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In this guide15 sections
- The short answer
- 6 January to 9 February: the dates and the parade schedule
- What the city did last year, and what 2027 will probably repeat
- Hotel taxes in New Orleans
- Getting in from the airport, and around
- The French Quarter: balconies and walking krewes
- CBD and Warehouse District: where the route ends
- Garden District, Lower Garden District and Uptown: on the St. Charles route
- The Marigny: music and a quieter edge
- Mid-City: the budget bed
- How to book New Orleans for Mardi Gras
- Entry for visitors who need an ESTA
- All 12 at a glance
- Before you go
- Frequently asked questions
Mardi Gras 2027 ends on Fat Tuesday, 9 February, and the parades roll every night from 3 to 9 February. Where you sleep decides how you reach them: the main route runs down St. Charles Avenue, and last year the city replaced the St. Charles streetcar with buses from the Thursday before Fat Tuesday. The hotel bill has its own quirk. The City of New Orleans publishes 15% in hotel taxes for a hotel of 10 or more rooms, plus a per-night fee, and one hotel’s own policy page quotes 16.75% once a marketing assessment is added.
This guide covers the 2027 dates and what had been published in October 2026, five areas, 12 hotels, how to get around on parade days, the hotel taxes and the ESTA fee. The hotels are researched picks, chosen for location, what each property publishes and consistent guest feedback, and each was checked as operating in October 2026. No hotel pays to appear here.
The short answer
| If you want… | Stay in | Why |
|---|---|---|
| the big parades and the streetcar avenue | Garden District and Uptown | St. Charles Avenue is the main parade route, and one hotel here calls itself part of the carnival route |
| parades and nightlife both | CBD and Warehouse District | New Orleans & Company says hotels here suit both parade access and nightlife, and the route ends at Canal Street |
| balconies, walking krewes and the oldest streets | French Quarter | The Quarter’s own parades are small krewes, and the city limits who may enter at peak times |
| live music and a quieter edge | Marigny | A block or two from Frenchmen Street and just outside the Quarter |
| the cheapest bed and the Endymion route | Mid-City | A hostel on the Canal Street streetcar line, in the neighbourhood the city’s Endymion first-aid list points to |
Not sure which area? Rank these areas for your trip: pick what matters and see the reasons.
6 January to 9 February: the dates and the parade schedule
Fat Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday. By our arithmetic, Easter Sunday in 2027 is 28 March, Ash Wednesday is 10 February and Fat Tuesday is 9 February, which is the date New Orleans & Company gives. That is eight days earlier than 2026, when Fat Tuesday was 17 February. Lundi Gras, the Monday, is 8 February.
New Orleans & Company’s 2027 parade list, which we read on 28 October, gives the order below. The same page says the 2027 parade dates and final routes are “coming soon”, and the City’s own Mardi Gras page showed “Stay tuned!” under upcoming parades, so treat the list as provisional.
| When | Parades listed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday 6 January | Twelfth Night, the season opens: Phunny Phorty Phellows, Funky Uptown Krewe, the Elysian Fields society and the Joan of Arc Parade |
| Saturday 16 January | Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus |
| Friday 22 to Sunday 24 January | Krewe Bohème (22); krewedelusion and Krewe du Vieux (23); Nefertiti and ‘tit Rex (24) |
| Friday 29 to Sunday 31 January | Cork, Oshun and Cleopatra (29); Pontchartrain, Legion of Mars, Choctaw, Freret, Sparta and Pygmalion (30); Femme Fatale, Carrollton, Barkus and King Arthur (31) |
| Wednesday 3 to Friday 5 February | Druids and Alla (3); Chaos, Babylon and Muses (4); Bosom Buddies, Hermes, d’Etat and Morpheus (5) |
| Saturday 6 February | Iris, Tucks and Endymion |
| Sunday 7 February | Okeanos, Mid-City, Thoth and Bacchus |
| Monday 8 February | Proteus and Orpheus |
| Tuesday 9 February | Crescent City, Elks-Orleans, Zulu and Rex |
New Orleans & Company says the three super-krewes roll on the Saturday, Sunday and Monday before Fat Tuesday: Endymion, Bacchus and Orpheus.
The route. The main route, in New Orleans & Company’s description, starts on Napoleon Avenue and Tchoupitoulas, turns down St. Charles Avenue towards downtown, and makes a final turn onto Canal Street towards the river. The City’s first-aid stations in 2026 were at Louisiana, St. Andrew, Howard and Canal along St. Charles, and for Endymion at South Galvez and Norman C. Francis Parkway on Canal Street and at Orleans Avenue and North Hennessey Street, which puts that parade in Mid-City.
