Things to Do in New Orleans for First Timers

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New Orleans is my favorite city that I’ve ever been to so I’m so excited that you’re visiting (or planning to visit)! It just has all the best things — great food, wonderful music, and the best spooky vibes. Honestly, there’s so much to do and see that it can feel overwhelming.

While I have written a detailed itinerary, this first-timer’s guide to New Orleans is meant to give you an idea of the best things to do for your first visit. It’s great for weekend getaways and short trips. Even if you’re low on time, New Orleans has a lot to offer, but you can still see (and taste) and good amount over the course of a weekend. Keep reading for all the things to do in the Big Easy for your first time.

Understanding New Orleans’ layout

Before I dive into all the fun things to do in New Orleans, a quick note on how the city is laid out. Thi will help you figure out what you can do in a day and how to prioritize activities based on location.

New Orleans is divided into sections, where some popular ones are the Garden District, French Quarter, and Marigny District. Each has it’s own activities, vibe, and sometimes history!

Most first timers stay around the French Quarter, but I urge you to venture beyond as there really are some incredible activities outside this area. In fact, the tourist traps are almost exclusively confined to the French Quarter.

That doesn’t mean you should ignore the whole area, but definitely add some other areas to your bucket list!

How to get around

If you have a car or want to rent one (which you can do for ~ $10/day), you can drive basically everywhere except the French Quarter as there’s nowhere to park. When you hit up the French Quarter, you can take an Uber or Lyft for usually around $15 + tip. Alternatively, you can park near public transportation in the other districts and take the streetcar into town. You can buy a 1-day public transportation pass for $3 or a 3-day pass for $9, and they’re valid on all public transportation including buses and streetcars.

Things to Do in New Orleans

Tours

New Orleans has a rich history so there are plenty of tours you can decide on.

Ghost Tours

I’ve been to New Orleans twice now and both visits I went on a ghost tour at night with Free Tours by Foot. I highly recommend this company! Their tours are free but at the end, they ask you to pay what you can or what you feel the tour was worth. This way you can still go on a tour if you are on a budget or don’t want to pay a hefty price for a tour that you aren’t guaranteed to enjoy. Free Tours by Foot has more than just ghost tours and tours in cities around the world.

The ghost tour was great both times, and I heard different stories. Your guide will take you around the French Quarter and you’ll hear about the yellow fever epidemics, fires that destroyed the city, and the famous Delphine LaLaurie mansion.

Related read >> Most haunted hotels in New Orleans

Garden District Tour

Another place you should definitely tour is the Garden District. The architecture of these homes is to die for. I’ve toured the Garden District two different ways — an organized tour and a self-guided tour.

The guided tour was great because you learn lots of details about the unique architecture and people who lived in the homes. The best part of the tour to me was Lafayette Cemetery No. 1. Without a formal tour, you miss the information about how burials occurred in the aboveground tombs. You won’t learn anything about who is buried there either.

The second time I visited, I went on a self-guided tour of the Garden District from Free Tours by Foot. You can find a self-guided tour online but here’s the one I used. It takes you past some key homes where you can read some facts about them. It was nice to move at your own pace (especially in the summer heat),  however, it doesn’t have any information on the details of Lafayette Cemetery No. 1.

Food Tours

If I can recommend one single thing to you, it’s a food tour. I went with Dr. Gumbo tours and it was the most memorable thing on my whole trip. It was also the first food tour I ever took, which led me to take food tours everywhere I go!

This tour covers all the top foods to try in New Orleans like gumbo, muffletta, po’boys, bread pudding, and so much more.

In addition to these tours, there are others centered on art, music, and more! New Orleans really covers a lot of fun interests so I’m sure you’ll find something you’ll be interested in!

Music

I still have so many music experiences I still want to have in New Orleans, but I’m making progress with each visit. My first trip, I had no idea where to go so I mostly stayed in the French Quarter.

Normally, I’m a hyper-planner and would have done extensive research but life threw me a big curveball right before this trip, so I wasn’t able to. Anyway, I did go to Fritzel’s European Jazz Club in the French Quarter, which had some good music!

Right as we were leaving, we heard about Frenchmen Street, which is where the best jazz is supposed to be! On my third trip to New Orleans, I finally made it there. We stayed at The Spotted Cat for their live performances and it truly was some of the best music! Highly highly recommend for great music.

PS Dat Dog is the best food next door!

Other Things To Do

• Plantation tours – For beautiful gardens, I’d recommend Longue Vue House and Gardens. For history, particularly to learn about the lives of enslaved people, Whitney Plantation is the best.

• Swamp tours – I still have yet to go on a swamp tour, but they are available and you can see alligators!
• National WWII Museum – Another one that’s on my list for next time!
• Pharmacy Museum – This was a weird, unique museum in the French Quarter showcasing old medical technologies and artifacts. If you need a budget-friendly thing to do in New Orleans, the cost was only $5 a person and they had a student discount (student ID’s unite!).

• Mardi Gras Museum – If you want to see the costumes of Mardi Gras, go here. Tickets are $15 and advanced reservations are required. This one is located in the French Quarter.
• Mardi Gras World – If you want to see the Mardi Gras floats, go here. Tickets are $15 and advanced reservations are required. It’s located outside near the convention center and they have free shuttle rides from the French Quarter (or your hotel).

My Travel Essentials

• Travel Insurance – Going on an international trip? Don’t forget travel and medical insurance with SafetyWing.
• Travel Card – If you’re new to travel hacking, fear not! My favorite card for beginners gives you $750 in rewards when you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months, plus lounge access, 10x points on hotel bookings, and free TSA pre-check!
• Get Your Guide – Check out Get Your Guide for a one-stop-shop for booking travel activities.
• Booking.com – This is my favorite hotel search aggregator, specifically for reading reviews. On Booking.com, the reviews can be searched for keywords like WiFi, breakfast, pool, amenities, etc.! So helpful!
• Anti-pickpocket bag – Worried about having your valuables swiped? PacSafe makes the best travel bags with zippers and straps that lock and with mesh steel enforced fabric.
• Give the Gift of Travel – This is the perfect gift for travelers in your life! Tinggly allows you to gift experiences around the world, perfect for birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries.
• Staycation Idea – Check out Resort Pass, which gives you day passes to resorts so you can use their pool, spa, and fitness center, a great staycation idea!

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