Friends

New Orleans Friends Trip Guide

Plan a friends getaway to New Orleans. Girls trips, guys weekends, friend reunions for groups of 11-30.

Last updated: January 2026

The group chat has been talking about “doing a trip” for years. Someone finally picked a date. Now you need to actually make it happen.

New Orleans is perfect for this. It’s the rare city where you can do absolutely nothing and still have a great time—or pack every hour with activities. The vibe adjusts to whatever your group wants.

What Kind of Friends Trip?

Girls Trip

Pool days. Long dinners. Dancing. Maybe a spa afternoon. Definitely some day drinking.

Best for: Groups who want to catch up, celebrate, and have a “treat yourself” weekend.

Key ingredients: Good rental with pool, brunch reservations, Frenchmen Street at night.

Guys Weekend

Golf or fishing in the morning. Watching sports in the afternoon. Going out at night. Repeat.

Best for: Groups who want activities during the day and bars at night.

Key ingredients: Book the activity first, find a place to watch games, hit Frenchmen Street.

The Annual Crew Trip

College friends who scatter but reunite once a year. Everyone’s in different life stages but you still click.

Best for: Mixed groups, different interests, needs flexibility.

Key ingredients: Big rental where everyone can gather, mix of planned and unplanned time.

Friend Reunion

You used to be inseparable. Now you’re spread across the country. Time to fix that.

Best for: Groups that need quality catch-up time, not just party time.

Key ingredients: House with good common space, dinners at the house, meaningful conversations.

Where to Stay

For Groups of 11-30

The whole point is being together. You need one rental, not scattered hotel rooms.

Castleday Retreats — Three private villas in the Bywater, each sleeping up to 30. Private pools, full kitchens. Perfect for groups who want their own space.

The Syd — Multiple villas in the Lower Garden District, each sleeping up to 22. Shared heated pool, hot tub, outdoor kitchen. Great location, more social vibe.

Sample Itinerary: Long Weekend

Thursday: Arrivals

Evening:

  • Early arrivals settle in
  • Grocery/bar setup
  • Low-key dinner at the house or nearby
  • Catching up, drinks by the pool

Friday: Ease Into It

Morning:

  • Sleep in
  • Coffee, breakfast at the house
  • Pool time

Afternoon:

  • Explore the neighborhood
  • Late lunch at Bacchanal Wine (wine garden, live music, perfect vibe)
  • More pool time

Evening:

  • Dinner out: Compère Lapin, Pêche, or Herbsaint
  • Frenchmen Street for live music
  • Stay out as late as you want—no last call

Saturday: The Big Day

Morning (pick your adventure):

  • Pool + recovery
  • Garden District walking tour
  • Magazine Street shopping/brunch
  • Golf (for that group)

Afternoon:

  • Return to home base
  • Pool, games, music, hanging out
  • Pre-game for the night

Evening:

  • Big dinner: Commander’s Palace or Cochon
  • French Quarter lap (get it out of your system)
  • Frenchmen Street for real music
  • Late night wherever it leads

Sunday: Wind Down

Morning:

  • Slow start
  • Beignets at Café Du Monde
  • Bloody Marys

Afternoon:

  • Final pool session
  • Pack up
  • Departures

Activities by Interest

For the Active Crew

Activity What it is
Golf TPC Louisiana, Audubon Park, City Park
Biking Flat city, rent bikes, explore neighborhoods
Kayaking Bayou St. John, easy paddle
Swamp tour Airboats, alligators

For the Chill Crew

Activity What it is
Pool day Your rental, no reservations needed
Bacchanal Wine Wine garden with live jazz
Spa day Belladonna, NOLA Bliss
Magazine Street Shopping, eating, wandering

For the Foodies

Activity What it is
Food tour Guided walk through neighborhoods
Cooking class Learn to make gumbo/beignets
Restaurant crawl Pick a neighborhood, hit 3-4 spots
Cocktail tour Classic bars, craft cocktails

For the Music Lovers

Activity What it is
Frenchmen Street 3 blocks of live music clubs
Preservation Hall Traditional jazz, intimate venue
Jazz Fest If your timing works (April/May)
Second line parade If one’s happening during your trip

Best Restaurants for Groups

Dinner (Make Reservations)

Restaurant Vibe Group size
Compère Lapin Caribbean-influenced, stylish 15-20
Cochon Southern, meat-heavy 20+
Pêche Seafood, raw bar 20+
Commander’s Palace Classic, celebratory 15-25
Herbsaint Wine bar, excellent 12-15

Casual (Walk In)

Spot What to get
Bacchanal Wine Wine, cheese, live music
Dat Dog Gourmet hot dogs
Turkey and the Wolf Best sandwiches in America
Cane & Table Rum drinks, small plates

The Money Conversation

Get this sorted before the trip:

  1. Assign one person to handle the rental payment and reservations
  2. Use Splitwise or Venmo to track shared expenses
  3. Agree on budget level upfront (bougie vs. budget)
  4. Handle individual extras separately (spa treatments, shopping, etc.)

Budget Breakdown (Per Person, 3 Days)

Style Accommodations Food/Drinks Activities Total
Budget $75-100 $150-200 $50 $275-350
Mid-range $125-175 $250-350 $100 $475-625
Bougie $200-300 $400-500 $200 $800-1000

Pro Tips

  1. Create a shared album. Everyone adds photos. You’ll actually look at them later.

  2. Don’t over-schedule. The best moments happen in the in-between time.

  3. Split up sometimes. It’s okay if half the group wants to do something different for a few hours.

  4. Eat real meals. Don’t just drink. New Orleans food is too good to skip.

  5. One person = point person. Someone needs to make final decisions or nothing gets done.

  6. Leave buffer time. People are always late. Build in slack.

  7. Do one nice dinner. At least one meal should be special.

Book Your Friends Trip

For groups of 11-30: