The big Easy, the Crescent City, NOLA. Whatever you decide to call it, there’s no denying that new Orleans is one of the coolest cities in the US! With a lively culture, fascinating history, and world-class culinary, music, and nightlife scenes, new Orleans is a fantastic travel destination.
While new Orleans is popular for its epic festivals (Mardi Gras!), there’s much a lot more to the city than its yearly carnival. In this guide, we’ll take a look at some of the best things to do in new Orleans to help you plan an unforgettable trip there.
The city’s motto is “let the good times roll,” and that’s precisely what you’ll do on a trip to new Orleans.
Whether you’re catching some live music on Frenchmen Street, feasting on gumbo and jambalaya, or just wandering the streets with a massive to-go cocktail, you’re pretty much guaranteed a good time.
I’ve been to the big easy a few times now, and whenever I go I find something new to love about the city — even just on a weekend trip.
There’s just something about the energy of new Orleans that’s hard to put into words, but I’ll do my best.
If you’re wondering what to do in new Orleans, this post will give you a good start!
Obsah
1. get lost in the French Quarter
2. See live music on Frenchmen Street
3. All things Mardi Gras
4. walking excursion of the garden District
5. Feast on standard Food
6. attend local Festivals
7. visit a few Museums
8. Take a Swamp Tour
9. eat Beignets at cafe du Monde
10. stroll Along the Riverfront
11. go on a River Cruise
12. Drink: new Orleans Style
13. explore the Bywater District
14. try Your luck at the Casino or Track
15. visit a national historical Park
16. Cheer on the local Teams
17. NOMA (New Orleans museum of Art)
18. chill Out in City Park
19. Day trip to a Plantation
20. See a show at Preservation Hall
21. party on Bourbon Street
Bonus! join a Ghost Tour
Now You know What To do in new Orleans
1. get lost in the French Quarter
For a lot of visitors to NOLA, their trip is centered around the French Quarter. This is one of the city’s a lot of historic neighborhoods, and is often called the Crown jewel of new Orleans.
Known locally as the Vieux Carré, this area was founded by the French back in 1718 along the banks of the mighty Mississippi River.
Unfortunately, a lot of of the French colonial buildings were destroyed by fire. a lot of of the buildings you see today were actually built during a time of Spanish rule, although French tastes remained.
These days, the French Quarter is the vacationer center of new Orleans. here you’ll find many hotels, restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars.
There’s also plenty of sightseeing to be done here, with popular landmarks such as Jackson Square and the St. Louis Cathedral as well as lots of of the city’s best museums.
One of the best things to do in new Orleans is simply getting lost in the French Quarter. It’s a relatively compact area and there’s something interesting around every corner, so go ahead and just wander. Be sure to bring your camera, as there are lots of amazing photo ops in this historic neighborhood.
If you’d like a bit of support on your exploration of the French Quarter, you can always sign up for a complimentary walking tour. complimentary excursions By Foot uses excursions at 10AM Thursday-Tuesday and also at 2PM on Thursday-Monday.
Looking for the best hotels on Bourbon Street? check out our epic post on where to stay in new Orleans to learn a lot more about the French Quarter and the top accommodation options.
2. See live music on Frenchmen Street
New Orleans is known as the birthplace of jazz, which is said to have developed from drumming and voodoo rituals here before the Civil War. music has been an integral part of the culture of the city ever since.
While there’s live music anywhere you go in the big Easy, one of the best places to jam out is Frenchmen Street. A 3-block section of the street in the city’s Faubourg Marigny neighborhood is home to dozens of live music venues, which are rocking every night of the week. It’s absolutely one of the top new Orleans attractions.
Some bars on Frenchmen street have a cover charge, but lots of of them don’t. This allows you to bounce around and catch several different bands in one night.
On your way in between bars, you’ll likely find marching bands jamming out in the street. I told you music is anywhere in new Orleans!
