United States · Region
New Orleans
New Orleans is a Gulf Coast port city famed for its French and Spanish colonial architecture, jazz heritage, and distinctive Creole and Cajun food culture. Its historic French Quarter, streetcar lines, and year-round calendar of festivals give it an atmosphere unlike anywhere else in the United States.
Top attractions
attraction Jackson Square: New Orleans Travel Guide
Jackson Square is the historic heart of the French Quarter — a fenced, gated park built in 1721 and framed by St. Louis Cathedral, the Cabildo, and the Pontalba Buildings.
attraction Longue Vue House and Gardens: New Orleans Travel Guide
Longue Vue House and Gardens is an 8-acre 1940s estate near City Park, mixing a decorative-arts mansion with fountains, ponds and formal gardens. 4.7★ (819 reviews) — what visitors say, hours, and tips.
attraction New Orleans Botanical Garden: Travel Guide (4.7★)
The New Orleans Botanical Garden sits inside City Park at 5 Victory Ave, open Tuesday–Sunday from 10am to 4:30pm (closed Mondays). 4.7★ (1,595 reviews) — what visitors say, hours, and tips.
attraction New Orleans Museum of Art: Travel Guide (4.7★)
NOMA sits at the edge of City Park in Mid-City, a Beaux-Arts building holding over 40,000 works from Fabergé eggs to Japanese Edo-era screens. 4.7★ (5,370 reviews) — what visitors say, hours, and tips.
attraction Riverwalk Outlets: New Orleans Travel Guide (4.4★)
Riverwalk Outlets is a mile-long, glass-covered outlet mall hugging the Mississippi River, steps from the Ernest N. 4.4★ (9,376 reviews) — what visitors say, hours, and tips.
attraction The National WWII Museum: New Orleans Travel Guide (4.8★)
The National WWII Museum sits in New Orleans' Warehouse District at 945 Magazine St, open daily 9am–5pm. 4.8★ (30,266 reviews) — what visitors say, hours, and tips.
Trendy & cafés
trendy Ayu Bakehouse: New Orleans Travel Guide (4.7★)
Ayu Bakehouse is a small Vietnamese-French bakery on Frenchmen Street in New Orleans, best known for laminated pastries with Southeast Asian twists — think pandan croissants and kouign-amann. 4.7★ (878 reviews) — what visitors say, hours, and tips.
trendy Cafe Du Monde: New Orleans Travel Guide
Cafe Du Monde at 800 Decatur St in the French Quarter is New Orleans' original beignet-and-chicory-coffee stand, open daily from 7:15am (until 11pm most nights, midnight Friday and Saturday).
Where to eat
restaurant Cochon Butcher: Where to Eat in New Orleans (4.8★)
Cochon Butcher is the casual, sandwich-and-charcuterie sibling of Cochon restaurant, tucked in a warehouse-district alley off Tchoupitoulas Street. 4.8★ (2,631 reviews) — what visitors say, hours, and tips.
restaurant Mother's Restaurant: Where to Eat in New Orleans (4.2★)
Mother's Restaurant, at 401 Poydras St in the Central Business District, is a cafeteria-style institution open daily 7am–10pm, famous for its "Ferdi Special" po' boy piled with debris (shredded roast beef and ham) and its baked ham. 4.2★ (17,308 reviews) — what visitors say, hours, and tips.
restaurant Napoleon House: Where to Eat in New Orleans
Napoleon House, at 500 Chartres St in the French Quarter, is the spot for a muffaletta and a Pimm's Cup in a crumbling, sepia-toned courtyard that's been serving since 1914.
restaurant Pêche Seafood Grill: Where to Eat in New Orleans (4.6★)
Pêche Seafood Grill, at 800 Magazine St in the Warehouse District, is the place in New Orleans for whole coal-grilled fish, oysters, and gulf seafood in a rustic, weathered-wood dining room. 4.6★ (5,714 reviews) — what visitors say, hours, and tips.
Hidden gems
hidden gem French Market: New Orleans Travel Guide (4.5★)
The French Market is a six-block open-air bazaar along N Peters St in the French Quarter, open daily 10am–6pm, mixing a covered flea market of jewelry, art, and souvenirs with food stalls selling pralines, hot sauce, and muffulettas. 4.5★ (15,644 reviews) — what visitors say, hours, and tips.
hidden gem French Quarter: New Orleans Travel Guide
The French Quarter is New Orleans' original 18th-century grid, bounded roughly by Canal Street, Rampart Street, Esplanade Avenue, and the Mississippi River — walkable in a day but worth two nights for the food and music.
hidden gem Mardi Gras World: New Orleans Travel Guide
Mardi Gras World, on the Mississippi riverfront just west of the Convention Center, is a working float-building warehouse you can tour year-round, any day from 9am to 5:30pm, with guided tours running roughly hourly.
hidden gem Oak Alley Plantation: New Orleans Travel Guide (4.6★)
Oak Alley Plantation sits about an hour west of New Orleans on LA-18 in Vacherie, best known for its quarter-mile tunnel of 300-year-old live oaks leading to a Greek Revival mansion. 4.6★ (10,738 reviews) — what visitors say, hours, and tips.
hidden gem Octavia Books: New Orleans Travel Guide (4.8★)
Octavia Books is a small, hand-curated independent bookstore in New Orleans' Uptown neighborhood, near the streetcar line and a short walk from the Garden District. 4.8★ (460 reviews) — what visitors say, hours, and tips.
Top-rated things to do in New Orleans
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Where to stay in New Orleans
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Frequently asked questions about New Orleans
How do I get to New Orleans?
Most travelers arrive via Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY), located about 11 miles west of downtown in Kenner, with taxis, rideshares, shuttles, and public buses running into the city center along I-10; Amtrak long-distance trains (including the City of New Orleans, Crescent, and Sunset Limited) arrive at the Union Passenger Terminal in the Central Business District.
How many days should I spend in New Orleans?
Plan for ~3-4 days to explore the French Quarter, Garden District, and museums at a relaxed pace, or extend to a week to include day trips into the surrounding bayous and plantation country.
What is New Orleans known for?
New Orleans is a Gulf Coast port city famed for its French and Spanish colonial architecture, jazz heritage, and distinctive Creole and Cajun food culture. Its historic French Quarter, streetcar lines, and year-round calendar of festivals give it an atmosphere unlike anywhere else in the United States.