Tours, sightseeing tours, activities & things to do | Viator.com
New Orleans
Trip Planning & Itineraries
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New Orleans has long seduced visitors with its Caribbean color, sultry Southern heat, sweet-tasting cocktails and voodoo potions. The unofficial state motto, "let the good times roll," pretty much says it all, and any time you step outside, be ready for a meandering conversation with a total stranger.
Hurricane Katrina caused a mass exodus, but the people of New Orleans have embraced the process of rebuilding. Although the population in town has been halved by the post-storm exodus, the areas along the river, most-frequented by visitors, never saw flooding and are once again thronged with the city's trademark joyfulness. Now more than ever, tourism is critical to the future of New Orleans. All reports we hear from travelers suggest that New Orleans has just about regained its pre-Katrina reputation as America's most fun city.
Best of New Orleans: Top 3 Must-Do Experiences
Best of New Orleans: Suggested Itineraries
Of all American cities, New Orleans knows best how to party. New Orleans' ribald version of Mardi Gras usually includes several weeks' worth of fun and fabulousness leading up to Fat Tuesday, but that's been scaled back to eight days for now.
Read the following three-day itinerary for sightseeing suggestions. For more trip-planning advice in New Orleans see our complete suggested itineraries in New Orleans, and read the latest post in the Viator Travel Blog about New Orleans' post-Katrina recovery.
Get an overview of what New Orleans has to offer on the Super City tour, taking you from the famous French Quarter and elegant Garden District to the contrasting Central Business. Then see how the city is being restored to its former glory on the Post Hurricane Katrina Tour, from the French Quarter to the devastated Lakefront area. Take to the Mississippi on a steamboat harbor cruise past the Crescent City, accompanied by the delightful tunes of the steam calliope. In the evening, the dinner cruise features live jazz and buffet-style dining for a great night out in the Big Easy. Of course, the key to all your sightseeing, day or night, is the New Orleans Power Pass, with free entry to all the most exciting attractions in town.
Day Two: New Orleans Walking Tours
Strap on an MP3 and go for a self-guided French Quarter audio tour, or let a local expert lead the way on a guided French Quarter tour. Your licensed guide will point out the architecture, homes, and legends of the historic area, settled by the French in the early 1700s. Then take a walking tour of the Garden District, built to rival the beauty of the French Quarter. Touring 'the most haunted city in America' at nightfall isn't for the fainthearted but it's an essential New Orleans experience! The Ghosts and Spirits Tour visits several haunted sites, so bring your camera in case you see a ghost! If all those ghouls are getting too much, the Crescent City Nights Walking Tour provides an intimate insight into dining and music in the French Quarter.
Day Three: New Orleans Day Trips
Tour the countryside outside New Orleans for a taste of the Deep South's antebellum history. The Westbank Plantation Tour takes you to two grand plantations - Oak Alley Plantation, called the "Grand Dame of the Great River Road," and Oak Alley Plantation, a Greek Revival gem surrounded by avenues of giant oaks. New Orleans also means Bayou Country, so take a boat ride through the alligator-filled swamps on a Swamp and Bayou Tour of the Louisiana backwaters. The tour takes you to the nesting grounds of alligators and many species of snakes, and highlights the conservation efforts being undertaken. The Cajun Bayou Tour takes you to Cajun country, the heart of French culture in Louisiana, and includes a narrated boat tour on the Bayous. In the evening, enjoy a Creole dinner at the Court of Two Sisters restaurant, in the French Quarter, serving the best Southern cuisine.
Best of New Orleans: Top Hotels
In addition to these options, browse hotels in New Orleans at Uptake.com.
This simple hotel has a warren of halls linking 30 rooms scattered across buildings of various vintage that parallels the historic charm of New Orleans. Space can be tight, but for the price you can't beat the convenience or the superb Garden District location with easy access to the St. Charles Streetcar line.
Nine buildings from the 1830s combine to form a fine mid-range hotel in the very heart of the Quarter. Rooms are not exceptional, but they are comfortable and you simply cannot beat the location. The courtyard is a plus as well.
Easily the most stylish and hip hotel in the city centre. This is truly a boutique hotel - the 119 rooms come with an array of amenities including floral arrangements of local wildflowers, CD players with jazz CDs, ceiling fans (in addition to the air-conditioning) and more.
Best of New Orleans: Top Restaurants
New Orleans' oldest restaurant first opened for business in 1840, and the classic decor and old-time atmosphere are perfect for a special meal or family gathering. Order oysters Rockefeller, Antoine's own invention, or ask your friendly waiter for the day's specials, which might include Sunday jazz brunch and summer lunch specials.
One of the best New Orleans restaurants for traditional haute Creole cuisine, Arnaud's was founded in 1918 in an agglomeration of buildings that take up almost an entire city block. The main dining room exudes stately old-world elegance, and seafood specialties are standout. Show up early and have a mint julep at the bar.
The Palace Café makes a strong first impression, with a striking interior that combines modern and classic notes, including the building's original tile floors and internal columns. It's a favorite with local businesspeople, who love the menu of classic Creole standards like Palace potato pie with pork debris (a mess of shredded meat and gravy) and gulf fish pecan.
From USD $22.99
Visit the tomb of Marie Laveau, the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, & St Louis Cemetery.
- Plan New Orleans vacations on Yahoo! Travel
- Hotels in New Orleans from PlanetWare
- Hotels in New Orleans from HotelsCombined.com
- New Orleans trip planner & travel guide from NileGuide
- Local news from Nola.com
