7 Things To Do In New Orleans For Couples (Beyond The French Quarter) (2024)
Want to know all the best things to do in New Orleans for couples that’ll get you outside the city? We’ve got you covered with everything you need to know!
There are so many fun things to do in New Orleans for couples and this is the best one day itinerary that incorporates visiting the swamps, plantations, historic restaurants, and the best of the French Quarter.
We visited New Orleans for a long weekend as part of our 52 day Ultimate US Road Trip and we were hosted by the local tourism board, giving us access to just about every tourist attraction that exists.
We were able to do so much in this short weekend that we have another post of the best things to do in New Orleans in one day for even more ideas if you’re looking to stay only in the city.
You can check out all of our recommendations for couples in this video on our YouTube Channel.
Fun Things To Do In New Orleans For Couples
Here are some fun things to do in New Orleans for couples that can all be done in one day.
A couple recommendations are outside of the city, while the rest is in town and within the French Quarter.
1. Oak Alley Plantation
Oak Alley Plantation is roughly an hour drive outside of New Orleans, so we started our day at 8 am to arrive by 9 am.
The property is self guided, except for the inside of the plantation.
That is by guided tour only in small groups.
There is a drink stand just outside of the home that sells amazing Mint Juleps for $8 (in re-usable cups), so I recommend sipping on one of those as you roam the grounds.
There are many other plantation homes you can visit in the area, but since we were limited on time, I chose the one I thought we would enjoy the most.
You could probably make an entire day out of visiting plantations.
This property took us about an hour and a half to visit.
👉🏼 Click Here To Book Your Oak Alley Plantation Tour With Roundtrip Transportation Today!
2. Napoleon House
After the plantation tour, we drove back to New Orleans for the rest of the day.
It was about an hour drive back, so we arrived in the area around 12:30 pm.
First up was lunch.
I LOVE Muffuletta sandwiches ever since I tried one at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside resort.
So with that being said, we knew we’d have to get Muffuletta’s in New Orleans.
There’s another location known for their cold Muffuletta’s, but since I prefer mine served hot, we tried the Muffuletta at Napoleon House.
Napoleon House is also home to the Pimm’s Cup drink, so we were able to knock off two things from our food bucket list in one stop.
Lunch for both of us came out to $29.97 with tip.
Napoleon House is located in the French Quarter and has been around since 1914.
Straight from their website, here is their recipe for the Pimm’s Cup:
- Fill a tall 12 oz glass with ice and add 1 1/4 oz Pimm’s #1 and 3 oz lemonade
- Then top off with 7up
- Garnish with cucumber
This was one of the iconic drinks in New Orleans that I would actually drink again!
3. Old Absinthe House
Next up on our drink list was the Absinthe House Frappe from the Old Absinthe House.
This place was built in the 1700s and became the Absinthe Room in 1874, which is also when the Absinthe House Frappe was first created.
As nice as this drink looks, it tastes like straight black licorice.
So if you love licorice, you’ll love this drink.
If not, you’ll hate it.
Also I believe this location is cash only – or at least it was while we were there.
We spent $17 for the one drink + tip.
4. Mardi Gras World
Around 1:30 pm we were done with lunch and drinks, so we took a Lyft over to Mardi Gras World for $15.
We were so excited to visit this warehouse where they house everything for Mardi Gras.
The best part is you get a free slice of King Cake, which is nearly impossible to find back home in California, so this was a huge highlight of our day.
This is a self guided and self paced tour through the warehouse and you can take as many pictures and videos as you want.
It was cool to see some of the older things, as well as things being refurbished for next year’s parade.
This is a must-do in New Orleans!
5. Jean Lafitte Swamp Tours
We finished up at Mardi Gras World around 2:30 pm and took a Lyft back to our hotel for $12.
We had to be ready to leave around 3 pm to head to our Swamp Tour at 4 pm.
It is about a 30-40 minute drive to Jean Lafitte Swamp Tours from New Orleans.
Our tour lasted about an hour and a half and we saw at least a dozen gators along the way!
We did an airboat ride through the Everglades last Summer and didn’t see a single gator, so JP was excited to finally see some out in the wild!
6. The Original French Market Restaurant
Our tour ended around 5:30 pm and then we drove the 30 minutes or so back to our hotel.
From there we took the Streetcar back down to the French Quarter for dinner.
We had day passes for $6 for both of us, so we were able to take it back and forth as much as we needed.
We had passed by the French Market many times and JP loved to smell the Crawfish in the window, so we decided to eat here for dinner.
It was around 7 pm when we arrived and we waited about 45 minutes for a table since the line was half way down the block.
For dinner we shared some Gumbo, JP had the Crawfish boil, and I had some Mac n Cheese.
For dessert we shared a slice of Pecan Pie.
All of this came out to $46.86 including tip.
7. Kilwin’s New Orleans
We finished dinner around 8:30 pm and started walking back toward the Streetcar.
Kilwin’s is one of the only bakery shops open late.
This is one of their only locations that does Pralines, so JP ordered a bunch of them.
Where To Stay In New Orleans For Couples: Club Wyndham Avenue Plaza
Club Wyndham Avenue Plaza is located in the Garden District and is just a short streetcar ride to the French Quarter.
We love this hotel because the rooms have a kitchen, dining table, separate bedroom, and a work space.
See the full walkthrough of the one bedrooms in this video on our YouTube Channel.
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Tips For Planning Your Trip To New Orleans
If you need more help planning your trip to New Orleans, check out our Tips For Planning A Trip To Anywhere (A Step-By-Step Guide).
Keep in mind that traveling during the heat and humidity of the summer and during hurricane season is a little different from other times of the year.
Read our Best Tips For Staying Safe When Traveling During Extreme Weather and Best Tips For Staying Well While You Travel.
Lastly, if you’re traveling on a budget, read up on our Best Tips For Traveling On A Budget: Your Guide To Planning An Affordable Trip.
Conclusion: Fun Things To Do In New Orleans For Couples
There are so many fun things to do in New Orleans for couples in and out of the city.
This one day itinerary makes for a perfect date day for first time visitors or those who just haven’t done these activities yet.
Plus you’ll get to try some of the best food and drinks in New Orleans!
