New Orleans CVB: Leisure Travel Web & Social Media Content

Garden Tours

Abundant and exotic landscapes thrive in this tropical climate. Explore some of the best.

Lushly green, brilliant with color, shaded by Live Oaks dripping Spanish moss and punctuated with art: gardens in New Orleans are an oasis of beauty in a city already extraordinary. Seeing behind the garden walls, touring hidden courtyards and landscaped swathes of year-round horticulture adds a verdant dimension to any New Orleans visit.

Night Tours

Night and evening tours visit music clubs, restaurants, neighborhoods and more as the moon rises over the Crescent City.

New Orleans is magical 24 hours a day but the city comes alive after dark. Explore the boundaries of your circadian rhythms with tours that skip along neon-lit streets and bask in the glow of a starlit sky. Themed by nightlife, music and forays into the supernatural, evening tours set the stage for a night to remember.

Culinary Tours

Eat your way through New Orleans' food scene by taking one of these delicious tours.

Eating fabulous food is integral to the New Orleans experience. In a city with hundreds of legendary restaurants, the moveable feast never ends. One of the best ways to pack the most grazing into the shortest time is to take one of these tasty culinary tours.

Neighborhood Tours

New Orleans is so much more than Bourbon Street, or even a French Quarter experience. It is a city of proudly distinct neighborhoods with their own unique history, culture, and things to do. Savvy visitors are following the artists, restaurants and indie shops that have grown in neighborhoods like Bywater, Marigny and Mid-City, ideal areas for travelers in search of off the beaten path experiences. Accompanied by a seasoned local guide, you can dip into the history and culture of a place like Bywater or Treme then stick around to enjoy the restaurants, homes, shops and atmospheres that make each neighborhood a refrain in the New Orleans songbook. 

Heritage Tours

New Orleans is a gumbo of historic influences, a spicy mash up of cultures that range from Native American and African to Cuban, French, Spanish, Sicilian and Irish and more. Much of that multicultural history is apparent in the city’s architecture, anecdotes, and incredible cuisine.Walking the city’s streets reveal an array of architectural treasures, all with a story to tell, whether you land at a bar that was once a notorious pirate’s den or the site of the signing of the Louisiana Purchase.

French Quarter Tours

EXPERIENCE THE CHARM OF THE FRENCH QUARTER

Often called the Crown Jewel of New Orleans, the French Quarter is one of NOLA's most historic neighborhoods. But you'll find plenty of new mixed in with the old. There’s a reimagined French Market, modern boutiques and artisan cocktails mix with beloved antique stores and old restaurants.  (Antoine’s. Arnaud’s. Galatoire’s. Brennan’s – the world would be far less flavorful without you!)

Like the Creole aristocrats lining the galleries of the Historic New Orleans Collection, the French Quarter is a timeless portrait – especially come dusk when swallows glide above the fortunetellers on Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral’s butter-crème-colored walls reflect the fiery sunset. Ghost tours troop past mad Madame LaLaurie’s mansion while neon signs stutter to life on Bourbon Street where syrupy red Hurricanes, slosh in famed ‘go cups’– those plastic tumblers responsible for uncountable curbside parties. Night falls. Horse hooves clop, music throbs and gaslights flicker in a place full of long-told legends and those waiting to be born. Create one of your own.

A GUIDE TO NEW ORLEANS NIGHTLIFE

Come sundown, the night lights shine in clubs, on stages and on the dance floors of the city.

New Orleans likes to stay up late. The city that is the birthplace of jazz and cocktails and hosts Mardi Gras every year is no sleepy head. While music is the local language any time of the day or night, come sundown in New Orleans, opportunities to listen and dance to live music and catch cabaret shows are in every nook and cranny. The city comes alive at night, keeping a syncopated beat that is irresistible and is still going strong when the sun comes up. 

THINGS TO DO IN NEW ORLEANS | ATTRACTIONS

New Orleans offers myriad ways to educate and amuse.

From historic homes and streetcar rides to above-ground cemeteries and world-class museums like the National World War II Museum, the opportunities for exploration in New Orleans are truly endless. Whether you’re an art aficionado, a history buff, or just looking to experience the city’s rich history and culture on a deeper level, you’ll find a variety of attractions that are sure to pique your interest. 

NEW ORLEANS MUSIC

The sounds of the New Orleans embrace and charm.

