90 Amazing Things To See, Do, And Eat That You’ll Want To Add To Your New Orleans Bucket List Red Around the World

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Over the last year I’ve published a lot of bucket lists for specific states and regions around the US and a few countries I’ve been to like Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines.

I decided to switch things up on bucket lists for a bit (don’t worry, some other countries are still coming) and doing a few US cities!

First up is a killer New Orleans bucket list, one of the best places for a 21st birthday celebration for a lot of reasons that you’ll find below.

I’ve got it broken down into a general things to do in New Orleans bucket list and a must-try food in New Orleans bucket list for a little easier browsing. But first. . .

You’re going to want to find an awesome hotel in New Orleans to make your stay even better and there are so many cool options. The Mansion on Royal is a nice bed and breakfast in the Faubourg Marigny area and it’s perfect if you want something cozy.

If you want to stay somewhere that looks very hip and modern, The Old No. 77 Hotel & Chandlery in the Central Business District is perfect for you. If you’re looking for great views in the Central Business District, the Loews New Orleans Hotel is great.

Finally, the French Quarter. If you want to stay in this iconic location there tons of amazing options like the Place d’Armes Hotel, the Hotel Provincial, the French Market Inn (great for families,) the Hotel St. Marie (with cute little balconies with street views), or the Hotel Mazarin (close to Bourbon Street, perfect if you like nightlife.)

For real, they have some cute hotels and if you love exposed brick, almost all of these have it. It’s hard to go wrong and it’s making me want to go there sooner than later.

If you do decide to travel right now, please do so safely and at your own risk. Wear a mask, wash and sanitize regularly, check any government regulations before going, and book accommodations with flexible cancellation policies, just in case.

Bucket list posts

General New Orleans Bucket List

First up we have our regular New Orleans bucket list. This is where you’ll find the best things to do in New Orleans including museums, festivals, parks, squares, shopping, historic sites, and more.

See Marie Laveau’s house
Visit the St. Louis Cathedral
Experience the nightlife of Bourbon Street
Visit Mardi Gras World
Visit during Mardi Gras
Visit the 1850’s house
Explore the French Market
See Jackson Square
Wander Magazine Street
Do a Voodoo ghost tour
Explore Audubon Park
Do a haunted vampire tour
kayak the swamps
Experience New Orleans like a local on Frenchman Street
Do a ghost tour of the French Quarter

Ride the streetcar
Visit the Whitney Plantation
Tour the St. Louis Cemetery #1, the oldest cemetery in New Orleans
See the Coven House from American Horror Story
Visit the Evergreen Plantation
Attend the Jazz and Heritage Festival
Admire the architecture in the Garden District
Visit Laura Plantation
Do a swamp airboat tour
Take a ride on Steamboat Natchez on the Mississippi River
See the colorful shotgun houses
Enjoy some live jazz on Frenchman Street
See Oak Alley Plantation
Visit Lafayette Cemetery #2
Tour the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum

Enjoy some art at the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden
Take the Canal Street Ferry to Algiers
Do a horse drawn carriage tour in the French Quarter
See the New Canal Lighthouse
Enjoy some jazz at the Preservation Hall
Visit the Backstreet Cultural Museum
Visit the Museum of Death
Visit the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge
Stop at the Hollygrove Market and Farm
Explore the New Orleans Museum of Art
Enjoy the Spotted Cat Music Club
Relax in Crescent Park
Enjoy interactive art at Studio Be
Visit New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park
See Lake Pontchartrain

See the Singing Oak in City Park
Check out William Faulkner’s home at 624 Pirate’s Alley
Check out the Cabildo
Visit the Longue Vue House and Gardens
Explore the Marigny neighborhood
Visit the National WWII Museum
Check out local made goods at the Frenchman Art Market
Go to a Saints Game
Attend the New Orleans Literary Festival
Admire the Mardi Gras masks at Crescent City Mask Co.
Visit the Crescent City Farmers Market
See Truman Capote’s home at 711 Royal Street
Attend Hogs for the Cause
Admire the mansions on St. Charles Ave.
Get lost in the books at Faulkner House Books

New Orleans Food Bucket List

Now for the deliciously tempting New Orleans food bucket list. I’m about ready to hop in my car and drive over there right now after putting this list together!

Attend Beignet Fest, a festival for beignets!
Enjoy the breweries in the Irish Channel
Try crawfish
Enjoy a King Cake between January 6 and the day after Mardi Gras ends
Order beignets at Cafe du Mond
Eat some Po Boys
Try the beignets at Cafe Beignet
Visit the Southern Food and Beverage Museum
Enjoy the offerings at St. Roch Market
Get a Vieux Carre from the place it was invented, the Carousel Bar
Get an ice cream flight from Creole Creamery
Visit the Museum of the American Cocktail
Get brunch at Antoine’s Restaurant
Try shrimp and alligator sausage cheesecake at Jacques-Imo’s
Have a Cajun-Creole brunch at Willa Jean

Enjoy some free oysters and live music on a Friday night at Le Bon Temps Roule
Try a matcha beignet at The Vintage
Get a Muffaletta at Central Grocery Deli
Enjoy some Banana’s Foster
Try bread pudding
Try a double chocolate bread pudding at Red Fish Grill
Get fried chicken at Willie Mae’s Scotch House
Try a Samoa donut at District Donuts. Sliders. Brew. (Yes, like the Girl Scout cookie!)
Go to a crawfish boil at Bevi Seafood Co.
Try the iconic dish, Jambalaya, at Mother’s
Get yourself some shrimp and grits
Try praline bacon at Elizabeth’s
Get some gumbo at Galatoire’s
Indulge in a Brûléed cinnamon roll at District Hand Pie and Coffee Bar
Try catfish at Commander’s Palace