New Orleans Travelers Recommend

Experience Cajun country on a fascinating New Orleans swamp tour. Search for alligators, turtles, and snakes as you pass through the beauty of the bayou, and learn the history of the marshlands and their inhabitants. See below for your options.

Highlights

• Search for local wildlife while motoring across the bayou

• Experience Cajun hospitality and sample local cuisine

• Choose from tours that focus on wildlife, history, or Cajun culture

• Two-hour, half-day, and full-day tours available

• Hotel pickup offered from the French Quarter in New Orleans

• Combine your trip with a tour of antebellum plantations from the Civil War era

Swamp and Bayou Airboat Rides

Step aboard a classic airboat and zip through bayous where Cypress trees grow from the murky waters. Hear tales of local Cajun heritage on a fully narrated tour, all while scanning the muddy banks for gators, snakes, and raccoons. Cruise in peace through the mystical marshes, or race at up to 45 mph (72 kph) while exploring the coastal backwaters.

Swamp Boat and Plantations Combo Tours

To really get a feel for Louisiana history, combine a classic swamp boat tour with a visit to local plantations. See sugar cane waving in the breeze, and tour ornate plantations that date back to before the Civil War. Learn how the French, Spanish, and Americans all influenced the area, and hear stories of bayou locals who were born and raised in the marsh.

New Orleans heats up in the summer—both with rising temps and a hot lineup of festivals and events. Plan to do most of your outdoor activities in the cooler morning or evening hours, and beat the heat at shady parks and indoor attractions. Once the sun sets, join other revelers for ghostly explorations or a cocktail bar crawl. Here are our top summer picks.

• Create your own Cajun or Creole feast with a hands-on cooking class.
• Escape to the shady Louisiana swamps for an airboat ride or bayou tour.
• Stay cool aboard an air-conditioned vehicle on a hop-on hop-off or minibus tour.
• Sip a cool Sazerac or Hurricane on a boozy cocktail crawl.
• Steam down the mighty Mississippi at sunset on a jazz dinner cruise.
• View expansive collections and artifacts at the National WWII Museum.
• Get spooked after dark on a voodoo, vampire, or ghost tour.

Though the nightlife and festivals of New Orleans thrive on the energy of crowds, you can still experience a quieter side of the Big Easy. Be willing to venture outside the city limits or even just beyond the French Quarter to discover the road-less-traveled. Here’s how. 

Steamboat Natchez

Climb aboard this vintage paddlewheeler for a trip down the mighty Mississippi. The crowds and sounds of the French Quarter fade away as the Natchez chugs along the waterfront and you get an alternative perspective of New Orleans’ busy port. Choose between brunch, dinner, and jazz cruise options.

Mardi Gras World

Get a behind-the-scenes look at New Orleans’ most famous party at this Mardi Gras museum and workshop. Get up close to papier-mâché floats, and outrageous costumes and masks used in the annual parades without getting jostled on a sidewalk or paying peak season prices. 

Lafayette Cemetery No. 1

Due to its close proximity to the the French Quarter, most New Orleans visitors make a beeline for St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. But if you venture further afield to Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 in the Garden District, you’ll see some of New Orleans’ most impressive family tombs and compete with fewer tour groups for the hallowed ground.

Whitney Plantation

While many plantations conjure Louisiana's antebellum era, Whitney is the only one that’s dedicated to the experience of enslaved people. At this former sugar plantation outside New Orleans, see remaining slave cabins, the owner’s house, a church, and memorials on a tour. 

Cajun Country

The rollicking bars and souvenir shops of the French Quarter seem a world away in the Louisiana bayous, where crickets and frogs replace the sound of traffic and jazz bands. Explore the wildlife and culture of wetlands such as Honey Island or Manchac Swamp on a high-speed airboat ride or a more relaxed nature cruise. Be sure to keep an eye out for wild Louisiana ‘gators.

With two days in New Orleans, you’ll be enchanted by its top-notch restaurants, charming neighborhoods, historic streets, and intriguing ghost stories. For a taste of it all, spend a day exploring the city, then day trip to the surrounding Cajun Country. Here are a few ways to maximize two days in and around the Big Easy.

