Top 10 Things to Do in New Orleans (With a Swamp Tour)

New Orleans welcomes about 17 to 18 million visitors a year, and the best trips mix the French Quarter with food, music, history, and a swamp tour just 30 minutes from downtown. This list ranks the top 10 things to do, from beignets and streetcars to a 1-hour-45-minute ride with Bayou Swamp Tours through Louisiana's wetlands.

Visitor numbers come from New Orleans & Company. Use the table and ranked list below to build a two- or three-day plan that balances the city and the bayou.

How Should You Plan the Top 10?

Cluster activities by neighborhood to save time. The table shows where each highlight sits and how long to budget.

What Are the Top 10 Things to Do?

Here is the ranked list, blending the must-see classics with the swamp tour as the top outdoor day trip.

1. Explore the French Quarter — the 300-year-old heart of the city, with Jackson Square, wrought-iron balconies, and street musicians.
2. Eat beignets at Café du Monde — the century-old coffee stand near the river; go early to skip the line.
3. Take a swamp tour — an airboat or covered pontoon trip that lasts 1 hour 45 minutes, about 30 minutes from downtown.
4. Visit the National WWII Museum — the city's most-visited museum; budget 3 to 4 hours.
5. Ride the St. Charles streetcar — one of the oldest continuously operating streetcar lines in the world, rolling past the Garden District.
6. Hear live music on Frenchmen Street — the local alternative to Bourbon Street, with jazz clubs packed most nights.
7. Wander City Park — 1,300 acres of live oaks, larger than New York's Central Park.
8. Stroll the Garden District — antebellum mansions and the historic Lafayette Cemetery No. 1.
9. Take a cemetery tour — the above-ground tombs are a New Orleans signature; see our cemetery tour guide.
10. Catch a set at Preservation Hall — intimate, historic jazz shows nightly.

Why Is the Swamp Tour the Best Outdoor Day Trip?

Nothing else near the city gets you into pristine wilderness this fast. Louisiana holds roughly 2 million wild alligators, per the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries, and the wetlands host more than 200 species of birds.

You can choose the fast airboat, which reaches shallow backwater channels, or the shaded covered pontoon for a calmer ride. Departures run at 8:00 am, 9:45 am, 12:00 pm, 2:00 pm, 4:00 pm, and 6:00 pm, with pickup from most French Quarter hotels. Compare formats on our airboat tour page, and see the best season for swamp tours before you pick a date.

• Best for: families, wildlife lovers, and photographers.
• Duration: 1 hour 45 minutes on the water.
• Booking: call 504-618-1692; pricing varies by boat and season.

When Is the Best Time to Visit New Orleans?

Spring and fall are the sweet spots. New Orleans averages July highs near 92°F and January highs around 62°F, per the National Weather Service, so shoulder seasons balance comfortable weather with active wildlife.

For a nature add-on beyond the tour, Barataria Preserve protects about 26,000 acres of free wetland boardwalk trails, according to the National Park Service. Round out your itinerary with our broader guide to things to do in New Orleans.

How Do You Fit It All Into Two or Three Days?

A simple rhythm works: city by day, music by night, swamp in the middle.

1. Day 1: French Quarter, beignets, Frenchmen Street at night.
2. Day 2: Morning swamp tour, afternoon Garden District and streetcar.
3. Day 3: National WWII Museum and City Park.

With about 17 to 18 million visitors a year, New Orleans stays busy — book the swamp tour and museum ahead so your dates are locked in.