There ain’t no party like a Mardi party. Mardi Gras is the best time to visit New Orleans because of the nice weather and endless celebrations. Going to Mardi Gras in New Orleans is a bucket list trip, but between the parades and shifting dates, it can be an intimidating one to plan.
In this guide, we’ll go over everything you need to know to plan your trip to Mardi Gras. As they say in Louisiana, laissez les bons temps rouler (let the good times roll)! So, let’s get into it.
Mardi Gras celebrations take over New Orleans from Three Kings Day (also known as The Feast of the Epiphany) on January 6th until Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. The celebration is a French Catholic tradition, dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries.
Mardi Gras means “Fat Tuesday” in French but in New Orleans, it refers to the entire season of Carnival. Most Spanish-speaking and Latin American countries will refer to Mardi Gras as Carnival — the most famous in the world being in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Fat Tuesday is meant to be a day of festivities and indulgence before Catholics become pious for the 40 Days of Lent, starting on Ash Wednesday and ending on Easter. (You can thank my Catholic education for that fun fact.)
Mardi Gras Dates
The date of Mardi Gras changes every year based on the Catholic calendar. So, Fat Tuesday can take place anytime between February 3rd and March 9th. The two weeks leading up to Fat Tuesday is the best time to visit New Orleans for Mardi Gras.
Here are upcoming Fat Tuesday dates:
- 2025: March 4
- 2026: February 17
- 2027: February 9
- 2028: February 29
- 2029: February 13
The closer you get to the actual Fat Tuesday date, the crazier it’s going to be. Two weekends before Fat Tuesday (about 10 days out) will still be packed with parades and fun while being less crowded and more affordable. The weekend before Fat Tuesday is when the real madness begins. It gets so crowded that you can barely see the ground when you walk down Bourbon St. at night. For this reason, I recommend celebrating Mardi Gras two weekends before Fat Tuesday for a chiller vibe.
For the latest Mardi Gras information, visit mardigrasneworleans.com.
PARADES
New Orleans parties hard year round, so the main reason to visit New Orleans during Mardi Gras is for the parades.
New Orleans social clubs known as Krewes have been putting on Mardi Gras parades for decades. Each Krewe has a parade route with multiple floats with the bigger Krewes having up to 40.
You can spend an entire day cheering on the streets and collecting beads (and you should!). It’s a blast and there’s more to collect than just beads. We’ve gotten cups, fanny packs, hats, snacks, and so much more. You might want to bring a bag if you want to collect a lot of swag.
Where To Watch
The best parade route that runs the closest to the French Quarter is the Uptown route. This route runs mostly on St. Charles Ave. from Uptown through the Garden District to the Central Business District (known as the CBD).
Multiple parades run throughout the day on the Uptown route on weekends leading up to Fat Tuesday, so if you miss one Krewe, there’s likely another behind it. The best way to keep track of the parades in real time is through the WDSU Parade Tracker app from a local news station. It’ll show you exactly where each parade is along routes and includes the schedules. To see schedules months in advance, visit mardigrasneworleans.com/parades.
Anywhere along St. Charles Ave. is a great place to watch the parades. Locals recommended that we avoid watching the parade on Canal St. because it can get too crowded.
There are smaller parades in the heart of the French Quarter like the Krewe of Barkus (a dog parade!) but they don’t have any spectacular floats since the streets are narrower in the French Quarter.
Parade Tips
New Orleans is an open container city, so you can drink alcohol while you watch the parades. Pack a few beers or seltzers in your bag or grab a Hurricane from Bourbon St. It’s helpful to stay on or near the parade route so you can easily go back to your hotel or Airbnb to grab more drinks or take a break.
Along the parade route, you’ll see “grandstand” tickets advertised. These grandstands are just glorified bleachers and can cost you $50 or more. You don’t need to buy tickets for a grandstand or pay an exorbitant amount of money for a hotel room with a balcony. The fun is on the ground with the floats.
Lastly, you don’t need to go topless to get your hands on beads. This reputation comes from Bourbon St. where men will only through beads from balconies if they get something in return. You’ll get so many beads at the parades that you won’t know what to do with them. My advice is to go to a balcony on Bourbon St. like at the Cat’s Meow or Tropical Isle’s Top of the Trop and throw beads to people below.
FOOD + DRINK
New Orleans has an amazing culinary scene that focuses on Southern Cajun and French Creole cuisine. It’s also known for brunch. Bananas foster, which is bananas glazed with rum, was invented in New Orleans at the famous brunch spot Brennan’s. Order it on your French Toast.
