New Orleans holidays

Arrive in New Orleans and find a city draped in a rich blanket of history, beauty and intrigue...

The port city enjoys a position on the mighty Mississippi River. The spirit of the people of New Orleans did not stay down for long after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city in 2005. This is a party town after all and the entertainment scene has come back stronger and louder than ever before.

Holidays in New Orleans can start the moment you arrive at Louis Armstrong International Airport (MSY) near the Louisiana city, which is also known as The Big Easy – mostly thanks to its laidback attitude and sultry music scene.

Most visitors make the historic French Quarter their first stop. Here you'll find party central Bourbon Street, which is home to a thriving jazz and blues scene. Don't forget to look up when you stroll through the French Quarter to photograph the galleries and the ornate ironwork that frames them.

If you're not easily spooked you can visit voodoo museums or take voodoo tours around New Orleans. The religious practices are alive here and came from African traditions that were adopted by French and Spanish settlers.

Hop on one of the city's famous streetcars and be transported to another time. The unique form of transport feels especially apt when you're dropped off in the Garden District, a pretty neighbourhood filled with traditional southern mansions and large gardens.

There's a diverse range of accommodation and eateries for tourists, and families, groups and couples will all feel equally welcome in this friendly city.

Many holidaymakers choose to take in the sights, sounds and smells of tantalising New Orleans as part of a road trip that incorporates some of the south's other treasures. You could consider combining your trip with a visit to Houston in Texas, or Memphis, a little further north, or spend time in the lovely southern state of Georgia.

However you choose to take your New Orleans holidays, use TravelSupermarket to search for a bargain holiday.

New Orleans is hot – think around 32C – and humid in summer, and hurricane season runs from June to November...

Hurricane season takes hold at the end of June and into November, and a mild winter precedes a hot and humid summer. Spring and autumn enjoy cooler temperatures, while winter averages hover at around 17C. Rainfall is consistent throughout the year.

Cheap holidays to New Orleans are easy to come by at any time, though with spring’s Mardi Gras demand shoots up – you’d better be quick if you want to be there for this annual party.

This is New Orleans. The place is almost an event in itself, and the social diary in these parts takes some beating...

Mardi Gras; February or March: This is the party to top all parties in New Orleans. The annual Mardi Gras (or Fat Tuesday), which marks the start of Lent, is an explosion of costumes, colour, balls, revelry and long parade routes. The riders will throw trinkets from their floats for partygoers to collect. It's a fun-filled riot with plenty going on in the days and weeks around the main day.

Tennessee Williams and the New Orleans Literary Festival; March: This five-day celebration honours perhaps the most famous playwright of the Deep South, Tennessee Williams. Plays, readings and other literary proceedings take place around this annual event – a must for fans of the writer and his most famous work, A Streetcar Named Desire, which is set in New Orleans.

Louisiana Swamp Romp; April: Combine music and food at this annual party. A fantastic line-up of Cajun musicians is dished up alongside platters of Cajun food, such as crawfish, cornbread and gumbo.

French Quarter Festival April:  This free festival features a host of musical performances over four days in spring. The French Quarter is even more buzzing than usual and the entire event ends in a display of fireworks over the mighty Mississippi.

Satchmo Summerfest; August: If you love Louis Armstrong, you'll want to stake your place at the Satchmo Summerfest. The trumpeter and singer from New Orleans is celebrated with four days of jazz, seminars and plenty of fun.

Holidays to New Orleans are full of fun and things to do...

Romance: The French Quarter is a buzzing mass of intrigue, but there’s also an irresistible air of romance about the place, with its whimsical charms, that you and a companion will enjoy talking about for years.

Free and cheap: Wander along Royal and Chartres streets to browse in the art galleries and antique stores. Or head for Woldenberg Riverfront Park and watch the boats cruise along the mighty Mississippi River.

Nightlife: By day you can hear bands tuning up down Frenchmen Street, but by night they serenade the masses as the dancing begins.