Top places to visit in New Orleans

• French Quarter (Vieux Carré)

  Heritage · 4.8 rating · about 3 h

  The oldest neighborhood in New Orleans, founded in 1718. A grid of Creole and Spanish-colonial townhouses with wrought-iron balconies, courtyards, jazz, and Creole cuisine. Best explored on foot.

• Bourbon Street

  Nightlife · 4.3 rating · about 1.5 h

  The famously raucous nightlife strip of the French Quarter — bars, neon, jazz, and go-cups. Energetic and crowded after dark; tamer and historic by day. Open-container drinking is legal here.

• The National WWII Museum

  Museum · 4.8 rating · about 4 h · entry USD 36

  Designated by Congress as America's official WWII museum and consistently ranked among the best museums in the world. Immersive exhibits, restored aircraft, oral histories, and the Boeing Center.

• Jackson Square

  Heritage · 4.8 rating · about 0.8 h

  Historic landmark park in the heart of the French Quarter, fronted by St. Louis Cathedral and ringed by the Pontalba Buildings. Street artists, mule carriages, and live musicians fill the square daily.

• St. Louis Cathedral

  Church · 4.8 rating · about 0.5 h

  The oldest continuously operating cathedral in the United States, with triple steeples overlooking Jackson Square. Free to enter; a working Catholic church and an icon of the New Orleans skyline.

• City Park

  Nature · 4.7 rating · about 2 h

  One of the largest urban parks in the US (1,300 acres), home to the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Besthoff Sculpture Garden, ancient live oaks, Storyland, and the Morning Call café. Mostly free to roam.

• Frenchmen Street

  Nightlife · 4.7 rating · about 2 h

  The locals' live-music corridor in Faubourg Marigny, three blocks of jazz, brass, and funk clubs like The Spotted Cat and d.b.a. A more authentic alternative to Bourbon Street.

• French Market

  Market · 4.3 rating · about 1 h

  A six-block public market dating to 1791 — open-air stalls, a farmers and flea market, food vendors, and the Café du Monde flagship at its upriver end.

• Garden District

  Heritage · 4.7 rating · about 1.5 h

  An exquisitely preserved district of 19th-century mansions, oak-canopied streets, and lush gardens, developed by wealthy Americans after the Louisiana Purchase. Best toured on foot or via the St. Charles streetcar.

• Audubon Aquarium of the Americas

  Wildlife · 4.5 rating · about 2 h · entry USD 35

  A riverfront aquarium at the foot of Canal Street showcasing Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean and Amazon habitats, with a combined Insectarium under one roof.

• St. Charles Avenue Streetcar

  Heritage · 4.7 rating · about 1 h · entry USD 1

  The world's oldest continuously operating streetcar line (since 1835). The olive-green cars roll under oak canopies past Garden District mansions and Tulane/Loyola — a sightseeing ride in itself.

• Royal Street

  Heritage · 4.6 rating · about 1 h

  The elegant counterpoint to Bourbon — antique shops, art galleries, hotels and balconied facades. Often pedestrianized midday with street performers and buskers.

Things to do

• Honey Island Swamp Boat Tour Swamp Tour · 2 h · from USD 60 per person
• French Quarter Walking Tour Walking Tour · 2 h · from USD 30 per person
• New Orleans Ghost & Vampire Tour Ghost Tour · 2 h · from USD 28 per person
• Cemetery & Voodoo Walking Tour Cemetery Tour · 1.8 h · from USD 35 per person
• Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise River Cruise · 2 h · from USD 49 per person
• New Orleans Creole Cooking Class Cooking Class · 2.5 h · from USD 165 per person
• Oak Alley Plantation Day Trip Plantation Tour · 5 h · from USD 95 per person
• New Orleans Food Tasting Tour Food Tour · 3 h · from USD 79 per person

Day trips and tours

• Honey Island Swamp & Bayou Day Tour 4 h · from USD 70
• Oak Alley Plantation & River Road Day Trip 5 h · from USD 95
• Baton Rouge & Louisiana State Capitol Day Trip 8 h · from USD 120
• Combo Swamp Tour & Oak Alley Plantation 8 h · from USD 145

Where to stay in New Orleans

• French Quarter about USD 230 per night

  The historic heart of New Orleans — walkable cobblestone streets, Creole townhouses, Bourbon and Royal Streets, and most major sights at your doorstep. Lively (and loud near Bourbon) day and night.