Always, forever, the city’s music is its beating heart – especially true during Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest and other celebrations. The musical notes of jazz, brass, R&B, soul and many mixes fill the air along with night–blooming jasmine and other fabulous tropical fragrances. Walk down Frenchmen Street, the main artery of the Marigny neighborhood adjacent to the French Quarter and take in the vibrant blocks of cafes, music clubs and restaurants including Snug Harbor, d.b.a. and the Spotted Cat. New Orleans has produced its share of musical giants, from greats like Louis Armstrong, Dr. John and Allen Toussaint to contemporary acts like Trombone Shorty, Big Freedia and Hurray for the Riffraff. Preservation Hall on Bourbon Street is always a hit but also visit the Mother-In-Law Lounge on Claiborne Avenue, Rock-N-Bowl in Mid-City, the Maple Leaf Uptown and Vaughn’s in the Bywater. These local dives and music venues will keep you dancing all night. It’s all part of the magic, part of the brilliant je ne sais quoi that is found only in New Orleans.

NEW ORLEANS FAMILY ACTIVITIES

There’s a lot to do for families with kids that will keep grownups amused, too.

Just because New Orleans has a well-deserved reputation as a playground for adults, there is no reason to leave the kids behind when you come to town. New Orleans is also a city of families who bring the kids along for everything from walking the French Quarter to Mardi Gras parades and our many fabulous festivals.

Music is everywhere in this town, not just in places that serve adult beverages.  Kids can take in classic brass at Preservation Hall, at Spotted Cat on St. Claude Avenue and on the street, where buskers and artists offer a non-stop outdoor show in places like Jackson Square and along Royal Street. Depending on the time of year, there are free concerts on Wednesdays in Lafayette Square and Thursdays in Armstrong Park, all suitable for young ears.

New Orleans is a city full of outdoor experiences, always good for keeping little ones busy and active. Riding the streetcar is always a hit with kids of all ages, same goes for taking the ferry across to Algiers Point. Book a swamp tour for up close views of gators and other wildlife. An easy drive out of town, you can also book tours through your hotel for an authentic bayou experience.

Before or after a visit to the wonderful Audubon Zoo, have a picnic in Audubon Park or at The Fly, a swath of park that follows the levy and is a beehive of activity from barbecues to Frisbee throws and soccer games. The 1300-acre City Park is a green oasis with a lake for paddleboat rentals, the Carousel Gardens Amusement Park, with its antique carousel, and Storyland, a Mother Goose-themed playground where kids can meet Three Little Pigs, Cinderella's Pumpkin, the Cheshire Cat and Snow White.

We also have the Audubon Aquarium and Insectarium, right on Canal Street. And the Louisiana Children’s Museum is a sweet rainy day activity for the younger set.

If you want a family walking tour experience, book a tour with French QuarTour Kids, fun and entertaining walking tours designed and led by teachers, for kids 4 to 18.

Don’t worry, you’ll have fun too. 

MULTICULTURAL NEW ORLEANS

The many places and people who helped create New Orleans

Many cultures made New Orleans: Cajun and Creole. French and Spanish. German. Latino, Irish and African. Along the river, in the streets, on the porches and under the eaves, newcomers settling in the Crescent City built upon their own native traditions to fashion the distinctive and elaborate culture the entire world knows as New Orleans. Whether it’s the accent, the food, the music or the architecture, this city is one of the most unique in the world thanks to the contributions made by the people who built it. Discover more about the cultures that created modern New Orleans.

New Orleans Weddings

New Orleans offers many romantic and unique settings for your wedding day. Let us help you say "I do" in New Orleans!

New Orleans likes to say “I do.” With its beautiful architecture, horse-drawn carriages, centuries old oak trees and European ambiance, New Orleans is often called the most romantic city in America. Where better to start your wedded bliss than in a city that celebrates love. New Orleans offers elegant hotels  as well as romantic, lush courtyards and sumptuous park settings. Close the street and lead your very own second-line parade to the reception where you can choose to have one of the Crescent City’s many fabulous brass bands delight your guests and create cherished memories, or get married on riverboat with a reception to follow on deck to the tunes of a Dixieland jazz band.

You’d be hard pressed to find a more enchanting spot for a wedding anywhere in the world. New Orleans & Company (formerly the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau), a non-profit organization, is here to assist you in planning your wedding in New Orleans. Our complimentary service will help couples plan a local or destination wedding in New Orleans.

NEW ORLEANS REUNIONS

We offer a free planning service for your upcoming reunion in New Orleans, whether it's a family, class or military reunion.

Reunions aren’t just about remembering good times – they’re about letting the good times roll in New Orleans. Whether you’re planning a family, class or military reunion, New Orleans has everything you need to reconnect and make new memories you’ll talk about for years to come.

Our complimentary service will help you plan a local or destination reunion in New Orleans. Don't worry – New Orleans really can be the "Big Easy" especially with help from New Orleans & Company. See below for types of reunions and planning resources. Before you choose your dates, let us check the special events and exclusive convention calendar for you.