The Big Easy sounds like a carefree, lively metropolis that never fails to wow with its delicious cuisine, world-class live music, and welcoming residents. There is a best time to travel to New Orleans, and depending on your vacation plans, there are better (and worse) periods.
Both the Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans and Mardi Gras are just two examples of big events that require extensive planning to ensure that you arrive within the cheapest time to visit New Orleans, specify dates, and secure a hotel room before they sell out. Some months are better than others for visitors, bargain hunters, and those looking for picture-perfect weather.
Popular time of year: February–May
Season for the shoulders: September to January
June–August: Off-season
The best time to visit new orleans are detailed here.
best time to travel to New Orleans for Smaller Crowds
The biggest traveller events in New Orleans are Mardi Gras and the annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on weekends from February to early May.
To escape the crowds of people, both locals and visitors, who descend upon New Orleans for these popular events, it is recommended that you arrange your visit to the city in advance. However, the best months to visit New Orleans are usually in the fall or late February and early March (depending on the exact date of Mardi Gras).
If you want to see New Orleans decorated for the holidays, find great bargains on flights and hotels, and avoid the crowds, then December and January are the months for you to come. You may enjoy moderate weather, and the location is perfect for Christmas celebrations or New Year’s Eve if you’re seeking a cause to go to at this time of year.
Best time to travel to New Orleans for Good Weather
Springtime in New Orleans is just magical. The city comes to life as the days get warmer and the humidity is quite low. Midway through April, you should visit New Orleans for the French Quarter Festival, a huge extravaganza honouring Louisiana’s cuisine, music, and culture that offers complimentary tours of the neighbourhood’s stunning mansions and gardens.
Fall weather can also be pleasant, with usual highs of 70 degrees and lows of 60 degrees. Severe storms are uncommon during hurricane season (June–November), but they do occur. Except for very rare and extreme weather events, October and November usually have the year’s lowest rainfall, and by then, the festival-goers of spring will have long since disappeared.
With highs of 90 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity levels usually exceeding 80 per cent, July and August are the wettest, muggiest, and most sweltering months of the year. Even while air conditioning makes it more tolerable, you should skip a summer trip if you do not like hot and muggy weather.
Mild winter weather is characterized by lows in January dropping into the upper 40s and highs in the low 60s. Although snow is uncommon in New Orleans, the city might experience cold spells where the temperature drops below freezing.
best time to travel to New Orleans for Lower Prices
Visiting New Orleans in the summer is highly recommended. If you brave the heat. Looking to schedule a stay at one of New Orleans’s top hotels? August is usually a good month because hotel costs tend to drop. If you’re looking for very low domestic flights, July through September is the best time to do it. Save money on your summer hotel stay by looking for deals at upscale establishments; many of these include complimentary breakfast and parking.
In August, many restaurants offer Coolinary prix-fixe packages. These include multi-course lunch, brunch, and dinner specials for $50 or less. Some restaurants are staples in NOLA, such as Commander’s Palace, Arnaud’s, and Galatoire’s.
Keep indoors during the hottest parts of the day and bundle up for the severe summer heat. Most air conditioners are set to meat locker settings, so pack layers.
If you can hold off until September, it might be the ideal time to go. Not only will you still find great prices on flights and accommodations, but the weather will be much more pleasant, with fewer rainstorms and temperatures reaching the 80s.
Prices are sometimes lower in the winter, during the shoulder season (excluding December holidays and February Mardi Gras), so it’s a great time to save money.
best time to travel to New Orleans for Mardi Gras
Want to be a part of the year’s most spectacular party? Come the weekend before Mardi Gras and stay until Fat Tuesday (anywhere from early February to early March every year) if you want to immerse yourself in the celebration. Endymion, Orpheus, Bacchus, Zulu, and Rex are among the most popular parades you can see then.
It would help to prepare in advance because this is a popular time. Airfares will be expensive, but reserving a hotel room a year in advance will get you better deals. Since Mardi Gras is a public holiday, many restaurants and attractions will be closed. The French Quarter and the Central Business District are home to numerous hotels that insist on a minimum stay of four nights. But it would help if you weren’t thinking about anything other than dancing in the streets and gathering beads from parades.
The festivities start on January 6 (the Twelfth Night of Christmas), even though Fat Tuesday is the last night of the season. Going in January will allow you to view Carnival and the krewes marching through the streets without the crowds and high prices of Mardi Gras. Fewer people and more hotel rooms will be available, but you can still attend masquerade balls and other celebrations.
best time to travel to New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
It happened at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. the city is known as the “birthplace of jazz.” The festival puts on a spectacular show with performances by musicians worldwide, cultural exhibits, and delicious cuisine. Even though the rates aren’t ideal, the weather will be perfect for your trip because the celebrations typically occur around the end of April. You should check the website for hotel offers and packages and plan for this one because rooms can fill quickly.
Worst Times to Visit New Orleans
Stay away from New Orleans on weekends from February to early May unless you’re a big fan of music and revelry during Mardi Gras or the New Orleans Music & Heritage Festival. Besides that, the Allstate Sugar Bowl, a celebrated college football championship game, is usually played on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day. Halloween, with celebrations happening in late October, are the most prominent annual event associated with huge crowds.
If you’re not a fan of humid weather or would rather not risk being on the path of a storm, consider visiting the Big Easy during the summer.
