21 fun things To do in new Orleans

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!

Innehållsförteckning
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 inTeresterad i att lära sig om historia, konst, musik eller till och med Voodoo, det finns ett museum för dig.

Ett av de bästa museerna att besöka här är National World War II Museum. Detta utmärkta museum berättar historien om den amerikanska upplevelsen i kriget som förändrade världen. Det är öppet dagligen från 9-5 med biljetter som kostar $ 28 för vuxna, $ 24 för seniorer och $ 18 för studenter. Du kan få vägbeskrivningar till museet här.

Om du försöker hitta en alternativ museumsupplevelse kanske du vill besöka New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum.

Ta en utflykt av deras två rum fyllda med voodoo-relaterade artefakter för att lära sig mycket mer om dess historia i området. Det är öppet dagligen från 10-6 med biljetter som kostar bara $ 7 för vuxna. Det ligger i det franska kvarteret och du kan få vägbeskrivningar här.

8. Ta en träsktur

Det finns många saker att göra i New Orleans för att hålla dig upptagen, men det är värt det att gå ut ur staden på en träsktur. Tack vare sin plats i Mississippi -deltaet finns det gott om träsk precis utanför New Orleans.

På en vanlig turné kommer du att kryssa genom träsket på en liten båt när du lär dig om miljön och dess massor av invånare. Längs vägen kan du se vilda brädor, ägretthästar, ormar och kanske till och med alligatorer.

Ett företag som rekommenderas är Cajun Pride. De har några olika alternativ, inklusive deras populära Sunset Swamp Tour. Kajakutflykter finns också via New Orleans Kayak Swamp Tours.

Oavsett vad du väljer är en träskutflykt absolut en av de bästa verksamheten i New Orleans.

Det finns många företag du kan gå med i en utflykt av träsket. Kolla in vår lista över de bästa 7 träskutflykterna i New Orleans.

9. Ät beignetter på Cafe du Monde

Detta är mycket av absolut en av de mest turistiska sakerna att göra i New Orleans, men vi kan bara inte lämna det. Cafe du Monde är en institution i staden – det har funnits med tanke på att 1862.

Gå med i publiken och gå i linje för en tallrik av beignetter och en kopp kaffe. Om du undrar är Beignets läckra små bitar av stekt deg täckta av pulveriserat socker.

Otroligt nog är Cafe du Monde öppen dygnet runt. Den enda gången den stängs är på juldagen eller “när en tillfällig orkan passerar för nära New Orleans.” Du kan hitta Cafe du Monde på kartan här.

10. Promenera längs floden

Med en stor sockerhög och koffein surr från din resa till Cafe du Monde har du gott om energi att bränna. Tack och lov kommer du att vara idealisk bredvid den pittoreska Moonwalk Riverfront Park.

Denna långa parksträcka längs Mississippifloden är ett bra ställe för en avslappnad promenad. Njut av ångbåtar när de går längs floden och kolla in massor av skulpturer och monument längs vägen, inklusive Holocaust -minnesmärket.

När du inte vet vad du ska göra i New Orleans kan du bara gå ner till floden och ta in landskapet längs floden. Gå vidare och ta med dig en öl eller en cocktail till dig om du vill. Det är bra här i NOLA!

11. Gå på en flodkryssning

Att tala om Mississippi är att ta en flodkryssning en av de mest populära sakerna att göra i New Orleans. Det finns en hel del alternativ för en NOLA River Cruise beroende på din smak och budget.

För en klassisk upplevelse, gå ut mot en flodkryssning med Steamboat Natchez. Det finns mycket historia bakom det här namnet, eftersom de för närvarande är på den nionde Steamboat Natchez. Här är en intressant historia för dig – Natchez VI slog faktiskt Robert E. Lee i ett lopp längs Mississippi.

De har några alternativ för 2-timmars kryssningar runt floden och alla inkluderar levande jazz.

Du kan välja mellan deras eftermiddagskryssningar med Lu