Royal Street
4.6(29)yelp
Downtown
Overview
Royal Street (French: Rue Royale; Spanish: Calle Real) is a street in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. It is one of the original streets of the city, dating from the early 18th century, and is known today for its antique shops, art galleries, and hotels.
Practical Info
Suggested Duration2.5-4 hours
Best TimeDelightful year-round, with the midday block from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM daily being the absolute pinnacle. During this window, several blocks of this legendary street are entirely closed to cars, turning into a pedestrian promenade. World-class street musicians, classical quartets, and jazz duos perform right on the asphalt under historic iron balconies.
Getting ThereRunning parallel to Bourbon Street across the entire width of the French Quarter. Vehicular traffic is blocked during peak hours with no street parking. Take either the St. Charles Streetcar or the Canal Streetcar to the Canal at Royal stop, step off, and turn north directly into the historic arts and antiques thoroughfare.
Travel Tips
- From 11:00 to 16:00 on weekdays and 11:00 to 19:00 on weekends, key blocks of Royal Street from St. Louis to Orleans Streets are permanently barricaded against all motorized traffic, transforming the corridor into a pedestrian-only zone with strict ticketing.
- While maintaining a safer retail environment than neighboring Bourbon Street, Royal Street's dense street-performer crowds serve as active hunting grounds for pickpocket rings; secure all high-value cameras and keep personal wallets deep inside front-facing pockets.
- Avoid curbside parking attempts within the narrow French Quarter grid as aggressive parking enforcement and private impound snatches operate 24/7; minimize vehicle break-in exposures by prioritizing secure indoor parking structures like the Omni Royal Orleans parking deck.
Reviews
Positive
- Compared to the notorious Bourbon Street next door, Royal is the definition of elegance and high art! The street is lined with stunning 19th-century balconies, packing huge visual impact.
- A paradise for antique collectors and art lovers; it's packed with high-end curio shops, estate jewelry boutiques, and fine galleries, displaying priceless historical timepieces and oils.
- During peak daytime hours, the street locks out vehicular traffic to become a pure pedestrian zone; NOLA's finest classical violinists and jazz street brass perform here for a romantic vibe.
- Dining infrastructure is excellent, hiding fine indie cafes with gorgeous plant-filled courtyards and Creole taverns, perfect for a slow afternoon wander, high-end shopping, and tea.
Heads up
- The high-end antique houses and galleries carry a steep barrier; many forbid casual photos, and some clerks display cold or dismissive attitudes to casual tourists who aren't high spenders.
- Prices for curios, luxury crafts, and boutique apparel along the strip are staggeringly high, carrying a severe markup tailored for wealthy travelers; budget tourists will struggle to buy.
- Concrete sidewalks are narrow, and with daytime pedestrian transformations, crowds get extremely dense; squeezing past street performer spectator circles with a stroller or wheelchair is exhausting.
- Curbside parking is strictly banned; the area sits in the French Quarter's tightest grid, so driving inside means creeping traffic and paying exorbitant rates at tight private garages.