As the cultural hub of the Deep South, New Orleans is full of opportunities to explore and unwind. Its vibrant energy and unique charm make it a natural inspiration for artistic souls. Mossy-oak-lined avenues, brimming with mansions and atmosphere. Notes of saxophone and Cajun spice drifting by. New Orleans was made to be explored on foot: a pleasure in a milder climate.
Where to Stroll
Vibrantly alive yet steeped in history, whatever your heart desires can be found around the next corner. Catch live jazz, swing, and spontaneous street parties in the French Quarter and Jackson Square. Step from the galleries of the New Orleans Museum of Art into a sculpture garden with mirror-like pools and paths winding past Henry Moores. Take a paddle steamer down the Mississippi for a sunset supper and a change of scene.
What to Eat
The cuisine of New Orleans is eclectic and unique. Springtime’s crawfish season offers a fresh take on local delicacies: delicate beignets and hefty po’ boys alike are stuffed with shrimp, crab, and lobster. But there’s always more on the menu. ‘Swamp Floor Pantry’ foods like alligator and sassafras are served in elegant, crisp linen style at Restaurant R’evolution. At GW Fins, top billing is the Scalibut, a unique halibut scallop mashup that’s as good as the gumbo.
Known for Mardi Gras, the French Quarter, and delicious cuisine, it’s a place of music, flavour, and Southern charm.
Or settle in for a cocktail hour on the porch of The Chloe in the Garden District and its signature baked oysters. Less formal options include queuing up for Guy’s Po-Boys (an initiation) and Creole cuisine with a side of civil rights history and art at Dooky Chase. Apt in a city that’s never what it seems, Doris Metropolitan is a steakhouse beloved by vegetarians: the sumptuous Beetroot Supreme turns hardened carnivores away from the nine different beef cuts on display.
Find refreshments in the Garden District’s parks, the lush countryside, and the city’s many dive bars and uptown eateries.
New Orleanians have a love for the alternative and the deliciously mysterious. If you have missed the Mardi Gras, it lives on in Treme’s Backstreet Cultural Museum: a shimmering trove of costumes, masks and jazz funeral artefacts, photographs, and films. By the Port of New Orleans, you’ll also find Mardi Gras World, where you can watch fantastical floats under construction in a huge space. It is a dazzling celebration of parades, music, and vibrant street parties filled with colourful floats and costumes.
Where to Dance
Few places will bring out your bold side faster than New Orleans. Parties spill out of the jazz bars along Frenchmen Street, pulling the unwary and the uninhibited into their wake. Discerning locals flock to the restored Dew Drop Inn in Central City for that vintage New Orleans sound as well as rock and hip-hop sessions. Uptown, Tipitina’s or ‘Tips’, is another institution where live music reigns, brass bands especially.
Sipping Through New Orleans
Short on time? The Drink & Learn walking tour takes you from the heart of the French Quarter in search of cocktails, light-hearted history, and perhaps the perfect Sazerac. The room will certainly spin at the Carousel Bar. Once a fairground ride, it still rotates gently and is as much of a mainstay of the social scene as when Tennessee Williams and Truman Capote once graced it. Or take the streetcar up to the Lower Garden District and the exquisitely vintage rooftop bar at the Pontchartrain Hotel: Hot Tin attracts an elegant crowd for its unrivalled views.
A classic mint julep will freshen your palate after a day of sightseeing. Or slip off for an aristocratic afternoon tea at the Windsor Court Hotel, where New Orleans can seek a taste of upper-class England. Whether it’s a Vieux Carré in a speakeasy or a Hand Grenade on the go, the city’s cocktails are as bold as its nightlife.
When to Shop
In high summer, the under-cover French Market is a little too warm for comfort, but in spring, it’s a delight. Stretching for six blocks, you can pick up one-off souvenirs, crafts, and Cajun street food. Festooned with wrought-iron balconies, Royal Street offers up antiques and art, while Bywater is equally charming with plenty of vintage shops and boho chic, close to the French Quarter.
Discover the Wild Side of New Orleans
A short drive from downtown, just across Lake Pontchartrain, you’ll find the relaxed and scenic Northshore. Hike nature trails, or head out fishing and sailing. Explore pristine bayou on the safe but exciting Honey Island Swamp Tour, spotting wild gators, raccoons, and turtles. The DeSoto National Forest is the place to go for horse and bike trails, kayaking, and breathing in the conifer-scented calm.
Fly in Luxury and Style
Our preferred airport is Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY). Well-known for its top-of-the-line facilities and services, the airport is an attractive destination for private flyers. Conveniently located 11 miles west of downtown New Orleans, it’s easily accessible from the city centre.
Alternative Airports:
Travel to New Orleans with the convenience, comfort, and privacy of a private charter. Our team are available 24/7.
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