Day 1: Explore the City

Morning: Get to know the French Quarter, the historic heart of New Orleans. Explore the narrow streets, marveling at the Spanish architecture and soaking in the history at major sights such as Jackson Square, the French Market, and the riverfront. Be sure to try Café du Monde’s famous beignets and café au lait. A hop-on, hop-off tour is a great way to access the city without wasting any time.

Afternoon: Discover the leafy Garden District on a walking tour. Just upriver of the French Quarter, this area is home to stately mansions and lovely architecture. There’s history here, too, at places like Lafayette Cemetery #1, where the eerie above-ground tombs house some of the city’s most famous residents.

Night: Eager for ghost stories? This notoriously haunted city has them in spades. Nighttime ghost tours wend through the Garden District and the French Quarter, offering a peek into the city’s creepy past. You’ll learn plenty of history this way, too, as you tour haunted mansions, bars, and restaurants.

Day 2: Get to Know Cajun Country

Morning: Rise early and take a leisurely ride over the Mississippi River and into Cajun Country, a short drive from New Orleans. The vibrant Cajun culture comes alive here as you spend the day on a Cajun country tour learning about the region’s food, music, history, and natural environment.

Afternoon: Step aboard an airboat with a Cajun guide for a wildlife-spotting expedition in one of the area’s cypress swamps. Learn about native birds, healing plants, and the swamp’s most famous reptile, the massive alligator. You’ll hear plenty of colorful stories from your native tour guide along the way.

Night: End your day with a tour of a nearby plantation, one of the engines of the South’s pre–Civil War economy. Options include the Laura Plantation and Oak Alley, both of which stand as stately tributes to the antebellum age. Learn about this important piece of history as you tour the homes, view the slave quarters, and walk the verdant grounds.

There's no denying how important the Mississippi River is to New Orleans, where it provides a lively waterfront area. Tours that offer the chance to float down this mighty waterway can provide a unique historic perspective. Here are your options.

Highlights

• A cruise allows you to see New Orleans from a new perspective.

• Tours on the famous Steamboat Natchez are typically two hours long.

• Sights along the Mississippi include French Quarter buildings and the skyscrapers of the New Orleans skyline.

• Upgrade your Steamboat Natchez experience with a VIP tour of the engine room.

Dining Cruises

Relax onboard a Mississippi River cruise while you dine on brunch or dinner. Excursions on the Steamboat Natchez always include music while you eat, too, either from a live jazz band or its famous calliope organ. A dining cruise offers the chance to experience a bit of Old South charm on this historic river.

Combo Tours

There's only so much of New Orleans you can see from the Mississippi River, so an ideal choice for making the most of your time in the Big Easy is a combo tour that includes a river cruise plus a city tour. You'll get a narrated overview of the city from a comfortable coach before climbing aboard the Steamboat Natchez for a cruise.

There's plenty to do in the heart of New Orleans, but for repeat visitors or those with extra time, a day trip offers a broader Louisiana perspective. Whether you take a paddle wheel voyage down the Mississippi, an airboat swamp adventure, or visit a historic plantation, here are some top ways to go beyond the Big Easy. 

The Louisiana Swamps

The jazz clubs and cafes of the French Quarter seem a world away in Cajun country, where the only sounds are of birds and insects chirping in the mangroves at the water’s edge. Explore wildlife-rich wetlands including Honey Island Swamp, Manchac Swamp, and Atchafalaya Basin on a swamp tour from New Orleans. Options include eco-cruises led by naturalist guides and high-speed airboat rides that whisk you along snaking estuaries.  

River Road Plantations

The 70-mile stretch of the Great Mississippi River Road, dotted with many of the state’s former sugarcane plantations, offers a look back at Louisiana history. These once-grand estates showcase the contrasts of plantation life, with stately mansions and elaborate gardens standing alongside slave cabins. The best-preserved plantations include Houmas House, Oak Alley, Laura, and Destrehan, while the Whitney Plantation is fully dedicated to the memory of enslaved people. 

Mississippi River Cruises

New Orleans remains a busy port, so get a new perspective on river life with a cruise down the mighty Mississippi. Most cruises depart directly from docks right in the French Quarter and last about two hours, leaving plenty of time for other adventures. Book a jazz brunch or dinner cruise to pair your voyage with Creole cuisine and live music. 

Baton Rouge

Located about 1.5 hours upriver from New Orleans, Louisiana’s capital city offers an urban slice of life in the American South. Get your culture fix at museums such as the Louisiana Art and Science Museum, test your puzzling skills on a scavenger hunt, or take the kids for a day of seasonal splashy fun at the Blue Bayou Water Park.

