of the city lies at or below sea level, protected by levees.
History
Founded by the French in 1718 and named after the Duke of Orléans, the city passed to Spain in 1763 and back to France in 1800 before the United States bought it in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Andrew Jackson defended it at the Battle of New Orleans in 1815, its musicians created jazz in the early 20th century, and Hurricane Katrina flooded most of the city in 2005.
People
New Orleanians have roots in France, Spain, West Africa, the Caribbean, Ireland, Italy and Germany, blended in the city's Creole culture. Brass bands and second-line parades, the Mardi Gras Indians and dishes such as gumbo, jambalaya and po'boys belong to the city, while Cajun French survives in the Acadiana region to the west.
Known for
- The French Quarter and Jackson Square
- Jazz on Frenchmen Street
- Mardi Gras parades
- Creole and Cajun food, from gumbo to beignets
- The St Charles streetcar and Garden District
Did you know?
Despite its name, the French Quarter has few buildings from French colonial times: fires in 1788 and 1794 destroyed most of the town, which was rebuilt under Spanish rule and in the early American years.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.