Things to do in New Orleans
French Quarter Ghost Tour27 optionsAirboat New Orleans14 optionsGhost Tour New Orleans51 optionsNew Orleans Air Boat Ride32 optionsPlantations in New Orleans39 optionsOak Alley Plantation Tours21 optionsFood Tour New Orleans39 optionsNew Orleans Garden District Walking Tour29 optionsBus Tour New Orleans6 optionsCity Tour New Orleans10 optionsNew Orleans Cooking Tour6 optionsHaunted Bar Crawl New Orleans5 options
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New Orleans Cooking Class: Louisiana Recipes & WineYou spend three hours cooking an authentic Louisiana meal alongside an expert chef in a small group, with wine and beer included throughout. You choose your menu (bisque or gumbo, shrimp and grits or jambalaya, bananas foster or pralines), do all the prep and cooking yourself, then sit down and eat what you've made. You leave with your apron, printed recipes, and the ability to actually make these dishes at home.Is it for me?Book this if you want to actually learn how to cook Louisiana food rather than just taste it, and you'd rather spend three hours in a kitchen with a real chef and a small group than watch a video at home. The hands-on format and the meal at the end are what make it stick.
New Orleans French Quarter: Mule Carriage Ride & 300 Years HistoryYou ride in a mule-drawn carriage through the French Quarter's main landmarks—St. Louis Cathedral, French Market, Pontalba Buildings, and Napoleon House—while a driver unfolds 300 years of local history, architecture, and culture. The carriage pace means you cover ground without walking, and the driver weaves in recommendations for jazz clubs, restaurants, and museums you should hit next. Service animals are welcome, and infants can sit on a lap.Is it for me?A good fit if you want to see the French Quarter's main landmarks and history without walking for hours. The carriage pace means you cover the Vieux Carré in one ride, and the driver's recommendations save you time deciding what to do next.
New Orleans: Swamp Tour Boat Adventure with PickupYou’ll leave downtown New Orleans behind for an afternoon on the swamp—watching for gators, gliding past ancient burial mounds, and listening to local stories from your guide. Hotel pickup makes it easy; you just show up ready for whatever the bayou throws at you. The light on the water sticks with you long after you’re back in town.
New Orleans Ghost Tour: French Quarter Haunted Locations & LaLaurieYou walk a 2-hour route through the French Quarter with a licensed guide, entering a private haunted courtyard and a bar, seeing the LaLaurie Mansion and Jackson Square, and hearing historically documented ghost stories tied to real events. The guide focuses on verified history rather than theatrics, and the tour includes at least one interior space most ghost tours in New Orleans don't access. Book this if you want the actual documented hauntings rather than the legend version.Is it for me?Book this if you want documented ghost stories tied to real events rather than theatrical legends, and you're willing to walk for two hours through the French Quarter—the licensed guide and private courtyard access are what set this tour apart from the standard version.
New Orleans: Airboat Swamp & Plantations Tour with Gourmet LunchYou’ll ride a high-speed airboat through wild Louisiana swamps with a local guide, visit Laura Plantation for real Creole stories, and enjoy a gourmet buffet lunch at Houmas House before exploring its gardens and mansion rooms. Expect laughter, honest history, good food—and moments where time feels slower than usual.
New Orleans: City Van Tour with French Quarter & Garden DistrictYou’ll ride through New Orleans with a local guide who shares personal stories while you explore the French Quarter’s lively streets, stroll beneath Garden District oaks, visit historic cemeteries with above-ground tombs, and catch glimpses of local life along Magazine Street—all with hotel pickup included. Expect moments that stick with you long after you leave.
New Orleans Cemetery Walking Tour: Cities of the DeadA 2-hour walking tour of New Orleans' cemeteries with a local guide covers tomb architecture, burial history and the city's unique practices. The tour includes stops at the Katrina Memorial, where you'll hear the story of Hurricane Katrina's victims, and the crossroads where multiple cemeteries meet. A live English-speaking guide leads the route; you choose between a 10:15am or 1:15pm departure.Is it for me?Pick the 10:15am slot for morning light on the tombs and time to linger at Morning Call; choose 1:15pm if you're exploring other neighborhoods first.
Magazine Street Food Tour New Orleans: Beignets & DonutsA guided food tour of Magazine Street in New Orleans where you visit four bakeries and coffee shops in two hours, sampling traditional beignets with powdered sugar, artisanal donuts, and creative beignet variations with toppings and sauces. The tour includes a local guide who shares stories of the neighborhood's French, Spanish and Creole heritage, and ends at a different location than it starts.Is it for me?Choose this if you want a guide to lead you through Magazine Street's food history while tasting at four set stops; pick the self-guided version if you'd rather choose your own bakeries or prefer to sit while you eat.
New Orleans: Maurepas Swamp Zipline & Suspension BridgesYou arrive 30 minutes early for gear and instruction, then spend 1.5 hours zipping across five lines and two suspension bridges through the Maurepas Swamp, spotting alligators and cypress groves from treetop height. The course includes a spiral tree staircase and views of Lake Ponchartrain and the New Orleans skyline. All safety equipment, instruction, and the guided tour are included; you just need closed-toe shoes and moderate fitness to handle the height and movement.Is it for me?Pick this if you want to see the Louisiana swamp from a perspective most people never get—suspended above the water instead of looking at it from a boat—and you're comfortable with heights and physical activity. The guide and the fixed route mean you don't have to plan the wildlife spotting or worry about navigating the swamp yourself.
