Things to Do in New Orleans in June

VerdictFair
Ranked#10 of 12
PricesBudget

Stay in New Orleans in June

49 hotels in the Trip.com pool for New Orleans, from US$25 a night.

Opens Trip.com on Fri 4 Jun to Sun 6 Jun 2027; change the dates there.

June in New Orleans means heat and humidity, full stop. The average high reaches 31°C (88°F), but 78% humidity pushes the feels-like temperature well above that by mid-morning. Atlantic hurricane season begins on June 1, and afternoon thunderstorms hit on roughly 19 of the month's 30 days. If you have never experienced Gulf Coast summer, the air itself feels heavy. Your sunglasses fog the moment you step out of an air-conditioned restaurant in the French Quarter.

That said, crowds thin sharply after Jazz Fest wraps in early May, and hotel rates across the Garden District and French Quarter drop well below their February and April peaks. The Creole Tomato Festival takes over the French Market for a weekend in mid-June. NOLA Pride fills the Marigny and lower French Quarter later in the month. And Juneteenth, on June 19, brings cultural programming to Congo Square in Tremé, a site central to the city's African American heritage.

Most locals avoid outdoor activity between noon and 4 PM, and visitors should follow the same rhythm. Mornings before 11 AM are the window for walking tours, cemetery visits, and Jackson Square, a public space that has anchored the French Quarter since 1721. Afternoons belong indoors, whether at the New Orleans Museum of Art in City Park or over a long lunch in Bywater. By evening, temperatures ease enough for live music on Frenchmen Street, where first sets typically start around 8 PM.

Why visit in June

Hotel rates fall to near-annual lows after the Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest peaks, with summer pricing roughly 30-40% below those high points in the French Quarter and Garden District.
Major sites like St. Louis Cathedral, founded in 1794, and The Cabildo next door have shorter queues and more breathing room than peak months.
Creole tomato season starts in June, and restaurants across the city build special menus around this intensely flavored local ingredient that disappears by late July.
Sunset falls near 8 PM, giving you extended evening daylight for riverside walks or early music sets in the Marigny.

Worth knowing

The humidity is oppressive. Between noon and 4 PM, outdoor sightseeing goes from uncomfortable to exhausting, with heat-index values well above the already-warm air temperature.
Nearly daily afternoon thunderstorms bring lightning and temporary street flooding in low-lying neighborhoods like the Marigny and parts of Mid-City.
Hurricane season overlaps with your visit. June tends to be quieter than late summer, but the possibility still complicates travel insurance decisions and outdoor planning.
Some neighborhood restaurants in Bywater and Tremé close for staff vacations during the slow season, reducing dining options outside the French Quarter.

Best for

Think twice if

Weather measured 31° / 25°C 182mm rain · 19 rainy days · 78% humidity rains perceptibly ~2.4h/day · 65% of mornings dry

Crowds low

Pack Breathable cotton or linen layers, a packable rain jacket with a hood, waterproof shoes, insect repellent, and a light cardigan for heavily air-conditioned indoor spaces. Prioritize fabrics that dry quickly after sweat or sudden downpours.

June days in New Orleans follow a reliable pattern. Mornings start warm and hazy, with the air already sticky by 8 AM. Temperatures climb through a muggy midday into afternoon thunderstorms that typically blow through in 30 to 45 minutes. The rain tends to clear by 5 PM, the streets steam for another hour, and then a warm, still evening settles over the riverfront. Overnight lows hover near 25°C, so the air never fully resets. You might towel off after a shower and feel sticky again within 10 minutes.

Seasonal caution

Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30. June is statistically quieter than August or September, but named storms have formed in early June in recent years. Monitor the National Hurricane Center forecasts if a system develops in the Gulf of Mexico.
Heat index readings frequently exceed 40°C (104°F) during midday hours. The combination of temperature and moisture creates real heat-exhaustion risk for visitors not acclimated to Gulf Coast summers. Carry water and take shade breaks seriously.

Year-round climate

Averages from the last 5 years.

Monthly climate averages for New Orleans
Month	Avg high (°C)	Avg low (°C)	Rainfall (mm)
Jan	16	8	112
Feb	19	11	102
Mar	22	14	152
Apr	25	18	112
May	29	22	167
Jun	31	25	182
Jul	31	26	193
Aug	32	26	211
Sep	30	24	165
Oct	26	19	78
Nov	21	14	85
Dec	19	12	129

Holidays and festivals in June

Public holidays

Juneteenth National Independence Day(Juneteenth National Independence Day)18 June 2027

Best things to do in June

Swamp and Bayou Tours

outdoor

Guided boat tours through the cypress swamps and bayous surrounding New Orleans. Operators run from launch points near Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, about 30 minutes south of the city. Expect to see alligators, great blue herons, snowy egrets, and turtles up close in their habitat.

