What to See
7 highlights📍 Tap the pin for directions
The French Quarter
The historic heart of the city — wrought-iron balconies, Jackson Square, and St. Louis Cathedral. Bourbon Street is loud and touristy at night, but wander Royal Street and Chartres Street during the day for antique shops, art galleries, and street musicians without the crowds.
Frenchmen Street
The real live-music strip, favored by locals over Bourbon Street. A few blocks packed with small jazz clubs (Spotted Cat, Snug Harbor, The Maison) — most have no cover or a small one, and you can club-hop all night hearing world-class musicians in tiny rooms.
Café du Monde
The original French Market location serves beignets and chicory coffee 24 hours a day and has since 1862. Expect a line, especially on weekends — it moves fast, and there are now other locations around the city with shorter waits if you want the same menu without queueing.
Above-Ground Cemeteries
New Orleans's high water table means the dead are buried above ground in elaborate stone "cities of the dead." St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 (Marie Laveau's reputed tomb) now requires a licensed guide for entry — solo tourist access was banned after vandalism. Book a reputable walking tour rather than trying to go it alone.
The Garden District
Stately antebellum mansions along oak-lined streets, best explored on foot or via the St. Charles streetcar. Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 here is free to enter without a guide (unlike St. Louis No. 1) during open hours.
New Orleans Jazz Museum & Preservation Hall
Preservation Hall in the French Quarter hosts short, intimate traditional jazz sets nightly in a room with no drinks, no air conditioning, and legendary acoustics — buy tickets online, shows sell out. The Jazz Museum at the Old U.S. Mint covers the genre's local roots.
Swamp Tours
Airboat or pontoon tours into the surrounding bayous (Honey Island Swamp, Jean Lafitte) run about 30-45 minutes outside the city and are a genuinely different side of Louisiana — alligators, Spanish moss, and Cajun guides. Book ahead in summer when they sell out.