New Orleans is a colorful collection of French, Spanish, Caribbean, African, and Native American influences that weave an eclectic tapestry of culture and history. In three days you can explore much of this diverse city—from its streets and cemeteries to nearby swamps and sugar plantations. Here’s how to maximize a 3-day trip to the Big Easy.

Day 1: Tour the City

Start today in the French Quarter, New Orleans’ historic center and oldest district. Walk the narrow streets lined with a fascinating collection of shotgun homes and stately mansions. You might tour the district’s restaurants, sampling the city’s world-famous cuisine, or try your hand at a cooking class. If cocktails are your thing, plan for a bar crawl tour to try some of the city’s original concoctions, like the Sazerac and Ramos Gin Fizz. Visit one of the famous Cities of the Dead—cemeteries with eerie above-ground tombs—or opt for a late-night ghost tour of the French Quarter or nearby Garden District to learn more about the city’s haunted past. Alternatively, book a hop-on hop-off bus tour to get an overview of all New Orleans has to offer, perhaps picking places to revisit on another day.

Day 2: Experience Cajun Country

New Orleans is surrounded by a watery fortress of swamps and wetlands, areas that are important environmental barriers against natural disasters like hurricanes. But they’re also home to a booming seafood industry and fascinating cultural touchstones. Explore the swamp on a guided boat tour, learning about Cajun culture, music, and bayou lifestyle while keeping an eye out for alligators, raccoons, snakes, turtles, and native birds. You might opt for an airboat ride to glide over the shallow water and alternate between high-speed adventure and peaceful meandering. Larger groups can book tours on bigger boats that still get you up close and personal with wildlife and scenery. Most day trips to Cajun Country get you back in the city by evening, in time for dinner.

Day 3: Visit the Plantations

A network of plantations near New Orleans and along the Mississippi River served as the economic driver of the South before the Civil War. Today, many homes are lovingly maintained and open for tours, including the stately Oak Alley and Laura Plantations, where you can learn about this important—and often dark—aspect of Southern history and culture. Consider adding a trip to Whitney Plantation’s Louisiana Museum of Slavery to learn about the lives of slaves who carried Southern agriculture on their backs. Or, at the nearby Creole-style St. Joseph Plantation, tour the working sugar plantation where the movie12 Years a Slave was filmed. Expect to return to New Orleans for dinner.

Antebellum plantations are an important part of Louisiana history and architecture, with prime examples just outside New Orleans’ city limits. See below for your options in touring these historic and elegant plantation homes in the American South.

Group Tours

Join a guide and group for a trip to one of New Orleans' plantations, with options ranging from half-day excursions to overnight adventures. Group tours are a cost-effective option for exploring, and destinations range from the Creole-owned Laura Plantation to the elegant Oak Alley Plantation and Houmas House Plantation, where costumed guides usher you through the grounds.

Private Tours

For those with limited time or a larger group, private tours offer the flexibility to tailor the experience to your needs with the personal attention of a driver and guide. Many private tours offer roundtrip transport from your accommodations in New Orleans, making these a good option for groups without their own transportation.

Plantation and Swamp Boat Combo Tours

If you want to add some Louisiana wildlife to your trip, swamp boat tours head straight into the bayou—swampland that's home to crocodiles, catfish, and some serious Cajun history. Combining a swamp boat tour with a plantation visit gives two very different perspectives on Louisiana, from plantation culture to bayou backwaters.

New Orleans offers plenty for budget travelers, since much of the city’s appeal involves historic atmosphere rather than big-ticket activities. Many top attractions can be seen on foot, by bike, or on a low-cost guided tour. Whether you want Creole cuisine and cocktails or haunted history and swamp adventures, here’s how to explore the Big Easy on the cheap.

Explore on Foot

Walking is one of the best ways to soak up New Orleans’ unique Southern ambience. Must-see neighborhoods such as the French Quarter, Marigny, and Frenchmen Street are compact enough to cover in a short amount of time and filled with hidden courtyards, specialty shops, and curious details best seen on foot. If aimless wandering isn't your style, stroll with a purpose on a walking tour focused on food, history, art, or paranormal activity. 

