Most Instagrammable Places & Best Views in New Orleans

The top pick in each category, at a glance.

• Algiers Point Levee & Ferry Landing

  ◷ Blue hour

  The definitive skyline vantage: the whole CBD lines up across the Mississippi from the west bank levee, superb at sunset and blue hour.

  Pro tip: Use a 24-70mm on a tripod; the river bends here, so time the sync of afterglow with tower lights for a balanced exposure across the water.

• Crescent Park

  ◷ Golden hour

  A riverfront park in the Marigny and Bywater with the arched 'Rusty Rainbow' pedestrian bridge and downriver skyline angles.

  Pro tip: Use the weathered steel bridge as a leading line at 35mm, then walk the wharf to stack the CBD towers behind the river's curve.

• Woldenberg Riverfront Park

  ◷ Blue hour

  A downtown riverbank stretch near the Aquarium with open sightlines to passing ships and the towers rising behind.

  Pro tip: Frame a moored steamboat or a lamppost as a foreground anchor at 35mm to give the low skyline some depth.

• Canal Street / Algiers Ferry

  ◷ Golden hour

  A moving vantage across the Mississippi that sweeps the skyline from mid-river as the boat makes the crossing.

  Pro tip: Shoot handheld at 1/500s or faster to counter the boat's motion; a 50mm keeps the CBD compact as you cross.

• Moon Walk

  ◷ Golden hour

  A French Quarter riverfront promenade beside Jackson Square that frames the St. Louis Cathedral spires against the river and downtown edge.

  Pro tip: Line up the cathedral spires over the promenade at 35mm, then wait for a passing paddlewheeler to add motion to the frame.

• The Fly at Audubon Park (Riverview)

  ◷ Sunrise

  An uptown riverbend green space where the skyline sits distant downriver above the levee and passing barges.

  Pro tip: Reach for a 135-200mm to compress the far CBD towers into a dense stack above the levee grass.

• Spanish Plaza

  ◷ Blue hour

  A riverfront plaza by the Riverwalk with a mosaic fountain foreground and the river sweeping toward the towers.

  Pro tip: Use the circular fountain as a reflective base and shoot wide at 24mm to lead from the tiles toward the skyline.

• Governor Nicholls Street Wharf

  ◷ Golden hour

  A working-wharf edge of the French Quarter with a downriver angle on the CBD past the river's bend.

  Pro tip: Frame the wharf's pilings as a leading line at 24mm and expose for the warm-lit tower faces across the water.

• Piety Street Wharf

  ◷ Golden hour

  A downriver Bywater vantage that stacks the skyline over the Mississippi's bend, quieter than the Quarter overlooks.

  Pro tip: Use a 70mm to compress the distant CBD over the river bend and keep the water in the lower third.

• Algiers Point Riverfront Path

  ◷ Sunset

  A low, quiet west bank corner where the towers reflect in the river sheen framed by oaks and the levee walk.

  Pro tip: Get low on the batture near the waterline and use the river sheen as a mirror; a 24mm exaggerates the reflected towers.

• St. Louis Cathedral (Jackson Square)

  ◷ Blue hour

  The triple white spires rising over Jackson Square are the city's signature silhouette, framed by the Andrew Jackson statue and manicured gardens.

  Pro tip: Stand at the far end of the square and use a 35mm to center the three spires above the Jackson statue as the sky turns cobalt.

• Cafe du Monde

  ◷ Golden hour

  The green-and-white striped awning and powdered-sugar beignets are pure French Quarter shorthand, busy from dawn to well past midnight.

  Pro tip: Shoot the beignet plate top-down in the morning light, then step out under the striped awning for the classic exterior at 50mm.

• St. Charles Avenue Streetcar

  ◷ Golden hour

  The olive-green streetcars, among the oldest continuously running in the world, rumble beneath a canopy of live oaks.

