Do you need to know all the best things to do in New Orleans for your upcoming trip? I’ve got a list of all the ways you can make it an amazing trip!
Getting ready to go NOLA and need to know all the best things to do in New Orleans? I’ve got you covered!
There are so many fun things to do in New Orleans, and I’m here to make sure that you get them all packed into your trip to make sure you don’t miss a thing!
Also big hint! This is a great place to go around Halloween 🙂
This post is all about the best things to do in New Orleans!
Best Things to do in New Orleans!
1.) Take a Ride on the Steamboat Natchez
The Steamboat Natchez is a beautiful way to see some of the city. I love anything involving water, so taking a cruise around the Mississippi River sounded like a blast to me! We opted for the evening cruise, but they have a couple other options throughout the day. Sit and listen to jazz music and have a dinner and a drink! You’ll love it and it’s so relaxing. Definitely one of the best things to do in New Orleans!
2. Alligator Swamp Tour
Speaking of things to do in the water….this is probably my favorite thing we did in New Orleans.
Take a ride through the swamps in one of their airboats! You’ll spot tons of alligators and see some beautiful scenery. Our guide literally lifted an alligator’s head out of the water to give him a kiss, and later on brought a smaller alligator right on to the boat. He also gave us all long sticks with marshmallows on them so we could feed the gators!
Oh, and they had a little bar at the start so you could grab a drink and snack to take with you!
3.) New Orleans Ghost Tour
Another thing you have to do, especially if you are visiting New Orleans close to Halloween, is a ghost tour. There is so much dark history in New Orleans, and so many cemeteries, and there’s no better way to learn about it all than a ghost tour!
We opted for an adults only ghost tour, but there are others that are more kid friendly if you are traveling with family. There are so many different ones to choose from with different themes so make sure you check them all out to see what intrigues you the most!
The one we did met up at the Voodoo Restaurant, where they serve bar food and drinks, so we were able to grab a little food and a drink that we could take on the bus. One of our main stops on the tour was the Charity Hospital Cemetery. This cemetery is home to several people who died from a yellow fever outbreak, who were cared for at Charity Hospital. There is also a memorial for the victims of Katrina. It was an incredible experience.
4.) Cafe Du Monde
You CANNOT go to New Orleans without getting a beignet, and Cafe Du Monde is the perfect place to go! There are now actually several locations around NOLA, so depending on what else you are up to during the day you can pick one close to you! They’ve also got great coffee 🙂
4.) Besthoff Sculpture Garden
The Cafe Du Monde we went to was right across the street from the Besthoff Sculpture Garden, so that worked out perfectly for us! It is basically a walkable park with tons of amazing sculptures! It was so nice to walk through! There’s also a little pond with little boats you can peddle on that look like swans close by!
5.) Museum of Death
If you’re looking for something creepy to do, definitely check out the Museum of Death! It’s pretty intense, so check it out only if you’re ready for some really gruesome visuals. There are lots of crime scene photos, skeletons, etc. It may not be for everyone, but if you’re into that kind of stuff it’s a must see.
6.) Check Out an Oyster Happy Hour!
If you know me, you know I LOVE an oyster. And…if I’m going to New Orleans you best believe I’m having oysters at least once a day, if not for every meal. So many places serve oysters, but even better there are so many oyster happy hours where you can get extremely cheap ones!
The cheapest oysters we found were at Basin. They were only 75 cents!
Felix’s and Luke are also great spots! They get busy though so if you can go on off hours that’s your best bet!
7.) Pharmacy Museum
The Pharmacy Museum is a great thing to do in New Orleans. It’s extremely interesting! The museum follows this history of pharmacy and medicine. The building itself used to be an apothecary and home to Louis J. Dulfilho Jr., who happens to be the first licensed pharmacist in the US.
The building is also said to be haunted by Dr. Dupas – who supposedly performed several terrible experiments throughout his career.
8.) Check out an Antique Shop
There are so many amazing antique shops throughout all of New Orleans. If you’re looking for a relaxing day, walk down the streets of NOLA and stop in to any shops you may find! There’s so many cool little treasures to uncover.
9.) Stroll Down Bourbon Street
You obviously have to take a walk down Bourbon Street while you are in New Orleans! There are so many great bars and tons of live music! Stop in and listen to such a wonderful variety of music!
10.) St. Louis Cathedral
The St. Louis Cathedral is the oldest cathedral in continuous use in the United States! It is absolutely stunning. Make sure to stop by, or at least take a walk past it. It’s a beautiful sight to see.
11.) St. Louis Cemetery No. 1
The cemeteries in New Orleans are so interesting, because the tombs need to be above water level to make sure they don’t wash away. One of the most famous cemeteries in New Orleans is St. Louis Cemetery Number One. You have to book a tour to be able to go, but it is well worth it!
This post was all about the best things to do in New Orleans to help make your vacation one you won’t forget!
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