The Best Things to Do in New Orleans

If you're heading to New Orleans, the things to do here are aplenty! Between spooky ghost tours through a cemetery and washing down one of America's most famous desserts with New Orleans' best cup of coffee, you're sure to find terrific activities no matter where you turn. Here are the best things to do in New Orleans during your vacation. 

Key Takeaways: Fun Things To Do in New Orleans

● Explore the New Orleans tourist trail: While many New Orleans activities center around the French Quarter, there are a ton of unexpected places to discover as you stroll through the city.

● Learn about Voodoo traditions: Visit the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum, which explores the history of Voodoo and features a variety of art.

● Get spooked in New Orleans' haunted locations: The famous Ghost and Vampire Tour takes you back in time as you visit sites of grisly crimes.

● Participate in local events: New Orleans has among the most festive events per year of any American city, including Mardi Gras.

● Explore the Big Easy on foot: Find the walking tour that best piques your interest — many of them are free or donation-based.

● Take to the water in a paddleboat: Nothing's better than hitting the water in a vintage paddleboat, offering a new perspective of the city.

● Explore the bayous and backwaters: Paddle through storied waterways with a guide or take a locally famous airboat.

● See a symphony, opera or theater show: Catch a performance by the Louisiana Philharmonic or visit the city’s own opera company, dating back to the mid-1790s.

● Discover the beignet craze: Get yourself a table at Cafe du Monde and order some beignets (French-style donuts).

● Sip cocktails on Bourbon Street: A stroll down Bourbon Street is definitely one of the most worthwhile things to do in New Orleans.

● Book a cruise from NOLA and spend a few days getting to know the absolute gems this city has to offer.

NOLA’s Cultural and Historic Activities

1. Stick to New Orleans' Tourist Trail

If it's your first time in New Orleans, make sure you see the main attractions! It’s one of the best ways to get a taste for New Orleans in a short time. There are a ton of places to discover as you stroll through the city. For instance, mosey through the French Quarter and over to Jackson Square, where St. Louis Cathedral (and the Square's namesake statue of Andrew Jackson) rises above you like a scene from a postcard.

While much of the stuff to do in New Orleans centers around the French Quarter, it's really only the beginning. Go back in time to a different era at the National World War II Museum or stop by the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, home to more than 10,000 animals, including rare and endangered species.

2. Learn About Voodoo Traditions

People who have never visited New Orleans might want to learn more about Voodoo traditions and how they've played a major role in the city's history. Visit the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum, which explores the history of Voodoo and features a variety of Voodoo-related art.

Want to dig deeper into Voodoo culture? If you have a few nights in the Big Easy or you're planning to hunker down for a day or so before boarding one of many amazing cruises from New Orleans, consider taking a Voodoo tour. Many of these tell the story of Maria Laveau, the "Voodoo Queen of New Orleans," and how history led West Indian Voodoo culture to take root in New Orleans.

3. Get Spooked in New Orleans' Haunted Locations

Many of the top things to do in New Orleans involve cemeteries. The city is said to be home to its fair share of ghosts and ghouls — regardless of whether you believe in that sort of thing.

Along with many other New Orleans tours, there is a wide variety of tours involving ghosts and other creatures of the night. Some are purely historical, leading you through cemeteries and other New Orleans structures that have a reputation for being haunted. Others, including the famous Ghost and Vampire Tour, take you back in time as you visit the sites of specific murders and other grisly crimes as well as providing the historical background for the mythology you might already know. There's even a "haunted pub crawl" you can sign up for.

4. Take Part in Local Events

If you're booked on one of the cruises from New Orleans that departs during the last week of April or the first week of May, you’ll likely be in town during New Orleans Jazz Fest. Even if you're not here then or during Mardi Gras (in late February), New Orleans has among the most festive events per year of any American city. Why not join in?

The New Orleans spring and summer are filled with festivals, from the delicious Oyster Festival to the Essence Festival, which is a lively celebration of Bblack music, culture, celebrities and more. Meanwhile, LGBTQ+ travelers might time their New Orleans cruises for around Labor Day, when rainbow flags fly over Bourbon Street for the annual Southern Decadence festival.

