Things to do in New Orleans – Tour the City on a Bike

A great way to explore New Orleans is by bike. It allows you to see places and areas you wouldn’t normally get to see without a car or if you stay only in the French Quarter. You can take a ride through neighborhoods like the Marigny and the Bywater, enjoy the eateries along Saint Claude Avenue, visit several parks, and bike down Magazine Street. We got our rentals from two companies; one in the Lower Garden District and one in the Marigny.

Here’s a quick run-down of what you can see on a bike ride in the Crescent City:

Painted Lady's Inn Faubourg Marigny New Orleans

Double Shotgun Faubourg Marigny New Orleans

In the Marigny, bike at your leisure past quaint and colorful houses;

Washington Park Faubourg Marigny New Orleans

visit Washington Square Park, developed in the 19th century and situated near the cafés and live music clubs along lower Frenchmen Street;

Piety Bridge Crescent Park New Orleans

Crescent Park New Orleans

head south to Crescent Park, a 20-acre linear riverfront green space

Crescent Park and Mississippi River New Orleans

offering scenic views of the city, as well as picnic areas and a dog park.

Jackson Square and St Louis Cathedral New Orleans

From here, it’s a short bike ride over to the French Quarter,

Louis Armstrong Park New Orleans

and then a straight shot from Jackson Square down Saint Ann Street to the Tremé neighborhood and Armstrong Park, a picturesque park and sculpture garden featuring bronze statues of jazz legends Louis Armstrong (the park’s namesake) and Sidney Bechet, among others.

Congo Square New Orleans

Just to the left of the main entrance is historical Congo Square, a place where slaves could meet, dance, and worship freely in the 18th and 19th centuries.

 St Roch Market Exterior St Claude Avenue New Orleans

Or, double back through the gridded Marigny streets and head north to Saint Claude Avenue to try something a little different for lunch or dinner.

For bike rentals in the Marigny visit:

A Bicycle Named Desire New Orleans 

A Bicycle Named Desire – offering sturdy – and attractive – bikes at reasonable rates:

  • 1/2 Day (4 hours) = $20

  • Daily anytime from opening to closing = $25

  • 24-hr rental = $35

  • Additional days = $25/day

A Bicycle Named Desire is located at 632 Elysian Fields in the Marigny neighborhood.

Sidewalk Tiles Magazine Street New Orleans

Magazine Street is another interesting area to visit by bike. This 6-mile stretch of road covers the full length of the ‘crescent’

Magazine Street New Orleans

and consists of several pockets of shopping and dining areas, where you’ll find quaint boutiques, art galleries, pastry shops,

Lush Cosmetics on Magazine Street New Orleans

and numerous bars and restaurants. To reach these hot spots, we recommend biking between Felicity Street and Audubon Park; if you find the traffic overwhelming along Magazine, an alternative is to bike along Camp Street and cross over to Magazine at the next hot spot.

For bike rentals near Magazine Street visit:

Arts District Bike Rental New Orleans

Bikes at Arts District Bike Rental New Orleans 

Arts District Bike Rental – they offer sturdy bikes for a flat fee  (24 hours = $20/bike).  We recommend choosing a bike with a basket AND a cup holder (no additional charge).  Arts District Bike Rental is located at 1121 Margaret Place, a 5-minute walk south from the National WWII Museum.

Nola Map icon

NOLA Guide Icon

Other destination icon


New Orleans CVB

3 Trackbacks

  1. By Things to do in New Orleans – Tour the Ci... 17 Jul ’16 at 12:25 pm

  2. By Eating your way down Magazine Street one dish at a time! 1 Aug ’16 at 8:48 pm

  3. By Getting around New Orleans using Streetcars 14 Nov ’16 at 3:24 am

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.
Required fields are marked:*

*

Time limit is exhausted. Please reload CAPTCHA.