3. All things Mardi Gras
We can’t talk about the best things to do in new Orleans and not mention Mardi Gras. The first Mardi Gras parade happened in new Orleans back in the 1830s, and the party hasn’t stopped since.Mardi Gras is one of the most popular parties in the world, and rightfully so. It’s an exceptionally festive time full of music, parades, costumes, and of course plenty of colorful beads.
While the most popular time to visit NOLA during Mardi Gras is the extended weekend before Ash Wednesday, there are events going on for several weeks leading up to it.
Be sure to check the parade schedule to see what’s happening, and absolutely book your accommodation well in advance.
Even if you don’t make it to new Orleans for the actual Mardi Gras celebrations, you can still experience this world-famous holiday.
Head to Mardi Gras world to see where the floats are made and stored. It’s open 7 days a week from 9-5:30 with tickets costing $22 for adults, $17 for seniors and students, and $14 for children. book your tickets here and take advantage of the complimentary shuttle from downtown.
Mardi Gras may be the most popular event in new Orleans, but the city has many other awesome festivals that you won’t want to miss. learn a lot more in our list of the top 10 new Orleans Festivals!
4. walking excursion of the garden District
When you need a break from the busy French Quarter, a great place to head is the city’s garden District. here you’ll find plenty of historic buildings and stately mansions, lots of of which are now home to celebrity actors and athletes.
To get there, you can take pleasure in another quintessential NOLA experience by riding the streetcar. get on at Canal and ride the St. Charles line to Washington Avenue. A ride on the streetcar costs $1.25 per person, so try to have exact change.
When we explored the garden district on our first visit to new Orleans, we just followed this exceptional self guided tour. It has a map with a route you can easily follow, in-depth descriptions, and even an audio guide. If you’d rather experience the garden district with others, there are plenty of options for guided excursions of the area.
The garden district is a beautiful place to explore for a few hours. If you need a break, you have lots of choices for places to get hold of a drink, do a bit of window shopping, or sit down for a meal. It’s absolutely one of the top new Orleans attractions.
5. Feast on standard Food
If you’re a foodie, you’re going to love checking out new Orleans. Honestly, you could spend your entire trip here just eating your way across the city and there would be absolutely nothing wrong with that.
New Orleans food is a mixture of Cajun, Creole, and soul food, with seafood featuring prominently. If you’re ever not sure of what to do in new Orleans, just sit down and eat again!
There are too lots of must-eat dishes to list them all, but here are a few you can’t miss out on: gumbo, crawfish etouffee, jambalaya, red beans & rice, and po’ kid sandwiches. That will keep you busy for at least a few days.
Seriously, my mouth is watering just writing about the food! Your taste buds are in for a real treat when you come here, so get excited. Sampling all of the delicious local dishes is absolutely one of the top things to do in new Orleans.
One of the fun activities in new Orleans for couples or groups of friends is this cocktail and food history tour.
You’ll visit award-winning restaurants, while sampling 10 dishes, sipping on 4 cocktails, and learning about the destinations and the cuisine from your guide. If you’re 21+, this is one of the best things to do in new Orleans! learn a lot more about this fun excursion here.
6. attend local Festivals
Mardi Gras may get all the attention, but there are tons of other awesome festivals going on in new Orleans. The city has festivals dedicated to music, art, film, food & drink, literature, and so much more.
When it pertains to music festivals, it’s hard to top the new Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. This legendary festival is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year by bringing in icons like Fleetwood Mac, Santana, Diana Ross, buddy Guy, and hundreds of other acts. In addition to the festival itself, there are late night shows galore.
Another exceptional choice is the French Quarter Festival. This 4-day music and food festival is held every April and is tons of fun. The French Quarter is filled with over 100 stages playing all kinds of genres of music and there’s amazing food on every corner. best of all, it’s absolutely free!
7. visit a few Museums
When you encounter a incredibly hot or rainy day in new Orleans, you can head inside to check out some of the city’s lots of fantastic museums. Whether you’re inTrepered in učení o historii, umění, hudbě nebo dokonce Voodoo, je tu pro vás muzeum.
