Quick Verdict
Pick New Orleans for Frenchmen brass bands, dark gumbo, and Carnival's February balcony chaos. Pick Savannah for Forsyth Park's Spanish moss, Olde Pink House shrimp-and-grits, and Marshall House ghost-tour calm.
Can't pick? Visit both.
Build a trip that includes New Orleans and Savannah, with complementary stops we'll suggest.
🤝 It's a tie — both rated 71 OVR
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New Orleans
United States
Savannah
United States
New Orleans
Savannah
How do New Orleans and Savannah compare?
The two great Southern walking cities — both built on humidity, both with open-container laws, and both genuinely unlike anywhere else in the country. New Orleans hits harder and louder: brass bands rolling down Frenchmen Street at midnight, gumbo so dark it stains the spoon, French Quarter balconies dripping in February for Carnival, and a drinking culture that absorbs you within an hour. Savannah is the quieter sister — Spanish moss draped across Forsyth Park, ghost tours past the haunted Marshall House, shrimp and grits at The Olde Pink House, and a 22-square historic grid that rewards aimless walking with a to-go cup.
Savannah is friendlier on the wallet at $130/day mid-range against $140 in New Orleans, and the lodging gap is real — NOLA surges hard during festivals and conventions while Savannah's historic-district inns hold steadier. New Orleans wins on food depth, live music, and overall scale. Savannah wins on safety (the historic core reads notably calmer in nighttime walking), architectural intactness, and the feeling that you can actually hear yourself think. Both are walkable, but Savannah's grid is more forgiving for first-timers.
Both peak February through April and again October–November; July and August deliver 90-degree humidity and afternoon thunderstorms that will end your plans. There's no direct flight between the two; the drive is 8 hours through Mobile and Tallahassee, or you can connect through Atlanta in 4 hours of total travel. Pro tip: if you do both, hit Savannah first as a warm-up and end in New Orleans where the energy peaks. Pick New Orleans if you want music, food, and chaos; pick Savannah if you want the South to actually let you breathe.
💰 Budget
🛡️ Safety
New Orleans
New Orleans has higher violent crime rates than most US tourist cities, but crime is heavily concentrated in specific neighborhoods. Tourist areas (French Quarter during day, Garden District, Warehouse District, Frenchmen Street) are generally safe. Pickpocketing and phone theft on Bourbon Street are common. After-hours crime spikes outside these zones.
Savannah
The historic district is generally safe during the day and into the evening, with a heavy tourist-police presence and well-lit main streets. Savannah has a higher violent-crime rate than Charleston by raw numbers, mostly concentrated in neighborhoods north and west of the historic district that tourists rarely visit. The most common visitor issues are car break-ins, aggressive panhandling near River Street, and overdoing it on to-go cups.
🌤️ Weather
New Orleans
New Orleans has a humid subtropical climate — hot and sticky for most of the year, with short, mild winters. Summer humidity is famously oppressive, and afternoon thunderstorms are near-daily from June through September. Hurricane season runs June through November.
Savannah
Savannah has a humid subtropical climate — mild winters, long pollen-heavy springs, and notoriously muggy summers where the heat index regularly crosses 105°F. Hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, with highest risk in August-September. Spring (March-May) and late autumn (October-November) are the clear sweet spots.
🚇 Getting Around
New Orleans
New Orleans is compact and walkable in its tourist core. The Regional Transit Authority (RTA) runs historic streetcars, buses, and ferries. A Jazzy Pass offers unlimited rides. Driving downtown is difficult — streets are narrow, parking is scarce and expensive, and the one-way grid is confusing.
Walkability: The French Quarter, Marigny, CBD, and Warehouse District are highly walkable. The Garden District, Bywater, and Mid-City are walkable once you've arrived, but you'll want a streetcar or rideshare to get between districts. Sidewalks in the Quarter can be uneven — watch for broken flagstones, especially at night.
Savannah
Savannah's historic district is small, flat, and gorgeously walkable — the entire square grid is about 1 mile by 1.5 miles. The DOT (Downtown Transportation) shuttle runs for free through the historic district, which solves most in-town needs. Rideshare fills the gaps, and a rental car is worth it only if you're doing Tybee Island or the plantations. Bikes are a great option in the flat, shaded squares.
Walkability: The historic district is one of the most walkable neighborhoods in the American South — designed in 1733 as a pedestrian grid, flat, deeply shaded by live oaks, with a square to rest in every 2-3 blocks. The main hazards are uneven brick sidewalks and the cobblestones on River Street. Outside the historic district and Starland, the city becomes car-dependent fast.
📅 Best Time to Visit
New Orleans
Feb–Apr, Oct–Nov
Peak travel window
Savannah
Mar–May, Oct–Nov
Peak travel window
The Verdict
Choose New Orleans if...
you want America's most culturally distinct city — Creole and Cajun food, jazz on Frenchmen Street, and French Quarter magic
Choose Savannah if...
you want Spanish-moss cobblestones, open-container historic squares, and low-country cuisine in America's most perfectly preserved colonial grid
New Orleans
Savannah
Frequently asked
Is New Orleans or Savannah cheaper?
New Orleans is cheaper on average. A mid-range day in New Orleans costs about $265 vs $290 in Savannah, so New Orleans saves you roughly $25 per day compared to Savannah.
Is New Orleans or Savannah safer?
Savannah scores higher on our safety index (70/100 vs 55/100). The historic district is generally safe during the day and into the evening, with a heavy tourist-police presence and well-lit main streets.
Which has better weather, New Orleans or Savannah?
New Orleans has the more temperate climate year-round. New Orleans has a humid subtropical climate — hot and sticky for most of the year, with short, mild winters. Summer humidity is famously oppressive, and afternoon thunderstorms are near-daily from June through September. Hurricane season runs June through November.
When is the best time to visit New Orleans vs Savannah?
New Orleans peaks in Feb–Apr, Oct–Nov. Savannah peaks in Mar–May, Oct–Nov. Both peak in Mar–Apr, Oct–Nov, so a single trip pairs them naturally.
How long is the flight from New Orleans to Savannah?
Roughly 1h 38m on a direct flight (about 888 km / 551 mi). One-way fares typically run $120-350 depending on season and how far in advance you book.
How do daily costs in New Orleans and Savannah compare?
In New Orleans: budget ~$80-130/day, mid-range ~$200-330/day, luxury ~$500+/day. In Savannah: budget ~$80-140/day, mid-range ~$200-380/day, luxury ~$550+/day.
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