Summer Insider’s Guide: New Orleans & Company

Why We Love It

---

Summertime in New Orleans is truly special. There’s an energy in the air that makes the city feel like nowhere else in the world. Sure, the weather might be warmer, but longer days means more time for exploring what makes the city so unique. From world-class museums to locally owned boutiques lining historic thoroughfares, take a break from ordinary summer vacations and plan a getaway that offers the culture, magic and food of New Orleans.

A Must Do

---

New Orleans offers a ton of exclusive summer specials, but the two you don’t want to miss are restaurant week and the Essence Festival. 

Restaurant week is an annual culinary event that showcases some of the best New Orleans restaurant businesses. Enjoy a week of exclusive menus at restaurants across the Crescent City. Restaurant Week 2023 returns this June 19-25. 

If you’ve seen the movie Girl’s Trip, then you’ve caught a glimpse of the excitement that comes with the annual ESSENCE Festival of Culture. ESSENCE is the world’s largest cultural, entertainment and empowerment experience celebrating the Black community. ESSENCE Fest is a four-day experience featuring an all-star lineup of performers, plus exhibitions, speaker sessions, celebrity appearances and more. See our Ultimate Essence Guide for more trip-planning tools.

What’s New This Summer

---

This summer, New Orleans has some big projects coming! There’s the renovation of Audubon Aquarium, the relocation of Audubon Insectarium and the redevelopment of the downtown Mississippi Riverfront. These new areas will allow guests to experience the beauty of the riverfront like never before.

Insider’s Secret

---

You can ride the streetcar for free! You and up to three guests can ride for free when booking a hotel stay on NewOrleans.com between April 1 and September 3.

Click here to explore more destinations.