In the beginning processes of planning your Big Easy trip, the first things on your list are probably crawling the clubs and bars of Bourbon Street and devouring every gumbo dish and po-boy you can get your hands on. And while New Orleans is definitely an excellent city for indulging on great foods and drinks, this vibrant city also contains many fascinating and historic adventures you can embark upon in between meals. From satisfying your soul with the smooth sounds of jazz, to touring spooky mausoleum cemeteries, to hiking swamps and viewing gators up-close, this city has an activity for everyone from the music lover to the history buff to the naturalist.
During your cruise stop in the cultural Crescent City, we want to make sure that you enjoy every moment. That’s why we’ve put together this list of the best things to do in New Orleans. As they say, laissez les bons temps rouler (let the good times roll)!
The Best Things to Do in New Orleans
The energetic and charming French Quarter (a National Historic Landmark) is the heart of New Orleans as its oldest, most popular neighborhood. The city center is filled with jazz, street performances, art, delicious food and more. With its cast-iron balconies, colorful buildings, hanging plants, and cobblestone streets with names written in French, it’s not only an exciting part of the city to walk through, it’s also just as beautiful!
If this is your first time visiting New Orleans, we definitely recommend starting your day here and booking a tour to help you navigate all of the distinct cultural features of the city center. Here you’ll find delightful Creole dishes at some of the city’s oldest restaurants like Antoine’s, stacks of books to peruse at Faulkner House Books based in William Faulkner’s former home, not to mention countless shops, art galleries, museums, and places to enjoy cocktails, music and more.
And if stopping by the famous Bourbon Street was already on your agenda, the French Quarter is definitely your party destination as Bourbon Street is in the heart of the neighborhood! From drinking to watching street performances to having your future predicted by a fortune teller, you’re bound to have fun when you visit Bourbon Street.
If you love the arts, we recommend stopping by Jackson Square while in the French Quarter. Art displays, juggling, and music fill the area, like an open art studio where you can see the talent of New Orleans all come to one location and simply create.
If you’re looking for a souvenir to bring back home, we recommend getting your portrait or caricature done by one of the many artists in this location! You can also purchase other forms of artwork from the artists throughout the square.
Not only is this square block lively with its vast array of artwork, musicians, mimes, and fortune tellers, but it’s also a National Historic Landmark where a statue of the seventh president, Andrew Jackson, who led an army in the Battle of New Orleans in 1815, stands.
Aside from Mardi Gras and the unique cuisine of the Big Easy, what else is New Orleans famous for? Jazz of course! And one of the best places to witness the traditional jazz culture of the city is to visit the historic Preservation Hall, established in 1961.
Also located in the French Quarter, for 350 nights a year, often multiple times per night, this music venue hosts intimate acoustic jazz concerts put on by talented local musicians, preserving New Orleans’ tradition of jazz. Numerous famous musicians have performed here including George Lewis, Sweet Emma Barrett, Punch Miller, and more.
At $15-$20 per person, this well-respected music venue is a great place to simply enjoy the music of the Crescent City and maybe even break a sweat dancing.
French Quarter, Jazz Trumpeter4. Watch local entertainment perform at Frenchmen Street
The French Quarter isn’t the only part of the city crawling with locals playing live jazz, bars and clubs to party at, restaurants to savor in, and art galleries to peruse. If you’re looking for a similar culture of citylife to what you’d get at the French Quarter but without the crowds, you may want to head over to Frenchmen Street, walking distance from the French Quarter, and more specifically the popular destination for drinks and entertainment - the Three Muses.
Approximately 3 miles from the French Quarter, the Garden District is a lovely place to get away from the crowds, and simply enjoy a walk filled with beautiful scenery. From historic mansions, to gardens and other greenery, to shops and cafes, you’ll likely find the peace and refueling you need to get back to the liveliness that is New Orleans.
To get there, you can travel by bus, the St. Charles streetcar, or even carriage! Whether you’d like to book a guided tour of the Garden District or stroll and explore on your own, we have a feeling by the end of your walk, you’ll be feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.
