If you want to explore the real color of New Orleans along with the best time to visit new orleans, you need to walk slowly in the streets of this city which may take you towards the unique exploration of the French Quarter. There is a lot this city in Louisiana, a state of the US can offer to you. Although the major tourist attractions in the US are Las Vegas, San Fransisco, New York, Chicago, Boston, etc, New Orleans is one of the best tourist attractions you can visit there.
Being a traveler that has been to some 50+ countries of the world many times, visiting New Orleans all the way from New York was one of the best random decisions that I made. On my visit to the US, I was packing for my departure back to my country when I suddenly decided I need to visit New Orleans, too, and I immediately arranged flights. In a nutshell, the best decision I made. I reached New Orleans in the evening and seeing the sunset through Spanish and French Creole architecture was a mesmerizing experience. Well, without dragging more, let’s explore New Orleans from my eyes.
Where Is New Orleans?
New Orleans, in the United States, is a city adjacent to the Mississippi River, quite close to the Gulf side of Mexico. This city is also called the “Big Easy” as it has it’s known for its round-the-clock full of charm nightlife, live-music episodes, and the spiciest singular cuisine that reflects its history. In simpler words, the city is a classical melting pot of African, French, and American cultures. The city is most famous for its Mardi Gras festive event where it welcomes hundreds of visitors every year. To discover these worth-visited places, you can either hop on the historic street vehicle or take a walk around the town. But if you want to visit other places especially the Zoo that are at a distance, you can land in the street with horse-drawn carriages and steamboats docked along the shore. Here, while waiting for your turn, you can enjoy the US’s famous beignets (a type of Fritter) being sold around.
Without further ado, let’s join to track out what is the best time to visit New Orleans;
Top Attractive Places In New Orleans
New Orleans, the North-central France city is also known as the center – of the Val de Loire region Jon of ArcSaved. This district got freedom from the English to seize in 1429 and in commemoration of freedom, it arranges an event every year for the celebrations. The attractive vibes of the district famous all around the world are jazz music, cajun cuisine, and historical Mardi Gras celebrations. The heart-melting spots of New Orleans have depicted the rich culture that covers architecture, music, food items, and art on the streets. So, for any taste, the most places to visit in New Orleans are;
French Quarter
The enchanting place to see by the visitors is French Quarter, which settles down along the Mississippi River. The place is famous globally for its culinary facilities and entertainment.
The name of the district depicted the French influences that held arcades, wrought iron-made balconies, and red-tiled roofs with the addition of delighted courtyards. In the present age, the ancient structures of French buildings are transformed into hotels, restaurants, testimonial shops, and art galleries with the fusion of Jazz entertainment.
One of the amazing places to visit the French Quarter is “Bourbon street” which is warmhearted during the day and shifts to an ear-splitting beauty at the night, because of the frisky strollers in the area.
Note: You may feel like you are not safe here at night. Try to be accompanied by some good fellows.
Another rich spot with a mix of ancient history is “Royal Street” which features marvelous shopping facilities with high-standard stores, hotels, etc. One of the most appealing sights on the street is a restaurant known as Jazz Brunch which used to be a court of two sisters in 1832. If you are looking for enjoying traditional jazz theme music, you should proceed towards “Frenchmen street” to find out adequate restaurants with an artistic touch. Additionally, you can visit “Jackson Square” and “St Louis” alongside the water which gives a unique vibe of an amazing evening.
National WWII Museum
The museum has excellent exhibitions of documentary snippets that portray the history of WWII, fought between Europe and The Pacific.
The museum has three historical sections that are as follows
- One section is for devotees of the Pacific.
- The second section is for the devotees of Europe.
- The third one holds WWII aircraft.
You can visit the various rooms and experience the documentaries that depict real-life stories of how the war was fought and what kind of displayed weapons are used in the battle. On the other hand, there are also oral updates available in the complex that follow the solder`s evolution during the war. Another aspect of entertainment features matinees of the 1940s.
Note: Appetizers are also available at cheap costs.
Jackson Square
The square is situated in the center of the French Quarter, which was famous for Place d`Arma. On the front side of the complex, there is a long fence made of iron that has artist’s hangouts. There were trees and green fields around the Eqestrainn statue of General Andrew Jackson (1856). The next feature of Jackson square is St Luis Cathedral which has a white facade and cone-shaped steeples. In the vicinity of the cathedral are Prebytere and cabildo. There are many shops and restaurants around the building and the fun factor of the area is the moonwalk and Milehouse with riverboat docks.
Preservation Hall
The ancient building is a hub of jazz music entertainment, reception venues, and Ceremony Venues that tackle tourists towards the hall. The artist’s performance is traditional live Jazz music, Open from 8,9 10 p.m through Monday to Wednesday including 5 and 6 performances, On Thursday- Sundays for the traditional jazz.
Note:
- Limited seats and sittings.
- Events timings are listed on the door every day.
St. Louis Cathedral
There is another masterpiece of the French Quarter is the ST Lious Cathedral situated in the north of Jackson square which was built in 1794. This holy place was built by the contribution of Don Andres Almonester de Roxas the Frenchman who spent his money to construct the building after world war II which also helps to reconstruct New Orleans.