Find Discount Dishes

Happily for foodies on a budget, New Orleans is filled with casual options to indulge in the city’s famous cuisine. Food and cocktail tours can help you find the best places in town that serve up Creole specialties such as po’ boy sandwiches, gumbo, piping hot beignets, and Sazeracs that won't take a bite out of your wallet. 

Skip the Car Rental

Avoid the expense of a rental car, and use New Orleans’ extensive network of public buses and historic streetcars to get around. For an even easier ride with added narration, join a hop-on-hop-off-bus tour with stops at all the city's most popular landmarks. Segway and bike tours are also great, low-cost ways to expand your sightseeing and venture beyond the French Quarter.

Book a Combo Tour

Although they may come with a higher price tag, combo tours can actually save money when you book two or more popular tours together. For example, a package with both a walking tour and steamboat cruise or a swamp-and-plantation bundle lets you pack multiple adventures into one day, usually at a discount.

Famously hot and humid in summer, New Orleans sees its fair share of rain year-round. However, nothing can dampen the city’s lively spirit, so pack an umbrella and soak up the extra dose of atmosphere that gray skies bring to the history-heavy town. Here’s how to make the most of a rainy day in the Big Easy.

• New Orleans cuisine is decadent in any weather, so grab a bite on a food tour or stay inside for a Creole cooking class.
• See the city while staying dry on the lower deck of a hop-on hop-off bus or on a city driving tour.
• Come face-to-face with marine life at the Audubon Aquarium.
• Take cover inside one of the city’s museums, such as the National WWII Museum or New Orleans Museum of Art.
• Get artsy at Mardi Gras World or the Edgar Degas House.
• Enjoy river views and Dixie tunes from the dining room of a Mississippi jazz cruise.
• Bring an umbrella and get spooked on a cemetery or haunted history tour, made extra eerie by the rain.

Visiting New Orleans in winter means you can take advantage of walking tours and river cruises without the heat and humidity. Here are our favorite ways to indulge in the city’s stellar food and drinks scene, enjoy the festive holiday atmosphere, and learn about the history and culture of the region.

• Get into the Christmas spirit with a walking tour of the French Quarter’s holiday decorations.

• Celebrate the season with a French 75 or a Sazerac on a cocktail tour of historical watering holes.

• See the city’s top attractions on a hop-on hop-off tour by open-top bus.

• Discover the culinary culture of the French Quarter on a food tour of NOLA favorites like gumbo and beignets.

• Take an evening cruise aboard the Steamboat Natchez for a Creole-style dinner and jazz music on the Mississippi.

• Explore more of New Orleans outside the French Quarter on a guided city tour or a tour focused on the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath.

• Visit the National WWII Museum to browse exhibits about American involvement in World War II.

• Head into the Louisiana countryside on a tour of antebellum plantations

New Orleans has plenty to offer the young and young at heart, from colorful Mardi Gras museums and gator-filled swamps to yummy Creole food and boat rides on the mighty Mississippi. Here are our top picks for a family-friendly trip to the Big Easy.

• Clip-clop through the French Quarter on a horse-drawn-carriage ride.
• Go wild at the Audubon Zoo, Aquarium, and Butterfly Garden.
• Get around the easy way on a hop-on-hop-off-bus tour with 18 essential stops.
• Try Creole cuisine such as gumbo, po’boys, beignets, and pralines on a French Quarter food tour.
• Float down the Mississippi aboard the historic Steamboat Natchez.
• Save time with fast-track entry to dozens of city attractions including the Louisiana Children’s Museum, Mardi Gras World, Cabildo, and Creole Queen paddlewheeler.
• Speed through the Louisiana swamps on an exciting bayou airboat ride, while a nature guide points out alligators, snakes, turtles, and other wildlife.
• Learn about Louisiana’s past at the Oak Alley Plantation.

Famous for its over-the-top Mardi Gras celebrations, jazz clubs, and decadent cuisine, New Orleans knows how to let the good times roll. But there’s more to this Louisiana port town than an epic party. History buffs can explore the city’s multicultural heritage, from French Quarter convents and war memorials to Garden District mansions. For foodies, Creole cooking classes and food tours offer local flavor, while those with a taste for the macabre might uncover legends of voodoo, vampires, and ghosts on a stroll through the city’s famed cemeteries and other top haunts. Repeat visitors or those looking to venture beyond city limits can chug down the Mississippi on a vintage steamboat or get a glimpse of life in antebellum Louisiana at historic plantations. Whatever your interests, here are our top picks for essential Big Easy experiences. 

