Home to unparalleled musical icons, an incredible culinary scene, rich history, quirky traditions, Louisiana exudes adventure and good times! With outdoor thrills, foodie fun, and activities that take you back in time, this state is a must-visit for any traveler looking for a lively adventure! Here are 16 Louisiana experiences you won’t want to miss out on!
1. Bourbon Street!
Nothing says Louisiana quite like a trip down the world-famous Bourbon Street! Located in the heart of the French Quarter, this street has it all. From old-fashioned jazz clubs to iconic bars like Jean Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop and the Old Absinthe House, to luxury hotels to wild Mardi Gras celebrations, this 13-block stretch is jam-packed with sites to see, treats to taste and New Orleans traditions to discover. Bourbon Street is a must-stop for a whirlwind experience of Louisiana culture!
2. Visit the French Quarter
New Orleans’ oldest neighborhood, the French Quarter offers visitors the opportunity to soak in the history and traditions of Louisiana. Travelers can visit Jackson Square to have fortunes told, snap pics of the beautiful Roman Catholic cathedral, and watch incredible street performances. The French Quarter is also an excellent choice for sampling local cuisine. Stop by the famous Café Du Monde for a beignet topped with mountains of powdered sugar, have a taste of classic creole at Original Pierre Maspero’s, or snag a fun home-made treat at the French Market!
3. Check out the museums!
If you want to explore Louisiana’s extraordinary history, art, and learn more about the state’s fascinating culture I’d recommend hitting the museums. Here are a few favorites to put on your list.
National World War 2 Museum
Location: 945 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130
Description: Explore the stories of “the war that changed the world.” With over 250,000 artifacts and dozens of incredible exhibits, visitors can spend a full day here.
Hours: Visit this site for updated hours of operation.
New Orleans Museum of Art
Location: 1 Collins Diboll Cir, New Orleans, LA 70124
Description: Visit New Orleans’ oldest fine arts institution to explore global artwork, an impressive 12-acre sculpture garden, interactive exhibits, and more!
Hours: Open Tues–Sun, 10–5; Wed, 12–7. Sculpture garden open seven days a week, 10–5.
Website: https://noma.org/
The Southern Food & Beverage Museum
Location: 1504 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70113
Description: Discover the culinary heritage of the South, learn about the evolution of the American cocktail, take a creole cooking class, and more at this impressive museum!
Hours: Open Thurs-Mon, 11-5.
Website: https://www.southernfood.org/
4. Take a tour of the Sazerac House!
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Location: 101 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130
Website: https://www.sazerachouse.com/
One of the most iconic New Orleans establishments, the Sazerac House has been serving up cocktails and good times for almost two hundred years! The Sazerac, a close relative to the old-fashioned, is a true taste of Louisiana: a little earthy, a nice kick, and hints of unique flavor unlike anything else. If you want to taste for yourself, check out the Sazerac House where you can enjoy free tours, tastings, and interactive cocktail exhibits!
5. Take a foodie tour!
It’s obvious from the moment you arrive in Louisiana, and you get a whiff of that jambalaya being served up, or you step into the markets filled with street vendors, or you see those insane lines for the powdered beignets, Louisiana is a foodie heaven! Check out one of these guides, for a food tour of the Creole State.
Cajun Food Tours
Website: https://www.cajunfoodtours.com/
Enjoy a fun-filled day of tasting authentic Cajun cuisine! Take the original tour to sample five locally owned Cajun restaurants in Lafeyette! Or check out the crawfish capital of the world with their Breaux Bridge Food Tour!
Tastebud Food and Cocktail Tours
Website: https://tastebudtours.com/
Get your po boys, your beignets, and your tasty spirits with this highly rated tour company! Tastebud tours offer options to eat your way through the French Quarter, sip spirits at famed cocktail bars, and more!
6. Check out the unique cemeteries
Checking out the local cemeteries may not be the first thing that comes to mind when building a trip itinerary. But step into a Louisiana cemetery and you’ll notice something a bit… different. A combination of cultural tradition and geography accounts for many of Louisiana’s cemeteries being built above ground.
With most of the state lying below sea level, many parts of Louisiana are at severe risk of flooding. To keep graves from being washed away, and to preserve the culture of honoring ancestors, elaborate, above-ground graves are common in Louisiana.
Visiting one of these cemeteries is quite an interesting, sometimes haunting experience. I’d highly recommend visiting any of the following:
- Rice Family Mausoleum
- Wrong Way Cemetery
- Louis Cemetery No. 1
- Lafeyette Cemetery No. 1
7. Take a spooky voodoo tour!
Looking for a chilling adventure? Discover the history of voodoo with an exciting, educational tour! I’d highly recommend checking out the Haunted History Tours (https://hauntedhistorytours.com/our-tours/voodoo-history-new-orleans/.) Throughout this experience, visitors will discover real past events in the traditions of voodoo, learn about debunked voodoo myths, and more during this 90-minute walking tour! Tickets are $28 per person. Slots can fill up fast, so try to book a couple weeks in advance!
Tip – After learning the history of voodoo on your tour, stop by Marie Laveau’s House of Voodoo on Bourbon Street to get psychic readings, talismans and more!
8. Check out the singing oak tree!
In an unassuming plot within City Park sits the Singing Oak Tree. Over a century old, this magnificent oak is a great stop for the curious traveler. In an effort to attract visitors, local artist Jim Hart designed beautiful wind chimes and had them hung from the trees’ aged branches.
The chimes are a treat for the ears as they sway in the wind. Go in the afternoon for a picnic or with a book for some relaxation. Or go in the morning when the reliable, thick Louisiana fog rolls in for more of a haunting atmosphere.
