Best things to do in New Orleans
The top 3 according to 91 votes from people: French Quarter · Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral · Café du Monde. (Updated May 29, 2025.)
Jazz, beignets, Creole architecture and swamps: the New Orleans essentials from U.S. News, EarthTrekkers and TripAdvisor.
Top 10
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1
French Quarter
The city's oldest neighbourhood, with wrought-iron balconies and jazz on every corner.
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2
Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral
Historic square with street artists, facing the oldest cathedral in continuous use in the US.
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3
Café du Monde
Open-air café on Decatur Street serving beignets and chicory café au lait since 1862.
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4
Garden District
Antebellum mansions and Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, reached on the St. Charles streetcar.
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5
Frenchmen Street
Marigny strip of live-music clubs such as The Spotted Cat, favoured by locals over Bourbon Street.
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6
Preservation Hall
Intimate venue dedicated to traditional New Orleans jazz since 1961.
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7
The National WWII Museum
Vast museum on the Second World War, rated one of the best in the country.
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8
Bourbon Street
The French Quarter's famously rowdy nightlife strip.
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9
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1
Above-ground 'city of the dead' with Marie Laveau's tomb; guided tours only.
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10
City Park and New Orleans Museum of Art
1,300-acre park with oak groves, a sculpture garden and NOMA.
Candidates
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11
Steamboat Natchez
Jazz cruise on the Mississippi aboard an authentic steam-powered sternwheeler.
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12
Swamp tour
Airboat or boat trips into the bayous to see alligators, a short drive from the city.
How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.
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Comments (2)
The WWII Museum needs a full day, one of the best museums in the US.
Beignets at Café du Monde at 2am after Frenchmen Street. That's the NOLA experience.