  Pro tip: Frame the approaching car head-on from the neutral ground and use the arching oak branches overhead as a natural tunnel at 50mm.

• Steamboat Natchez

  ◷ Blue hour

  The red paddlewheel sternwheeler on the Mississippi is a moving postcard, steam calliope and all.

  Pro tip: Post up on the Moonwalk riverfront and pan with the turning red paddlewheel using a slow shutter to blur the churning water.

• Bourbon Street

  ◷ Night

  Neon signs, wrought-iron balconies, and endless motion make the strip a chaotic, colorful frame after dark.

  Pro tip: Brace against a doorway and use a long exposure so the neon and passing crowds smear into ribbons of color down the narrow street.

• Frenchmen Street

  ◷ Night

  The Marigny's live-music row glows with hand-painted club signs and spill-out crowds, the local's answer to Bourbon.

  Pro tip: Shoot the stacked neon marquees of the Spotted Cat and d.b.a. from across the street with a 35mm to layer the signs against the night.

• Pirate's Alley

  ◷ Blue hour

  The narrow flagstone lane beside the cathedral, flanked by shuttered facades and Faulkner House Books, is moody and cinematic.

  Pro tip: Center the alley for a symmetrical corridor and let the gas-style lamps carry the eye toward the cathedral wall at 24mm.

• Crescent City Connection

  ◷ Night

  The twin cantilever bridges arc across the Mississippi, best paired with the downtown skyline from the West Bank.

  Pro tip: From Algiers Point, use a long exposure to catch the lit bridge spans with the skyline reflecting off the river.

• Garden District Mansions

  ◷ Midday

  Antebellum and Greek Revival homes draped in ferns and iron lace line the streets around Prytania and First.

  Pro tip: Shoot from the sidewalk corner to include a full facade plus the cast-iron fence, using f/8 to keep the ornate detail sharp.

• City Park Live Oaks

  ◷ Golden hour

  The park's ancient, sprawling oaks, some centuries old and draped in Spanish moss, form surreal green cathedrals.

  Pro tip: Get low beneath the widest branching oak near the Peristyle and shoot up into the moss with the late sun raking through the limbs.

• Algiers Point Ferry

  ◷ Blue hour

  The short ferry ride delivers the classic across-the-river skyline view, with the Natchez and downtown lined up over the water.

  Pro tip: Ride to Algiers, then shoot back toward downtown at dusk so the skyline lights mirror across the Mississippi at 35mm.

• Vue Orleans

  ◷ Golden hour

  The city's only true observation deck, atop the Four Seasons at the foot of Canal Street, with indoor and outdoor levels wrapping a full 360 over the Mississippi's crescent and the skyline.

  Pro tip: Press your lens flat to the outdoor glass railing, then face west over the river bend for the sunset across the Mississippi.

• Hot Tin at The Pontchartrain Hotel

  ◷ Blue hour

  A rooftop bar high on St. Charles Avenue in the Lower Garden District, looking back over the treetops toward the CBD towers and the river.

  Pro tip: Rest the camera on the terrace rail and use a 35mm to layer the oak canopy under the downtown skyline at dusk.

• Above the Grid at NOPSI Hotel

  ◷ Blue hour

  A CBD pool-deck rooftop with a close, elevated angle on the surrounding downtown high-rises.

  Pro tip: Shoot through the gaps between towers with a 50mm and expose for the office lights against the lingering sky.

• Monkey Board at Troubadour Hotel

  ◷ Blue hour

  A casual rooftop in the CBD that lines up the Caesars Superdome and the downtown cluster in one frame.

  Pro tip: Frame the Superdome's curve against the towers at 35mm and brace on the rail for the low light.

• Alto at Ace Hotel

  ◷ Blue hour

  A Warehouse District rooftop pool bar with a clean vantage on the neighbouring CBD skyline.

  Pro tip: Use the poolside edge as a leading line and a 24mm to pull the towers in behind the water.

