Sightseeing in New Orleans

New Orleans has many beautiful historic neighborhoods that are delightful to explore. The city has a great record of historic preservation and many of the oldest neighborhoods have an incredible collection of architectural styles from French and Spanish colonial, to antebellum American, and Victorian.
The French Quarter and the Garden District in Uptown are the two most popular neighborhoods to explore, and are easy to get around by foot. Magazine Street from the Lower Garden District up to Audubon Park is also a great street for walking, shopping and sightseeing. Any hotel can provide maps that will help guide you to some of the more interesting sites. And plenty of new tourism apps also provide helpful information on the sites of the city.
Outside of the city, river road - the road that is adjacent to the Mississippi River on both sides - is great for sightseeing as well. And for nature lovers, the wetland regions surrounding the city are enchanting and beautiful.

More things to do in New Orleans

First-timers

First-timers may want to explore the city by foot and street car. The French Quarter has plenty of historic sites and homes, such as Hermann-Grima and Gallier Houses that are open to visitors. Jackson Square, the French Market, and the river-front are all interesting sites that will help orient one towards the rich history of the city.
Taking the street car (trolley) is also a great way to become oriented to the rich architectural fabric of the neighborhoods. The green cars go up St. Charles Avenue, with its stunning mansions, and stops at a several spots in the Garden District, which is easy to walk around and features historic mansions and Lafayette Cemetery. The red car goes to City Park and Bayou St. John, a beucolic meandering waterway. Bicycle tours are also increasingly popular as a way to see the neighborhoods in an intimate way. If you prefer a guided driving tour, a number of tour operators provide city tours that visit the historic neighborhoods.

Local Favorites

Many locals love to go to relax at Lake Pontchartrain, the large estuary that is the north border of the city. The lakefront is all public parklands with a seawall where people fish. There are a few seafood restaurants on the lakefront at West End and across the parish line in Jefferson Parish's Bucktown neighborhood, the site of an old fishermen's village and marina.
Locals also like to hangout at the Mississippi River at Audubon Park, in a section of the Park known as "The Fly," behind Audubon Zoo. It is a great place for a picnic or for letting children play and run around, while watching the ships cruise the river.
Many locals also like to paddle canoes or kayaks on Bayou St. John near city park. Kayaks can be rented on the bayou where the LSU Dental school is located.

Self-Guided Tours

Self-guided tours are becoming more popular as more tourism apps are developed to provide this type of tour option. If you search an app store for New Orleans tours, a number of interesting options are avaliable.
The New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park in the French Quarter offers several very informative pamphlets which enable people to explore the historic music sites of the French Quarter and adjacent neighborhoods on their own. The pamphlets are organized by neighborhood, and encompass self-guided tours that take about an hour.
For those interested in exploring the Garden District, there is an excellent book entitled: "The Historic Garden District: An Illustrated Guide and Walking Tour," which is available at the Garden District Book Shop on Prytania.

Views

Located in the lower delta of the Mississippi River, New Orleans is extremely flat. But if one is interested in getting a great view of the city, the Westin Canal Place Hotel lobby, bar and pool offer stunning views of the Mississippi River and the French Quarter.
Within the French Quarter, the Galvez Restaurant has a beautiful dining area that overlooks the river. The pool at the Omni Royal Hotel also has a nice view of this historic neighborhood.