As the official World War II Museum of the United States, this tourist spot is a must for any history lover. From exhibits of over 100,000 artifacts (including weapons, documents, and even aircrafts) dating back to the war, to educational multimedia experiences including a 4-D movie by Tom Hanks and audio recordings of soldiers and civilians who were a part of the war, to rides on a PT-305, this museum takes each guest into an in-depth view of the details of the war and its historical importance.
The museum opened on the 56th anniversary of D-Day in 2000 and covers everything from what caused the war, to the specific attacks and battles themselves. The museum also has a calendar of seminars and tours to make your museum experience even more comprehensive.
At $28 for an adult general admission ticket (or free admission if you are a World War II veteran), from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. any day of the week, you can transport yourself back into history.
The St. Louis Cathedral has been around since the early 1700s, and is the oldest cathedral still standing in the city. The landmark is still used to today for religious services, but even if you are not looking to attend a service, you can still take a tour of the building.
Whether you’d like to join a group and have someone guide you through the landmark, or simply pick up a brochure for $1 to guide yourself, if you’re someone who appreciates architecture, this is a must-add to your list! The cathedral is open everyday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Metairie Cemetery, St Louis Cathedral and Jackson Square, New Orleans Building8. Take a creepy cemetery tour
Because New Orleans was built below sea level and has a high water table, the way that they bury their departed is a bit different than the average cemetery. In their “Cities of the Dead”, departed are buried in elaborately beautiful chambers adorned with French and Spanish inspired designs, but what’s particularly fascinating is that the dead are buried above ground in order to protect the coffins from rising water. But you may be wondering, beautiful as they are, why would you spend your vacation visiting the dead?
Put simply, these cemeteries are historic. They contain the remains of famous and integral individuals throughout the history of the city, from New Orleans’ famous voodoo queens, to jazz musicians, to those who fought in war, perished in disease, and more.
We recommend when visiting these cemeteries that you take a guided tour so you can learn about not only the history of the cemetery, but the graves of the individuals you are walking past.
If you’re trying to pick out which cemetery you’d like to go to, we recommend St. Louis No. 1, an over 200 year old cemetery on the National Register of Historic Places, where you’ll find the tomb of New Orleans’ famous voodoo queen Marie Laveau, as well as the massive pyramid tomb Nicolas Cage plans to get buried in. At St. Louis No. 2, you’ll find the graves of local New Orleans musicians and even pirates.
Or head over to the eerie St. Roch cemetery, where mementos such as casts and braces are left to thank the Catholic saint.
9. Enjoy a variety of activities at New Orleans City Park
City Park is both the largest and oldest urban park in the United States! What this means is just about everything under the sun for you to do here, from playing sports such as golf or tennis to riding horseback to simply walking or bicycling and enjoying the park’s beautiful landscape of wetlands, oaks, and botanical gardens. At 1,300 acres, this massive park even has an an art museum and amusement park. In Carousel Gardens, you’ll find a carousel that has been around since 1906!
The park not only includes fun activities but if you start to get hungry, you can head over to one of the many restaurants in and surrounding the park.
City Park is open from sunrise to sunset and aside from certain features, is free admission. You can either rent a car and park for free on-site, or travel there by streetcar.
One of the U.S.’s largest museums, the New Orleans Museum of Art, opened in 1911 and located in City Park, hosts 46 art galleries with over 40,000 art pieces stemming from a variety of cultures and time periods starting in the 16th century, including Native American, Latin American Colonial, Asian, African and more influences. They are most well known for their 19th and 20th century French artwork and have been famous for exhibitions like “The Search for Alexander the Great”, “Jefferson’s America & Napoleon’s France”, “Monet: Late Paintings of Giverny from the Muse Marmottan” and more.
Along with their extensive indoor galleries of paintings, photography, and glasswork you can also visit the museum’s Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Gardenaqsbzquzebydeyecszdctacusqdeycfcrstx, for over 50 sculptures by international artists.
The museum is open from Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission for an adult to the museum is $12, and the sculpture garden is free to explore.
