With an interactive map included*
More than one local told us that “there’s nowhere else like New Orleans,” and that’s uncontested. It’s hard to describe it, but it’s lit up from the inside out.
It’s like stepping into a portal, and once you leave, you almost instantly miss the city’s energy. Still, it was such an inexplicable experience that you question whether it happened. There’s a vibrancy here that cannot be tempered.
Reed had never been to New Orleans before, so we knew we had to visit. So we buckled down and got to work doing our research to prepare for van life in the city. This guide is helpful for other van lifers, travel lovers, or those interested in taking a road trip to the city of jazz. (Keep reading to find the interactive map of our favorite places in New Orleans!)
Best time to go
The weather was great when we were there in early March. It was beginning to get warm, but there was a breeze. However, be aware that there will be rainstorms and high winds at this time. There are also possible tornado threats in the spring. Therefore we recommend anytime between December- and April. (If you come to New Orleans in the winter, you will miss the large crowds, and if you come in spring, you will be there for the parades and beautiful springtime weather!)
If you are curious about our experience in New Orleans, watch our Youtube video to find out!
History Museums
- Tulane Museum of Natural History
- New Orleans African American Museum
- The Backstreet Cultural Museum
- George and Leah McKewnna Museum of African American Art
- The Irish Cultural Museum of New Orleans
- The National WWII Museum
- Amistad Research Center
Ways to explore the city for free
Here’s a list of 50 things to do for free in the city
Here are our favorite free things to do in New Orleans:
Self-guided tour of the ST. Louis Cathedral
The cathedral is open daily from 9:00- 4:00. There is a daily mass at 12:05 pm. FOr a $1.00 donation, you can receive a self-guided brochure at the entrance. Guided group tours are only available with prior reservations.
French Quarter Walking Tour
Visit this website or download “GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities” from iTunes App Store or Google Play to your mobile phone or tablet.
Visit a few of New Orlean’s many parks
Check out Julia Street Galleries
Download a free Cell Phone tour of the Historic New Orleans Collections buildings and courtyards. Julia Street is known for its many art galleries. Nicknamed “Gallery Row,” you can find more than a dozen art galleries lining both sides of the road.
In the 19th century, this street was established to store products and merchandise shipped through the port of New Orleans. As commerce and industry faded, so did the prosperity of Julia street.
Gallery openings occur at 6 pm on the first Saturday of every month. This area is also known as The Arts District of New Orleans (ADNO)
Like us, you can walk down this vibrant street and stop in any place that suits you. Or you can pick a few of the many fantastic art galleries from this list of the Best Art Galleries In the New Orleans Warehouse District and take a look.
Listen to the many free live bands across the city
There are many places in the city where you can enjoy free live music. Be aware that tipping is a big part of the music scene, and often these tips constitute all or most of a band’s compensation, especially when there is no cover or fee.
Read more about the New Orleans music scene below.
Ways to get around the city
Bike your way through New Orleans
There are many places where you can rent a bicycle to get around the city. As well as numerous tours you can take.
https://www.neworleans.com/plan/itineraries/new-orleans-bike-itinerary/
Take a taxi
Taxis are an easy way to explore the city, but they may not always be the most affordable, depending on how far you need to go. Nevertheless, they are a convenient way to get around in a pinch and can get you to point A to B effectively by someone who knows the city reasonably well and may be able to offer up local spots and must-try bites around the city. United Cabs, INC (504) 522-9771 and New Orleans Carriage Cab (504) 207-7777 are reputable cabs. Lyft and Uber are also options.
Jump on a streetcar
The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority runs streetcars. You can use the RTA website or GoMobile to buy tickets and more information about the routes and schedule. A one-way ticket on streetcars and buses is $1.25 per person. In addition, you can purchase a Jazzy Pass, which gets you unlimited rides on both buses and streetcars for one, three, five, or thirty-one days. These passes range from $3 to $55. You can get this pass online or at several retail locations.
Take a tour around the city.
There are so many ways to peruse this city. Likewise, tours are abundant throughout this city. Ghost tours, trolly tours, pub crawls, and the likes.
