United States · top picks
Best hotels in New Orleans
The highest-rated, best-reviewed places to stay in New Orleans, United States. We surface Expedia properties scoring 8+ out of 10 from real travelers, sorted by review density.
- ✓Only properties scoring 8.0+ in real New Orleans guest reviews
- ✓Sorted by review density — the more reviews, the more reliable the score
- ✓Refundable rates labelled per stay — book now, decide later
- ✓No booking fees · Powered by Expedia
What first-timers get wrong in New Orleans
Streetcars take exact cash or a Jazzy Pass and drivers give no change whatsoever. Street musicians on Royal and Frenchmen work for tips, and the brass bands passing a hat are not busking for fun. August humidity is genuinely debilitating, so plan indoors between noon and four. Hurricane season peaks from late August into September. The daiquiri shops sell in enormous cups that are stronger than they taste.
What's actually worth your time in New Orleans
Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral cost nothing and give you the Quarter's best twenty minutes. St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 has admitted visitors only with a licensed guide since 2015, so the free wander people still expect no longer exists. The St. Charles streetcar through the Garden District is a $1.25 sightseeing tour. Bourbon Street is a photo stop, while Royal and Chartres are the streets worth walking.
What to eat in New Orleans
Red beans and rice is a Monday dish here for a laundry-day reason that outlived laundry day, and Monday menus still say so. Central Grocery on Decatur invented the muffuletta, while Parkway and Domilise's argue over roast beef po-boys. Cafe du Monde serves beignets and chicory cafe au lait around the clock. Charbroiled oysters at Drago's are butter, garlic and open flame, not a raw bar.
When the weather turns in New Orleans
Summer afternoons flood streets quickly because the city sits below sea level and the pumps only do so much, so Uptown intersections can hold a foot of water within an hour. Retreat into the WWII Museum, which fills a wet day alone, or the Ogden's Southern art galleries. The Shops at Canal Place has a cinema. Never drive through standing water here, because cars stall constantly.
What things cost in New Orleans
A streetcar or bus ride is $1.25, and the one-day Jazzy Pass at $3 covers buses, streetcars and the Algiers ferry, with three days at $8 and a week at $15. A dressed po-boy runs $12 to $18 and feeds most people twice over. Three beignets and coffee at Cafe du Monde stays under $10. The WWII Museum at $27 to $37 is the biggest single ticket in town.
When to go to New Orleans
| Best months for best-hotels | Avg daily high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| October | 26°C / 79°F | 7 days |
| December | 18°C / 64°F | 9 days |
| November | 21°C / 70°F | 10 days |
The month to avoid is July — around 31°C (88°F) with roughly 24 rain days. Prices and crowds track the weather here: October is the sweet spot, July the month most people skip.
Pack for peak season: Summer clothes, plus one light layer for air-con and evenings, A packable rain shell or compact umbrella earns its space, Comfortable walking shoes — every guide on this site assumes you'll use them.
Where to base yourself in New Orleans
- French Quarter — The 300-year-old heart — wrought-iron balconies, Bourbon chaos, quiet Royal Street elegance one block over.
- Faubourg Marigny — Frenchmen Street's live-jazz row — where locals actually go at night.
- Garden District — Oak-shaded mansions, Lafayette Cemetery, Magazine Street shopping.
- Bywater — Pastel shotgun houses, murals, and the city's indie café-and-gallery scene.