11 Insanely Exciting Things to Do in New Orleans for Everyone!

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This post is all about Things to do in New Orleans.

Planning a trip to the Crescent City and need things to do in New Orleans? This city is full of culture, food, and adventure. Whether you come for the history, the atmosphere, or the festivities, you will find everything and more in this bustling city. 

My sister and I traveled to New Orleans for her twenty first birthday, but we didn’t only come to party on Bourbon Street. We spent four days experiencing every part of New Orleans we could fit into our limited time. And we probably didn’t even scratch the surface.

Come along as I give you the ins and outs of planning your very own trip down south to the exciting city of New Orleans. Here I’ll give you the tours to book and the sites to see which all can be accomplished in just four days.

Things to Do in New Orleans

Voodoo Tour

New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum is home to one of the only places you can experience and learn about the voodoo religion in New Orleans. I recommend visiting the museum even if you do not wish to book a guided tour.

Although the museum is small in size, the information stored within the two rooms is vast. You could easily spend hours in there reading each piece of documentation saved from the past and analyzing all the artwork hanging around. 

We decided to book the guided tour to hear from a practicing member of the voodoo religion as he explains the history and the practices. Also, pre-covid, you were able to wander through one of the most famous cemeteries in the city: St Louis Cemetery #1. However, due to the cemeteries restrictions on other tours entering the grounds, we walked an alternate route around the city.

I would say for most people the guided tour could be missed in favor of a self-guided walk through the museum. However, my favorite way to learn is hands on which our tour guide allowed us to do. He gave us his firsthand experience of what voodoo meant to him and how he uses it in everyday life. Especially when it comes to different religions, I am always fascinated by firsthand accounts.

To book tickets for the museum: click here

To book tickets for a guided tour: click here

Ghost Tour – New Orleans Vampires!

You are visiting one of the most haunted cities in the United States, so of course you must attend a ghost tour during your stay!

There are plenty to choose from, but we decided to go for a well-rounded mix of ghosts and true crime! I cannot recommend this tour enough! Our tour guide Scott was an amazing storyteller! Not only did he tell us a bunch of different stories, but he also knew a lot about the city itself as well as the architecture.

Another plus for this tour was you get to visit the oldest bar in the US, Lafitte Blacksmith Shop! Not only is it the best place to get a hurricane, but you get to drink by candlelight! I rave more about this bar in my next post because I just couldn’t get enough of it. 

But yes, even if you don’t go with the tour we chose, you must, must, must book a ghost tour while in New Orleans!

To book tickets for the tour I took: click here

Cemetery Tour

Continuing right along the subject of ghosts, I highly recommend visiting one or a few of New Orleans’s fourteen cemeteries. 

There are again many different tours to choose from between historical and spooky. We chose to do a fun BYOB cemetery bus tour. It was such a fun atmosphere and a great way to see some of the lesser-known cemeteries.

If you are looking for a truly educational tour or to visit the more popular cemeteries, this tour is not for you. We booked this one on a whim when we were already down there, so we really were just looking for a good time which we got.

Especially if you believe in ghosts, you’ll love this tour as your guide uses EMF meters to try and discover spirits in the graveyards. You even get a hands on experience with spirit sticks to try and communicate with spirits yourself!

To book tickets for the tour: click here

Jazz Cruise

The final tour I have on this list of things to do in New Orleans is a jazz cruise onboard one of two paddle wheelers still operating today. 

Unfortunately, our jazz cruise was canceled, so we weren’t able to attend the tour ourselves. But this is a great way to experience the city, the jazz culture, and even some of the creole food.

You can book anything from a simple ride up and down the Mississippi River to a five-course meal with live jazz entertainment. If you are looking for a nice evening off the streets of New Orleans, a jazz cruise is a great option for you!

To book tickets for the tour: click here

Tours outside the city center:

Airboat Tour

Louisiana has so much more to offer other than the Big Easy. One of these unique experiences in Louisiana is visiting the marshes or the bayou. 

There are walking trails and tons of boat experiences. From as small as a kayak to as large as a pontoon boat, there are tons of ways to see the bayou from the water.

We chose an airboat tour as it is a bit more exciting to ride. This type of boat is not for everyone, so make sure to do your research on if it is safe for you to ride. 

Our tour specifically offered transportation to and from our hotel which was awesome because the bayou was about thirty minutes from the city center. 