Every Southern city takes prides in its food and New Orleans is no different; the city is a culinary melting pot that blends French, Italian, Caribbean, and Native American influences. From flavorsome Creole and Cajun cuisines to street food classics and delicious candies, here are some of New Orleans’ must-try dishes.

Jambalaya: NOLA’s most famous export is a paella-inspired dish of sausage, rice, and vegetables typically topped with meat or seafood; each restaurant in New Orleans’ French Quarter seems to have its own version of jambalaya (which loosely translates as ‘mish-mash’)—challenge yourself to sample as many varieties as possible.

Po’Boy Sandwiches: The grab-and-go lunch of choice for locals, a po-boy is a simple French bread sandwich with a not-so-simple filling. Anything goes in a po’Boy, from fried shrimp or crawfish, to roast beef with gravy, or catfish with lashings of fresh coleslaw.

Muffuletta: Another beloved sandwich is the muffuletta, which has Italian origins and comes served on a large round loaf. The traditional filling is ham, mortadella, salami, Emmental cheese, and provolone, topped with a marinated olive salad. Central Grocery, where the first muffulettas were created back in 1906, is the best place to sample this sandwich; a whole one will easily feed two.

Gumbo: Nothing tastes as quintessentially Louisianan as a steaming pot of gumbo, a hearty stew that blends different flavors. Opt for a chicken gumbo with andouille sausage or a seafood gumbo, packed with oysters, shrimp, and crab.

Red beans and Rice: Simple yet satisfying, the Caribbean-inspired dish of red beans and rice is a Creole classic that’s traditionally served on a Monday night. The best recipes inject flavor with some smoked sausage.

Beignet: The French version of a donut, beignets are fried dough parcels dusted with sugar; they make the perfect accompaniment to a coffee break in a New Orleans’ cafés. Enjoy them for breakfast or grab a bag to go at any time of the day.

Pralines: Those with a sweet tooth won’t be able to resist New Orleans’ version of the classic praline. Pronounced ‘praw-leen’ down in the south, the local specialty is made with crushed pecans, caramelized sugar, and cream, and there’s no way you’ll be able to stop at one.

Spring in the Big Easy gives you the chance to enjoy all that New Orleans has to offer before the summertime heat arrives. Here are our top ideas for exploring the historical, cultural, and natural attractions of the city and surrounding area.

• Discover the mountain of work that goes into New Orleans’ Mardi Gras celebrations on a behind-the-scenes tour.

• Hop aboard the Steamboat Natchez for jazz music, brunch, and Mardi Gras spirit on the Mississippi River.

• Enjoy the lovely, temperate weather with a bike ride or Segway tour around the French Quarter and along the waterfront.

• Head into the Louisiana countryside on a plantations tour. 

• Take an airboat or kayak tour of the swamp and bayous that surround the city. 

• See New Orleans beyond the French Quarter on a city tour that also takes in the Garden District and Hurricane Katrina sites.

• Immerse yourself in the historical atmosphere of the French Quarter on a horse-and-carriage ride.

New Orleans is known as the birthplace of jazz, but it’s also where the genre grew and matured into homegrown American music. You’ll find jazz music inside bars and out in the streets—here are our favorite ways to tap your toe around the city.

Jazz Concerts and Music Tours

Most of the biggest names in jazz have spent time in New Orleans, and you can walk in their footsteps by visiting their haunts on a walking tour around town. Hear their stories and check out the spots where they honed their silky smooth sounds, and then bring the day to a soulful close by crawling through multiple jazz clubs full of trumpets, piano, and sax.

Jazz Cruises

It’s hard to get more authentically New Orleans than enjoying live jazz as you cruise up the Mississippi River on a paddlewheeling steamboat. Schedule an evening dinner cruise for sunset out on the river, or start your day of exploring New Orleans with a festive brunch on the water.

Jazz Dining Experiences

Whether it’s sitting in the front row at an intimate jazz bar along world-famous Frenchmen Street or sampling Creole étouffée while listening to jazz at brunch, blend the culinary and musical heritage of America’s famous port town with a jazz dining experience.

