Skip the tourist traps. Here are 26 things to do in New Orleans, recommended by locals who’ve been helping visitors explore the city since 2009.
Hi! I’m Lenny. I was born in Louisiana, moved back in 2013, and never left. I run a tour company in the French Quarter called Gators & Ghosts, and I guide ghost tours at night. People ask me “what should we do while we’re in town?” almost every day. This is the long version of that answer.
Outdoor Adventures
1. Airboat Swamp Tour
This is hands down my favorite thing we offer. You get on a small, flat-bottomed airboat with a local Cajun captain who grew up on the bayou, and you go ripping through cypress swamps looking for alligators, egrets, wild boar, and whatever else happens to be out there that day. The boats are loud, but that’s the trade-off for being able to get into shallow water and narrow channels that bigger boats can’t reach. You cover more ground, you see more wildlife, and the whole experience is just more exciting. There’s a very good chance you’ll see gators within arm’s reach.
In the summer, morning tours tend to have more wildlife activity, in the winter, afternoon tours are better, but honestly, any time of day is good. The bayou is about 45 minutes outside the city, so you’ll want to either drive yourself or book a tour that includes hotel pickup and shuttle transportation.
Best for: adventure seekers, families, photographers, anyone who’s never seen a bayou up close.
2. Pontoon Boat Swamp Tour
If the airboat sounds a little too intense, or if you’ve got young kids or older folks in the group, the pontoon is the move. It’s a larger, covered boat that cruises at a gentler pace through the same swamps. You still see gators, you still learn about the ecosystem from a local captain, but the ride is smoother and quieter.
Some people book the pontoon thinking it’s the “lesser” option, but it’s not. You actually get more narration because the captain doesn’t have to compete with an airplane engine behind them.
Best for: families with young kids, anyone who prefers a more relaxed pace, groups with mixed comfort levels.
Haunted & Historic Tours
3. French Quarter Ghost Tour
New Orleans might be the most haunted city in America. This city has 300 years of death, disease, fires, slavery, and voodoo baked into the architecture, and the stories that come out of that history are genuinely wild.
A walking ghost tour through the Quarter takes you to the actual buildings where these things happened, and a good guide will make you forget you’re on a tour. You’ll just feel like you’re walking with someone who knows way too much about the dark side of this city.
I work with six or seven different ghost tour companies, and I’m a ghost tour guide myself, so I have a lot of different options, different flavors. Some are more theatrical, some are more historical, some are more paranormal. If you’re not sure which one is right for you, just contact me and I’ll point you in the right direction.
Best for: history buffs, couples, anyone curious about NOLA’s dark side.
TrendingFrench Quarter Ghost & Vampire Walking Tour
Our Most Popular Ghost Tour!1 hour 45 minutes
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Walking TourGhosts of the Past: French Quarter Haunted Walk
The Real Ghost Stories1 hour 45 minutes
See Availability4. Cemetery Tour
New Orleans buries its dead above ground. The tombs are stacked in rows that look like miniature neighborhoods, which is why they’re called “Cities of the Dead.” The most famous is St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, which is right on the edge of the French Quarter and is the final resting place of some very notable people.
You can’t visit St. Louis No. 1 without a licensed tour guide, so this is one where booking a tour isn’t optional, it’s required. But that’s actually a good thing because the stories behind the tombs are what make it worth going. We have a few different cemetery tour options, including a haunted cemetery tour at night that’s one of our most popular experiences. Contact us and we’ll match you with the right one.
5. Vampire Tour
New Orleans and vampires go way back. Anne Rice set Interview with the Vampire here, the TV show The Originals was filmed here, and the city has its own real-life vampire legends that predate all of that. The Casket Girls who arrived from France in the 1700s, the Carter Brothers who were found keeping victims in their French Quarter apartment in the 1930s. How much of it is true depends on who you ask, but a vampire tour walks you through the stories at the actual locations, and some of them are genuinely unsettling.
Best for: fans of the macabre, Anne Rice readers, anyone who wants something darker than a standard ghost tour.
6. Adults-Only Ghost Tour
If you’re visiting without kids and you want the uncensored version of New Orleans history, the adults-only tours are something else. These tours cover the stuff that’s too dark, too explicit, or too weird for a family-friendly audience. Real crimes, real scandals, real ghost stories that would make your grandmother faint.
Best for: adults who want the real stories without the PG filter.
Check out the adults-only tour →
18+ADULTS ONLY Ghost & Vampire French Quarter Walking Tour
18+ Uncensored Supernatural HistoryAbout 1 hour 45 minutes
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TrendingUncensored No Karens or Kids Allowed 5 in 1 Wicked History Tour
Raw, Real & Unfiltered New Orleans2 hours
See Availability7. Pub Crawl Ghost Tour
This is the one where you combine ghost stories with cocktails, which, if you think about it, is sort of the most New Orleans thing possible. You walk through the Quarter hearing haunted history and stopping at bars along the way. The more spirits you drink, the more spirits you might see. Cheers!
Best for: groups of friends, bachelor/bachelorette parties, anyone who likes their history with a side of bourbon.