NOLA Historic Tours has been showing tourists around the Big Easy since 1995. These tours are a way to see the city from a new perspective and learn things about the city from an accredited guide. From swamp tours to voodoo, music, ghost tours, and more. You find a tor to fit almost any New Orleans curiosity that you may have.
Riverboat cruise
Taking a riverboat cruise is a way to see the city from a unique perspective. There is a range in prices depending on the duration and type of cruise. A 2.5 hour Creole Queen History Cruise with lunch for $36/ per person. There are many more options for you to pick from as well.
Swamp tour
Swamp tours are one of the New Orleans must-dos that we did not have time for, but we wish we had! You can check out some of the various options on Get Your Guide. One of the many options is a 4-hour small-group swamp tour by airboat for $59/ per person or a 1.5-4 hour Manchac Bayou Swamp Cruise that starts at $27/ per person.
Music scene
Nowhere does music like New Orleans. Regardless of when you visit, you are likely to find somewhere that has live music somewhere in New Orleans. What’s your flavor? New Orleans has it all. We all know that New Orleans is known as the birthplace of jazz. And that is only one of the countless genres you will come across. You may also find swamp pop, funk, rap, bounce, and so much more as you peruse the streets of this vibrant city.
Louis Armstrong, Irma Thomas, Kermit Ruffins, Trombone Shorty, and James Booker are just a few of the countless musicians from the city. You can read more about the many amazing people who were influenced by the vibrance of New Orleans and vice versa here.
Where?
There is an abundance of places to hear fantastic music in the city. Head to this website to check out some of the most well-known venues for amazing music In the Big easy
Frenchman
Frenchman street is sometimes known as “Baby Bourbon” street. We found some of the best musicians you will ever hear on the street corners in New Orleans. Walk around downtown, and your ears will thank you. If you get the chance, see if you can find a live show on Frenchmen street.
Many venues on Frenchmen offer food, drinks, and live music and are open to all ages until evening. Some places may have a cover or a one-drink minimum to enjoy the atmosphere.
Snug harbor
Snug Harbor is a sit-down ticketed theater and home to well-known local and touring modern jazz musicians. They also offer a separate restaurant.
The Spotted Cat
(623 Frenchman Street)
Apple Barrel
(609 Frenchman street)
Blues club
Cafe Negril
(606 Frenchman street)
Parks and outdoor spaces
There are some fantastic parks in the city. Our favorites were:
Audubon Riverview Park
This park runs alongside the Mississippi River hence the name. It closes at 9 pm, and you’ll find restrooms available and benches and tables. The park is located right behind the Audubon Zoo.
City park
City Park is a massive park featuring tons of activities. Put-put golf, disc golf, tennis courts, botanical garden, sculpture garden, children’s museum, bike rentals, canals, pavilions, Cafe du Monde, etc.
Lakeshore Park
Lakeshore Park is a scenic place situated along Lake Pontchartrain. There aren’t a lot of amenities here; it’s more about the view and walking alongside the lake. There are picnic areas.
Couturie Forest
Located at the Northern end of the City Park, this “forest” has several parking options. There are a lot of trails for such a small area. Wander through the forest to reach the highest point in New Orleans. LaBorde lookout is 42 feet above sea level.
New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park
Art scene
The art scene is unreal out here. We could have spent a lifetime on this alone.
Studio Be
Nola mural on Magazine st
Art District Galleries
George and Leah McKewnna Museum of African American Art
Restaurants
Parkway Bakery & Tavern
This restaurant is famous for its amazing po’boys. They also offer a large outdoor seating area. I recommend the James Brown or the BBQ Shrimp po’boy, a must-try.
French Toast on Decatur
The french toast, the restaurant’s namesake, is impressive. We split an order of the original (french toast with berries, powdered sugar, and maple syrup), and we both found it delicious. They also have coconut cream stuffed and king cake french toast for those looking for something even sweeter! In addition to the sweets, they have savory crepes and more traditional breakfast staples, Denise had an omelet with ratatouille, chevre, and spinach, and Reed had the chicken and waffles.
