Short answer: book a private infrared sauna at NOLA Chill, a plan that suits a clear head.
The NOLA Chill pricing page lists the private sauna at 6045 Magazine Street at $30 for 30 minutes on your own or $48 for two, and you pay after your visit. See private sauna times.
The usual safety advice is to skip a sauna after drinking, so a day without alcohol is a good day to book one. The room is private, for you alone or with up to three others. No membership is needed, and parking is right in front.
Why a sauna suits a day without drinking
A lot of what visitors are pointed to in New Orleans happens around a bar, so if you don’t drink, or you are taking a break, it helps to have something on the calendar that has nothing to do with a drink. A sauna visit is booked for a set time of 30 or 45 minutes, so it gives part of the day a real plan.
What you can book
A private infrared sauna
The sauna is a private room for one to four people, and one person books it for everyone. You choose 30 or 45 minutes, and that is the full time you spend in the room once it is ready. On your own it is $30 or $40, and for two it is $48 or $64. If you are traveling with friends who do drink, book the room for the morning or early afternoon, before anyone has had a drink, so the whole group can come.
NuCalm, if you would rather skip the heat
NuCalm is a 30-minute appointment with guided audio and an eye mask while you rest in a chair, for $40. It involves no heat or cold, and no meditation experience is needed. What NuCalm is walks through a session.
Compression or hydromassage for a seated rest
If a day on foot has left your legs tired, NormaTec compression is 30 minutes seated while sleeves inflate and release in sequence, for $30. Hydromassage is 30 minutes of warm water pressure under a dry bed surface while you stay fully dressed, also $30; it is machine pressure, not a hands-on massage.
| Visit | Time | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Sauna for 1 | 30 or 45 min | $30 or $40 |
| Sauna for 2 | 30 or 45 min | $48 or $64 |
| Sauna for 4 | 30 or 45 min | $72 or $80 |
| NuCalm | 30 min | $40 |
| Compression | 30 min | $30 |
| Hydromassage | 30 min | $30 |
Every price is on the pricing page, and if you choose the wrong option in the scheduler, staff can change it when you arrive.
Fitting it into your day
NOLA Chill is open every day, Monday to Friday 9am to 7pm, Saturday 9am to 4pm and Sunday 10am to 3pm, so this is a daytime or early evening plan rather than a night out. A 30-minute sauna followed by a compression session is about an hour, booked as two appointments back to back.
If you live here and want a regular plan
If you are cutting back at home, a regular sauna visit can take the place of a standing night out. Sauna packages lower the price per visit: five 30-minute visits are $125 and ten are $200, and five 45-minute visits are $160 and ten are $250. One package visit covers one or two people in the sauna room together, and packages last 12 months and can be shared or split between people. A third or fourth guest uses an additional package session or a charge that staff confirms. Students get 15 percent off eligible single sessions and packages, and military members, nurses and other first responders get 25 percent. The packages page has the full list.
Who should skip the heat or ask first
Check with your doctor first if you are pregnant, have a heart condition or blood pressure that is not under control, have a fever, or take medicines that change sweating, blood pressure or heart rate. Skip the sauna if you have been drinking, and step out early if you feel dizzy or unwell. If you have recently stopped drinking heavily, ask your doctor before you use heat. New or one-sided leg swelling, redness or unexplained pain needs a doctor’s advice before compression.
Frequently asked questions
What can you do in New Orleans if you don’t drink?
Book something with a set time that is not built around a bar. At NOLA Chill on Magazine Street, a private infrared sauna is $30 for 30 minutes on your own or $48 for two, and you pay after your visit.
Why is a sauna a good plan on a day without drinking?
The usual safety advice is to skip a sauna after drinking, so a day without alcohol is the day a sauna visit fits. If your friends plan to drink, book the room for earlier in the day so everyone can come.
Is there anything to do at night without drinking?
NOLA Chill is open every day, Monday to Friday until 7pm, Saturday until 4pm and Sunday until 3pm, so a sauna fits the early evening on a weekday but not late at night.
Can a group where some people drink book together?
Yes. The sauna room holds up to four people and one person books it, at $72 for four for 30 minutes or $80 for 45, and three people pay $63 or $72. Book it before anyone has a drink.
More to help you plan
- Things to do in New Orleans alone
- Where to unwind in New Orleans
- The infrared sauna room
- Whether to book 30 or 45 minutes
NOLA Chill is a wellness studio at 6045 Magazine Street, not a medical clinic, and a sauna visit is not a treatment for any condition.