8. The Combo: Gators, Ghosts & Vampires
If you’re only in town for a few days and you want to do both a swamp tour and a ghost tour, we have a combo package that bundles them together at a discount. You get the bayou in the daytime and the haunted Quarter at night. It’s our most popular package because it covers the two most quintessential New Orleans experiences in a single day. Honestly, if someone asked me, “I have one day, what should I do?” this is what I’d tell them.
Best for: first-time visitors, anyone who wants the full New Orleans experience without the planning headache.
Plantation Day Trips
9. Oak Alley Plantation
If you’ve ever seen a photo of a grand Southern plantation with a tunnel of massive oak trees leading up to a white columned mansion, that was probably Oak Alley. The trees are about 300 years old and they’re genuinely one of the most stunning things you’ll see in Louisiana.
But Oak Alley is more than just a pretty photo op. The tour covers the full history of the plantation, including the lives of the enslaved people who worked there. It’s heavy, but it’s important.
It’s about an hour outside the city, so most people do it as a half-day or full-day trip.
Best for: history lovers, photographers, families wanting a deeper understanding of Louisiana history.
10. Laura Plantation
Laura is smaller and less famous than Oak Alley, but a lot of people actually prefer it because the tour is more narrative-driven. It’s a Creole plantation with a focus on the personal stories of the families, both enslaver and enslaved, who lived there over 200 years. If you have time for two plantation visits, doing Oak Alley and Laura back to back gives you a really complete picture.
11. Whitney Plantation
Whitney is different from the other plantation tours because it’s focused entirely on the experience of enslaved people. There are no mansion tours here. It’s a memorial, and it’s powerful. If you’re the kind of person who wants to understand the full reality of what happened on these properties, Whitney is essential.
Food & Drink
12. Cafe Du Monde
It’s on every list for a reason. Sitting at a table in the open-air cafe next to Jackson Square, eating beignets covered in powdered sugar while drinking chicory coffee, is one of those experiences that just feels like New Orleans. Go early in the morning before the line gets ridiculous. And wear dark clothes at your own risk.
13. Central Grocery
Home of the original muffuletta. This is a massive sandwich on round Italian bread stuffed with cold cuts, cheese, and olive salad, and it feeds two people easily. Central Grocery is a tiny little shop on Decatur Street and the line can be long, but it moves fast and it’s worth the wait.
14. Commander’s Palace
This is the fancy one. Commander’s Palace in the Garden District is one of the most celebrated restaurants in the city, and they’ve been around since 1893. The food is incredible, the service is impeccable, and they have a 25-cent martini lunch special that’s one of the best deals in town. There’s a dress code, so don’t show up in flip flops.
15. A Po’Boy from Basically Anywhere
Don’t overthink this one. Po’boys are everywhere and most of them are great. Roast beef, fried shrimp, catfish, oyster. Just walk into a place that looks like it’s been there a while and order one. Parkway Bakery, Domilise’s, and Verti Marte are all solid.
16. Late-Night Eats After a Ghost Tour
One of the most common questions I get is “where should we eat after our ghost tour?” and I wrote a whole blog post about it. Short version: Clover Grill (24-hour diner on Bourbon, cash only), Port of Call (best burgers in the city, expect a wait), or Verti Marte (the “All That Jazz” po’boy at 2 AM is a spiritual experience).
Read the full late-night dining guide →
Culture & Museums
17. The National WWII Museum
This isn’t just the best museum in New Orleans. It’s arguably one of the best museums in the country. Plan at least half a day here, and buy your tickets online in advance. The Beyond All Boundaries 4D experience is worth the add-on. Even people who don’t consider themselves “museum people” come out of here genuinely moved.
18. Preservation Hall
Traditional New Orleans jazz in an intimate, no-frills venue that’s been doing this since 1961. There are no cocktails and no fancy seats, just a small room and some of the best jazz musicians in the world playing music that feels like it’s been living in the walls.
You can buy tickets in advance on their website, and I’d recommend it. They offer general admission and “Big Shot” reserved front-row seats that go on sale about a month ahead. If you don’t grab tickets online, show up at least 30 to 45 minutes before showtime, because walk-up spots are first-come, first-served and they do sell out.
19. New Orleans Museum of Art + Sculpture Garden
NOMA is in City Park, which is already worth visiting on its own, and the Besthoff Sculpture Garden is free. Wander through massive live oaks and discover sculptures tucked into the landscape. It’s peaceful, it’s beautiful, and it’s one of the more underrated spots in the city.
20. Frenchmen Street (Instead of Bourbon Street)
Bourbon Street is going to happen whether I recommend it or not. You’ll walk down it, you’ll hear the music pouring out of every door (too much Creed for my taste), you’ll see things you can’t unsee, and you’ll have a good time. But if you want to hear actual live music played by actual musicians in bars where actual New Orleanians hang out, Frenchmen Street in the Marigny neighborhood is where you go. It’s about a 10-minute walk from the Quarter.
The Spotted Cat, d.b.a., and the Maison are all great starting points. Most of the clubs have no cover charge, you just walk in.