As a city built on top of wetlands and defined by the snaking Mississippi River, New Orleans boasts plenty of lush landscapes tucked among its urban attractions. When you need a respite from the French Quarter crowds or a place to escape the Southern humidity, here are our favorite parks in town. 

New Orleans City Park

Spanning more than 1,300 acres (526 hectares) and founded in 1854, this is one of the largest and oldest parks in the US. There’s enough here to make a whole day of your visit, from boating on Big Lake to getting cultured at the New Orleans Museum of Art. It's also one of the city’s most kid-friendly places thanks to an antique carousel, miniature train rides, and Storyland amusement park.  

Audubon Park

This Uptown oasis is a favorite escape for local athletes, with a shaded jogging path, horse stables, soccer field, and even a golf club. Pack a picnic and take refuge from the midday sun under alleys of mature live oaks, or connect with wildlife at the Audubon Zoo, located inside the park.

Louis Armstrong Park

A short walk from the French Quarter, this urban park offers a quiet break from the crowds plus a chance to connect with New Orleans’ musical heritage. Browse the placards and statues at Congo Square, a historic gathering place for enslaved Africans and one of the birthplaces of jazz. Thursday evenings during the fall and spring, check out the free Jazz in the Park concert series here. 

Woldenberg Riverfront Park

Soak up some of the best views in New Orleans on a stroll along this promenade that hugs the mighty Mississippi. It's a popular spot for picnics and impromptu Frisbee games and a great place to catch your breath after a visit to the Audubon Aquarium. Many Mississippi River cruises depart from the docks nearby. 

Crescent Park

To truly escape the urban bustle, head a bit farther downriver to this inviting greenway along the banks of the Mississippi. Dog-friendly trails are popular with local pet owners and joggers, making it a great way to get in some morning exercise before a day of indulging in beignets, seafood gumbo, and other Creole specialties.

New Orleans is easy to navigate without a car, so save time searching for parking and soak up the city’s one-of-a-kind ambiance on foot or by bike. When venturing outside the walkable French Quarter, buses, streetcars, and city tours can connect you with neighborhoods off the beaten path. Here’s how to get around the Big Easy.  

Take a Walk

Many of New Orleans’ most charming areas are relatively small and compact, making it easy to soak up the city’s Creole atmosphere on foot. Join a walking tour to learn history while you stroll past antebellum mansions and cemeteries in the Garden District, quirky shops in the Marigny, or hidden courtyards in the French Quarter. 

Ride Public Transit

The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority runs a well-connected network of buses and streetcars that can get you almost anywhere you want to go in the city. Pay the posted fare when you board, or buy a Jazzy Pass ranging from one to 31 days for unlimited travel. Passes can be purchased directly from operators or at vending machines at several Canal Street transit shelters. If traveling between the French Quarter and the Garden District or Audubon Park, hop aboard the St. Charles Streetcar for a vintage ride straight out of a Tennessee Williams play.

Book a Hop-On-Hop-Off-Bus Tour

Easily make your way around New Orleans with a hop-on hop-off tour that combines the flexibility of a bus route with commentary about passing sights for a user-friendly experience. Customize your ride with a single- or multi-day ticket, and get on and off at popular stops such as Jackson Square, the French Market, St. Louis Cemetery #1, and Canal Street. 

Bike or Ride a Segway

Thanks to a flat landscape and wide avenues, New Orleans is a great city to explore on two wheels. Rent a bike or join a bike tour for an athletic overview of main landmarks that gives you the flexibility to stop for photos. Segway tours are a popular way to zip around the compact French Quarter on days when it's just too hot to break a sweat. 

Cruise the Mighty Mississippi

New Orleans was built on the water, so get a fresh perspective on the landscape with a Mississippi River cruise aboard a historic paddlewheeler. While most cruises start and end at the same dock, it's a relaxing and scenic way to get outside the main tourist areas and connect with the city's history as a major port.

New Orleans may have a famous party atmosphere, but the city is also a destination for romance. With live jazz, river cruises, and an array of restaurants, something will appeal to every couple. Here are your options for a romantic date in NOLA.

• Learn to make some of Louisiana's iconic cuisine with a cooking class, or stop into Café du Monde for beignets.

• Take a walking tour to soak in the glamour of the Garden District, where live oaks drape across streets like canopies.

• Work up an appetite on a bike tour through the city's picturesque city parks and historic neighborhoods.

