United States, North America
The best time to visit New Orleans
A festival city with a brutal summer, which makes timing almost everything.
- Best months
- Feb to Apr and Nov
- Think twice
- Aug and Sep
- Quietest
- September
- Cheapest
- August
The straight answer
The best time to visit New Orleans is February through early May or late October through November: comfortable weather, the big festival season, and none of the heavy summer heat or peak hurricane risk.
Go between February and early May, or from late October through November. Spring is the city's high season for a reason: Carnival parades in February or early March, French Quarter Festival in April, and Jazz Fest spanning the last weekend of April and the first of May, all in warm, dry, patio-friendly weather. Fall is the quieter mirror image, with the heat broken, hurricane season winding down, and the food and music calendar back in full swing.
Summer is the real obstacle. From June through September, highs sit around 90F (32C) with heavy humidity and daily afternoon storms, and hurricane season (June 1 to November 30) peaks from late August through September. Prices fall hard as a result, and the city does not close, but walking the Quarter at 3pm in August is punishing.
Mardi Gras deserves its own plan. The date moves every year (Fat Tuesday falls 47 days before Easter, anywhere from early February to early March), the final two weeks of parades are the heart of it, and hotel rates for that stretch can double or triple. It is also far more family-friendly than its reputation, as long as you watch from the Uptown parade route rather than Bourbon Street.
New Orleans, month by month
Every month gets a verdict. Tap one for its own page: weather, crowds, prices and what is on.
- 01JanuaryGoodCool and damp, highs near 62F (17C), occasional cold snapsCarnival season officially begins January 6 (Twelfth Night) and king cake appears everywhere. Quiet and good value outside Sugar Bowl week.Hotels for January →CrowdsPrice
- 02FebruaryBestMild, highs near 65F (18C), some rainIn most years the parade season peaks this month. Glorious chaos and peak pricing on the final weekend; the weeks before are easier.Hotels for February →CrowdsPrice
- 03MarchBestWarm, highs near 72F (22C)Mardi Gras lands in early March in some years. Otherwise, some of the year's best weather, St. Patrick's parades, and Super Sunday for the Mardi Gras Indians.Hotels for March →CrowdsPrice
- 04AprilBestWarm, highs near 78F (26C), low humidity for nowFrench Quarter Festival and the first weekend of Jazz Fest. Arguably the single best month for music. Book early.Hotels for April →CrowdsPrice
- 05MayGoodGetting hot, highs near 85F (29C)Jazz Fest's second weekend opens the month, then crowds thin as the humidity builds. Late May already feels like summer.Hotels for May →CrowdsPrice
- 06JuneTradeoffsHot and humid, highs near 90F (32C), daily stormsHurricane season starts June 1. Big hotel deals and quiet restaurants, but plan the day around air conditioning.CrowdsPrice
- 07JulyTradeoffsHot and sticky, highs near 91F (33C)Essence Festival fills the city around July 4 weekend. Otherwise a heat-and-deals month.CrowdsPrice
- 08AugustThink twiceHottest, highs near 92F (33C), very humid, stormsBrutal heat and rising hurricane risk. Satchmo SummerFest and restaurant deals are the upsides, and many locals leave town.CrowdsPrice
- 09SeptemberThink twiceStill hot, highs near 88F (31C), peak hurricane seasonThe heart of hurricane season. Cheapest month of the year, and a real risk of evacuation or disruption. Buy travel insurance if you go.CrowdsPrice
- 10OctoberGoodWarm, highs near 80F (27C), drierRelief arrives, usually mid month. Halloween in the Quarter and Marigny is a big, costumed, adult affair.Hotels for October →CrowdsPrice
- 11NovemberBestPleasant, highs near 71F (22C)The best-kept secret: dry, comfortable, great food festivals, and hurricane season ending November 30.Hotels for November →CrowdsPrice
- 12DecemberGoodCool, highs near 64F (18C)Celebration in the Oaks lights in City Park, bonfires on the levee upriver on Christmas Eve, and reveillon dinners in the Quarter. Good value.Hotels for December →CrowdsPrice
Book New Orleans for February.
Sponsored links to Expedia and Vrbo. We may earn a commission; it never changes a verdict.
- Hotels for February
Hotels. Expedia
Hotels in New OrleansOpens a hotel search for New Orleans in February, dates filled in. Book early for the best months: the good rooms go first.
- Rentals on Vrbo
Vacation rentals. Vrbo
Vacation rentals in New OrleansWhole homes, condos and villas. Usually the better deal for families and groups, with a kitchen and room to spread out.
- Tours and tickets
Tours and tickets. Expedia
Tours and tickets in New OrleansTimed-entry tickets, day trips and guided tours in New Orleans for February. Popular slots sell out in the best months.
Why go to New Orleans
Music that is not a performance for tourists
Brass bands, trad jazz, funk, and bounce play every night on Frenchmen Street and in neighborhood bars. The city's musicians are the real attraction, and many shows cost only a drink.
A food culture with its own language
Gumbo, po'boys, red beans on Monday, crawfish boils in spring, and old-line Creole dining rooms. New Orleans cooking is its own cuisine, not a regional twist on Southern.
Architecture unlike anywhere else in the US
Cast-iron galleries in the Quarter, Garden District mansions, and shotgun houses in the Marigny and Treme. The city looks like the 1800s French and Spanish colonial port it was.
A year built around celebration
Carnival, second lines, Jazz Fest, and neighborhood festivals nearly every weekend in spring and fall. Few places in the country have a calendar this full.
Things to do, and when to do them
The National WWII Museum
Plan a full day; it is one of the best museums in the country. Weekday mornings are calmest.