Jedním z nejlepších muzeí, které zde navštíví, je Národní muzeum druhé světové války. Toto vynikající muzeum vypráví příběh americké zkušenosti ve válce, která změnila svět. Je otevřen denně od 9 do 5 s lístky, které stojí 28 USD pro dospělé, 24 USD pro seniory a 18 USD pro studenty. Zde můžete získat pokyny do muzea.
Pokud se snažíte najít alternativní zážitek z muzea, možná budete chtít navštívit historické muzeum Voodoo v New Orleans.
Vezměte exkurzi svých dvou místností plné artefaktů souvisejících s Voodoo, abyste se dozvěděli mnohem více o své historii v této oblasti. Je otevřen denně od 10-6 s lístky, které stojí jen 7 $ pro dospělé. Nachází se ve francouzské čtvrti a zde můžete získat pokyny.
8. Vydejte se na prohlídku bažiny
I když v New Orleans je spousta věcí, které vás zaměstnávají, stojí za to vyrazit z města na turné s bažinou. Díky své poloze v Mississippi Delta je tu spousta bažiny těsně před New Orleans.
Na normální turné se budete plavit bažinou na malé lodi, když se dozvíte o životním prostředí a jeho mnoha obyvatelích. Po cestě můžete vidět divoké desky, volavky, hady a možná i aligátory.
Jedna společnost, která přichází, je Cajun Pride. Mají několik různých možností, včetně jejich oblíbené turné Sunset Swamp. Exkurze na kajaku jsou k dispozici také prostřednictvím New Orleans Kayak Swamp Tours.
Ať už si vyberete, exkurze bažiny je absolutně jednou z nejlepších aktivit v New Orleans.
Existuje mnoho společností, ke kterým se můžete připojit k exkurzi bažiny. Podívejte se na náš seznam nejlepších exkurzí 7 bažin v New Orleans.
9. Jíst Beignets v Cafe du Monde
Je to spousta absolutně jedné z nejvíce turistických věcí v New Orleans, ale my to prostě nemůžeme vynechat. Cafe du Monde je instituce ve městě – bylo to, že zvažuje to 1862.
Připojte se k davu a získejte do řady talíř řepků a šálek kávy. V případě, že vás zajímá, jsou řepování chutné malé sousty smaženého těsta pokrytého práškovým cukrem.
Úžasně, Cafe du Monde je otevřena 24/7. Jediný čas, kdy se zavírá, je na Štědrý den nebo „Když občasný hurikán prochází příliš blízko k New Orleans.“ Na mapě najdete zde Cafe du Monde.
10. Projděte se podél nábřeží
S velkým cukrem s vysokým obsahem cukru a kofeinem z vaší cesty do Cafe du Monde budete mít spoustu energie na spálení. Naštěstí budete ideální vedle malebného parku Moonwalk Riverfront.
This long stretch of park along the Mississippi River is a great place for a casual stroll. Užijte si parní čluny, když vstupují podél řeky a podívejte se na spoustu soch a památek podél cesty, včetně památníku holocaustu.
Whenever you don’t know what to do in new Orleans, you can just head down to the riverfront and take in the scenery along the river. Go ahead and bring a beer or a to-go cocktail with you if you like. It’s all good here in NOLA!
11. go on a River Cruise
Speaking of the Mississippi, taking a river cruise is one of the most popular things to do in new Orleans. There are quite a few options for a NOLA river cruise depending on your tastes and budget.
For a classic experience, head out for a river cruise with Steamboat Natchez. There’s a lot of history behind this name, as they’re currently on the ninth Steamboat Natchez. Here’s an interesting piece of history for you — Natchez VI actually beat Robert E. Lee in a race along the Mississippi.
They have a few options for 2-hour cruises around the river and all of them include live jazz.
You can choose between their afternoon cruises with lu