New Orleans, LA

What to do in New Orleans, LA

Tour the City

Get your bearings and learn a bit about the main points of interest from expert guides who share all sorts of intriguing and educational information, as well as legends, gossip and tall tales that aren't printed in any guides! Tour lively Jackson Square, examine the distinctive architecture of the French Quarter, circle Lake Ponchartrain, and stroll down St Charles Avenue where the historic street cars still clang around transporting passengers.

River Road Plantation Tours

Lose yourself in time as you discover the rich history and inside story of the homes and aristocratic families of "the landed gentry" from once upon a French Colonial time. The sultry Louisiana countryside is a fairy tale setting for these grand homes, which include Nottoway - one of the few antebellum homes to survive the Civil War and the biggest remaining plantation home - and Oak Alley, a Greek revival house famous for its 1/4 mile avenue of 300 year-old oak trees.

Dine-A-Round

Sample the mouth-watering N'awlins dishes that tempt you from thousands of doorways throughout the city. Choosing a restaurant can be daunting, so just join a dining tour and let them make the decisions so you can concentrate on the food!.

Cruise Ole Miss

For lunch, dinner, sightseeing, or a floating jazz jaunt, board one of Louisiana's authentic steamers. You'll float past the ancient city, then along the shores of its lush countryside dotted with ghostly old plantations while a jazz band fills the breezy air with its infectious beat and chefs prepare a sumptuous Creole buffet.

The Cities of the Dead

New Orleans' eerily beautiful cemeteries evolved because the city is below sea level in so many places. This topographical quirk made it impossible to keep coffins down in the ground without utilizing unpopular methods, so the practice of laying the dead to rest above ground came about as an emotional necessity. Today, they are considered one of the city's most famous features and are popular sites for many events, even weddings!.

Bourbon Street After Dark

Even if bar-hopping and drinking isn't your thing, you must still check out Bourbon Street in its nightly "glory" at least once, or you won't be able truly to say "you've done the New Orleans thing!" It's just undeniably entertaining to experience the sensory overload you have when this place comes alive with music and partiers streaming all around you in one of the most carefree, unrestrained revelries you'll ever encounter.

Jazz Crawl

We've told you about the Dine-A-Rounds and you've probably got your own pub crawling plans, so the only thing missing is the music. Don't worry about where to find jazz - it'll find you. Keep an ear open as you pass by tavern doors, and slip in to listen for a spell when one strikes your fancy. Don't be surprised if the performer turns out to be a big name player just having some fun on the tiny pub stage!.

City Park

This was once part of the Louis Allard plantation and has seen it all over many centuries. Duels were once fought here, but it is now strictly a place for fun and relaxation on extensive, beautifully landscaped grounds. Attractions include botanical gardens, a conservatory, 4 golf courses, picnic areas, a restaurant, boating and fishing lagoons, tennis courts, horses, a bandstand, 2 miniature trains, an children's amusement area, special events, and the New Orleans Museum of Art - that should keep you busy, don't you think?! .

Street Car Tour

Design your own city tour on a historic street car, a nearly extinct pleasure. Until just a few decades ago, several streetcar lines criss-crossed the city, but only the St Charles line remains. Climb aboard for a ride through the Central Business and Garden Districts, past 2 historic universities, the Audubon Park, and on to the Riverbend, hopping on and off as you please.

Golf

Egrets, pelicans, and cranes aren't the only kind of birdies in Louisiana. Many courses designed by the likes of Arnold Palmer, Robert Trent Jones, and Jack Nicklaus await your swing, and whether you choose to play at the site of an 1812 battlefield or on the former grounds of a plantation, you come out a winner.

Casinos

Enjoy high- or low-stakes gaming at one of New Orleans several casinos. Harrah's is a Las Vegas-style casino, and 3 others are afloat on Mississippi riverboats, adding Bayou flair to the action. Along with all the expected all the games, there are glitzy shows, fine restaurants, quiet lounges, and plenty more to keep you on a roll! .

Do That Voodoo

When the mist rises along the Mississippi and moonlight spills across shuttered doorways and ancient cobblestones, mysticism and magic awaken in the French Quarter. If you embrace the unearthly and long to uncover the arcane, then your spirit will be at home in the Vieux Carré. Voodoo priestesses, ghosts, witches, and vampires have contributed to the mystical tradition. If you have a favorite tale set in the city, bring it to life by following in the characters footsteps on your own or with a knowledgeabley denizen of the dark.

Antiquing

The French Quarter, particularly Royal Street, is home to some of the world's finest purveyors of fine art and antiquities. A popular and less costly alternative is the group of shops along Magazine Street, known to locals as "the poor man's Royal Street." Some shops sell quality reproductions and some specialize in collector's items like rare recordings or first-edition books.