Alligator activity peaks in warm summer months. Nesting season makes sightings far more frequent than in winter or spring, and guides know where the mothers guard their nests.

Booking tipBook the 8 AM or 9 AM departure. Morning slots are cooler and tend to have better wildlife activity than afternoon runs.

Evening Walking Tours in the French Quarter

cultural

Ghost tours, history tours, and cocktail walking tours that wind through the streets of the Vieux Carré after dark. Most depart from near Jackson Square between 7 PM and 9 PM, covering about 1.5 km of ground over 90 minutes.

June's late sunset means tours start in golden light and finish after dark. Evening temperatures drop enough to make walking comfortable again after the daytime heat.

Cooking Classes Featuring Seasonal Ingredients

food

Several cooking schools in the French Quarter and Warehouse District run hands-on classes built around Louisiana ingredients. June classes typically feature Creole tomatoes, Gulf shrimp, and summer herbs in classic Creole and Cajun preparations.

Creole tomato season gives these classes a time-limited ingredient unavailable for most of the year. An air-conditioned kitchen is also a practical way to spend the hottest hours of the afternoon.

Booking tipWeekday classes tend to be smaller and more interactive than weekend sessions.

New Orleans Museum of Art and Besthoff Sculpture Garden

cultural

NOMA, founded in 1911, sits in City Park surrounded by live oaks and lagoons. The museum houses over 40,000 works spanning pre-Columbian to contemporary art. The adjacent Besthoff Sculpture Garden spreads 11 acres of outdoor art through a landscaped park with mature plantings.

The air-conditioned galleries are a genuine refuge from midday heat. The sculpture garden works best in early morning or late afternoon, when temperatures ease and the light softens through the live oak canopy.

Live Music on Frenchmen Street

nightlife

Frenchmen Street in the Marigny is the local alternative to Bourbon Street, with a half-dozen clubs within a 3-block stretch playing jazz, brass band, blues, and funk nightly. Sets typically run from 8 PM past midnight, and many clubs have open doors so you can listen from the sidewalk before committing.

Fewer tourists in June means easier entry to popular clubs. Some venues that charge cover during peak season drop or reduce the fee in the summer months.

Kayaking Bayou St. John

outdoor

Bayou St. John runs through the Mid-City neighborhood near City Park, offering calm, flat-water kayaking through a tree-lined urban waterway. Rental operators set up near the Magnolia Bridge on weekend mornings.

Early morning kayaking before 9 AM beats the heat. The bayou has more shade and cooler water temperatures than Lake Pontchartrain, and June's calmer weather means fewer wind cancellations than fall.

Booking tipAim for a 7 AM start. By 10 AM the sun is too direct for comfort on the water.

Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1 Tours

cultural

One of the city's most visited cemeteries, established in 1789, with above-ground tombs, ornate ironwork, and the reputed resting place of Marie Laveau. Tours run about an hour and are the only way to access the grounds.

Morning tour slots are available without the long waitlists common during Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest. Thinner crowds mean a more intimate experience among the 18th-century tombs.

Booking tipSelf-guided access is not permitted. Book through a licensed tour operator at least a few days ahead.

What to eat in June

In season: fruit

Louisiana Blueberries
Peak harvest from the Florida Parishes north of Lake Pontchartrain. The Crescent City Farmers Market on Saturday mornings is the best source, often sold by the flat directly from growers.

On menus now

Soft-Shell Crab
The last strong weeks of Gulf soft-shell season. Fried whole on a po'boy or served on a plate with remoulade sauce. The shells are entirely edible, crunchy outside and rich inside. Worth seeking out before the season winds down.

Street food peaks

Sno-Balls
Not a snow cone. New Orleans sno-balls use finely shaved ice that packs into a dense, smooth texture, drenched in syrups like nectar cream and wedding cake. June heat makes them a near-daily ritual, with stands across Uptown and Mid-City open until 9 PM through summer.

In markets

Creole Tomatoes
Louisiana's signature summer tomato, thin-skinned and intensely sweet-acid. Look for them raw on po'boys, in chilled soups, and as the star of seasonal salads during the few weeks they are available. The flavor is nothing like a grocery-store tomato.
Gulf Brown Shrimp
Inshore brown shrimp season runs strong through June. These smaller, sweeter shrimp turn up in gumbo, étouffée, and boils across the city, often caught that morning from Lake Borgne or Barataria Bay.

