What to Do in New Orleans: Top Sites, Eats, and Cultural Highlights
New Orleans isn’t just a place you visit—it’s a place you experience. It’s jazz drifting from a hidden courtyard, the warm bite of cayenne in a bowl of gumbo, the sound of footsteps echoing on centuries-old cobblestone.
It’s where celebration is ritual, and history hangs in the air like fine perfume.
NOLA is a city shaped by spirit, soul, and survival. From landmark sights to iconic dishes and the unmistakable pulse of local culture, this guide is your starting point.
Whether you’re coming for the food, the music, the architecture, or simply to feel something unforgettable, here’s what to do when New Orleans calls your name.
The French Quarter: History, Jazz, and Bourbon (Street)
The French Quarter is the historic heart and cultural soul of New Orleans. Founded in 1718 along the Mississippi River, this neighborhood is the oldest in the city and remains one of the most visited spots.
It’s where the past and present coexist: colonial architecture meets the neon lights of jazz clubs, and 18th-century courtyards share space with modern cafés and art galleries.
As you stroll down Royal or Chartres Street, you’ll pass Creole townhouses with lacy balconies and hidden gardens behind weathered gates. The air often carries the sound of a saxophone and the scent of beignets and bourbon.
This is where jazz was born, where voodoo legends linger, and where the city’s energy truly comes alive— day or night.
Whether you’re visiting for the food, the music, the shopping, or the history, the French Quarter offers an unforgettable blend of charm and culture.
Where History Hangs Out: A Walk Through Jackson Square
At the center of the French Quarter lies Jackson Square, a historic plaza that perfectly captures the spirit of New Orleans.
Framed by the iconic St. Louis Cathedral, flanked by the Cabildo and Presbytère museums, and facing the Mississippi River, this open square has been a gathering place for centuries, once the site of public markets, military drills, and even executions under colonial rule.
Today, it’s a vibrant hub of street performers, local painters, jazz trios, and tarot readers who line the iron fence, offering a show or a story to every passerby.
The square acquired its name from Andrew Jackson, the general whose statue anchors its center, famous for his role in the 1815 Battle of New Orleans.
Whether you sit on a shaded bench to people-watch, browse local artwork, or snap a photo of the cathedral’s spires against a blue sky, Jackson Square is a must-see. It’s where culture, history, and artistry converge.
St. Louis Cathedral: The Crown of the Quarter
Rising like a storybook castle at the edge of Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral is the most recognizable landmark in New Orleans. Known as the oldest continuously active Roman Catholic cathedral in the United States.
Its triple spires and white façade have stood watch over the city’s triumphs, tragedies, and transformations since 1794, when it was rebuilt after a fire destroyed the original church.
Step inside and you’ll find soaring ceilings, glimmering stained glass, and the faint scent of incense. The hush within contrasts sharply with the music and movement of the square just outside. It’s a place of peace in a city that rarely sleeps.
Whether you’re attending mass, admiring the architecture, or just soaking in the history, the cathedral offers a quiet moment of reflection. It’s not only a place of worship, but a symbol of endurance, grace, and the spiritual roots that run deep through the French Quarter.
Magic & Mystery – Voodoo, Spirits, and the Unseen
New Orleans has always lived close to the veil. Beneath its vibrant rhythms and elegant façades lies a rich undercurrent of mysticism, spirituality, and ancestral reverence.
This is a city where ghost stories make the history books and spells, saints, and spirits share space with saints and stained glass.
Voodoo, often misunderstood, is a profoundly spiritual tradition rooted in West African religion, Catholicism, and Afro-Caribbean culture. It thrives in New Orleans as both sacred practice and cultural legacy.
Visitors can explore this world at places like the Voodoo Museum or Erzulie’s, where candles flicker near altars to spirits known as loa, and rituals blend protection, healing, and reverence.
The city is also home to haunted hotels, above-ground cemeteries, and legendary figures like Marie Laveau, the 19th-century Voodoo Queen whose tomb still draws offerings. Guided ghost and cemetery tours bring this spiritual history to life—sometimes eerily so.
Whether you believe in the supernatural or simply appreciate the power of storytelling, the spiritual side of New Orleans adds another dimension: one of mystery, depth, and awe.