Chances are, if you’re reading this post, you are dreaming of a classic southern escape in the dead of winter. If you’re looking to travel down south in January, New Orleans is the place to be! This city offers the perfect mix of nightlife, history, and good ol’ southern fun. This New Orleans travel guide for January is a helpful resource for planning your time in the city.

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Why Visit New Orleans in January

I visited New Orleans the first week of January, wanting to escape the cold winter climate up north. Given that New Orleans is known to have very hot and humid weather, January ended up being a perfect time to visit. We experienced daily temperatures in the 70s. Even in its coolest month, I could still feel the humidity throughout the air. While I’m sure the area is beautiful in the summer, I couldn’t have imagined traveling there with much hotter temperatures and even more humidity. I was immediately grateful we chose this time of year to visit. I would just suggest bringing a jacket to wear if you plan on being out at night, as the temperature drops once the sun goes down. 

Where to Stay in New Orleans

For our stay in New Orleans, we decided to reside at The Troubadour Hotel, which is a 10-minute walk from the French Quarter. Since I love to walk around cities, I did not mind the fact that we had to walk a little way to the heart of the city. If you instead prefer to walk out the front doors of your hotel and already be in the heart of the city, you may want to opt for a different hotel. Be prepared to pay a higher price, however.

The Troubadour Hotel had a trendy look, as well as the cutest rooftop lounge where hotel guests could order drinks and food. If you decide to spend some time up here, make sure you order the drink that finds its roots in New Orleans, the Hurricane. 

How to Get Around New Orleans Without a Car

If you know me well, then you know I love to explore cities on foot. With my hotel only being a 10-minute walk from the French Quarter, I opted to walk around a lot. However, there are certain attractions that are out of the question if you stick to the pedestrian lifestyle. This is not anything to worry about, thankfully, as New Orleans is home to some classy trolleys. There are four different streetcar lines, and this website will give you all the trolley information you need. While a one-way trolley ticket costs $1.25, we opted for the adult day passes, which only cost 50 cents more at $1.75. This was definitely the better option for us, as we used it multiple times during our trip.

Street trolley not your style? See rental car options in New Orleans below.

What to Do in New Orleans in January

Without further ado, let us begin discussing what you really came to this blog post for – what you should do in New Orleans in January!

Walk Down Royal Street

Royal Street is a famous block in the French Quarter of New Orleans that consists of a multitude of cute shops and buildings to admire. I loved taking pictures of everything in sight on this street. One place, in particular, stuck out to me on this street, and I highly recommend that all visitors to NOLA check it out. What is this remarkable place? Continue reading to find out!

Café Beignet on Royal Street

As promised, the must-visit place on Royal Street is Café Beignet! While there are multiple items on the menu, the café is best known for its famous beignets. If you have never tried a beignet, you are seriously missing out! Beignets are fried dough covered in powdered sugar. While beignets certainly are not the healthiest food, they sure are delicious. They are also the official state donut of Louisiana. In my opinion, there is no better place to consume your first beignet. While there are many other cafés that offer beignets, I highly recommend Café Beignet. Not only are the beignets delicious, but the café is also decorated in the cutest possible way! Now that you have been sugared up, you will be energized and ready to walk off the calories.

French Market

During our exploration of the French Quarter, we walked through the French Market. We passed by many food stands and souvenir stands during our time in this open-air market. Back when I visited New Orleans, I still had never tried any seafood. I was tempted to try some alligator nuggets that were being sold in this market. I had heard some people describe them as tasting like fish, however, so I decided not to try them. Since this trip, I have tried many different kinds of seafood and have come to find that I like seafood a lot more than I thought I would. If I could go back in time to change one thing about my NOLA trip, I definitely would have tried the alligator bites from the market.

Jackson Square and Café du Monde

Explore Jackson Square for an afternoon. Enjoy the park, cathedral, and horse-drawn carriages. Marvel at the lively jazz band performing in the square. Afterward, finish your time with some more beignets at Café du Monde, located across the street from the park’s entrance. 

The Garden District and Lafayette Cemetery

If you want to take a detour from the French Quarter and witness some true southern charm, hop on a trolley headed toward the Garden District! You can easily spend hours walking around these neighborhoods, admiring the houses of the rich and famous. My picture below is in front of a garage attached to an even bigger house!

I loved exploring this quarter and seeing all the unique houses, passing friendly faces, and taking pictures. What else is there to do in New Orleans’ Garden District? One thing you cannot miss is the famous Lafayette Cemetery. While visiting a cemetery may not seem like a very fun thing to do, it is a must-see attraction in New Orleans. Due to the swamp-like terrain of New Orleans, the cemeteries are built above ground. You can choose to take a guided or audio tour through the cemetery. If you want to know the history of the people inside the tombstones, this is a great way to experience the cemetery. However, we opted to just walk through the cemetery without a tour. 

There are also some cute shops and cafes to check out while in the Garden District. Check out all the cool vintage boutiques and take a short stroll through the Garden District Marketplace. We grabbed a snack at an adorable café, The Vintage, before checking out more nearby stores with Mardi Gras decorations. 

Bourbon Street

Bourbon Street is an iconic street in New Orleans full of bars. If you’re into partying, this is the place for you. However, walking down the street, it did feel a little overrated. I definitely did not want to spend much time on this street, but I thought I should at least walk down the street to see what all the hype was about. There is another Café Beignet located on this street in the Musical Legends Park. This area has outdoor seating and a small stage where jazz bands perform, creating the perfect setting to enjoy some beignets. We got some beignets to-go to enjoy back at the hotel.

See a Show at the Saenger Theatre

While visiting New Orleans in January, you’ll likely want to find some indoor events when the sun goes down. I personally love finding local theatres to watch musicals at during vacations. We found out the Saenger Theatre was performing Les Misérables during our visit there, so we decided to snag tickets. The theatre alone is grand and beautiful. I felt like I was transported back in time when I stepped inside. Not only was the theatre impressive, but the production was remarkable. The cast did such a wonderful job. If you have an appreciation for the arts, you have to visit this theatre during your time in New Orleans.

Swamp Tour With Cajun Encounters

If you have an open day in your schedule, I highly recommend going on a swamp tour. We did our research on which company we should explore the bayou with and eventually chose Cajun Encounters, which proved to be an excellent choice for us! You can view more Louisiana swamp tours near New Orleans in this blog post!

While I was a little worried that we would not see much wildlife since we were there during Louisiana’s coldest month, I was very happy to find that there was lots of wildlife to see.

The tour guides knew the best places to take our boat to. We found some adorable raccoons and fed them hot dogs. Along with the raccoons, there were some wild boars that swam up to the boat for some food as well. We also saw all kinds of birds and passed many houses on the water.

I really wanted to see an alligator and was getting worried we would not see one. But we finally saw one towards the end of the tour.

Now that you’ve read up on all the best things to do during your time in New Orleans in January, I wish you safe travels and a fantastic time! This southern city has so much charm, amazing food, and great nightlife. Whatever season you visit, you’re bound to have fun!

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