French Quarter history walking tour
Jackson Square, Creole townhouses and the city's colorful past.
See dates and prices →☀️ Relaxed things to do
Steamboat Natchez jazz cruise
A Mississippi paddlewheeler with a live jazz band.
See dates and prices →Whitney Plantation tour
A moving museum focused on the lives of enslaved people.
See dates and prices →Garden District and Lafayette Cemetery tour
Antebellum mansions, celebrity homes and above-ground tombs.
See dates and prices →Frenchmen Street live jazz tour
A guided crawl through the best live music clubs.
See dates and prices →🍷 Foodie things to do
French Quarter food tour
Gumbo, muffuletta, pralines and the stories behind Creole cooking.
See dates and prices →Cocktail history tour
Where the Sazerac and Hurricane were born, with tastings.
See dates and prices →Creole cooking class
Learn gumbo, jambalaya and bananas Foster, then eat lunch.
See dates and prices →🧗 Adventure things to do
Swamp and bayou boat tour
Alligators, herons and cypress swamps 30 minutes from the city.
See dates and prices →Ghost and voodoo walking tour
Haunted houses, voodoo history and vampire legends after dark.
See dates and prices →New Orleans bike tour
Flat streets make it easy to see the Marigny, Tremé and City Park.
See dates and prices →Airboat swamp ride
A fast, loud ride through the marshes looking for gators.
See dates and prices →Where wedding guests should eat in New Orleans
Commander's Palace
Garden District
Legendary jazz brunch with 25-cent martinis at lunch.
Map ↗Galatoire's
Bourbon Street
Old-line institution. Friday lunch is a party.
Map ↗Brennan's
Royal Street
Pink mansion and birthplace of bananas Foster.
Map ↗Cochon
Warehouse District
Cajun cooking and pork done many ways.
Map ↗Dooky Chase's
Tremé
Historic Creole restaurant famous for fried chicken and gumbo.
Map ↗Herbsaint
St. Charles Avenue
Refined Southern cooking, relaxed room.
Map ↗Pêche
Warehouse District
Whole grilled fish over open fire.
Map ↗Willie Mae's Scotch House
Tremé
Some of the best fried chicken in America.
Map ↗Mother's Restaurant
Poydras Street
Debris po-boys since 1938.
Map ↗Coop's Place
French Quarter
Dive bar with excellent jambalaya.
Map ↗Domilise's Po-Boy & Bar
Uptown
Corner shop classic for shrimp po-boys.
Map ↗Café Du Monde
Jackson Square
Beignets and café au lait, open around the clock.
Map ↗Where to stay
- Hotel Monteleone $$$
French Quarter. Historic hotel with the rotating Carousel Bar. - The Roosevelt New Orleans $$$
Central Business District. Grand 1893 hotel and the Sazerac Bar. - Hotel Peter and Paul $$$
Marigny. A converted church, schoolhouse and rectory.
Getting around
- The French Quarter and Marigny are walkable.
- The St. Charles streetcar runs through the Garden District. Buy a Jazzy Pass on the Le Pass app.
- Rideshare is easy and cheap across the city.
- You can walk with a drink in a plastic cup in the Quarter. No glass.
Arriving
Louis Armstrong International (MSY) is 25 minutes from the French Quarter.
Good to know for guests in New Orleans
- Currency: US dollar (USD).
- Tipping: Expected: 18 to 22% in restaurants. Large groups often get an automatic gratuity.
- Dinner time: Dinner usually from 6 to 9 pm. Popular restaurants book up weeks ahead.
- Power plugs: Type A and B plugs, 120 V.
Popular tours in New Orleans right now
Questions guests ask about New Orleans
When is the best time for a wedding in New Orleans?
February to May, October to November is the most popular season. Jazz on every corner, Creole cooking, oak-lined streetcar routes and bayous just outside town. Second lines are part of many weddings here.
How do guests get to New Orleans?
Louis Armstrong International (MSY) is 25 minutes from the French Quarter.
How do guests get around New Orleans?
The French Quarter and Marigny are walkable. The St. Charles streetcar runs through the Garden District. Buy a Jazzy Pass on the Le Pass app. Rideshare is easy and cheap across the city. You can walk with a drink in a plastic cup in the Quarter. No glass.
What can wedding guests do in New Orleans as a group?
Good group options include swamp and bayou boat tour, french Quarter history walking tour, ghost and voodoo walking tour, french Quarter food tour. Most have private options for 10 to 20 people.
Is there a ready-made weekend plan for guests in New Orleans?
Yes. Our New Orleans wedding weekend itinerary has relaxed, foodie and adventure plans for the day before, the wedding day and the day after.
Getting married in New Orleans?
Turn this list into a personal guest page with your names, dates, venue and day plans. Free, in two minutes.
Create your guest pagePlan the weekend
New Orleans wedding weekend itinerary
Ready-made relaxed, foodie and adventure plans for the day before, the wedding day and the day after.
See the plan →Welcome dinner restaurants in New Orleans
Group-friendly places for the welcome or rehearsal dinner and the day-after brunch, with local dinner times and tipping.
See the restaurants →Wedding welcome bag ideas
40 wedding welcome bag ideas for destination weddings: essentials, local treats, hangover kits and the itinerary card guests actually keep.
Read the guide →Compare New Orleans with other destinations
Other destinations
AlgarvePortugalAmalfi CoastItalyAshevilleUSABaliIndonesiaBarcelonaSpainCaboMexicoCartagenaColombiaCharlestonUSADubrovnikCroatiaLake ComoItalyLake TahoeUSALisbonPortugalMallorcaSpainMarrakechMoroccoMauiUSA (Hawaii)MykonosGreeceNapa ValleyUSAParisFranceProvenceFrancePuerto VallartaMexicoPugliaItalyRomeItalySantoriniGreeceSavannahUSASedonaUSASevilleSpainSicilyItalyTulumMexicoTuscanyItaly