• Garden District about USD 220 per night

  Leafy, genteel neighborhood of antebellum mansions and oak-lined streets, served by the St. Charles streetcar. Quieter and more residential, great for couples.

• CBD / Warehouse District about USD 200 per night

  Central Business and Warehouse/Arts District — modern hotels, museums, and restaurants, a short walk to the French Quarter. Best base for first-timers wanting comfort plus access.

• Faubourg Marigny about USD 170 per night

  Bohemian neighborhood just downriver of the Quarter, home to Frenchmen Street's nightly live-jazz clubs. Colorful, local, and slightly cheaper.

Hotels

• Windsor Court Hotel 5-star · USD 320 to USD 700 per night
• Hotel Monteleone 4-star · USD 250 to USD 550 per night
• The Roosevelt New Orleans (Waldorf Astoria) 4-star · USD 280 to USD 650 per night
• Hotel Peter and Paul 4-star · USD 200 to USD 420 per night
• Drury Inn & Suites New Orleans 3-star · USD 160 to USD 330 per night
• Hampton Inn & Suites New Orleans Convention Center 3-star · USD 150 to USD 320 per night

Where to eat

• Café du Monde Cafe, Dessert, Coffee · about USD 10 per person
• Acme Oyster House Seafood, Cajun, Creole · about USD 35 per person
• Café Beignet Cafe, Coffee, Creole · about USD 12 per person
• Commander's Palace Creole, Fine Dining, Southern · about USD 90 per person
• Coop's Place Cajun, Creole, Southern · about USD 25 per person
• Willie Mae's Scotch House Soul Food, Southern, Fried Chicken · about USD 22 per person
• Antoine's Restaurant French, Creole, Fine Dining · about USD 85 per person
• Cochon Cajun, Southern · about USD 55 per person

Getting around

• Bus main way to get around

  Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.

• Ride Hail main way to get around

  Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.

• Tram main way to get around

  Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.

• Walking main way to get around

  Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.

Safety and scams to avoid

• The "Bet I Know Where You Got Your Shoes" hustle

  French Quarter / Bourbon Street

  A stranger bets you he knows where you got your shoes. The answer is "on your feet, on Bourbon Street." After the gotcha he demands payment for the "bet," sometimes while an accomplice gets close to your pockets.

  How to avoid it: Just keep walking and do not engage. There is no real bet — never agree to wager with a street stranger.

• Fake or unlicensed tour guides

  Jackson Square, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1

  Individuals posing as official guides approach tourists offering cemetery, ghost or voodoo "tours" without a city license, then overcharge or give inaccurate, rushed tours.

  How to avoid it: Book cemetery and walking tours through licensed, reviewed operators. Licensed tour guides in New Orleans carry a city-issued permit you can ask to see.

• Bourbon Street drink and cover-charge overcharging

  Bourbon Street bars and clubs

  Some bars push expensive souvenir or "hand-grenade" cocktails, add surprise cover charges, or run up tabs on open cards, especially late at night.

  How to avoid it: Ask the price before ordering, pay cash or close your tab each round, and check the bill. Be wary of anyone luring you into a club with "free" entry.

• Aggressive palm readers and fortune tellers

  Jackson Square, French Quarter

  Readers offer a "free" or cheap reading, then pressure you for escalating payments to "remove a curse" or continue, sometimes refusing to let you leave.

  How to avoid it: Agree on a fixed price in writing up front, or simply decline. Walk away if anyone pressures you for more money.

• Costumed performer photo tip demands

  Jackson Square, Bourbon Street

  Costumed characters and "living statue" performers pose with tourists, then aggressively demand a large tip after the photo is taken.

  How to avoid it: Agree on a tip amount before any photo, or decline. A dollar or two is customary if you do take a picture.

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