Best Time to Visit New Orleans
In my opinion, the best time to visit New Orleans for Mardi Gras is from February to May when the weather is cold and celebrations are happening. If you are not interested in the Famous event of the Mardi gras Mania, then you would plan in December or January when the city is tranquil as that is the best time to visit New Orleans without crowds. To avoid the crowd and bumper-to-bumper traffic you would pre-book your hotel. On the hand, If you want to come in summer then it is not a preferable time to visit the district as it has high suffocation heat and humidity.
The best time to come to the destination is when the Mardi Gras event occurred, and there is heavy traffic of tourists. Due to the celebrations, you may encounter high-rated bookings. However, If you interact with the popular attractions that are close enough o the Mardi Gras then plan your tour according to the feasibility of the weather. Advance booking before arrival can help you a convenient stay in the hotels.
In general, the spring season is the best for visiting sightseeing attractions that would not clash with famous events. If you want to enjoy festivals then follow the traces of the given list. Such as:
- Mardi Gras (February -March)
- Literary Festival(March)
- French Quarter Festival(April)
- New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival(April-May)
- New Orleans Wine and Food Experience (May)
Plan your trip according to the monthly summary that would help you to enjoy the combo package of festival happenings and sightseeing attractions.
December -January
When you want to save money and avoid crowds then this is the best time to visit New Orleans. The temperature of the city becomes cool and moderate and the best thing is that spring festivals do not start yet you should try to visit the town in the vocations when the city is cleaning for the seasonal decorum. The Events celebrated in these months are;
- Sugar bowl (January)
- Celebration in the Oaks (November-January)
June-August
The rainiest season when you chrome here. You would enjoy the weather but don’t forget to pack an umbrella with your luggage. Tourists flee from heat exertion and come to the city but it is not comfortable for foot walkers as high temperatures occurred in the mid of the year. The Events celebrated in these months are;
- Louisiana Cajun- Zydeco Festival (June)
- New Orleans Pride Festival (June)
- Satchmo Summerfest (July-August)
- Coolinary New Orleans(August)
- Red Dress Run(August)
September- November
Last but not least, the fall season retrieves from the heat and is the best time to visit along the river. The ranting fares are coming down to cheap and cheesy. Follow the weather forecast as this is the time of Hurricane which causes danger from June to November. But the Richness of the event celebrations is highly arranged for tourists that bringing enjoyment and gratifications for tourists rather than Summer and tourists believed that it is the best and worst time to visit New Orleans. The Events celebrated in these months are;
- Louisiana Seafood Festival(September)
- Crescent City Blues and BBQ Festival(October)
- NewOrleans Film Festival(October)
- Voodoo Music and art Experience(October)
- Oak Street Po-Boy Festival ( November)
- Celebration in the oaks(November-January)
The Signature Event – Mardi Gras
The event indicates the pagan celebrations that show the Spring and fertility with the addition of Saturnalia and Lupercalia that belong to the Roman festivals, according to your choices: the best time to visit New Orleans for Mardi Gras is in January and February when celebrations happened in the town along the river. The span starts for two weeks and is in the final on shrove Tuesday and the day before Ash Wednesday, event has depicted the meaning of Fat Tuesday in French that signifies the practices of gorging fatty food that leads on the Lent(the period preceding Easter of Christ fasting)in which fish is often used for eating. The 40-day-long period leads to Easter. This festival is also known as Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Day, and Paczki Day.
I personally observe decked-out floats surrounded by the river with glittery costumes, colorful headdresses, feathers, and richness of Glittres elaborate the magnificent event. Around about 1.5 million tourists come to take part annually in the Carnival. The significant features of the event are daily Paradas and all types of entertainment and activities are getting intensified when it comes to end. The culinary deals including ring-shaped cakes (like king crown)are baked or fried, frosted, and decorated with Mardi Graz colors and a unique feature involves hiding a small baby figurine (baby Jesus) in the cake that represents the starting of the festival and who find it in the slice should arrange the next big party.
At the festive, you can purchase traditional costumes that have purple, green, and golden colors that implicit the King at the Rex Parade (1892).
The trio of colors reflects:
- Purple stands for justice
- Gold represents power
- Green identifies faith
Mardi Gras begins on March 01, 2022, this year the festival celebrates after the Christian feast and culminates before Ash Wednesday. The carnival commenced on January 6 and Joan of arc led the Parade pack. On the 23 February, the daily parades are starting which are performed until the 1st of March.
Note: You must be sure of events timings and check out the transport facilities
You Can Also Visit Nashville and Memphis
Nashville and Memphis are 196.32 miles away from each other and some three hours from New Orleans. If you find time, you can also visit these two places as both have noteworthy places to visit according to your interest. Farmer’s market and popular sights can conquer with onboard live commentary depending on your way of moving. You would experience various stops including Marathon Village, The Ryman Auditorium, Music Row, Centennial Park, and much more and explore various things to do in Nashville city. Though you can visit these places at any time of the year, in general, the best time to visit Nashville, Memphis, and New Orleans can be the time between December and January.
The Take-Away
Again, it depends on your choice and what kind of events you want to discover with sightseeing attractions. During the year, there are lots of of events occurring and carnival happenings that signify the ancient history of French dominations and reflection of the present era in New Orleans. In a nutshell, New Orleans, the city famous for Mardi Gras, is a must-visit on your next trip to the US. For trip planning and organizing flights, you can consider connecting with LITSO Travel and Tours – the best travel agency in Pakistan for all types of travel-related concerns.
