Choose Charleston if…
- your guests lean relaxed (7 relaxed picks versus 5)
- you love the setting: pastel townhouses, cobbled lanes, Lowcountry cooking and beaches 20 minutes away
Choose New Orleans if…
- you want plenty of casual, inexpensive places to eat
- you love the setting: jazz on every corner, Creole cooking, oak-lined streetcar routes and bayous just outside town
Side by side
| Charleston | New Orleans | |
|---|---|---|
| Best season | March to June, September to November | February to May, October to November |
| Getting there | Charleston International (CHS) is 20 minutes from downtown. | Louis Armstrong International (MSY) is 25 minutes from the French Quarter. |
| Car needed? | Not usually | Not usually |
| Activity prices | Mid-range | Budget-friendly |
| Group-friendly activities | 12 of 12 | 12 of 12 |
| Relaxed activities | 7 | 5 |
| Foodie activities | 3 | 3 |
| Adventure activities | 3 | 4 |
| Full-day trips | 1 | 1 |
| Seasonal activities | 0 | 0 |
| Budget eats on our list | 4 | 5 |
| Currency | US dollar (USD). | US dollar (USD). |
| Tipping | Expected: 18 to 22% in restaurants. Large groups often get an automatic gratuity. | 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. | Dinner usually from 6 to 9 pm. Popular restaurants book up weeks ahead. |
Top group activities in Charleston
- Historic horse-drawn carriage tour. A one-hour ride through the historic district's mansions and gardens.
- Lowcountry food walking tour. Shrimp and grits, biscuits, pralines and the stories behind Southern cooking.
- Fort Sumter ferry and tour. A harbor ferry to the fort where the Civil War began.
- Ghost and graveyard walking tour. Charleston's spookiest stories, told by lantern light in old churchyards.
Top group activities in New Orleans
- Swamp and bayou boat tour. Alligators, herons and cypress swamps 30 minutes from the city.
- French Quarter history walking tour. Jackson Square, Creole townhouses and the city's colorful past.
- Ghost and voodoo walking tour. Haunted houses, voodoo history and vampire legends after dark.
- French Quarter food tour. Gumbo, muffuletta, pralines and the stories behind Creole cooking.
Questions couples ask
Is Charleston or New Orleans better for a destination wedding?
Choose Charleston if your guests lean relaxed (7 relaxed picks versus 5). Choose New Orleans if you want plenty of casual, inexpensive places to eat.
When is the best time for a wedding in Charleston and New Orleans?
Charleston: March to June, September to November. New Orleans: February to May, October to November.
Which is easier for guests to reach, Charleston or New Orleans?
Charleston: Charleston International (CHS) is 20 minutes from downtown. New Orleans: Louis Armstrong International (MSY) is 25 minutes from the French Quarter.
Made your choice?
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