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.
Before you do anything else, send a pre-trip survey to the group about three weeks out. NOLA has specific variables — heat, walkability, French Quarter tolerance, dietary restrictions — that surface mid-trip friction if you don’t ask upfront. It takes ten minutes to build and saves you five days of competing preferences.
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.
For groups of 10-25 women, the large group girls trip guide covers the full spa-brunch-pool-Frenchmen arc in detail. If you’re based in Uptown, the Uptown girls trip guide runs Magazine Street by block.
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 guys weekend guide covers the full activity-to-bar arc, including golf options, fishing charters, sports bar strategy, and how to structure two nights without burning out.
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.
Picking Your Neighborhood
The neighborhood shapes the trip more than any single activity. For large groups, the choice usually comes down to where you can find the right rental.
| Neighborhood | Personality | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Bywater | Artsy, local, walkable to Marigny | Groups who want a real neighborhood feel and private pool |
| Lower Garden District | Residential, central, streetcar access | Groups who want Magazine Street and easy transit citywide |
| Marigny | Steps from Frenchmen Street | Groups who want to walk to live music every night |
| French Quarter | Loud, tourist-dense, central | Works for first-timers; harder to find large-group rentals |
| Uptown | Leafy, Magazine Street, excellent brunch | Groups anchoring around shopping and quiet afternoons |
For groups of 15+, Bywater and the Lower Garden District have the deepest inventory of large-group private villas. The Bywater vs. Lower Garden District deep comparison breaks down the tradeoffs in detail if you’re deciding between the two.
Where to Stay
For Large Groups
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:
- Assign one person to handle the rental payment and reservations
- Use Splitwise or Venmo to track shared expenses — our mid-trip budget tracking guide covers the mid-trip Splitwise audit and how to handle the inevitable “can we recalibrate?” conversation
- Agree on budget level upfront (bougie vs. budget)
- 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
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Create a shared album. Everyone adds photos. You’ll actually look at them later.
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Don’t over-schedule. The best moments happen in the in-between time.
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Split up sometimes. It’s okay if half the group wants to do something different for a few hours.
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Eat real meals. Don’t just drink. New Orleans food is too good to skip.
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One person = point person. Someone needs to make final decisions or nothing gets done. The trip roles assignment guide breaks down the logistics lead, restaurant lead, and finance lead so one person isn’t drowning in everything.
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Leave buffer time. People are always late. Build in slack.
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Do one nice dinner. At least one meal should be special.
Book Your Friends Trip
For large groups, you need one private house — not hotel rooms. Properties like Castleday Retreats (Bywater, private pools, up to 30 per villa) and The Syd (Lower Garden District, shared pool and hot tub, up to 22 per villa) keep everyone together and give you a real home base.