The French Quarter. The Quarter’s own parades are smaller. NORTA’s list of French Quarter and Marigny parades for 2026 held five krewes: Chewbacchus, Bohème, Krewe du Vieux, Cork and Barkus, the dogs’ parade, which New Orleans & Company says runs the Quarter’s streets with their owners. All five are on the 2027 list above. The big float parades are the Uptown, Canal Street and Mid-City ones.
What the city did last year, and what 2027 will probably repeat
The City’s 2026 plan, announced on 2 February 2026, is the best guide to the shape of 2027. We have not used it as if it were current.
- Quarter access. The Quarter was managed through interior and exterior closures at peak crowd periods. Entry was limited to residents, hotel guests and people going to restaurants or permitted events. Taxis, rideshare, limousines and small buses could enter, and Bourbon Street crossings were limited to emergency response.
- The Uptown route. The city put concrete barriers along it and water-filled barriers in a serpentine on the lake side of St. Charles Avenue.
- Transit. The RTA suspended the Canal Street and St. Charles streetcar lines from Thursday 12 February, five days before Fat Tuesday, with a 24-hour bus bridge through Mardi Gras Day. The UPT/Rampart line stopped on Saturday 14 February, and normal service returned on Wednesday 18 February. Bus detours began two hours before each parade, and ferry service was enhanced.
- Alerts. The city asked visitors to text MARDIGRAS to 77295 for parade delays, cancellations and weather.
The same pattern in 2027 would put the streetcar suspension on Thursday 4 February. That is our arithmetic from the calendar, not an announcement. NORTA’s Mardi Gras page was still the 2026 guide when we opened it on 28 October.
Hotel taxes in New Orleans
The City of New Orleans publishes these hotel rates on its sales-tax page, and the Louisiana Department of Revenue lists the state and authority components:
| Charge | Rate |
|---|---|
| Orleans Parish sales tax | 5% |
| Louisiana sales tax on room rentals, 10 or more rooms at one location | 3% |
| Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District | 4% |
| Morial Convention Center (Exhibition Hall Authority) | 3% |
| Total for a hotel of 10 or more rooms | 15% |
| Hotel Occupancy Privilege Tax, per room per night | $0.50 for 1 to 299 rooms, $1.00 for 300 or more |
| Marketing assessment, where the property belongs to the visitors bureau or the tourism marketing corporation | an additional 1.75%, which the city says may be required |
| Economic development districts | French Quarter 0.245%, Riverwalk-Spanish Plaza 2%, Magnolia Marketplace 1% |
The city gives a higher combined rate, 17%, for hotels of nine or fewer rooms, with the state rate on those at 5%. The five-room Royal Street Inn is one, so ask what its bill will show. The state’s own FAQ lists the Stadium and Exposition District tax for rooms at hotels of 10 or more, so check a small property’s bill line by line.
Le Pavillon’s own policy page shows how this looks in practice: it quotes “16.75% hotel tax” on its fees, which is the 15% plus the 1.75% assessment, and a 13% parking tax on its valet, which matches the city’s 13% parking rate.
A worked example, our arithmetic. A $300 room at a hotel of 10 to 299 rooms carries 15%, which is $45.00, plus $0.50, so $345.50 a night. If the 1.75% assessment also applies, that adds $5.25, for $350.75 a night.
Getting in from the airport, and around
- From the airport: the airport lists a taxi at $36.00 to the CBD or the French Quarter west of Elysian Fields for up to two passengers, or $15.00 each for three or more, from Door 7 at Baggage Claim. The RTA Airport Express (202) costs $1.25 from Door 2, zones B4 and B5, to Elk Place at Cleveland or the Union Passenger Terminal. The JET Veterans-Airport (E1) bus costs $2.00 into New Orleans, to City Park Avenue. The 202 was on NORTA’s 2026 parade detour lists, so check it on parade days.
- On the streetcar and bus: NORTA’s fare is $1.25 a ride, $3.00 for a one-day Jazzy Pass and $8.00 for three days, and Le Pass is its app.
- On parade days: NORTA’s 2026 guide said the St. Charles streetcar detours started four hours before the Uptown parades and other detours two hours before, and that service ran on a weekend schedule on Mardi Gras Day. New Orleans & Company says it is difficult to get around during Mardi Gras and that walking or biking is the best bet.
- Alerts: text RTAUPDATES to 41411 for NORTA’s service alerts.
The French Quarter: balconies and walking krewes
The Quarter is the oldest part of the city, with ironwork balconies, Royal Street’s shops and Bourbon Street’s bars. The parades listed inside it are small krewes, not the big floats, and last year’s closure rules let hotel guests in at peak times. The cost is the crowd and the noise.
Where to stay in the French Quarter
How the hotel links work: a hotel’s name goes to its own website. “Check rates” opens it on Booking.com through our partner Stay22, which pays us a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you.
- Hotel Monteleone, splurge. At 214 Royal Street, a family-owned hotel open since 1886, with the Carousel Bar and Criollo restaurant, a rooftop pool and Spa Aria. The hotel says it has no resort fee. Choose it for a historic Royal Street address. Watch out: valet parking is $50 plus tax a night, and the Iberville Tower Superior King is 250 sq ft. Check rates on Booking.com →
- Hotel Mazarin, comfortable. At 730 Bienville Street, with 102 rooms, half a block from Bourbon and Royal, a complimentary hot breakfast, the Mazarin Wine Bar and the 21st Amendment bar. The hotel says most rooms have Quarter views suited to the Mardi Gras season. Choose it for a Quarter base with breakfast included. Watch out: it is half a block from Bourbon Street, valet parking is $50 a night, and the hotel puts the streetcar two blocks away. Check rates on Booking.com →
- Hotel Provincial, good value. At 1024 Chartres, in four restored buildings with a pool, courtyards, the Ice House Bar and the French Toast restaurant. Choose it for a courtyard hotel with a pool in the lower Quarter. Watch out: three of the four buildings have two storeys and no elevator, so ask for the elevator building if stairs are a problem, and valet parking is $45 a day plus tax. Check rates on Booking.com →
CBD and Warehouse District: where the route ends
The Central Business District is where the parades turn onto Canal Street. New Orleans & Company says hotels in the CBD and Warehouse District suit both parade access and nightlife, and that hotels along St. Charles Avenue or Canal Street fill up fast.
Where to stay in the CBD and Warehouse District
- The Windsor Court, splurge. At 300 Gravier Street, one block from the French Quarter by the hotel’s own account, with a rooftop saltwater pool, a spa, The Grill Room, the Polo Club and afternoon tea in Le Salon. Choose it for a quiet, residential luxury hotel beside the Quarter. Watch out: overnight parking is $56 plus tax, and at check-in the hotel charges the room rate for all nights plus $100 a night for incidentals, refunded afterwards. Check rates on Booking.com →
- Le Pavillon, comfortable. At 833 Poydras Street, opened in 1907 as the New Hotel Denechaud and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991, within walking distance of the Superdome, the Quarter and the National WWII Museum. Choose it for a historic hotel with a walk to the Quarter. Watch out: arrivals before noon pay $75 plus tax, valet parking is $55 plus a 13% parking tax, there is a $100 a night incidentals hold, and guests must be 21. Check rates on Booking.com →
- The Eliza Jane, comfortable. At 315 Magazine Street, in ten historic warehouses that include the old Daily Picayune and Peychaud Bitters buildings, two blocks from the Quarter, with the Couvant brasserie and The Press Room bar. Choose it for the Arts District and a character building. Watch out: the smallest rooms are 250 sq ft, and some have only interior atrium or Magazine Street views. Check rates on Booking.com →
Garden District, Lower Garden District and Uptown: on the St. Charles route
This is the St. Charles Avenue corridor of old mansions, with Magazine Street’s shops and restaurants alongside. It is the relaxed choice, and the streetcar normally runs along the avenue. New Orleans & Company says hotels around Uptown and the Garden District offer a more relaxed atmosphere while still close to the route. The catch is that the streetcar was replaced by buses last Mardi Gras and the street itself is the parade ground.
Where to stay in the Garden District, Lower Garden District and Uptown
- The Pontchartrain Hotel, comfortable. At 2031 St. Charles Avenue, a 106-room hotel that opened as luxury apartments in 1927 and became a hotel in the 1940s, renovated and reopened in 2016. The hotel places itself “along the St. Charles Avenue carnival route” with the streetcar at its door, and has the Jack Rose restaurant. Choose it for the route at the front door. Watch out: last year the streetcar at its door was suspended, with buses in its place. Check rates on Booking.com →
- Hotel Saint Vincent, comfortable. At 1507 Magazine Street, on the corner of Race Street in the Lower Garden District, a 75-room hotel built in 1861 and restored in 2021, with a pool, San Lorenzo restaurant and the guest-only Chapel Club bar. Choose it for Magazine Street’s restaurants. Watch out: it is on Magazine Street, not the parade avenue, and the smallest king room is 252 sq ft.
