Self-Launched Mardi Gras New Orleans: Six Days in the Big Easy
6 days · New Orleans, United States
G Adventures charges £2,200
No-markup version: ~£1,075 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A solo-friendly, self-launched take on G Adventures' limited-edition Mardi Gras trip: six days based in a hostel or budget guesthouse near the French Quarter, timed to Bacchus, the big Sunday parades and Fat Tuesday itself. You'll walk and ride the streetcar instead of a group coach, buy your own grandstand or ladder-side parade spots, join a public Fat Tuesday costumed bar crawl instead of a branded purple party, and eat your way through po'boys, gumbo and Café du Monde beignets. Mardi Gras is free to watch from the street — the real savings come from skipping the guide, the hotel markup and the festival-week package price. Costs are rough estimates in GBP per person and swing wildly during Carnival week, so book accommodation 6-12 months out.
Day-by-day
Arrive in New Orleans — French Quarter orientation on foot
New Orleans
Fly into Louis Armstrong New Orleans International (MSY). Skip the taxi (about £27-30) and take the Airport Shuttle (about £18) or, cheaper still, the RTA Airport Express bus to the CBD for roughly £1.60. Check into a hostel or budget guesthouse in the CBD/Marigny/French Quarter fringe — book months ahead as Carnival week prices triple. Spend the late afternoon on a self-guided orientation walk: Jackson Square, St Louis Cathedral, Royal Street's galleries and the Moon Walk along the Mississippi at sunset. Grab a po'boy for dinner and an early night before the parades ramp up. Note: the legal drinking age is 21 and is strictly enforced.
🚌Airport shuttle ~£18 or RTA Airport Express bus ~£1.60; everything else on foot
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse near the French Quarter (£30-55/night during Carnival week)
- →Self-guided French Quarter orientation walk
- →Jackson Square and St Louis Cathedral
- →Mississippi riverfront at sunset
- →Po'boy dinner
Uptown parades and the Bacchus parade
New Orleans
Morning free walking tour of the French Quarter with a local guide (free-to-tip, or book a small-group version on GetYourGuide for about £20) to get the history, architecture and Carnival context yourself. After lunch, take the St Charles Avenue streetcar (£1.20 per ride, or a £6 Jazzy Pass for the day) uptown and claim a spot on the neutral ground or sidewalk for the afternoon parades that roll into the evening. Bacchus is the big Sunday-night parade — you don't need a grandstand ticket: pick a corner along the route, wear comfortable shoes, bring a bag for catches and arrive 1-2 hours early to hold your spot. Alternate option: a paid bleacher seat through the Krewe of Bacchus or a resale ticket if you want guaranteed seating (roughly £40-70).
🚌St Charles streetcar ~£1.20-6 (day pass)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse near the French Quarter
- →Free-to-tip French Quarter walking tour
- →Streetcar ride down St Charles Avenue
- →Bacchus parade from the street route
- →Uptown neighbourhood wandering
Big parade day — Bourbon Street and the Garden District
New Orleans
The biggest daytime parade day of Carnival. Pick a route and stake out a spot: Endymion, Orpheus and the uptown krewes all roll over these days, so check the official nola.com/Mardi Gras parade schedule for exact times and pick two or three rather than chasing all of them. Midafternoon, walk Bourbon Street for the full sensory overload — live music spilling out of bars, balcony revellers and street performers. If the crowds get much, escape to the Garden District for a self-guided stroll past the mansions on Prytania Street (or a paid Garden District walking tour, about £22). Evening: catch a brass band at a Frenchmen Street venue (many have £5-10 covers) instead of paying a club entry markup.
🚌Walking; St Charles streetcar ~£1.20 if heading uptown
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse near the French Quarter
- →Daytime parades along the route
- →Bourbon Street wander
- →Self-guided Garden District stroll
- →Live brass band on Frenchmen Street
Fat Tuesday — Zulu, Rex and a public costumed crawl
New Orleans
Set an early alarm for the Zulu parade, which starts in the morning and is one of the most joyful of Carnival — free to watch from the street, or a bleacher seat if you book ahead. Then move to the Rex parade route along St Charles and Canal to see the King of Carnival pass. In the afternoon, do what the group tour does with a purple party but on your own terms: buy a purple costume or feather boa from a French Quarter costume shop and join the free-flowing costumed crowds on Bourbon Street and Frenchmen Street — plenty of bars host public Fat Tuesday parties with no cover. Finish with a late plate of red beans and rice, the traditional Tuesday dish.
🚌Walking; streetcar ~£1.20 each way
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse near the French Quarter
- →Zulu parade
- →Rex parade on St Charles
- →DIY purple-costume street party
- →Red beans and rice dinner
Recovery day — beignets, cooking class and a ghost tour
New Orleans
Slow start. Walk to Café du Monde in the French Quarter for café au lait and beignets (about £6) — go early or expect a queue. Then choose from the optional extras the tour left open: a Creole cooking class (book direct with a local school such as the New Orleans School of Cooking, about £25-40, or via GetYourGuide/Klook), a historical walking tour of the Quarter (about £22), or a ghost and vampire tour in the evening (about £22-25). Alternatively rent a bike (about £12/day) and ride the Lafitte Greenway or along the river. Evening: catch the sunset from Crescent Park in the Marigny.
🚌Walking; optional bike rental ~£12
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse near the French Quarter
- →Café du Monde beignets
- →Creole cooking class (bookable via GetYourGuide or direct)
- →Ghost tour (bookable on GetYourGuide/Viator)
- →Crescent Park sunset
Last beignets and departure
New Orleans
One last neighbourhood walk — the Marigny and Bywater are lovely in the morning quiet, with coffee shops and street art. Check out and take the RTA bus or airport shuttle back to MSY. If your flight is late, leave bags at the hostel and squeeze in a final po'boy.
🚌RTA Airport Express bus ~£1.60 or airport shuttle ~£18
🛏—
- →Marigny/Bywater morning walk
- →Final coffee stop
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,075 | £2,200 |
| Duration | 6 days | 6 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,125 per person (51%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,075
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched Mardi Gras New Orleans: Six Days in the Big Easy cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,075 per person for 6 days in New Orleans, United States. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £2,200 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,075 — a saving of roughly £1,125 (51%) per person.
How long is the New Orleans, United States trip?+
This itinerary runs 6 days, covering 6 day-by-day stops through New Orleans, United States.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a festivals, city-breaks, foodie trip through New Orleans, United States, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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