• Rosie's on the Roof at Higgins Hotel

  ◷ Blue hour

  The National WWII Museum's hotel rooftop in the Warehouse District, with a sweep toward the skyline and the Crescent City Connection bridge.

  Pro tip: Compress the bridge span and downtown together with an 85mm as the deck lights come on.

• The Pool Club at Virgin Hotels New Orleans

  ◷ Night

  A Warehouse District rooftop bar and pool deck with an elevated night angle on the surrounding CBD.

  Pro tip: Brace on the rail for a long exposure that catches the tower lights above the illuminated pool below.

• The Rusty Rainbow at Crescent Park

  ◷ Blue hour

  A free, publicly accessible elevated pedestrian bridge in the Bywater that arcs over the rail yard for a raised river-and-skyline perspective.

  Pro tip: Use the bridge's height and a 35mm to layer the riverfront foreground under the distant downtown towers.

• Catahoula Hotel Rooftop

  ◷ Blue hour

  A small, intimate terrace in the CBD looking out over the low rooftops of the historic core toward the taller downtown blocks.

  Pro tip: Fill the frame with the surrounding rooftops at 50mm and expose for the warm streetlights below the skyline.

• Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral

  ◷ Blue hour

  The floodlit cathedral spires rise over the square, glowing white against the dark sky.

  Pro tip: Center the three spires from the Chartres Street side and expose for the lit facade at 24mm during blue hour.

• Steamboat Natchez at the Wharf

  ◷ Night

  The docked paddlewheeler lights up along the riverfront, its reflection rippling on the Mississippi.

  Pro tip: Set a tripod at the Toulouse Street wharf and use a 4-8s exposure to let the boat's reflection ripple smoothly.

• Bourbon Street Neon

  ◷ Night

  The dense neon signage is at its best after sunset, a river of color down the block.

  Pro tip: Isolate a cluster of signs with an 85mm and expose for the neon so the surrounding street falls dark.

• Frenchmen Street

  ◷ Night

  The music-club marquees in the Marigny glow with color and crowds spill onto the sidewalks.

  Pro tip: Stand mid-block with a 35mm and use a 1/30s pan to catch the marquees while letting passersby blur.

• Crescent City Connection

  ◷ Night

  The twin cantilever bridges arc over the Mississippi, their lights doubled on the water.

  Pro tip: Shoot from Algiers Point with a 50mm and a 15-30s exposure to stretch the bridge lights across the river.

• Algiers Point Ferry View

  ◷ Blue hour

  The full downtown skyline glitters across the river at blue hour, arguably the best night skyline shot in the city.

  Pro tip: Bracket exposures on a tripod to hold both the glittering skyline and the deepening sky over the water.

• Woldenberg Riverfront Park

  ◷ Night

  Long exposures of the riverboats and downtown towers mirrored along the calm river edge.

  Pro tip: Use a 10-stop ND and a 30s exposure to glass off the river into a smooth reflection of the lights.

• Royal Street Gas Lamps

  ◷ Night

  Wrought-iron balconies and flickering gas lanterns make moody French Quarter frames after dark.

  Pro tip: Look up at a balcony corner with a 35mm and expose for the lantern flame so the ironwork glows warm.

• Canal Street Streetcars

  ◷ Night

  The red streetcars trail light down the wide boulevard past illuminated storefronts.

  Pro tip: Brace at a median and use a 4s exposure to turn a passing streetcar into a smooth ribbon of light.

• Caesars Superdome

  ◷ Blue hour

  The vast domed roof lights up in shifting color, a glowing landmark over the downtown edge.

  Pro tip: Frame the full dome from Champions Square with a 24mm and expose for the roof lights during blue hour.

• Crescent Park

  ◷ Sunrise

  Sunrise over the Mississippi in Bywater with the downtown skyline upriver and the Rusty Rainbow arch nearby.

  Pro tip: Arrive pre-dawn and use the arched Piety Street bridge as a foreground with a 24-35mm as the river catches first light.