- The Chloe, splurge. At 4125 St. Charles Avenue, a 14-room hotel in a restored 19th-century Uptown mansion, with a restaurant, a saltwater pool and a complimentary Uptown breakfast. The hotel says its front door faces the Milan and St. Charles streetcar stop. Choose it for a house-like Uptown stay. Watch out: the hotel puts the Quarter just over three miles away, so you would travel by bus or rideshare on parade days.
The Marigny: music and a quieter edge
The Faubourg Marigny lies just downriver of the Quarter, past Esplanade Avenue. Frenchmen Street’s live-music clubs are a short walk, and it sits on the opposite side of the Quarter from St. Charles Avenue, so the big parades mean a bus or a rideshare. Last year’s Marigny parades, such as Krewe du Vieux, changed bus routes 8, 55, 80 and 91 and the Rampart and Canal streetcars.
Where to stay in the Marigny
- Hotel Peter & Paul, comfortable. A 71-room boutique hotel in a former school house, rectory and convent, steps from Frenchmen Street, with a heated outdoor pool, the Elysian Bar and an honor bar. Choose it for a distinctive stay near the clubs. Watch out: we found no Mardi Gras terms on the pages we read, so ask about minimum stays. Check rates on Booking.com →
- Royal Street Inn and Bar, good value. Five rooms above the R Bar at 1431 Royal Street, one block outside the Quarter and one block from Frenchmen Street. Choose it for a bar-and-bed stay. Watch out: a non-refundable 50% deposit is charged at booking, cancellations inside seven days forfeit the whole reservation, guests must be 21, and the bar is downstairs. Check rates on Booking.com →
Mid-City: the budget bed
Mid-City is the neighbourhood along Canal Street towards City Park. The city’s 2026 first-aid list put Endymion’s stations on Canal Street here, so this is the area for that parade, and the Canal Street streetcar was suspended last Mardi Gras.
Where to stay in Mid-City
- India House Hostel, budget. A hostel in Mid-City near the Canal Street streetcar, which the hostel puts ten minutes from the Quarter by streetcar, with dorms, private rooms with bathrooms, a pool and a communal kitchen. Choose it to spend less. Watch out: guests must be 18, free cancellation needs 72 hours’ notice, the maximum stay is 14 nights in any 30 days, and the Canal streetcar was replaced by buses last Mardi Gras. Check rates on Booking.com →
How to book New Orleans for Mardi Gras
- Count the tax. Add 15% and the per-night fee to every headline price, and 16.75% where the hotel collects the marketing assessment. Compare totals.
- Book early, with a way out. New Orleans & Company warns that rooms near the route fill fast. None of the 12 hotels publishes a Mardi Gras minimum stay on a page we read, but the Royal Street Inn’s deposit is non-refundable, and Le Pavillon and India House ask for 72 hours’ notice to cancel.
- Check the card hold. The Windsor Court charges the whole stay at check-in and Le Pavillon authorises the estimated charges, and both add $100 a night for incidentals.
- Match the nights. A stay from Wednesday 3 February to Wednesday 10 February covers the nightly parades and Fat Tuesday, with checkout on Ash Wednesday.
- Plan the streetcar around a bus bridge. Assume buses on St. Charles and Canal for the week before Fat Tuesday, and read NORTA’s 2027 guide when it appears.
- Compare totals. Our hotel booking sites compared goes through where to book, and where to stay in Rio for Carnival shows another carnival city’s dates and demand.
Entry for visitors who need an ESTA
US Customs and Border Protection says ESTA determines whether a visitor is eligible to travel under the Visa Waiver Program, does not decide admissibility, which CBP officers decide on arrival, and requires an e-Passport. It recommends applying as soon as you start planning. CBP’s ESTA FAQ says the fee has gone from $40.27 to $40.62, with the systems update effective on 16 October 2026. Apply only on CBP’s own site. For other passports, ask the US embassy: this guide does not give immigration advice.