11. Go on a New Orleans swamp tour
Louisiana isn’t just known for its historical significance in the U.S. or the liveliness of the city of New Orleans - it’s also known for its swamps and marshlands! Several airboat tours operate just outside of the city, at locations like the Barataria Preserve at Jean Lafitte National Historic Park, where you can view and learn about the region’s ecology, the wildlife occupying the bayou (crawfish, alligators, wild boars, rare birds, and more) and the history of people who would live out in the swamplands. While at Jean Lafitte National Historic Park, we also recommend heading over to their Acadian Cultural Center to view exhibits about Louisiana’s history.
If you’d prefer to stay within city limits, visit the Bayou Savage National Wildlife Refuge or City Park to view the natural areas of New Orleans.
Throughout history, New Orleans has pulled influence from a variety of people, events and cultures, resulting in the unique eclectic conventions of the city today. To get a good look at the history and influences of African American individuals in New Orleans, head over to the Backstreet Cultural Museum and get a tour by the family-run museum’s founder, Sylvester Francis. Here you’ll find a collection of artifacts, photography, and films taken throughout the history of New Orleans.
The museum is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with admission at $10.
Mardi Gras Mask, Streetcars13. Experience Mardi Gras anytime of the year at Mardi Gras World
Since 1837, New Orleans streets have been filled with floats to celebrate Fat Tuesday. Today we know this holiday as Mardi Gras, and often associate it with New Orleans because of the big celebration that is thrown each year. Regardless of the time of year you visit, you can experience the magic of Mardi Gras. Whether you’re there during the actual parade or simply looking to get a glimpse behind the scenes of the biggest party of the year in New Orleans, the city keeps the holiday alive year-round at Mardi Gras World. The facility isn’t exactly a museum though, but instead is where the majority of the floats for Mardi Gras are made!
Opened in 1947, Mardi Gras World gives you the opportunity to learn about the history of Mardi Gras, its traditions, and how the costumes and floats are designed and built. Not only will you see floats ready for the next parade, but you’ll also see artists at work building the floats.Take a tour through the warehouse and get to see the elaborate artwork that goes into making the floats and costumes, closer than you’d probably see them if you actually attended the parade!
The warehouse is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with a new tour ready every 30 minutes. Tours cost $22 for adults.
The Regional Transit Authority (RTA) has several streetcars to take you through any neighborhood throughout New Orleans, from the French Quarter to the Garden District to City Park and more. Streetcars give you the chance to see more of New Orleans and its distinct historical buildings, parks, neighborhoods and natural areas. This is a great option if you want to see most of New Orleans in one day. A convenient plus is that they are inexpensive to ride at $1.25 per ride, $0.25 per transfer, and $3 for an all day pass; just make sure that you have coins on hand to pay exact change.
If you’re wondering what a streetcar is, they are very similar to trolleys in that they travel throughout the city and operate on a railway. Streetcars hold historical significance in New Orleans as the city’s first passenger railroad. New Orleans’ streetcars are also the oldest street railways in the world that still consistently operate today, and their vintage aesthetic makes them all the more charming. More specifically, the St. Charles line is the oldest of the New Orleans streetcars and has been operating since 1835!
Every activity in New Orleans represents a portion of the eclectic culture that makes up the city.
From the Spanish architecture, to the above ground graveyards, to the smooth jazz, every piece tells a story. And because of this, regardless of what you end up doing on your trip, we’re excited for what piece of history you’ll discover!
At iCruise.com, we not only can help you book your river cruise to New Orleans, but we can also help you book excursions
at discounted rates so the best things to do in New Orleans are all pre-booked and ready once you walk off that steamboat.
To learn more about how we can help you book your river cruise and plan your vacation, give us a call today.
About Sarah Pruzansky, Cruise & Travel Writer
Sarah Pruzansky is passionate about everything related to travel, hospitality, environmental science, self-care, and writing. She joined the iCruise team in February 2019 and assists the company in developing blog and web content that shows the benefits of cruising, information on different ports of call and destinations, and other industry tips for those looking to cruise.