• Glide along the legendary Mississippi River on an evening dinner cruise on the Steamboat Natchez.

• Take a charming carriage ride through the French Quarter, past Jackson Square and the elegant St. Louis Cathedral.

• Hear live music and go dancing at one of the many jazz clubs along Frenchmen Street.

• Take to the skies with a sightseeing flight over New Orleans, followed by Champagne and chocolates.

• Sit down to a fancy brunch or dinner at one of New Orleans' famed romantic restaurants.

New Orleans beguiles visitors with its food, culture, and history—and you can experience it all in one fun-filled day. Whether you’re trying your first seafood gumbo, jumping into an impromptu parade, or dancing the night away, remember the city’s tagline: Let the good times roll. Here’s how to spend an unforgettable 24 hours in the Big Easy.

Morning: Tour the French Quarter

Wandering around the French Quarter is a great introduction to the city’s culture and history, and the area is magical before it truly wakes up in the morning. Dine on beignets and café au lait at Café du Monde, stroll through Jackson Square, admire the architecture, and peek in the boutiques. Consider a food-themed walking tour, going up the levee for a view of the Mississippi River, shopping for souvenirs in the French Market, or seeing the ornate St. Louis Cathedral. Don’t miss the Cabildo, once the seat of the local Spanish government and now the Louisiana State Museum. 

Afternoon: Explore New Orleans’ Neighborhoods

New Orleans’ charming and historic neighborhoods are filled with colorful shotgun houses framed by ancient oak trees. To see multiple areas and attractions in a short time, try a hop-on hop-off bus tour. For more targeting sightseeing, consider a walking tour of the leafy Garden District, with its Greek Revival architecture and the verdant landscapes that give this area its name. Also worth visiting is Lafayette Cemetery #1, one of New Orleans’ famed Cities of the Dead, whose above-ground tombs house some of the city’s most famous residents. Or get a taste of the city’s renowned drinking scene with a cocktail walking tour. 

Night: Hit the After-Dark Haunts

New Orleans continues to intrigue well after dark, with everything from live music and river dinner cruises to ghost walking tours. If your interests veer toward the macabre, consider a nighttime ghost and vampire tour through the Garden District or French Quarter. This is, after all, a thoroughly haunted city, whose dead continue to interact with the living. Should you favor an experience that’s not nearly as creepy, opt for a dinner cruise on the Mississippi River. Board the historic Steamboat Natchez, for example, and dine on Creole favorites while you’re serenaded by a jazz band.

New Orleans is one of those cities where the good times roll all year round. Whether you’re joining one million other Mardi Gras-goers for the party this year, or heading to the Big Easy after the crowds die down, your trip promises no shortage of indulgence, jazzy beats, and unique New Orleans charm. See below for some of our favorite ways to experience the city’s festive spirit.

Eat

Famous for po’boys, beignets, and other tasty Creole dishes, New Orleans is a city for foodies. To get a taste of the local cuisine, book the brunch buffet at the historic Court of Two Sisters restaurant, or sign up for a cooking class to create favorite dishes like gumbo and jambalaya.

Drink

New Orleans’ French Quarter is one of the few places in the United States where it’s legal to drink alcohol in the streets (so long as it’s in plastic cup). But don’t stop there—book a historical bar crawl to visit some of the city’s oldest watering holes, learn about the Sazerac and Pimm’s Cup, and of course, knock back a few cocktails.

Jazz

It’s hard to walk around New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz, without hearing music on the streets. Pair the brassy beats with a dinner cruise, or opt for a jazz-focused walking tour to discover the history of this popular musical style.

And More

No matter when you’re in town, you can get a behind-the-scenes look at Mardi Gras traditions by visiting the year-round Mardi Gras World, which showcases the studio spaces where artists create the famously vibrant parade floats. Plus, it’s always ‘voodoo season’ in New Orleans, with plenty of spooky activities to give you a peek into the city’s haunted past.

With the end of vacation season and the start of milder temperatures, fall in New Orleans is a wonderful time to discover the best of the city and surrounding area. For starters, there are myriad supernatural-themed tours of America’s most haunted city—perfect for Halloween. Here are some of our favorite activities.  

• Enjoy the autumn weather with a cruise down the Mississippi River on the Steamboat Natchez.