Regular events in June

Creole Tomato FestivalFree

A weekend celebration of Louisiana's signature summer tomato at the French Market in the French Quarter. Local chefs serve tomato-centric dishes, and vendors sell flats of Creole tomatoes by the pound. Live music stages run through the afternoon.

Mid-June weekend, typically the second weekend of the month

NOLA Pride FestivalFree

New Orleans' annual Pride celebration, centered in the Marigny and lower French Quarter with a parade, block parties, and events at venues across both neighborhoods. One of the largest Pride events in the American South.

Mid-to-late June, typically the second or third weekend

Juneteenth CelebrationsFree

Cultural programming, live music, panel discussions, and community events marking the anniversary of June 19, 1865. Gatherings center on Congo Square inside Louis Armstrong Park and other venues throughout Tremé.

June 19 and the surrounding weekend

Best places this June

Louis Armstrong Park and Congo Square
park
A park in Tremé with fountains, sculptural tributes to Louis Armstrong and other New Orleans musicians, and Congo Square, the site where enslaved and free people of color gathered to play music and dance on Sunday afternoons from the colonial era through the 19th century. Shaded paths and water features offer some relief from the June heat.
Tremé
The Cabildo
museum
The former seat of Spanish colonial government, built in 1795, now a Louisiana State Museum on Jackson Square. Exhibits cover the Louisiana Purchase, the Battle of New Orleans, Reconstruction, and the state's layered cultural history. Air-conditioned galleries make it a practical midday destination.
French Quarter
Audubon Park
park
A roughly 340-acre green space in Uptown with a 1.8-mile jogging loop beneath centuries-old live oaks. The canopy provides genuine shade relief in June. The park connects to the Audubon Zoo at its western end, reachable by walking or by the Magazine Street bus.
Uptown
Magazine Street
shopping district
A 6-mile stretch of independent shops, galleries, restaurants, and coffee houses running from the Warehouse District through the Garden District and into Uptown. The air-conditioned shop-hopping rhythm, a few blocks of walking followed by a cool interior, makes it a practical June activity.
Garden District to Uptown
Besthoff Sculpture Garden
garden
An 11-acre outdoor sculpture collection adjacent to NOMA in City Park, with over 90 works set among mature landscaping and lagoons. Visit before 9 AM to catch the best light and coolest temperatures. Spanish moss and live oaks provide pockets of shade even at midday.
Mid-City
French Market
market
An open-air market running several blocks along the French Quarter riverfront, with produce vendors, food stalls, and a flea market section. It hosts the Creole Tomato Festival in mid-June and has covered walkways that keep the worst of the sun off you.
French Quarter

Your packing checklist

Tick items off as you pack. Your progress saves in this browser.

0 of 8 packed

Lightweight linen or cotton clothingSynthetic fabrics trap heat against your skin in this humidity. Linen and cotton breathe, and June in New Orleans will test every fabric choice you make. Shop
Packable rain jacket with hoodAfternoon storms blow through with wind that makes umbrellas unreliable. A lightweight waterproof jacket stows in a daypack and dries within minutes after the rain passes. Shop
Waterproof shoes or sandalsStreet flooding in low-lying French Quarter blocks can reach ankle depth after a heavy storm. Leather shoes and white sneakers will not survive a week of daily downpours. Shop
Insect repellent with DEETMosquitoes are aggressive near the Mississippi River, Bayou St. John, and City Park, especially at dusk. Standing water after daily storms makes June particularly bad for bites. Shop
Refillable water bottle (1 liter minimum)Dehydration sneaks up fast in this humidity. Most bartenders and restaurant staff will fill a water bottle without a purchase. Carry it everywhere. Shop
SPF 50+ sunscreenThe UV index in New Orleans reaches 10-11 on clear June mornings. Reapply every 2 hours if you are walking, even on overcast days when the cloud cover is thin. Shop
Light cardigan or long-sleeve layerIndoor spaces, especially museums, restaurants, and the streetcar, blast air conditioning down to roughly 18-20°C (64-68°F). The temperature swing between the street and an interior is jarring enough to cause chills. Shop
Small quick-dry towelUseful for wiping down a park bench after rain, drying off sweat, or sitting on a damp streetcar seat. June in New Orleans is wet from every direction. Shop

