1st thing you do in New orleans?

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La vedette

First thing to do-- go down to the French Quarter during the day and just walk around and get a feel for the place (if the weather's nice.)
If the weather isn't so nice, check out the Riverwalk.

You're definitely going to want to try as many restaurants as you can and hear as much music as possible.
Go uptown, ride the streetcar.
Check out some of the parks, etc.

If you want Mexican, my favorite is Superior Grill (which is on the streetcar line on St Charles.)

Hope you have fun!

Mommy to Lauryn and Sydney

First thing is EAT lol, food is awesome then head over to cafe du monde for a cafe' au lait and beignets.. Then just walk there is soo much to see.. I love NOLA my fav place to go..

Hilarie A

french quarter or city park

La Vie Boheme

I'm going October 31st : )

Last year was my first visit..you will love it. The first thing I did was visit Bourbon Street and simply walk around. This year, the first thing I will do is change into my costume to go see the parade. Make sure you bring a costume..Halloween is wonderful there.

As far as tours..I loved Haunted History tours. I suggest the Ghost tour and cemetery tour. This year I am taking a swamp tour with Cajun encounters.

tarmanarmos

The French Quarter is a good place to start!!

EmiSaint

I walk around to show people around. Then we go eat either Brunch or Dinner depending on what time.
If we are in the french quarter we go and see music, pat o's and lafittes, preservation hall.

French quarter restaurants, Brennans(brunch) Muriels(brunch or dinner- i prefer it for dinner), Gumbo shop for lunch, bayona(brunch or dinner), Galatoire's(dinner) most famous and oldest restaurant in America- http://www.galatoires.com/

Uptown- MY FAVORITE OF ALL TIME Commanders Palace, brigtsens, upperline
And more restaurants...
http://www.gumbopages.com/no-rest.html

FYI- Tipitinas uptown has cajun music dancing and lessons every sunday...

For swamps tours go on one in the Atchafalaya Basin- I prefer airboat ones. You can only fit about 4-6 people on a boat. But its more personal you can get to places where big boats can' t go.. also so much more quiet with less people.
http://www.lastwildernesstours.com/
http://www.mcgeeslanding.com/tour.html

mexican food- new orleans isnt known for its mexican so not sure if any are rated as best. but try el gato ***** or juans flying burrito.. I have been to some mexican food places but none are really that good. Down here i would stick to cajun/creole/french restaurants..

btlrboyz

cafe dumonde---eat at one of Emerl's restaurants---Have a drink at Lefeit's shop/bar---eat at Crescent City Brew House--check out the Voodoo shop~~

Kay Kay to the Fray Fray

THERES ALOT OF THINGS....
go to the french quarter..
go to the saints game...
go to mardi gras world.....[[cool stuff]]
go to bourbon street for mardi gras:]]]

NOLA guy

Weather permitting, the first thing you might want to do is wander around the French Quarter, enjoy the architecture, watch the street entertainers (do tip), and visit some of the historic buildings that have been turned into museums (go to www.frenchquarter.com and click on Historic Attractions).

For Mexican, try the Gato Ne gro (The Black Cat) on French Market Place in the French Quarter.

Things to do in New Orleans:

Mardi Gras and the Jazz Festival are world famous events, but New Orleans hosts many festivals and celebrations throughout the year: www.nola.com/festivals

The Saint Charles Streetcar is the oldest continuously operating street railway in the world and is a "tourist attraction" in its own right. It is part of the public transit system, as are the Canal Street and Riverfront streetcar lines: www.norta.com

There is always music, but the bands change: Go to www.bestofneworleans.com and click on Music then Listings or to www.offbeat.com and click on Listings, then Music.

Note that music clubs often advertise "No Cover", meaning there is no charge for entering. However, clubs with "No Cover" often require that customers buy a beverage each for every "set " of music (which can be every 20 minutes) so KNOW THE PRICE before you sit down. Clubs do that because some people will sit in the club all evening drinking nothing (clubs only make money from the drinks they sell - not from the music). It is also a good idea to pay for each round of drinks (in clubs on Bourbon Street) as it is delivered so there can't be any confusion at the end of the evening.

An incomplete guide to bars & clubs: www.neworleanscheapdrinks.com

About certain alcoholic beverages: Realize that some famous drinks are VERY potent compared with regular cocktails that have only 1 to 1 Â½ ounces of alcohol. For example, a Hurricane is basically 3 or 4 ounces of rum in something like red Kool-Aid, and a Hand Grenade has at least 4 Â½ ounces of Everclear + rum + vodka mixed with melon liquor. They donâ€™t necessarily taste like an alcoholic beverage and it is easy to over-indulge.