9. Take a cruise on the Steamboat Natchez
The last true steamboat of the Mississippi, the Steamboat Natchez is a one-of-a-kind experience! There is no better way to take in views of the river and the French Quarter than from this amazing ship. A variety of cruises are offered on the Natchez including Sunday brunch cruises, dinner cruises, jazzy cruises and more! All cruises include a visit to the steam engine room, viewing the classic steam pipe organ, live jazz, and authentic Creole cuisine. Book your cruise here: https://www.steamboatnatchez.com/.
10. Go to a one-of-a-kind festival!
When you think of Louisiana, festive is probably one of the first words that comes to mind. Mardi Gras, jazz street music, seafood broils and wild bashes; Louisiana is a state full of life! Check out one of these unique festivals to make the most of your Louisiana trip!
- Rayne Frog Festival – Thanks to the French influence in the area (and the French delicacy, frog legs,) Rayne, Louisiana has become the “frog capitol of the world!” This festival celebrates all things Louisiana, good music, hospitality, and of course frogs! Join in frog cook-offs, frog races, or just stand back and enjoy the show!
- Baton Rouge Blues – This annual blues festival pays homage to the culture and history of Louisiana blues and provides free fun for the whole family!
- French Quarter Fest – Spend the day dancing through the streets of the French Quarter! With more than 20 stages set up, this festival has become an international sensation. A celebration of Louisiana spirit, this festival showcases jazz, funk, gospel, cabaret, R&B, and more!
11. Take a swamp tour!
Louisiana is a melting pot of bustling city life and downhome southern activities. If you’ve finished your hurricane go-cup on Bourbon Street, taken in the festivals, stood in line for your beignet, and are looking for a unique adventure in the outdoors, swamp tours are the way to go! With over three million acres of wetlands, Louisiana is the place to be to explore the unique ecosystem of swamps. Here are a few Louisiana guide companies I’d recommend checking out:
New Orleans Airboat Tours
Website: https://www.neworleansairboattours.com/
- Close to New Orleans (roughly 25 minutes from downtown)
- Family-owned for three generations
- Frequent alligator, wild boar, and other up-close wildlife sightings
The Last Wilderness Eco-Swamp Tours
Website: https://www.lastwildernesstours.com/
- Located in the Atchafalaya Basin
- Family-owned
- Focused on education, appreciation, and preservation of wetlands – Tourists WILL SEE: beautiful views, native flora and fauna such as cypress trees, and, very likely, some native wildlife. Tourists MAY SEE: alligators, wild boars and other impressive swamp creatures from a distance
Honey Island Swamp Tours
Website: https://www.honeyislandswamp.com/
- Located on Honey Island in Slidell, LA
- Nearly 70,000 acres of permanently protected wilderness
- One of the most well-preserved river swamps in the nation
12. Experience all the Jazz!
Everyone knows Louisiana is the jazz center of the nation! But if you’re not sure where to start to get the full Louisiana jazz experience, here are a few places to check out:
- Dew Drop Jazz and Social Hall – The oldest traditional rural jazz hall. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Bourbon Street – There’s never a day that goes by without jazz music playing on the sidewalks and bars of Bourbon Street!
- New Orleans Jazz Museum – Explore the history of jazz and experience live shows!
13. Ziplining
Get a birds-eye view of those incredible bayous, swamps, cypress trees and rivers with some ziplining adventure!
Zip NOLA
Website: https://www.zipnola.com/
Two adventures in one! Explore the wonder of the swamps while you zip over the cypress trees and alligators!
Magnolia Ridge Adventure Park
Website: https://www.magnoliaridgepark.com/
Fly through beautifully preserved hardwood forest with the largest zipline park in Louisiana!
14. Fishing Louisiana’s Gulf Coast
Whether you like your seafood boiled, fried or raw, nothing beats fresh fish you reeled in yourself! Check out one of these local companies, for a Louisiana Gulf Coast fishing adventure.
Louisiana Charter Fishing
Website: https://louisianacharterfishing.com/
R Some Fishing
Website: https://www.rsomefishing.com/
Boat Nation
Website: https://www.boatnation.com/
15. Go Skydiving!
Get the rush of flying 120 miles per hour over the beautiful state of Louisiana! Check out one of these terrific operations for some Louisiana skydive adventure:
Gold Coast Skydivers
Location: St. Tammany Regional Airport, Hwy 36, Abita Springs, LA 70420
Website: https://goldcoastskydivers.com/skydiving-baton-rouge
Cloud Chasers Skydiving
Location: 62512 Airport Rd, Slidell, LA 70460z
Website: https://www.cloudchasers-skydiving.com/
Skydive Louisiana
Location: 5280 Gilliam Airport Rd, Gilliam, Louisiana 71029
Website: https://skydivingsource.com/locations/skydive-louisiana/
16. Kayaking and Canoeing
With so much wetland covering the state of Louisiana, it would be a shame not to explore it as close as possible. Opportunities are around nearly every corner to get out on the water, but if you’re looking for some ideas of where to explore by kayak or canoe, I’d recommend heading out to any of the following locations:
- Buffalo Cove – Perfect for the experienced rider. Paddle through flooded forest of Cypress and Tupelo!
- Two O’clock Bayou – An easy, gentle kayak/canoe option!
- Sampson’s Cove – See thousand-year-old trees and experience a peaceful, quiet setting without traffic jams on the water! A moderately challenging ride.
Forgotten Atchafalaya- Great for views of swamp maples and birdwatching! Easy to moderate depending on weather and time of year.
Jamie is the founder of Action Sporter. He is the chief zipline writer and the lead editor. He has 5 years of zipline experience being a tour guide in Newfoundland. Most of the time you can find Jamie adventure traveling, hiking, skiing, skateboarding, or anything action related!