The great thing about a friend trip is it doesn’t necessarily have to fall during the weekend, or in the summer when the kids are out of school. If your schedule allows, consider meeting during the week in New Orleans. Midweek travel allows for lower hotel rates and fewer crowds. Group travel accommodations are simple with options like Roami that offer multiple bedrooms in one booking, similar to an apartment layout. With live music seven nights a week and many restaurants open daily, you can enjoy the best of New Orleans each night.
With so many different types of cuisine at the tip of your fingers, it can be hard to squeeze in all the food you want to try when visiting New Orleans. Traveling with friends is the perfect solution. What’s better than splitting a po-boy, a dozen oysters on the half, or a plate of Bananas Foster? Check out our guide to traditional New Orleans food here, and our Black-owned and Vietnamese-owned self-guided food tours. There’s also our streetcar cocktail crawl and French Quarter cocktail crawl, both of which we recommend doing with friends!
With 130+ festivals a year, there’s always something going on in New Orleans. Schedule your trip around the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, ESSENCE Festival of Culture®, Bayou Classic, Mardi Gras, and more! Attending with friends just makes it all the more fun. Find our festival calendar here and plan your trip to New Orleans today.
Whether you’re a fan of live music, burlesque shows, or just like to sit back and sip at a cocktail bar, New Orleans nightlife has a lot to offer. Round up your friends in the early morning hours for late night eats. Or try everything on our list of New Orleans in 24 hours. The city is a haven for night owls.
Ever wanted to zipline over a swamp? How about getting on the water with a local chef to catch and cook your meal? Browse from our selection of unique outdoor group activities here. New Orleans also boasts lots of bespoke indoor group activities, such as exclusive tastings at Sazerac House, candle making classes at Wicks, custom perfume classes at Tijon, and plenty of options for cooking classes.
From the fun of the French Quarter to the culture of historically Black Tremé, there are plenty of distinct neighborhoods and sub-neighborhoods of New Orleans worth visiting. One friend may want to tour the Garden District architecture, another may want to kayak down Bayou St. John. At the end of each day, your friend group can share about their experiences in different neighborhoods. Browse our neighborhood guide here to see what interests you.
The Memories Will Last a Lifetime
New Orleans is at the top of many traveler’s bucket lists, and it’s a place that many wish to return to one day. You’ll leave with a story, not just a souvenir, like the time you witnessed a Mardi Gras Indian parade on a random Sunday, or the time you ate too many beignets and had to be carried back to your room, or the time you meant to go to Bourbon Street but somehow ended up in the jazz clubs on Frenchmen. If you plan a friend trip to NOLA, you might find yourself, year after year, coming back.