French Quarter (Vieux Carré). The oldest neighborhood in the city, the French Quarter is the beating heart of New Orleans — a living stage of wrought-iron balconies, Creole cottages, jazz drifting from open doors, and the iconic Jackson Square anchoring it all. No visit to New Orleans is complete without at least one long wander through its…
Preservation Hall. Since 1961, this intimate French Quarter venue at 726 St. Peter Street has staged acoustic traditional New Orleans jazz over 360 nights a year, drawing from a collective of 50-plus local master musicians. It is one of the most authentic live jazz experiences in the world.
The National WWII Museum. Consistently ranked among the top museums in the United States, this Warehouse District landmark tells the full American story of World War II across sweeping pavilions with immersive exhibits, archival films, and firsthand oral histories. Open daily 9 AM–5 PM at 945 Magazine Street.
Café Du Monde. An institution since 1862, this open-air French Market coffee stand serves just one thing that matters: orders of three beignets — square, pillowy French doughnuts buried under powdered sugar — alongside dark-roasted chicory café au lait. Open 24 hours on Decatur Street.
Frenchmen Street Live Music. Just outside the French Quarter in the Faubourg Marigny, Frenchmen Street concentrates more live music per block than anywhere in the city — jazz, funk, brass, and blues spilling out of venues like the Spotted Cat and Snug Harbor every night of the week. Locals consider it the real soundtrack of New Orleans.
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. Established in 1789, this above-ground cemetery is one of New Orleans' most iconic and haunting sites — a city of whitewashed plaster tombs, crypts, and society vaults including the reputed resting place of Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau. Guided tours (the only authorized access) depart daily from 9 AM.
Garden District Walking Tour. Bounded by St. Charles Avenue and Magazine Street, the Garden District is a showcase of grand antebellum mansions set behind lush gardens and centuries-old live oaks — a legacy of 19th-century American merchant wealth. Strolling Magazine Street afterward adds six miles of independent boutiques, galleries, and cafes.
St. Charles Avenue Streetcar. The oldest continuously operating streetcar line in the world (running since 1835), the St. Charles line rolls through the Garden District and Uptown for $1.25 a ride — a scenic, living piece of New Orleans history that doubles as practical transportation.
Top-rated tours & activities in New Orleans
Ghosts, Gods, & Gangsters of New Orleans — 5.0★ (152 reviews)
Private Luxury New Orleans City Tour by La Vie NOLA – Highlights — 5.0★ (100 reviews)
Craft Cider and Mead Tasting in New Orleans — 5.0★ (24 reviews)
New Orleans Very Reel Game Show — 5.0★ (15 reviews)
Historic Garden District Walking Tour — 5.0★ (75 reviews)
Private French Quarter & Garden District Tour: Walk and Drive Combo — 5.0★ (70 reviews)
New Orleans Culinary Bike Tour — 5.0★ (49 reviews)
New Orleans Guided Kayak Swamp Tour — 5.0★ (12 reviews)
Ghosts, Gods, & Gangsters of New Orleans — 5.0★ (152 reviews)
Private Luxury New Orleans City Tour by La Vie NOLA – Highlights — 5.0★ (100 reviews)
Craft Cider and Mead Tasting in New Orleans — 5.0★ (24 reviews)
New Orleans Very Reel Game Show — 5.0★ (15 reviews)
Historic Garden District Walking Tour — 5.0★ (75 reviews)
Private French Quarter & Garden District Tour: Walk and Drive Combo — 5.0★ (70 reviews)
New Orleans Culinary Bike Tour — 5.0★ (49 reviews)
New Orleans Guided Kayak Swamp Tour — 5.0★ (12 reviews)