Cruising out of PortNOLA? Experience New Orleans in a nutshell with these ten things you must do before your voyage begins! All of these are easily accessible from the Port of New Orleans: only a short walk or ride away.

Mardi Gras World

(0.1 mile away from PORTNOLA)

To  experience Mardi Gras year-round, visit Mardi Gras World, the largest float designing and building facility in the world! Mardi Gras World draws hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world each year, providing visitors with the opportunity to don authentic Mardi Gras costumes, tour enormous warehouses filled with floats and get a true taste of Mardi Gras with king cake and New Orleans coffee.

Rebecca Todd
Discover Mardi Gras

The National World War II Museum

(1.1 mile away from PORTNOLA)

A must-see for history lovers and all patriots, The National World War II Museum has garnered nearly two million visitors since its opening day in 2000. TripAdvisor’s 2nd top museum in the nation and 8th in the world, the site has been designated by the U.S. Congress as America’s official WWII Museum. Powerful imagery and extraordinary artifacts bring to life the American spirit, the courage, teamwork and sacrifice of the young men and women who won the war and changed the world. This fall stay at the museum’s adjacent property, the Higgins Hotel and Conference Center. This brand-new, eight story hotel is rich in history and modern luxury, perfectly complimenting the museum’s ever-expanding campus.

French Market

(2.6 mile away from PORTNOLA)

The French Market, America’s oldest public market, offers 6 blocks of shopping and dining just steps from the Mississippi River. This vibrant open-air market is home to Café du Monde, the original 24/7 coffee shop, serving up dark roasted coffee with chicory and beignets 364 days a year. The French Market features a wide array of boutique and retail shops, showcases over fifty local artists and craftsmen, and hosts New Orleans’ fresh produce hotspot, the Farmers Market Pavilion. Whether you're looking for homegrown spices, local street art or some famous New Orleans pralines, you'll find it at the Farmers Market. Open 7 days a week from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., rain or shine.

Jackson Square / St. Louis Cathedral

(1.7 miles away from PORTNOLA)

Perhaps New Orleans’ most iconic attraction, Jackson Square, is nestled in the heart of the French Quarter. The Square served as the site where, in 1803, Louisiana became United States territory and was named a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1960. Inside its beautiful wrought iron gate is 2.5 acres of lush green walking space. In the center of the Square is a bronze equestrian statue of General Andrew Jackson, whom the Square is named after. Just outside the gate is an open-air artist colony, where artists display their original works and even draw visitors’ portraits. Across from Jackson Square is the nation’s oldest catholic church, St. Louis Cathedral. Its centuries-old architectural beauty has been the backdrop for hundreds of films and has solidified itself as one of the most recognizable buildings in the city.

Justen Williams

Louisiana State Museum (The Cabildo and The Presbytère) 

(1.7 miles away from PORTNOLA)

Neighboring the St. Louis Cathedral sits The Cabildo and The Presbytère, just two of New Orleans’ five Louisiana State Museums. Built under Spanish rule in the 1790s, The Cabildo currently features We Love You, New Orleans, an exhibit celebrating the people, places and things that make New Orleans one of the nation’s most unique cities to visitors and residents alike. The Presbytère, designed to match the Cabildo, features exhibits such as Mardi Gras: It's Carnival Time in Louisiana! and Living with Hurricanes: Katrina & Beyond, two comprehensive and contrasting insights into life in the Crescent City.

Rebecca Todd
The Cabildo

Carriage Ride - Royal Carriages

(1.7 miles away from PORTNOLA)

Experience New Orleans with a fully immersive carriage tour through the city, led by knowledgeable guides and their majestic mares. Royal Carriages, the oldest sightseeing carriage company in America, is a family-run mule-drawn carriage company currently celebrating their 75th anniversary and offers a variety of tours including haunted cemetery and French Quarter history tours. There are dozens of carriage services in New Orleans – book a ride and tour the city in style!

Paul Broussard

Royal Street

(2 miles away from PORTNOLA)

Up for a walk? For a full 13 blocks, Royal Street runs parallel to Bourbon Street and is considered one of the finest stretches of art galleries, antique stores, wrought iron balconies, restaurants and architecture the Crescent City has to offer. At the front of the street, take a spin at the Carousel Bar & Lounge, a circus-clad revolving bar serving a 70th anniversary cocktail menu for a limited time. Then, shop dozens of family-owned antique shops and fine art galleries all while taking in the timeless beauty only New Orleans can offer.

New Orleans School of Cooking

(1.8 miles away from PORTNOLA)

Since 1980, New Orleans School of Cooking has given countless visitors an inside look to what New Orleans does best – cuisine. Public demonstrations and hands-on courses are offered daily and allow visitors to get familiar with New Orleans basics while learning about the history of Cajun cooking. Prepare traditional dishes such as crawfish etouffee, fresh and local crawfish tails enveloped in a creole-spice sauce over rice, and classic treats like pralines, a creamy and nutty confection similar to fudge. When the class ends, enjoy the meal you created and take the recipe home so you can whip up a taste of New Orleans from anywhere.

Jazz Museum

(2.3 miles away from PORTNOLA)

Situated near Frenchman Street’s live music corridor, the New Orleans Jazz Museum lives in the heart of the city’s vibrant music scene. The collection is the largest of its kind in the world with over 25,000 artifacts including Louis Armstrong’s first coronet and a 1917 disc of the first jazz recording ever made. Music lovers and history buffs alike will love this immersive walk through New Orleans’ famously melodious past.

City Sightseeing Tour

Hop-On a red double-decker bus and tour 300 years of history, architecture and culture in a single two-hour ride. Or Hop-Off at any stop and tour attractions your way! City Sightseeing New Orleans offers narrated tours and transportation every half-hour around the city so you can enjoy the city at your own pace. Riding through the French Quarter and get a craving for beignets? Hop-Off at Café du Monde and catch the next bus! Looking to escape the heat? Enjoy a couple cool hours at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas – City Sightseeing will be there to pick you up. Purchase a 3-day pass with unlimited hop-on, hop-off privileges and enjoy complimentary French Quarter and Garden District walking tours!

Algiers Ferry

(1.1 miles away from PORTNOLA)

Test run your voyage with a miniature cruise on the Algiers Ferry! Since 1827, the Algiers Ferry has operated on a regular schedule and currently docks and departs the New Orleans terminal every 30 minutes. Ferries have played an integral role in the transportation of both goods and people for nearly 200 years. Dock in Algiers Point and enjoy one of New Orleans’ first neighborhoods, second only to the French Quarter, which offers a condensed look at traditional shotgun houses, creole cottages and English Baroque style homes. When you take the ferry into the city, enjoy hours’ worth of attractions within half a mile from the terminal such as the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas or The Outlet Collection at Riverwalk.

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