Is your heart calling you to the Big Easy? There’s no wrong time to go. Whether you brave the madness of Mardi Gras, swoon to the saxophones during Jazz Fest, or marvel at the lights of LUNA Fête, there’s always a party going on.

While Bourbon Street is the best-known tourist destination, there are plenty more places worth exploring. Take a streetcar to the Garden District, board a steamboat for a Mississippi cruise, or tour Tremé, the birthplace of jazz and the nation’s oldest African-American neighborhood.

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Five Fun Things to Do in New Orleans

1. See how Mardi Gras is made. Just as Santa’s elves make Christmas toys all year, the artisans at Kern Studios never stop working on Mardi Gras floats. Take a behind-the-scenes tour of the Mardi Gras World warehouse and museum, where you get to see the elaborate floats up close, try on costumes and savor a slice of king cake.
2. Tap your feet at Tipitina’s. Of course there are a hundred places to hear live music during your visit to New Orleans, but one of the best is the storied music hall Tipitina’s. One of the most fun things to do in New Orleans on a Sunday night is the weekly fais do-do, a Cajun dance party with Bruce Daigrepont and his band.
3. Take a swamp tour. New Orleans is surrounded by cypress swamps that teem with wildlife like alligators, nutria, egrets, herons and turtles. The best way to see the swamps and bayous is on a boat tour with a knowledgeable guide. You can ride in a high-speed airboat, or enjoy the quiet of nature while paddling a kayak.
4. Browse the art on display in Jackson Square. This historic square in the French Quarter is an open-air gallery for artists who hang their work on the iron fences and lay it out on the sidewalks for people to peruse. Expect more than the standard city landscapes — you’ll find portraits, folk art, swamp scenes and still lifes.
5. Visit New Orleans’ “cities of the dead.” The city’s famous for its old cemeteries, where people are interred above ground in elaborate vaults. Take a cemetery tour to learn about the city’s unique funeral traditions and famous residents, like voodoo queen Marie Laveau and Nicolas Cage (who is still living, but has already built himself a pyramidal monument).¹

Three Unique Hotels in New Orleans

Lovers of all things literary should stay at the Hotel Monteleone, where you can sleep in the suites occupied by Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, Eudora Welty and William Faulkner. In the evening, enjoy a Sazerac at the revolving Carousel Bar — just don’t get dizzy!

The Cornstalk Hotel is a luxury inn housed in an 1816 mansion in the French Quarter. Its elaborate wrought-iron fence is fashioned in a cornstalk design, which was commissioned by a previous owner in honor of his homesick Iowan wife.² Its 14 rooms are decorated in lavish Victorian style, with chandeliers, gilded ceilings and damask wallpaper.

The Hotel Mazarin is the best of both worlds: an address half a block from Bourbon Street, with a serene inner courtyard that lets you escape the crowds. Sip a glass at Patrick’s Bar Vin, the hotel’s wine bar, or order a Corpse Reviver #2 at the Prohibition-themed bar next door.

Three Great Restaurants in New Orleans

Trying to pick out just three restaurants in a city known for its Cajun and Creole cuisine is almost impossible. But if you only have a weekend to spend in New Orleans, we’d suggest you try these three spots. For dinner, head to Brigtsen's for elegant, contemporary Creole cooking. Order the panéed rabbit or the Gulf fish amandine. Then, dress up for lunch at Commander’s Palace, famous for delicacies like snapping turtle soup as well as its 25-cent martinis (three per person, “’cause that’s enough.”) For your final night, try to get a reservation at the Mosquito Supper Club, a wildly popular place where each five-course meal tells a story of life on the bayou.

When you make your travel plans for New Orleans, don’t forget travel insurance! An affordable plan from Allianz Global Assistance can protect you in case of trip cancellation, delayed flights, lost baggage and more. Get a quote.

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