New Orleans: French Quarter & Cemetery Tour with PickupYou get picked up at your hotel, driven through four distinct New Orleans neighborhoods in a climate-controlled coach, walk through one of the city's most historic cemeteries with a local guide explaining the burial traditions and famous residents, and return to your hotel within 2.5 hours. Hotel pickup is from the Homewood Suites French Quarter location only, so confirm that works for where you're staying.Is it for me?A good fit if you want to see multiple New Orleans neighborhoods and understand the city's unique history without arranging your own transport and timing — the 2.5-hour format covers the main sights and the cemetery walk without leaving you exhausted. Pickup is from one specific hotel location, so confirm the Homewood Suites French Quarter works for where you're staying.
New Orleans: Manchac Swamp Kayak Tour with PickupYou’ll paddle through Louisiana’s Maurepas Swamp with a local guide, spotting alligators and turtles from your kayak as sunlight filters through ancient cypress trees. Includes pickup from New Orleans’ French Quarter and all gear—just bring your curiosity (and maybe dry socks). Expect laughter, quiet moments, and memories that linger long after you’re back in town.
New Orleans True Crime Walking Tour French QuarterYou walk the French Quarter with a local guide uncovering real crimes and the buildings where they happened, including stops at the Pharmacy Museum and the Cabildo. The group stays under eight people, which keeps the experience intimate and lets you ask questions as you go. Expect to be out for a couple of hours on foot, moving through side streets and main landmarks alike. All taxes and guide fees are included.Is it for me?Right for true crime fans and history buffs who want the actual stories behind New Orleans rather than the tourist version. The walking pace works for most fitness levels, and the small group size means you hear the guide clearly and can ask questions as you go.
New Orleans: Jazz Dinner Cruise & Mississippi River with Open BarYou board early for front-row seating to live jazz, take a private tour of the paddle-wheel boat, and settle into a reserved table for a Louisiana dinner buffet with champagne and shrimp cocktail included. The 2-hour cruise glides along the Mississippi River with the option to add an open bar. You leave with a souvenir photo, a CD, and a pin — all included before you step off in the French Quarter.Is it for me?Book this if you want live jazz and a full dinner without arranging separate reservations at a restaurant — the VIP boarding and reserved seating mean you skip the line and get the best view of the band from the start.
New Orleans: Haunted Pub Crawl & Dark History with 3 Bar StopsYou get a 2-hour walk through New Orleans' French Quarter with a guide who knows the dark history of murder, brothels, and hauntings tied to real locations. Three bar stops are built into the route, so you're not paying separately for drinks. The guide handles the storytelling while you handle the walking and listening—no arranging your own ghost story tour or figuring out which bars have the actual history.Is it for me?Book this if you want the dark side of New Orleans history told by someone who knows it, with built-in bar stops so you're not hunting for drinks on your own—the small-group format and fixed route are what make two hours feel like you've actually covered the twisted stories of the place.
New Orleans: Jean Lafitte Swamp Tour 90 Minutes & GatorsYou board a narrated pontoon boat at Jean Lafitte National Park and spend ninety minutes spotting alligators, egrets, cypress trees and native wildlife with a local guide. The boat is shaded and equipped with restrooms. Hotel pickup is available for a fee, and a lunch option exists for the morning departure. Plan for the full experience without arranging transport or timing yourself.Is it for me?Right for travelers staying in New Orleans without a car who want to see the bayou without arranging their own transport or timing. The ninety-minute format fits between other activities, and the shaded boat and local guide mean you're learning as you watch, not just passing through.
French Quarter Walking Tour with 1850 House Museum AdmissionA French Quarter walking tour led by a city-licensed guide covers the neighborhood's history, architecture and folklore, with admission to the 1850 House Museum included. The tour runs rain or shine and takes roughly two hours; restrooms are available for guests. Proceeds support Friends of the Cabildo, a nonprofit volunteer group backing the Louisiana State Museum.Is it for me?Choose this tour if you want to walk the neighborhood streets while also stepping inside the 1850 House Museum to see how residents actually lived—the two together give you both the street-level story and the domestic reality.
New Orleans: Food & Cocktail Walking Tour French QuarterYou’ll wander New Orleans’ French Quarter tasting gumbo, muffulettas, fried plantains, and pralines while sipping classic cocktails like Hurricanes and Pimm’s Cups. With a local guide leading you to six different spots—including an award-winning grill and family-run candy shop—you’ll hear stories behind every dish. It’s lively, filling, sometimes messy—and full of flavor.
New Orleans: Ghost, Vampire & Voodoo Night Walking TourYou’ll walk through New Orleans’ French Quarter after dark with a local guide who brings ghosts, vampires, voodoo, and unsolved mysteries to life. Hear chilling stories in haunted alleys and secret courtyards, see Jackson Square transformed at night, and catch the wild energy of Bourbon Street—all in just two hours.
New Orleans: Airboat Swamp Tour with Alligators & Small GroupYou ride an airboat at high speed through Louisiana marshlands with a professional guide and small group, wearing a safety jacket. The tour includes frequent stops to spot alligators and other wildlife up close. It's a 35-minute drive from New Orleans, lasts a couple of hours, and you're back at the departure point in Marrero before heading back to the city.Is it for me?Right for travelers who want to see Louisiana swamp wildlife up close and don't mind speed and noise—the engine and fan are loud, which is what draws the alligators to the boat. Plan for a couple of hours total, plus 35 minutes' drive each way from New Orleans.
New Orleans: Oak Alley Plantation & Airboat Swamp TourYou’ll walk beneath Oak Alley’s famous trees and hear stories inside its old halls before zipping through Louisiana swamps on an airboat with a local captain. Expect close-up wildlife moments, time to explore plantation grounds (and grab lunch), plus hotel pickup so you don’t worry about driving back tired — just memories lingering on your skin.