The tour was fantastic overall, and our guide was very knowledgeable on the nature and the area we rode through. The only thing I have to say negatively about the tour was I was unaware the guide hand fed the alligators we were able to see on our tour. So, that took them a little out of their usual environment. 

But if you are paying to see wildlife, we saw thirteen alligators, a couple turtles, and countless birds. Whatever your stance is on interacting with wildlife, I am sure you can find a tour that’s right for you.

To book the tour: click here

Plantation Tour

Looking to leave the city for the day? Step back in time by visiting a plantation a short bus ride away from New Orleans.

Many people visit these places for the picturesque mansions and the history within the grounds. And of course, there are quite a few to choose from all focusing on different aspects of the grounds and life there when they were inhabited.

I was apprehensive of what the tour would consist of since plantations were the setting for thousands of tragedies during the time of slavery in the US. There was a sense of worry that the tour would be centered mainly around living in luxury in “the big house” instead including the horrors that human beings faced there.

We visited Oak Alley Plantation which was exactly what I hoped it would be. Walking the grounds and hearing the stories from the tour guide, the entire experience de-romanticized this luxurious idea of “southern life”.

They do a wonderful job of showing the differing perspectives of living on this plantation as landowner and as a slave. There are slave quarters you can tour that have intense explanations of a slave’s life and treatment. Just the stark comparison of a slave building and the main house was enough to show what was behind the curtain of this picture Hollywood paints.

Overall, if you have the time, I highly recommend taking the trip to visit on these plantations.

To book the tour I took: click here

More of Things to Do in New Orleans:

Take a Ride on a New Orleans Streetcar!

A New Orleans streetcar is in my opinion the best way to see New Orleans other than walking around. The streetcars have been traveling the city since 1835, the oldest streetcars in the world!

They are quite inexpensive at just $6 for an unlimited day pass. They even have an app you can download which has tickets for sale as well as up to date tracking on when the next streetcar is arriving at each stop.

Download the RTA GoMobile 2.0 app here.

Wander around Uptown!

This was my absolute favorite part of the city of New Orleans. The suburbs of the city have amazing architecture and a quieter atmosphere than the city center. The St Charles line on the streetcar takes you right through uptown where you can admire the large southern style houses.

Also in Uptown are some amazing restaurants which I talk about in this post here! And of course, don’t forget to visit Audubon Park which has tons of activities such as the zoo, a golf course, tons of gardens, and more!

Armstrong Park / Congo Square

I definitely wanted to mention this park because it has such an interesting history that I want to learn more about even after taking the voodoo tour through it. 

This park used to be where the slaves would congregate when their masters brought them into the city for events or meetings. The slaves had the chance to come together in this unique circumstance where they could trade information, reunite with lost family members, sell goods for gather funds for freedom, and even celebrate the small things. 

Although there is not much to see in the park today, the history around it is such an interesting one that many people overlook.

Jackson Square

One of the most popular squares in the French Quarter, Jackson Square is a beautiful little park where you can find shops and street artists performing and selling their art. 

You can also find Café du Monde New Orleans which is the original café for coffee and beignets. Last but not least, there is the St Louis Cathedral which is free to enter and continues to have mass on certain days of the week.

Bourbon Street

Next, of course, the famed thirteen block street: Bourbon Street. If you are looking to bar hop or just hit one or two during your stay in New Orleans, Bourbon Street has plenty of options for you to choose from.

Did I think this street was overhyped? Yes. Did I still go there every night I was there? Yes. 

So, you can make the decision of how long you’d like to stay on this street. If you are looking for more of a local’s take on the drinking culture, I recommend Frenchman’s street which is full of jazz and good drinks.

Best Streets with Fun Things to Do in New Orleans French Quarter

• Royal Street
• Canal Street
• Magazine Street

All of these streets are centrally located and home to many amazing restaurants, bars, and shops. You will find everything you need on any of these three popular streets.

Don’t Miss a Thing!

Like I said before, this post only scratches the surface of the things to do in New Orleans. But depending on how much time you have while vsiting the Big Easy, this is a great list to start from.

From ghosts and history to drinking and nature, everyone can find something in New Orleans to enjoy!

Don’t miss my other New Orleans inspired post where I tell you everywhere to eat and drink a city full of its own spices and styles. 

This post is all about things to do in New Orleans.