Dragos seafood restaurant
There are several locations downtown, Metairie, Lafayette, and Baton Rouge. Reed’s parents visited us while we were here and stayed at the Hilton, which had a restaurant inside the hotel. If you get the chance to eat at one of the locations in town, we strongly recommend you try charbroiled oysters that you can witness them make fresh on the grill. They also have an extensive seafood menu.
Cajun Seafood
Cajun is a place you don’t want to miss if you love crawfish. The seasoning they use has just the right amount of spice. They also make a mean softshell po’boy.
Mother’s Restaurant
come here for a no-frills cafeteria-style eatery. The food was hearty and delicious. They’re famous for their ham, and I found it excellent as someone who doesn’t love ham; it’s seasoned wonderfully. I also enjoyed the grits with crawfish etouffee. They have good breakfast options and lunch and cajun dinner options such as po’boys and jambalaya.
Baldwin and Co.
Thanks again, @Anaïsmoniq, for sharing this special place with us. There are so many fantastic BIPOC owned businesses! Be sure to check them out.
BIPOC owned businesses?
For a list of Black-owned businesses, click this link!
Hikes
Couturie Forest
Located at the Northern end of the City Park, this “forest” has several parking options. There are a lot of trails for such a small area. Wander through the forest to reach the highest point in New Orleans. LaBorde’s lookout is 42 feet above sea level.
Recommended things to do that we didn’t get to try:
Katies
Elizabeth’s- southern breakfast and lunch
Byblos Mediterranean
Parasol’s – Po Boys
See the Largest Free-Roaming Wildlife Preserve
Vanlife in New Orleans
Where to sleep
How to stealth camp in New Orleans
New Orleans is a pretty van-friendly place! Based on our experience. Sleeping in your van is not illegal in Louisianna. You can sleep 24 hours a day at rest stops day or night. Specific Home depots, camping worlds, parking lots, and streets are the perfect place to call home in the state. During our week-extended stay, we found plenty of comfortable places in neighborhoods to call home for the night in the city. According to an article written by Smart Financial, some people recommend fishing piers as a reasonably safe bet to spend the night. Keep in mind that this list does not guarantee that you won’t get a knock, but these are places that worked well for us.
Side streets in neighborhoods make good places to sleep in New Orleans. Everyone parks on the road, so you blend in nicely. Stealth camping etiquette is recommended. To keep a low profile, we do everything necessary for bedtime before rolling into our spot for the night, such as brushing our teeth, using the toilet, eating dinner, cleaning the van, etc. We pull into our area after dark. We then black out the windows and maybe watch a movie with our headphones on before sleeping. Anywhere off the main streets you deem quiet is a good option. We found some quiet neighborhoods that weren’t too close to bars or late-night restaurants. Below is a list of some of the areas where we slept. We rotated spots each night to reduce our chances of being recognized.
Audubon
The streets in these areas can be tight, with cars often lining both sides of the road. We looked for somewhere to park that had wide enough streets and wasn’t directly in front of a house, preferably alongside their fence and not alongside any windows, doors, or walkways. We weren’t bothered at all and didn’t feel out of place. New Orleans has a lot going on, and people don’t seem to be too worried about a van parked on the street for a night.
Uptown
Uptown borders Audubon and is also another option for an area to sleep.
If you want to know more about or tips on camping in the city, check out our Stealth Camp Guide.
Where did we get water?
We didn’t need to get water while in the city, but ioverlander had a few recommendations for places to go.
First, fire station engine nine on Frenchman st has a potable water spigot. This option is listed on the ioverlander app, and we verified it in person while walking around the city.
Ney Rey Park was another option on ioverlander. It is a park with a gymnasium building and public bathrooms. There is a free water spigot out front.
Would we go back & recommend it?
Yes! New Orleans is a bustling city full of energy and excitement. There’s tons to do, food, drinks, music, and entertainment galore. Artists will rejoice in the creative nature of New Orleans. So if you’re looking for a good time or a place full of energy and vibrancy, a visit to New Orleans is a great option.
Interactive map
Have you been to New Orleans?
Are there any fantastic parts of the city or surrounding area that are a must-see we left out?
Year in review