New Orleans event weekends: what to do between sessions
Jazz, Creole food, Mardi Gras and the French Quarter, with swamp tours and plantations just outside town.
Events we cover in New Orleans
29 Jan 2027*Mardi Gras
New Orleans, United StatesCulture29 Apr 2027*New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival
New Orleans, United StatesFestival15 May 2027*Tulane University Commencement
New Orleans, United StatesGraduation
New Orleans, United StatesCulture29 Apr 2027*New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival
New Orleans, United StatesFestival15 May 2027*Tulane University Commencement
New Orleans, United StatesGraduation
Arriving
Louis Armstrong (MSY) is 25 minutes from the French Quarter; flat taxi fare to the CBD.
Where to stay
| Budget | Where | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | Mid-City | Streetcar to the Quarter. |
| Mid-range | Warehouse District and CBD | Walk to the Quarter. |
| Splurge | French Quarter | Historic hotels. |
Three hotels we would book
- Budget: The Quisby
- Mid-range: Ace Hotel New Orleans
- Splurge: Hotel Monteleone
Tours
Where to eat
With kids
- Audubon Aquarium.
- Audubon Zoo.
Rainy-day backups
- National WWII Museum.
- New Orleans Museum of Art.
Free things to do
- Jackson Square and street musicians.
- Frenchmen Street music.
- City Park.
Getting around
- Streetcars and the RTA app; parade days close most of Uptown and the CBD.