New Orleans Bar Crawl Guide 2026
Bourbon Street, Frenchmen Street & the Bywater
New Orleans invented the American bar crawl. Open container laws, 300 years of celebration culture, and the most concentrated live music scene outside Nashville.
The Best Bar Crawl in New Orleans: The City That Invented the Night Out
New Orleans invented the American bar crawl. The combination of a culture that has celebrated public drinking for 300 years, the most concentrated live music scene outside of Nashville, open container laws that let you carry your drink between bars, and a historic architecture that makes every block feel like a stage set — there is no city in America where the bar crawl is more deeply woven into the DNA of daily life.
This guide covers the three essential zones: Bourbon Street for the spectacle that every visitor owes themselves at least once, Frenchmen Street for the live jazz that makes New Orleans unlike anywhere on earth, and the Bywater and Marigny for the local bars that the city's musicians, chefs, and artists actually drink in.
Open Container Laws: The New Orleans Advantage
Before anything else — New Orleans allows open containers in public. You can walk between bars with your drink, sit on a stoop with a Hurricane, and move through the French Quarter with a go-cup from any bar. This is not a detail — it is the fundamental fact that makes New Orleans the greatest bar crawl city in America. The entire city is your bar.
Explore on the Map
Click on bar markers to see details. Select a crawl route below to visualize the path.
The Three New Orleans Bar Crawl Zones
Bourbon Street
The French Quarter Spectacle
Bourbon Street is simultaneously the most famous and most misunderstood bar street in America. First-time visitors often dismiss it as a tourist trap — and by 11pm on a Saturday it genuinely is. But Bourbon Street between 7pm and 10pm, before the beads-and-body-shots crowd fully takes over, is an extraordinary experience. The sheer concentration of live music, the open storefronts pouring sound onto the street, and the historic architecture are irreplaceable.
Preservation Hall
726 St Peter Street
The most important jazz venue in the world. Founded in 1961 to preserve traditional New Orleans jazz. 45-minute sets, standing room only, no drinks inside. Tickets $25, must reserve in advance.
Pat O'Brien's
718 St Peter Street
The birthplace of the Hurricane cocktail and one of America's most famous bars. The twin flaming fountain courtyard is one of New Orleans' most photographed spaces.
Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop
941 Bourbon Street
One of the oldest bar buildings in the United States, constructed between 1722 and 1732. Lit entirely by candlelight with no electric lights — one of the most atmospheric bars in America.
Carousel Bar at Hotel Monteleone
214 Royal Street
The only revolving bar in New Orleans, turning one full rotation every 15 minutes. The Vieux Carré cocktail (rye, cognac, sweet vermouth, Bénédictine, bitters) was invented here in 1938.
Cane & Table
1113 Decatur Street
The French Quarter's best cocktail bar. Proto-Tiki, rum-focused, in a beautiful 19th-century building. The rum punch is exceptional and the knowledge behind the bar is the highest in the French Quarter.
New Orleans Bar Crawl Routes by Occasion
The First-Timer's Crawl
Experience the full New Orleans bar crawl from Bourbon Street to Frenchmen.
Hurricane experience
Book tickets in advance
Candlelit atmosphere
10-minute walk
Live jazz
Brass band
Late-night dancing
The Jazz Lover's Crawl
Deep dive into New Orleans' legendary jazz culture.
Ticketed show, book ahead
Live jazz
Late-night wind-down
The Bachelorette Crawl
Cocktails, dancing, and the best New Orleans experiences.
Revolving bar photo moment
Serious cocktails
Dancing
Late-night garden
Frequently Asked Questions
Book a Guided New Orleans Bar Crawl with BarCrwlr
Knowing when to leave Bourbon Street, how to find a spot at the Spotted Cat before it fills, and which Bywater bar has the best music on any given night — this is the local knowledge that separates a good New Orleans night from an unforgettable one.