All 12 at a glance
| Hotel | Area | Tier | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel Monteleone | French Quarter | Splurge | A historic Royal Street address | $50 valet, 250 sq ft entry room |
| Hotel Mazarin | French Quarter | Comfortable | A Quarter base with breakfast | Half a block from Bourbon |
| Hotel Provincial | French Quarter | Good value | A quiet courtyard hotel | Three buildings without elevators |
| The Windsor Court | CBD | Splurge | Quiet luxury beside the Quarter | Check-in hold and $56 parking |
| Le Pavillon | CBD | Comfortable | A historic walk to the Quarter | Early-arrival fee, $100 hold |
| The Eliza Jane | Warehouse District | Comfortable | A character building near the Quarter | 250 sq ft rooms, interior views |
| The Pontchartrain Hotel | Garden District | Comfortable | The route at the door | Streetcar replaced by buses |
| Hotel Saint Vincent | Lower Garden District | Comfortable | Magazine Street’s restaurants | Not on the parade avenue |
| The Chloe | Uptown | Splurge | A house-like Uptown stay | Over three miles from the Quarter |
| Hotel Peter & Paul | Marigny | Comfortable | A distinctive stay near Frenchmen Street | No Mardi Gras terms published |
| Royal Street Inn and Bar | Marigny | Good value | A bar-and-bed stay | Non-refundable deposit, bar below |
| India House Hostel | Mid-City | Budget | The cheapest bed | Canal streetcar replaced by buses |
Before you go
- Before you fly, sort out mobile data (the best travel eSIM and the best eSIM for the USA) and cover (the best travel insurance). For habits that matter in a parade crowd, see solo travel safety rules. Apply for your ESTA early if it applies to your passport.
Frequently asked questions
When is Mardi Gras in 2027?
Fat Tuesday is 9 February 2027, and New Orleans & Company gives the season as 6 January to 9 February, with parades every night from 3 to 9 February. The three super-krewes ride on the Saturday, Sunday and Monday before: Endymion, Bacchus and Orpheus. Its list marks the 2027 parade dates and final routes as coming soon, and the City's own page showed Stay tuned! on 28 October 2026.
Where is the Mardi Gras parade route?
New Orleans & Company describes the main route as starting on Napoleon Avenue and Tchoupitoulas, running down St. Charles Avenue and turning onto Canal Street towards the river. Endymion runs in Mid-City, on Canal Street. The French Quarter's own parades are smaller krewes such as Krewe du Vieux and Barkus.
Where is the best place to stay for Mardi Gras?
It depends on the kind of day you want. The Garden District and Uptown sit on the St. Charles route, the CBD and Warehouse District suit both parades and nightlife, the French Quarter has the oldest streets and walking krewes, the Marigny is near Frenchmen Street's music, and Mid-City has a budget hostel near the Endymion route.
Do the streetcars run during Mardi Gras?
Not all of them did last year. In 2026 the RTA suspended the St. Charles and Canal Street streetcar lines from the Thursday before Fat Tuesday, with a 24-hour bus bridge until normal service returned the Wednesday after. NORTA had not published its 2027 plan when we checked, so read its guide before you travel.
How much is the hotel tax in New Orleans?
The City of New Orleans publishes 15% for a hotel of 10 or more rooms: 5% Orleans Parish sales tax, 3% state tax, 4% Stadium and Exposition District and 3% Morial Convention Center. A per-night fee of $0.50, or $1.00 at 300 or more rooms, is added, and an extra 1.75% may apply to members of the visitors bureau. Hotels of nine or fewer rooms are 17% on the city's table.
Do I need an ESTA to visit New Orleans?
Visitors who travel under the US Visa Waiver Program need an ESTA and an e-Passport. US Customs and Border Protection says the fee has gone from $40.27 to $40.62, with the systems update effective on 16 October 2026, and that ESTA does not decide admissibility. Apply only on CBP's own site, and for other passports ask the US embassy.
Sources & further reading
- New Orleans & Company: Mardi Gras 2027 parade schedule and the ultimate Mardi Gras guide
- City of New Orleans: Mardi Gras information (NOLA Ready)
- City of New Orleans: public safety and preparedness efforts for Mardi Gras, 2 February 2026
- NORTA: Mardi Gras 2026 guide, including the detour information, French Quarter and Marigny parades and Uptown detours, and NORTA fares
- City of New Orleans: Orleans Parish sales tax rate, including hotel and motel
- Louisiana Department of Revenue: state sales tax rate for sleeping rooms
- Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport: public transportation, taxis and ground transportation
- US Customs and Border Protection: ESTA and the official ESTA FAQ
- Official websites of each hotel named above, checked in October 2026
Dates, rules, prices and hotel terms change, and the 2027 parade dates and routes, NORTA’s 2027 transit plan and the City’s 2027 safety plan were not yet published when we checked; where we describe last year’s arrangements we say so. Every hotel detail here was checked in October 2026; confirm minimum stays, rates and cancellation terms with the hotel before booking. These are researched picks, not reviews. This article contains affiliate links: hotel rates on Booking.com and other booking sites through Stay22, and tours, transfers and eSIMs through our partners; if you book through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. No hotel pays to be included.
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