Sun & Summit DestinationsNew Orleans: The French Quarter and the Garden District
Beignets, brass bands, streetcar rides past oak-shaded mansions and a city that eats very well.
- Best time
- February to May for mild weather and festivals. Summer is hot and humid; hurricane season runs June to November
- Getting there
- Louis Armstrong New Orleans International (MSY) is about 25 minutes from downtown
- Getting around
- Walk the Quarter and ride the St. Charles streetcar. A car is more trouble than help downtown
- Stay
- 3–4 nights
Day 1: The French Quarter
Start at Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral, then have beignets and café au lait at Café du Monde. Walk Royal Street for galleries and antique shops, and save Bourbon Street for after dark if you want to see it at all. Frenchmen Street, just past the Quarter, is where locals go for live jazz.
Day 2: The Garden District by streetcar
Ride the St. Charles Avenue streetcar, the oldest continuously operating streetcar line in the world, to the Garden District. Walk among the 19th-century mansions and visit Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, then browse the shops on Magazine Street.
Day 3: Museums and food
- The National WWII Museum in the Warehouse District: plan at least half a day
- A cooking class or a food tour for gumbo, po'boys and pralines
- A swamp tour outside the city for alligators and cypress bayous
Where to stay
These resorts are in very different spots. Pick the one that fits how you want to spend the trip.
Stay at Club Wyndham La Belle Maison
Tell us your dates and we'll check availability and send you a quote.