• Algiers Point Levee

  ◷ Sunrise

  Sunrise behind the CBD skyline seen across the river from the west bank, a classic two-in-one vantage.

  Pro tip: Face northeast from the levee and use a graduated ND to hold the bright dawn sky behind the silhouetted skyline.

• Lakeshore Drive on Lake Pontchartrain

  ◷ Sunrise

  Wide-open water horizon along the seawall for uncluttered lake sunrises far from the crowds.

  Pro tip: Face the open eastern horizon with a 35mm and keep the concrete seawall steps as a clean, minimal foreground.

• Bayou St. John at Magnolia Bridge

  ◷ Sunrise

  Still bayou water and the old Cabrini footbridge make a serene mirror for sunrise color in Mid-City.

  Pro tip: Shoot low near the waterline so the calm bayou doubles the sky, using the truss bridge as a diagonal lead.

• Woldenberg Riverfront Park

  ◷ Sunrise

  A riverbend promenade by the French Quarter where dawn light rakes across passing ships and the levee.

  Pro tip: Expose for the sky to render moored ships as silhouettes, then wait for a passing steamboat to fill the frame.

• The Fly at Riverview

  ◷ Golden hour

  West-facing Mississippi levee behind Audubon Park catches a big golden sunset over the water and barges.

  Pro tip: Face west across the river with a 24mm and time a passing barge to break the sun's reflection on the current.

• City Park Peristyle and Big Lake

  ◷ Golden hour

  Ancient live oaks and lagoon reflections give warm golden-hour light beside the 1907 colonnade.

  Pro tip: Let the low sun backlight the Spanish moss and use the still lagoon to mirror the peristyle columns at 35mm.

• Mardi Gras Fountain

  ◷ Golden hour

  A lakefront fountain ringed with krewe plaques, framing warm evening light over Lake Pontchartrain.

  Pro tip: Shoot west along the seawall so the fountain spray catches side-light while the lake glows behind it.

• Spanish Plaza

  ◷ Golden hour

  A riverfront plaza near Canal Street with a mosaic fountain and the Crescent City Connection downriver.

  Pro tip: Use the tiled fountain as a reflective foreground and a 24mm to pull in the bridge lit warm to the south.

• Bonnabel Boat Launch

  ◷ Golden hour

  A quiet Metairie pier on the lake with an unobstructed western horizon for calm sunsets.

  Pro tip: Frame the pier pilings as a leading line into the water and expose for the warm western sky over the open lake.

• Steamboat Natchez River Cruise

  ◷ Golden hour

  The classic way to shoot the CBD skyline from the Mississippi, with sightlines across the crescent bend of the river.

  Pro tip: Shoot from the open upper deck with a 24-70mm and use a fast shutter to stay sharp against the paddlewheel's vibration.

• Woldenberg Riverfront Park (Water's Edge)

  ◷ Blue hour

  The closest you get to water level on foot in the French Quarter, with ships and the far bank across the river.

  Pro tip: Get down near the wharf edge and use a passing tanker or the ferry as a moving foreground against the west bank.

• Kayaking Bayou St. John

  ◷ Golden hour

  A low, immersive vantage down the tree-lined bayou past the old Spanish Custom House and Cabrini Bridge.

  Pro tip: Keep the camera in a waterproof housing low to the surface and shoot up at the Magnolia Bridge with a 24mm.

• Creole Queen Paddlewheeler Cruise

  ◷ Golden hour

  The downriver angle opens up the port, the Crescent City Connection, and the skyline over open water.

  Pro tip: From the deck use an 85-135mm to compress the bridge and downtown into a clean stack over the river.

• Crescent Park

  ◷ Blue hour

  The Rusty Rainbow arch and riverfront lawns frame the CBD skyline across the bend from Bywater.

  Pro tip: Use the arched pedestrian bridge as a foreground frame around the lit skyline upriver at 35mm.