The French Quarter and Jackson Square
Walk it early before the day-trippers arrive. Royal Street by day, Frenchmen Street by night, and Bourbon Street only if you want to.
St. Charles streetcar and the Garden District
Ride the oldest continuously operating streetcar line in the world past the mansions to Audubon Park. Cheap, slow, perfect.
Frenchmen Street music
The locals' answer to Bourbon Street: three blocks of clubs with live bands from early evening on.
City Park and the New Orleans Museum of Art
Giant live oaks, the free sculpture garden, and beignets under the trees. Bigger than Central Park.
Jean Lafitte National Historical Park
The French Quarter visitor center runs ranger talks, and the Barataria Preserve boardwalk puts you in a real swamp a short drive away.
Audubon Zoo and Aquarium
The easy family win. The zoo sits Uptown at the end of the streetcar line; the aquarium is on the riverfront.
Events and seasons worth planning around
Mardi Gras (Carnival season)
Parades build over the two to three weeks before Fat Tuesday, which falls between early February and early March
One of the biggest free parties in the country. Watch Uptown on St. Charles for the family-friendly version.
French Quarter Festival
A long weekend in April
Free, local-focused, and spread across stages throughout the Quarter. One of the best-value festivals anywhere.
New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival
The last weekend of April and first weekend of May
Jazz, gospel, blues, and zydeco on a dozen stages at the Fair Grounds. Hotels book a year out.
Essence Festival of Culture
Around the July 4 weekend
Huge concerts at the Superdome and a packed downtown. Book early if you are going for it.
Satchmo SummerFest
Early August
A Louis Armstrong tribute festival at the Old US Mint. A good excuse for a summer trip.
Halloween in the Marigny and Quarter
Late October
Costumes are taken very seriously. A grown-up night out.
Beat the crowds
- For Mardi Gras, the two weekends before the final weekend offer full parades at lower rates and thinner crowds.
- Stay in the Marigny, Bywater, or Garden District instead of the Quarter. You get quieter nights and are still a streetcar or short ride from the action.
- Do the Quarter, Cafe du Monde, and Jackson Square before 9am. By late morning, cruise-ship and day-trip crowds arrive.
- November and early December deliver spring-quality weather at off-season prices. It is the smart-money window.
Open or closed
- Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, with the highest risk from late August through September. A named storm can trigger closures or evacuations; buy refundable rates and insurance for late summer trips.
- During the final days of Mardi Gras, parade routes close streets for hours and traffic across Uptown and downtown can gridlock. Many businesses close on Fat Tuesday itself.
- Many old-line restaurants and some small museums close one or two days a week, often Monday or Tuesday. Check before you plan a special dinner.
- Crawfish season runs roughly January through June, peaking in spring. Come in fall and the boils are mostly off the menu.
With kids in tow
- Mardi Gras is genuinely family-friendly on the Uptown St. Charles route, where families set up ladders and chairs and kids catch beads and toys. Avoid the Quarter on parade days with children.
- The Audubon Zoo, the aquarium, City Park's Storyland and carousel, and the WWII Museum make a strong kid itinerary.
- For homeschool families: the WWII Museum, the Cabildo on Jackson Square, and Jean Lafitte's ranger programs cover American, colonial, and wetlands history in one trip.
Getting there
- Louis Armstrong New Orleans International (MSY) has nonstops from most major US hubs, including Austin, Dallas, and Houston.
- From Austin it is about an 8-hour drive on I-10 through Houston and Lafayette; from Houston, about 5 hours.
- You do not need a car in the city. The streetcars, walking, and rideshares cover the Quarter, Marigny, Garden District, and Uptown.
Packing? Packing cubes and the airport kit.
New Orleans for the holidays
Holiday and school-break weeks where New Orleans makes our ranked list.
Presidents' Day Weekend
February
The peak of the ski season and the Caribbean high season in the same week. Pick your warm or your snow early, or pick the week after.
Easter Week
March, April
The week half of Europe and all of Latin America goes on holiday. Go where Easter is the show, or go where it is not a holiday at all.
Thanksgiving
November
The busiest travel days in America wrapped around one of the best-value weeks abroad. Fly on the right day and go somewhere that is not having a holiday.
New Year's Eve
December, January
One night, a dozen very different ways to spend it. Choose between the giant public show, the tradition you cannot get anywhere else, or a quiet midnight somewhere warm.
New Orleans timing, quick answers
What is the best month to visit New Orleans?
April. French Quarter Festival, the first weekend of Jazz Fest, crawfish at their best, and warm weather before the summer humidity. November is the calmer, cheaper alternative.
What is the cheapest time to visit New Orleans?
August and September, followed by June and July. Hotels discount heavily because of the heat and hurricane season. The tradeoff is weather risk, so book flexible rates.
When is Mardi Gras in New Orleans?
Fat Tuesday falls 47 days before Easter, so it moves between early February and early March. The parade season builds over the two to three weeks before it, and the final five days are the busiest.
When is hurricane season in New Orleans?
June 1 through November 30, with the greatest risk from late August through September. Most summer and fall trips go ahead without trouble, but insurance and flexible bookings are worth it.
Is New Orleans too hot in summer?
It is hot and very humid from June through September, with highs near 90F (32C) and afternoon storms. Plan outdoor walking for mornings and evenings and spend afternoons in museums and restaurants.
Is Mardi Gras OK for kids?
Yes, on the Uptown parade routes along St. Charles Avenue and Napoleon Avenue, where local families watch. Bourbon Street and the French Quarter during Carnival are an adult scene.
Weighing alternatives
Similar trips, with their best months.
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