The Best Things to Do in New Orleans

Your Guide to the Best Tours, Attractions, and Cultural Experiences

From world-famous music and cuisine to historic neighborhoods and festivals found only here, New Orleans is full of experiences you can’t find anywhere else. Whether it’s your first visit or your tenth, the city offers countless ways to explore: live jazz every night, Creole and Cajun flavors at every meal, and culture at every turn. Our guides will help you uncover top attractions, tours, and events, while leaving room for the unexpected moments that make New Orleans unforgettable.

Insider Things To Do in New Orleans

Calendar Events

Live Music this October in New Orleans

5 min read

October is Music Month in New Orleans, and it all kicks off with NOLAxNOLA, our citywide celebration…

Eat

How to Celebrate a Birthday in New Orleans

5 min read

Things to Do

Weekend Picks

3 min read

Forbes Travel Guide's Top 12 Destinations for 2025

See why Forbes named New Orleans one of the top cities in the entire world to…

The Best Places to Go in the US in 2025 | Conde Nast Traveler

New Orleans was named as one of the top destinations in the U.S. to visit in…

Couple Dancing on French Quarter Balcony

One Of The Best Cities In The World To Visit In 2024

New Orleans named in Time Out’s Best Cities in the World to…

Best Food Destination in the World

New Orleans named Best Food Destination in the world in the 2025 TimeOut…

New Orleans & Company wins C&IT Award of Excellence

For CVBs that best meet subscriber's corporate meeting needs, Corporate…

Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice - Best of the Best 2022

New Orleans was named the #3 Top Destination For City Lovers - United…

New Orleans & Company wins Best CVB / DMO

as named in Smart Meetings' Smart Stars 2022, SmartMeetings , 2022

Forum for Equality 2023 Corporate Leadership Acclaim Award

Forum for Equality honored New Orleans & Company with the 2023 Corporate…

Essential 3-Day New Orleans Itinerary

New Orleans for First Time Visitors

From beignets at Café du Monde to cruising on the Mississippi River, here’s everything a first-time visitor must do in New Orleans.

24 Hours in New Orleans

From sunrise to sunset, here’s our guide to how to spend each hour of the day in New Orleans.

Explore New Orleans Attractions

Tours

Whether you want to explore history or haunts, shopping or swamps, food or just have fun, there’s a tour for you with a locals’ perspective. Pick your passion or simply get to…

50 Free Things To Do In New Orleans

Experience everything NOLA has to offer while sticking to a budget with our guide to the best free activities you can do in the Crescent City.

Big Lake at New Orleans City Park - Tulips at Sunset

Festivals And Events

Every weekend, every weekday, night and day, there is something to do in New Orleans for anyone and everyone. Have a look.

Rockin Dopsie & The Zydeco Twisters - Sheraton New Orleans Fais Do Do Stage - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 2015

Music

Always, forever, the city’s music is its beating heart – especially true during Mardi…

Nightlife

As the birthplace of jazz and cocktails and the host of Mardi Gras, the best bars in New Orleans…

Streetcars

Streetcars are a charming and affordable way to experience the many neighborhoods of New…

French Quarter

Often called the Crown Jewel of New Orleans, the French Quarter is one of NOLA's most historic…

New Orleans Itinerary Quiz

Paula Nunez Photography

Neighborhood Guide

Here we are. Come explore. Our city has some of the most interesting architecture, food and entertainment in the world – dispersed through our many diverse neighborhoods. Explore as many as you can and…

History

If New Orleans history was translated to the silver screen, it would be a blockbuster -- a story dripping with drama, romance, piracy, intrigue, tragedy and inspiration.

Cultural Arts

Theater and drama are everyday occurrences in New Orleans, a city where costume closets are a must and dressing up happens myriad occasions.

Mystical/Haunted New Orleans

New Orleans is the most haunted city in the United States. And no wonder, with its dark history swirling with incantations, violent death and betrayal. This city is a place where the dead refuse…

Architecture

Drive, walk or bike through the neighborhoods of the Crescent City --Uptown, the Garden District, the Marigny, the Treme, the French Quarter, Algiers -- every neighborhood is a living…

Romance

Whether your romance is a blazing fire or a slow burning ember, a few days in New Orleans is sure to…

Sports

New Orleans doesn’t only support the Saints and Pelicans. We back college sports, too: Tulane…

Recreation & Outdoors

New Orleanians love the outdoors! Have a picnic in the park, catch beads at a parade or wander down…

Paul Broussard

Shopping

From funky art finds to one-of-a kind antiques, our stores and art markets are more like museums…

Multicultural

Whether it’s the accent, the food, the music or the architecture, this city is one of the most unique in the world thanks to the contributions made by the people who built it. Discover…

N'Fungola Sibo Dance Theater - Congo Square New World Rhythms Fest 2017

Family-Friendly Things to Do in New Orleans

Discover kid-friendly attractions, tours, parks, and museums in New Orleans—from the Audubon Zoo to music in Jackson Square and hands-on family fun.

LGBTQ New Orleans

Legendary dining and nightlife, a fabulous arts and music scene, parties and festivals dripping with panache, history and proud culture unlike any other city in the world. That’s just the…