Assuming the weather is good, you can collect a sandwich lunch and eat in the riverfront park (watch the shipping) or in Jackson Square (a very nice park).

The Riverwalk shopping center has an air-conditioned food court with dining overlooking the river (www.riverwalkmarketplace.com). The Canal Place shopping center is in the French Quarter and has a cinema and higher-end shopping (Saks 5th Avenue, Brooks Brothers, etc.). Magazine Street is a miles-long shopping district: www.magazinestreet.com

Louisiana is the only US state that offers tax-free shopping for international visitors: http://www.louisianataxfree.com/

The lobby for the Westin Canal Place Hotel is on the 11th floor and overlooks the French Quarter. It is a great place for an afternoon drink/snack:(www.westin.com).

Cafe du Monde is in the French Quarter and you shouldn't miss having cafe au lait & beignets (www.cafedumonde.com). Another great coffee shop is the Croissant d'Or (at 615 Ursulines Street), which is open from 7:00am to 2:00pm and has food in addition to pastry.

The Palm Court restaurant is very nice, has moderate prices, and traditional live jazz starting at 8:00pm: 1204 Decatur Street, tel 504-525-0200 (reservations are important and they are not open every day). The Palm Court is closed from about July 25th to about September 25th each year.

Maximo's Italian Grill has great food and atmosphere: 1117 Decatur Street in the French Quarter, (504) 586-8883.

All of the famous restaurants (Antoine's, Arnaud's, Brennan's, Commander's Palace, etc.) have reopened. The Pelican Club (on Exchange Alley in the FQ) is not as well known but is the same type experience. Reservations are a good idea, and probably essential on weekends. Tujaques Restaurant (823 Decatur Street) is very traditional and has moderate prices: www.tujaguesrestaurant.com

Cafe Degas is a very French restaurant near City Park at 3127 Esplanade - which is not within walking distance of downtown (5 to 10 minutes by taxi). They are closed on Mondays & Tuesdays (504-945-5635).

The Napoleon House restaurant is at 500 Chartres Street in the FQ, and has a menu of great local dishes: www.napoleonhouse.com

Preservation Hall has traditional live Jazz, and doesnâ€™t serve alcohol so all ages are welcome: www.preservationhall.com

New Orleans has ballet, opera, a symphony orchestra, and theatre:

www.nobadance.com
www.neworleansopera.org
www.lpomusic.com
www.lepetittheatre.com

There is a free ferry across the Mississippi at the "foot" of Canal Street. It is a short trip but like a harbor cruise w/o a guide: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/canal_street_ferry

The Aquarium, Audubon Zoo, and the new Insectarium are world-class attractions (www.auduboninstitute.org) and you should see them if you can. The Zoo is several miles from downtown. You can drive to the Zoo (which has free parking) or take public transit from the French Quarter.

The Louisiana State Museum is in the French Quarter: http://lsm.crt.state.la.us/ New Orleans is also home to a number of other museums, such as the National World War II Museum (www.ddaymuseum.org) and the New Orleans Museum of Art (www.noma.org). Both can be reached by public transit: The WWII museum is in the central business district but a long walk from the French Quarter. NOMA is not within walking distance of downtown but has free parking. Go to www.neworleansmuseums.com for info on more museums.

Harrahâ€™s Casino is in the Central Business District: www.harrahs.com (age 21 required for entry)

New Orleans City Park has a variety of attractions, including an amusement park with rides and attractions for children + free parking. City Park also presents "Celebration in the Oaks" from late November to early January: (www.neworleanscitypark.com).

Check www.frenchquarter.com for ideas about other things to do.

Hope you have a great time!

Catitude

Go up to the roof of the Royal Omni Hotel, have a beverage of choice (they make great Bloody Marys) then climb up to the observation deck which gives a fantastic view of the Quarter and the Mississippi. Walk around Jackson Plaza. As to a tour, a plantation tour that goes out to The Oaks Plantation is good. Any concierge in a hotel can arrange that for you. As to Mexican food in NOLa? When in New Orleans, do as they do -- enjoy all the cajun food you can, plus beignets at Cafe du Monde, The Central Market, Felix's Oyster House, and Acme Oyster House (all in the Quarter). Great crawfish! I think Mexican food in New Orleans is forbidden.

Leafsfan29 is on the 1st tee

Go visit my friend who lives near Tulane. She knows where all the good stuff is.

nola_cajun

you're going to eat mexican while visiting new orleans ?

:) It's Me! (:

go to the french quarter....go to cafe du mond its freakin awesome!!and a horse carriage ride....bourbon street isnt that great...and theres a bunch of hookers and druggies.

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