5. Explore the Big Easy on Foot

One of the best ways to explore a new city is on foot — you may even be able to find a few hidden gems along the way. So grab a frozen cocktail and find the walking tour that best piques your interest.

The best part about these tours? While they'll include plenty of activities to do in New Orleans, many are free or donation-based. From companies like Free Tours by Foot and the woman-centric Two Chicks Walking Tours to the surprisingly irreverent New Orleans Legendary Walking Tours, seeing New Orleans on foot is a decidedly relaxing affair. You usually start and end in a popular tourist spot and leave with a dozen (or more!) new friends.

Outdoor and Scenic Activities in New Orleans

6. Take to the Water in a Paddleboat

It's hard to overstate the importance of the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain in relation to the New Orleans cityscape and the city's history. If you're looking for things to do in New Orleans with kids, nothing's better than taking to the water in a vintage paddleboat. Boat tours leave from various points in New Orleans several times a day and give you a new perspective of the city.

There will be guides on some ships who will share historical facts about New Orleans, while other vessels feature their very own jazz bands. Still others have crews that will serve you a boozy brunch as you cruise along the mighty Mississippi — how does shrimp and grits sound? No matter which boat tour suits you best, they're a must-do while you're there.

7. Explore the Bayous and Backwaters

Among the absolute must-see things to do in New Orleans, this activity is located just outside the city. You can explore the surrounding swamps as part of a fascinating tour of New Orleans' bayous. Paddle yourself through these storied waterways with a guide or take a locally famous airboat — either way, there's no better way for the legends of Louisiana to come alive for you.

If you don't want to get face-to-face with a real-life Louisiana gator, other day trips from New Orleans veer much more toward the terrestrial side of things. For instance, you can book plantation tours from New Orleans, which will allow you to tour glorious Antebellum homes. Other tours combine exploring with bayous and backwaters — as well as glimpsing the homes that rise above them on land. There are plenty of options, so you'll have no trouble finding the choice that's right for you — with or without reptiles!

What’s Your Taste? Exploring New Orleans’ Food and Music Scene

8. See a Symphony, Opera or Theater Show

It's tempting to think that jazz is the only music you can enjoy in New Orleans, but there are so many other options. Try catching a performance by the Louisiana Philharmonic, the renowned symphony orchestra based in New Orleans. The city is also home to its own opera company, which continues an opera tradition in the city that dates back to the mid-1790s.

If you want to see a theater performance, you may get lucky and be able to see a New Orleans-themed show like "A Streetcar Named Desire." If not, New Orleans always offers a variety of Broadway and Off-Broadway favorites. Famous New Orleans venues include the Anthony Bean Community Theater and Le Petit Theatre, a vermillion-colored building that's probably the city's most storied performing arts venue.

9. Discover the Beignet Craze

New Orleans is possibly the most famous culinary hotspot of the American South, and it’s earned its reputation. Dishes like jambalaya (rice stir-fried with spicy sausage) and shrimp and grits have become known around the world. Grab a table at Cafe du Monde and order some beignets (French-style donuts), which you can wash down with a New Orleans-style cafe au lait.

Other famous New Orleans food includes the "po'boy," a fried seafood (usually shrimp) sandwich on New Orleans French bread. Yet another way to taste New Orleans is to order a steaming bucket of crawfish, which are usually served steamed and with plenty of lemons on the side to add a zesty tang before you peel them open. Crawfish boils also tend to be a decidedly communal affair — if you're shy going in, you'll get over that pretty quickly!

10. Sip Cocktails on Bourbon Street Cocktail

When it comes to New Orleans nightlife, Bourbon Street and its variety of watering holes loom large. Wander over and try local drinks, especially the Sazerac, which is made by mixing absinthe with whiskey or cognac, a splash of bitters and a single sugar cube.

Even if you aren't a big drinker, a stroll down Bourbon Street is one of the most invigorating things to do in New Orleans. From lush balconies to vintage street signs to the sight of excited people clutching beads and clinking highball glasses, the address is iconic in the American South for a reason.

If you're bound for a cruise departing New Orleans or looking to stay and lounge awhile in the Big Easy, you'll find everything from beignets and bayous to victuals and Voodoo.