Neighborhoods to Explore
21. The French Quarter (On Foot)
You’re going to spend time in the Quarter no matter what, but most visitors stick to Bourbon and maybe Jackson Square and miss 90% of it. Wander down Royal Street for antique shops and street musicians. Walk Chartres and Dauphine for quieter residential blocks with incredible architecture. Stand in front of St. Louis Cathedral when the sun is setting and the tarot readers are set up in the square.
If you want structure, a city tour covers the history and architecture with a local guide.
22. Garden District
Take the St. Charles streetcar uptown and get off at Washington Avenue. You’re now in one of the most beautiful residential neighborhoods in America. Massive antebellum mansions, wrought iron fences, canopies of oak trees shading the sidewalks. It’s quieter and more residential than the Quarter, and it’s a totally different version of New Orleans.
While you’re there, stop at Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, which is free and open to the public. Then walk down Magazine Street for shopping, restaurants, and coffee.
23. Marigny & Bywater
These neighborhoods are east of the Quarter and they’re where a lot of locals actually live. The Bywater has an artsy, bohemian feel with colorful shotgun houses, street murals, local coffee shops, and some really good restaurants. Bacchanal Wine is a backyard wine bar with live jazz and cheese plates, and it’s one of my favorite spots in the city.
Seasonal Experiences
24. Mardi Gras
If your trip happens to fall during Carnival season (which runs from January 6 through Fat Tuesday, usually in February or March), you are in for something truly special. In 2027, Fat Tuesday falls on February 9, so Carnival will be a short but intense season. Forget what you think you know about Mardi Gras from TV. The real experience is standing on a neutral ground watching a krewe parade roll by with marching bands and massive floats, catching beads and trinkets, and eating king cake with strangers.
Here’s how the parades work: most of the big ones start uptown or in Mid-City and snake their way toward Canal Street. It’s the same parade the whole route, just later and more crowded by the time it hits Canal. The uptown stretch near the Garden District tends to draw more locals, and the vibe is more relaxed and family-friendly. That’s where I’d recommend watching if you’ve got kids or just want a little more breathing room.
The big names are Endymion, Bacchus, and Zulu, but don’t sleep on the smaller, hand-crafted parades like Joan of Arc and Chewbacchus. They take different routes and actually go into the French Quarter, since they’re not using giant floats. None of the major parades go into the Quarter.
25. Jazz Fest (Late April / May)
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is one of the great American music festivals. Two weekends of music across multiple stages, plus some of the best food vendors you’ll ever encounter. The lineup always includes legends alongside local acts, and the food tent alone is worth the price of admission. Crawfish Monica, cochon de lait po’boy, mango freeze. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.
26. French Quarter Festival (April)
This one is the local’s secret. French Quarter Fest happens every April, it’s free, and it’s less crowded than Jazz Fest while featuring an incredible lineup of mostly Louisiana musicians. Stages are set up throughout the Quarter, the food is all from local restaurants, and the vibe is relaxed and genuinely fun. If your dates are flexible and you can make it work, this is my personal pick over Jazz Fest.
Practical Tips Before You Go
Best time to visit: Spring (March through May) and fall (October through November) are the sweet spot. The weather is pleasant, the festivals are happening, and the crowds are manageable. Summer is hot. And I mean genuinely, oppressively, “why did I leave the hotel” hot. But it’s also cheaper and less crowded, so there’s a trade-off.
Getting around: The French Quarter is best explored on foot. For the Garden District and Uptown, take the St. Charles streetcar, which is an experience in itself. Rideshare works for everything else except swamp tours. The bayou launch points are rural, and getting a ride back can be unreliable. Either book a tour that includes shuttle transportation or rent a car for the day.
What to pack: Comfortable walking shoes (you will walk more than you think), layers for air-conditioned restaurants, a rain jacket (afternoon storms are a daily thing in summer), and sunscreen. Always sunscreen.
Safety: New Orleans is a city. Use the same common sense you’d use in any city. Stick to populated, well-lit areas at night, don’t flash valuables, and be aware of your surroundings. The tourist areas are generally safe and well-patrolled, but don’t wander into unfamiliar neighborhoods alone at 3 AM.
One Last Thing
New Orleans is one of those cities that rewards people who dig a little deeper. The surface-level experience, Bourbon Street, beignets, a quick stroll through the Quarter, is fine. It’s fun. But the stuff that sticks with you, the stuff you’ll be telling people about five years from now, that’s usually the thing you almost didn’t do. The swamp tour you weren’t sure about. The ghost tour on a Tuesday night. The random jazz club on Frenchmen where you stayed until midnight.
If you’re trying to figure out what’s right for your group, or you just want someone to help you sort through the options, that’s literally what we do. Chat with us on our website for the fastest response, call or text us at (504) 226-5433, or just walk into our shop at 728 Saint Louis Street in the French Quarter. More often than not, I’m the one you’ll chat with.
Cheers,
Lenny
Leonard Crist
Co-Owner & Operations
Leonard Crist is the co-owner of Gators & Ghosts in the French Quarter. Born in Louisiana and raised up north, he has a degree in journalism and a law school dropout story that ended with him moving to New Orleans in 2013 to help his aunt Charlotte grow the business. He also works as a ghost tour guide and is still trying to get on Jeopardy.