• Explore the Louisiana countryside on a plantations tour or a swamp and bayou adventure.

• Learn about the city’s rich heritage and renowned culinary scene on a history and food tour.

• Get into the Halloween spirit on a voodoo tour and a visit to the city’s famous St. Louis Cemetery No. 1.

• Discover the spooky side of the French Quarter on a walking tour of haunted sites and vampire tales—with time to stop for drinks, of course.

• See more of New Orleans outside the French Quarter on a tour of the Garden District, known for its historical mansions featuring Greek Revival and Italianate architecture.

With French, Spanish, Native American, and African influences, New Orleans has a culture all its own. From jazzy second-line parades and Mardi Gras floats to literary history and cutting-edge art, the city oozes creativity. Whether you want to celebrate today or reflect on the past, here's where to get your culture fix in the Big Easy.  

Explore the City’s Jazz Heritage

New Orleans is considered the birthplace of jazz, and today's thriving local music scene keeps the tradition alive. Hear top-notch jazz and blues at clubs across the city: at hole-in-the-wall bars, legendary venues such as Preservation Hall, and epic multi-day festivals such as Jazz Fest. Join a jazz tour to discover the music scene beyond Bourbon Street and meet local artists. 

Party Like It’s Mardi Gras

Even if your visit doesn't coincide with New Orleans’ biggest party, you can catch the celebratory spirit of Mardi Gras year-round. Look for handmade masks scattered throughout French Quarter shops, or get a behind-the-scenes look at Mardi Gras craft and culture at Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World. At this museum and workshop, learn about the history of the famous carnival and admire the details on giant papier-mâché floats and colorful costumes. 

Visit a Historic Plantation

Get a glimpse into the culture of antebellum Louisiana with a day trip to one of the historic plantations just a short drive from New Orleans. Well preserved estates such as Houmas House, Oak Alley, and Laura Plantation contrast stately Greek Revival and Creole architecture with the dark realities of slavery and plantation life. Visit the Whitney Plantation museum for a more in-depth examination of the slave experience in Louisiana.

Get Inspired at an Art Museum

Beat the outdoor elements while admiring local and international art at one of the city’s fine arts museums. The New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) in City Park boasts robust African, Japanese, and French collections, while the socially conscious Newcombe Museum on the Tulane University campus presents the work of innovative local artists. You can also see where Impressionist painter Edgar Degas briefly lived and worked at the Degas House on Esplanade Avenue.

New Orleans’ vibrancy, history, and multicultural heritage are perhaps best encapsulated in its numerous museums and collections. With a culture that celebrates individuality and expression, the city offers much to take in. Here are some of our favorite must-see museums in the Big Easy.

National World War II Museum

The city’s National WWII Museum tells the story of the American soldiers who fought in the war that changed the world. Considered one of the top museums in the United States, this collection re-creates moments from World War II through vintage propaganda, weapons, personal items, short documentaries, and some 7,500 oral histories from the men and women involved. Visitors can feel what it’s like to be inside a submarine, see a replica of a Higgins landing craft, and learn about the German Enigma machine.

Whitney Plantation

Just outside the city sits the Creole-style Whitney Plantation, home to the only plantation museum in Louisiana with a focus on slavery. A guided tour of this somber collection reveals what daily life was like for the men and women enslaved on the plantations of the South. You can combine a visit to the museum with a tour of nearby St. Joseph Plantation, a working sugar plantation and filming site of12 Years a Slave.

Audubon Nature Institute

The Audubon Nature Institute comprises several museums in one. Explore the wild side of New Orleans with visits to the Audubon Zoo, Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, the Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium, and the Audubon Nature Center. Visit individual attractions à la carte or with a combo ticket for better value.

Mardi Gras World

If you can’t make it to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, the next best thing is a visit to Mardi Gras World. This quintessentially New Orleans museum gives visitors a behind-the-scenes look at how the whimsical parade floats of the city’s biggest party are made. Sample king cake, see floats up close, and learn about the thousands of props and costumes that go into the annual celebration.

Cabildo Museum

A historic tour of the French Quarter wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the Cabildo on Jackson Square, the Spanish colonial building where the Louisiana Purchase was signed in 1803. This Louisiana State Museum’s historic New Orleans collection recounts Louisiana history through artifacts like Napoleon’s death mask and a self-portrait of Julien Hudson.