What to see in New Orleans

New Orleans highlights

The places you can’t miss. In the app we sort them by day and close to each other.

1. French Quarter

   Wrought-iron balconies, courtyards and live music on Bourbon Street.

2. Frenchmen Street

   The street of jazz clubs, for live music.

3. Jackson Square

   The square with St Louis Cathedral, painters and street musicians.

4. Garden District

   Nineteenth-century mansions among centuries-old oaks.

5. St. Louis Cemetery No. 1

   Above-ground tombs, because of the swampy ground; visits are with a guide only.

6. The Mississippi

   River trips on a paddle steamer.

Day trips from New Orleans

We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

• Swamps ★ 4.6 (495 reviews)
• Jazz ★ 4.4 (5,446 reviews)
• Plantations ★ 4.8 (1,064 reviews)

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Traditions of New Orleans

• February or March Mardi Gras

  The country’s most famous carnival: parades, floats and strings of beads thrown into the crowd.

Typical food of New Orleans

The dish you have to try there and how to make it at home, to whet your appetite before the trip (or to go back to New Orleans from your kitchen).

Gumbo

The New Orleans stew, a blend of French, African and Spanish cooking: a dark roux, the “holy trinity” (onion, celery and pepper), andouille sausage and chicken or seafood, with rice.

• Serves 6
• 2 h

Ingredients

• 100 ml oil and 100 g flour (for the roux)
• 1 onion, 2 celery sticks and 1 green pepper
• 4 garlic cloves
• 500 g boneless chicken thighs
• 300 g smoked sausage (andouille or similar)
• 300 g prawns (optional)
• 1.5 l chicken stock
• 200 g okra (optional)
• Cayenne, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper
• White rice and spring onion

How to make it at home

1. Make the roux: cook the flour in the oil over a medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for about 30 minutes, until it’s the colour of chocolate.
2. Add the chopped onion, celery, pepper and garlic and cook gently for 10 minutes.
3. Add the chicken in pieces, the sliced sausage, the spices and the stock little by little. Simmer gently for 1 hour.
4. Add the sliced okra (if using) and the prawns for the last 5 minutes.
5. Serve over white rice with chopped spring onion.

The trick: You can’t leave the roux for a second: if it burns, you have to start again.

Frequently asked questions about New Orleans