Insider tips

The St. Charles streetcar line runs from Canal Street to Carrollton Avenue, roughly 6.5 miles through the Garden District and Uptown, for one of the cheapest fares in American public transit. In June it doubles as air-conditioned sightseeing. Sit on the right side heading uptown for the best view of the mansions.
Second-line parades still happen in June, mostly in Tremé and Central City on Sunday afternoons. Brass bands, dancing, and a crowd that grows block by block. They are free and open to anyone who follows the music.
The Crescent City Farmers Market holds a Saturday session that is the best place to buy Creole tomatoes, Gulf shrimp, and Louisiana produce directly from growers. Arrive before 9 AM for the widest selection and cooler browsing.
Restaurants in the French Quarter that seem overpriced during Mardi Gras often run legitimate summer specials and prix-fixe lunches in June. Ask about the lunch menu before committing to dinner pricing. The food is often the same kitchen, same quality.
When the afternoon storm hits, duck into a bar rather than waiting under an awning. The rain typically passes in under 30 minutes, and you will have a cocktail and air conditioning in the meantime. The bartenders expect it.

Avoid these mistakes

A 2 PM walking tour of the French Quarter or Garden District sounds reasonable on paper but is a mistake in June. The heat index at midday makes sustained outdoor walking risky, not merely uncomfortable. Book morning or evening tours instead.
A June itinerary filled with outdoor activities and no indoor alternatives will collapse by mid-afternoon. Museums, cooking classes, and long restaurant lunches are not backup plans in June. They are the main itinerary.
An umbrella alone will not handle a June thunderstorm. Afternoon storms arrive with wind gusts that invert umbrellas within seconds. A packable rain jacket with a hood is far more reliable, and most storms pass in under 30 minutes.
Long walks between the French Quarter and Uptown are common when the St. Charles streetcar covers the same corridor. The heat slows you down more than you would expect. A 20-minute walk in October becomes a 35-minute effort with shade stops in June.

Practical tips for June

Book restaurants for lunch rather than dinner when possible. Summer lunch specials at French Quarter establishments tend to be cheaper, and the experience is often better since kitchens are less rushed. Confirm hours at neighborhood spots in Tremé and Bywater before visiting, as some close for staff vacations in June. The St. Charles streetcar is air-conditioned and covers the Garden District to Uptown corridor, making it both transport and a cooling strategy between stops. Pick up electrolyte packets at a pharmacy on your first day. If you are attending NOLA Pride, the Marigny has the highest concentration of participating venues and street events. Most upscale restaurants on Magazine Street and in the Warehouse District still expect closed-toe shoes and collared shirts at dinner even in summer.

FAQ

Is June a good time to visit New Orleans?

June is a fair but not ideal time. The trade is straightforward. You get significantly lower hotel prices, thin crowds at every major attraction, and access to seasonal food like Creole tomatoes. In return, you accept daily humidity that makes outdoor activity uncomfortable by late morning and near-daily afternoon thunderstorms. If you can structure your days around morning outings and indoor afternoons, a June trip works well at a fraction of peak-season cost. For comfortable outdoor weather, October and November are the stronger months.

What is the weather like in New Orleans in June?

Hot and humid with near-daily afternoon storms. Expect high temperatures in the low 30s Celsius (upper 80s Fahrenheit) with humidity that makes it feel considerably hotter. Storms typically arrive in the early-to-mid afternoon, last roughly half an hour, and clear by evening. Mornings are the most comfortable window for outdoor plans. Overnight, the air does not cool down much, so the stickiness is constant.

Is New Orleans crowded in June?

No. June is one of the quieter months for tourism in the city. The Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest crowds are months gone, and the heat keeps casual visitors away. You will find shorter lines at St. Louis Cathedral and The Cabildo, easier restaurant reservations across the French Quarter, and more breathing room at Jackson Square and along the riverfront. Weekdays in particular feel noticeably calm.

Is it worth visiting New Orleans during hurricane season?

June is the opening month of Atlantic hurricane season, but it is statistically the quietest month in the season. The peak runs from mid-August through October. Most June trips are unaffected by tropical weather. That said, travel insurance with weather-cancellation coverage is worth the cost, and keeping an eye on National Hurricane Center forecasts is sensible. The risk is real but low in June relative to the rest of the season.

What should I pack for New Orleans in June?

Lightweight breathable clothing in cotton or linen, a packable rain jacket with a hood, waterproof shoes or sandals, insect repellent with DEET, and a refillable water bottle are the essentials. Indoor spaces across the city run extremely cold air conditioning, so a light cardigan or long-sleeve layer is worth the bag space for the temperature swing between outdoor heat and 18°C restaurant interiors.