New Orleans, Louisiana
How to be a tourist in...
New Orleans is a city filled with rich culture, jazz and lots of beignets! There are so many exciting activities in New Orleans - river cruises, bayou tours, eating beignets, trying creole food, and listening to jazz. Here's all of our advice for how to get the most out of being a tourist in New Orleans.
River Cruise
A river cruise in New Orleans is the perfect way to learn about some of the city's history. Here are a couple of the best options:
Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Historic Mississippi River Cruise
2 hours 30 minutes
~$42 a person
1 hour stop at battlefield
Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Jazz Dinner Cruise
2 hours
~$55 a person
Live jazz included
Optional buffet add on
Chalmette Battlefield
The meeting point for both of these is located behind the Riverwalk Outlet Collection Mall. We recommend making some time to walk around the Riverwalk before or after your tour. New Orleans is a walkable city for the most part, but an exciting and inexpensive option for getting to the Riverwalk is by streetcar. Before taking the streetcar, download the RTA Le Pass app. This is the easiest way to buy one way tickets or unlimited day passes for only a couple of dollars. It will also allow you to see where the streetcars stops are in real time.
Bayou Boat Adventure
Going down to the Bayou is a unique experience to New Orleans. Here are some of the best boat tours where you will be sure to experience wildlife.
~$59 a person
2 hours
Hotel pickup offered
New Orleans Swamp and Bayou Boat Tour
~$70 a person
2 hours
Maximum of 22 people
Best Beignets
There is a lot of debate as to where the best beignets in New Orleans are served. We took it upon ourselves to test out them all, and here's the results.
1. Cafe Du Monde
In first place, we have Cafe Du Monde easily serving the best beignets in all of New Orleans. They are served warm, fluffy, and with mounds of powered sugar on top. The best location is on Decatur Street in front of Jackson Square because of the large outdoor seating area. Keep in mind that Cafe Du Monde accepts cash only. Pro tip: ask for a free paper hat!
2. Cafe Beignet at Musical Legends Park
Cafe Beignet comes in second place for the best beignets in New Orleans. Cafe Beignet serves beignets slightly crispier, but offers toppings like chocolate syrup. The best park about Cafe Beignet is the atmosphere at their Musical Legends Park location on Bourbon Street. Live jazz starts daily at 10:00am through close and you can enjoy it while sitting outside.
Beignets from Cafe Beignet
Walking the French Quarter
One of the best things to do in New Orleans is to walk around the French Quarter and take in the sights of Jackson Square and Bourbon Street. A walking tour will ensure you don't miss anything. You can book a two hour walking tour here.
Best Restaurants
New Orleans is known for unique foods such as gumbo, crawfish, jambalaya, po-boys, and beignets. We recommend eating at Ole Nola Cookery on Bourbon Street. They serve traditional New Orleans food at reasonable prices. Be prepared to wait as there is sometimes a line out the door, but it is definitely worth the wait and you might even catch some live street entertainment while waiting on Bourbon Street.
Food walking tours are offered if you prefer to combine the previously mentioned walking tours with tasting local cuisines, then you can book a tour here.
Live Jazz Music
Despite New Orleans being known for being the birthplace of jazz music, we had a hard time finding places that played traditional jazz music instead of just having a live band. If you're looking to listen to real jazz, here are a few places you can find it.
Musical Legends Park
1. Cafe Beignet at Musical Legends Park
As previously mentioned, Cafe Beignet is home to some of the best beignets in New Orleans. They also have a live jazz band starting every day at 10:00am, so you can enjoy jazz on the side of your beignets. Cafe Beignet has a larger menu that expands beyond beignets, so you can come for any meal of the day.
2. Preservation Hall
You have to purchase tickets to listen to jazz at Preservation Hall. Show times vary each day with different featured artists making appearances. Tickets start at $25 for a 45 minute show and sell out quickly, so be sure to book in advance.
3. Bamboula's
Bamboula's is a great restaurant to eat at while listening to the live jazz band. The food is reasonably priced and features some unique New Orleans dishes. Bamboula's is located off the beaten path on Frenchman Street which is an area where locals gather, but still within walking distance from Bourbon Street.
Bamboula's Live Jazz
Things to know:
When sitting listening to live music, people come around with a jar asking for tips. It can be awkward, but it's your choice if you choose to tip. It's just common practice in New Orleans and is good to be aware of so you feel less uncomfortable when the situation arises.
New Orleans is not the safest city. You will see a lot of homeless and sketchy people walking the streets. This is not to scare you, as it's common to see this in any city, rather to make you aware. Stay vigilant and hold onto your belongings. If you're staying in tourist areas, there is nothing to worry about.
Overall, we had a blast exploring all that New Orleans has to offer. We were surprised at how unique the culture is for an American city and would absolutely visit again for more jazz, beignets, and bayou adventures! Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
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