Jazz Brunch
Speaking of Brunch, during Mardi Gras season you can go to jazz brunch, a fancy brunch with live music and booze. Some brunch spots like the Commander’s Palace have a dress code, requiring men to wear sports coats. If you want to go to jazz brunch at famous places like the Commander’s Palace, Brennan’s, or Antoine’s, make a reservation about a month in advance.
King Cake
King cake is the official food of Mardi Gras. It tastes like a cinnamon roll and is topped with purple, gold, and green icing. Every king cake has a baby figurine hidden inside so be careful when you take a bite. Tradition says that whoever finds the baby in their slice needs to buy the next king cake or host the next party.
If you don’t order in advance, it can be hard to track down a king cake. Some people wake up at six in the morning to stand in line for a chance at getting one. You can find a basic one at a grocery store but if you want the real deal order in advance. We ordered from Gambino’s Bakery and it was delicious.
Classic New Orleans Drinks
Bourbon St. is known for drinking and debauchery. There are a few iconic drinks that you’ll see people walking around with. They’re all Instagrammable and sugary but still delicious.
Hurricane @ Pat O’Brien’s
This is the New Orleans drink. It was invented at Pat O’Brien’s when whiskey was scarce and there was an influx of rum coming into New Orleans. It tastes like a boozy Hawaiian Punch.
Hand Grenade @ Tropical Isle
Hand Grenades are a sugary drink that you can get frozen or on the rocks in a silly cup. Tropical Isle has multiple locations on Bourbon St. and other fun drinks like the Horny Gator and Shark Attack.
Voodoo Daiquiri @ Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar
At the far end of Bourbon St. is Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar, which claims to be the oldest drinking establishment in America. They serve a frozen Voodoo Daiquiri which is a purple, grape-flavored drink with bourbon. If you like grape soda, this one’s for you.
WHERE TO STAY
The best place to stay during Mardi Gras is in the French Quarter near the Uptown parade route. It’s a challenge to get around New Orleans during Mardi Gras with all the street closures due to parades. The sweet spot is to be within walking distance of parades and Bourbon St.
French Quarter
The French Quarter is close to the action, full of history, and adorned with charming architecture. It’s also home to great restaurants and bars outside of Bourbon St. It’s the perfect place to stay as long as you don’t stay directly on Bourbon St.
Central Business District
The Central Business District or CBD has more of a downtown feel. Here, you’ll find a lot of traditional hotel chains and up-and-coming ones like the Moxy. The CBD is a great hub for watching parades and is still within walking distance of Bourbon St.
Garden District
There are beautiful vacation homes for rent in the Garden District, a picturesque neighborhood with colorful, historic houses. St. Charles Ave. and the parades run right through it on a gorgeous oak-lined street. Outside of Mardi Gras, the Garden District is a great place to stay because the cable car connects it to the rest of the city. But, the cable car won’t run during Mardi Gras due to the parades and Uber prices will be very high.
Whether you stay in the French Quarter, Central Business District, or Garden District, look for a place within walking distance of St. Charles Ave.
For Mardi Gras, I recommend staying at a hotel over an Airbnb. I would only stay in an Airbnb if you’re traveling with more than eight people.
On my last trip, we stayed at The Schaeffer, an apartment-style rental through a company called Sonder. Sonder is like a crossover between Airbnb and a hotel. It was the perfect stay for 5-6 people.
The sooner you book Mardi Gras, the better. Hotels and vacation rentals get snatched up months in advance for Mardi Gras, especially for the weekend before Fat Tuesday.
Things to note
Bourbon St. attracts tourists and pickpocketers during Mardi Gras. Do not put your wallet or phone in your back pocket or backpack. I’ve had multiple friends get their phones stolen, so bring a fanny pack to keep your belongings close.
New Orleans is one of the rainiest cities in America, so be prepared with a rain jacket. If there is a thunderstorm, parades might be rescheduled for the following day. Although it rains hard, New Orleans rain usually doesn’t last for long so your entire weekend shouldn’t be rained out.
People go all out for Mardi Gras and dress up in crazy outfits and costumes. Pack fun, bright colors to get into the Carnival spirit. The official colors of Mardi Gras are gold, green, and purple.
During Mardi Gras, New Orleans’ iconic cable car doesn’t run near the city center due to parades. If you want to check a cable car off your New Orleans bucket list, ride the cable car on the Friday morning you arrive or even Thursday afternoon before parades start.
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