• Algiers Point Levee

  ◷ Blue hour

  The west-bank vantage stacks the French Quarter and CBD into one clean skyline across the Mississippi.

  Pro tip: Line up along the levee and use an 85mm to compress the downtown towers over the reflective river.

• The Fly (Riverview at Audubon Park)

  ◷ Golden hour

  Near-shore batture angles looking out at river traffic and the west bank upriver from Uptown.

  Pro tip: Shoot from the grassy batture back at passing barges with a 50mm to pack the river traffic tight.

• Municipal Yacht Harbor

  ◷ Blue hour

  Boats and masts in the foreground along the Lake Pontchartrain shore at West End.

  Pro tip: Line up the masts and moored sailboats as vertical foreground rhythm against the lake at 35mm.

• Moonwalk Riverfront Promenade

  ◷ Blue hour

  A water-level walk along the Mississippi with the widening river sweeping past the Quarter.

  Pro tip: Stand at the promenade rail with a 24mm to sweep the bend of the river against the riverfront.

• Hotel Monteleone Lobby

  ◷ Midday

  A grand French Quarter lobby crowned with crystal chandeliers and gilded plasterwork, a must for architecture photographers.

  Pro tip: Bracket exposures for the bright chandeliers and shoot straight up the marble columns to capture the ceiling symmetry.

• St. Louis Cathedral

  ◷ Midday

  Ribbed vaulting, ceiling murals, and stained-glass windows make for luminous interior frames above Jackson Square.

  Pro tip: Use a tripod and a wide lens down the central aisle, exposing for the stained glass to keep its colors saturated.

• Studio BE

  ◷ Anytime

  A cavernous Bywater warehouse filled with vivid, wall-to-wall murals by Brandan Odums.

  Pro tip: Shoot the murals with a 35mm and square up to each wall to keep the artwork undistorted in the low warehouse light.

• Faubourg Marigny

  ◷ Golden hour

  Crooked historic streets and pastel Creole cottages just downriver from the French Quarter.

  Pro tip: Use the narrow streets as leading lines and a 35mm to catch warm light on the candy-colored cottage facades.

• Garden District

  ◷ Golden hour

  Antebellum mansions and oak-lined blocks for elegant, timeless street shots.

  Pro tip: Shoot down the oak-canopied blocks with an 85mm to compress the mansions under dappled light.

• Pontalba Buildings

  ◷ Midday

  Long red-brick rows with lacy cast-iron galleries framing Jackson Square from the 1840s.

  Pro tip: Stand centered beneath the gallery and use a wide lens with a small aperture to hold the full length of ironwork in focus.

• The Roosevelt New Orleans Lobby

  ◷ Anytime

  A block-long gilded lobby with ornate ceilings and glittering chandeliers, a jaw-dropping indoor detail shot.

  Pro tip: Point straight up with a wide lens and bracket exposures to capture the gilded ceiling detail.

• Magazine Street

  ◷ Golden hour

  Painted storefronts, vintage signage, and eclectic boutiques for lively street photography.

  Pro tip: Roam Magazine Street with a 35mm and catch warm light on the painted brick and hand-lettered shop signs.

• Royal Street

  ◷ Anytime

  Antique shops, art galleries, and iron balconies packed with vintage French Quarter character.

  Pro tip: Use the shaded arcades and a 35mm to frame the layered cast-iron balconies receding down the block.

• Conservatory of the Two Sisters

  ◷ Midday

  A glasshouse in City Park full of palms and orchids for lush, green interior compositions.

  Pro tip: Come when overhead sun fills the glasshouse and use a wide lens low among the ferns for lush depth.

• Loyola University Marquette Hall

  ◷ Golden hour

  Tudor Gothic archways and towers along St. Charles Avenue make for storybook architectural frames.

  Pro tip: Frame the Gothic archways as a foreground portal and use a 35mm to catch the brickwork glowing in low sun.