Fall in New Orleans means cooler evenings, seasonal festivals, celebrations, and of course Halloween. The spirit of frivolity celebration that typically fills The French Quarter becomes all the more contagious. Whether you’re a big fan of Bourbon Street or a football lover hoping to catch a Saints game, autumn in The Big Easy has something incredible for you to do.

When college students are ready for fall break in New Orleans, choosing activities can be overwhelming with all the city offers. So we put together a guide. Here are The Best Fall Break Activities for College Students in New Orleans:

Street performers, painters, sculptors, fortune tellers, and more gather daily at Jackson Square to sell goods and interact with the public. The Square is an ideal place to buy authentic souvenirs, cross ‘tarot reading’ off your bucket list and snap iconic photos of The French Quarter.

Fun Fact: Jackson Square has appeared in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and shows like K-Ville and The Originals.

Live music is like food and drink for New Orleanians, we need it to live! New Orleans is most known for being the birthplace of Jazz music, but many also argue that Rock and Roll was born here. Musicians like Fats Domino, Louis Armstrong, Ernie K. Doe, and The Soul Rebels call NOLA home. From classy piano bars to all-night dance parties, check out our guide to the best live music in New Orleans.

You’ve undoubtedly you’ve heard of Bourbon Street at some point in your life. Bourbon is The French Quarter’s most wild, touristy, and quintessential “New Orleans” street, and it’s just as lively in the fall as the temperatures cool from summer months.

Good news for those who don’t drink: you don’t have to drink to have fun on Bourbon Street! Read our guide to finding the best non-alcoholic drinks and mocktails in New Orleans.

Good news for those who do drink: the lack of Open container law in The Quarter means you can legally consume alcohol on the streets.

Tip: Our guide, Things to do in the French Quarter, includes a list of the best stops on Bourbon Street.

Pro Tip: Frenchman Street is a classy, jazzy alternative to Bourbon that you can read about in our guide to live music.

Let the Good Times Roll! New Orleans needs no excuse to throw a party, festival, or parade. Incredible creole food, live music, art showcases, burlesque shows, film festivals, and more! Here are some of the best fall festivals not to miss in New Orleans:

NolaXNola, September 23- October 9, 2022

Oktoberfest, October 2022

Crescent City Blue & Brews BBQ Festival October 14-16, 2022

Krewe of Boo October 22, 2022

Treme Fall Festival October 22-23, 2022

New Orleans French Film Festival November 3-13, 2022

Fall in New Orleans is magical for a few reasons! Autumn colors and cool temperatures in the evening make this the perfect time for a picnic in the park or a bike ride through the city. Here is your guide to the best trails, scenic walking paths, and parks in New Orleans.

Truthfully, there is never a wrong time to visit New Orleans, but fall might be best for a walking tour. New Orleans starts to cool off in late September and early October, making walking tours and outdoor activities more pleasant. Some might even say the city’s hauntingly beautiful cemeteries and old-world architecture look better in the fall.

We have options for every budget, from free self-guided walking tours to pay-what-you-can guided tours in The French Quarter, the romantic Garden District, NOLA’s famous cemeteries, and more!

The oldest and most celebrated area in New Orleans, The French Quarter, is rich in history, hauntings, colonial architecture, creole food, and good times. Every address in the Quarter has a story to tell, and the only way not to miss anything is via tour. We lead a “pay what you feel like” guided tour of The French Quarter, or you can go solo with our free self-guided walking tour.

Mark Twain once poetically called New Orleans cemeteries “cities of the dead.” Cemetery Tours are the perfect activity for anyone visiting during the fall in New Orleans. Cemeteries teach us how people in the past lived; if we look closely enough, we will gain clues on how to live today.

Currently, two of the most well-known cemeteries, St.Louis No.1 and Layfayette No. 1, are closed, but you can check out which cemeteries are open in New Orleans for 2022. Nola Tour Guy has designed a free, self-guided tour of St Louis #3, or you can check out our pay-what-you-can tours cemetery tour of St Louis #3.

Tip: Read our guide to New Orleans Cemetery Etiquette before you go!

The historic Garden District is where wealthy Americans settled in the mid-19th century, and many of the grand southern estates remain today. Grab a hot chocolate and see the antebellum mansions in all their fall glory. Tour The Garden District at your leisure via our free self-guided or pay-what-you-can tours most days at 3pm.

Budget Tip: The USA’s oldest streetcar will take you from the French Quarter to the Garden District for just $1.25 in exact change.

Louisiana is more than New Orleans! If you’ve got the time and the vehicle, there are plenty of fantastic day trips just a few hours away.

Swamps, Bayous, and southern scenery aren’t far from The Crescent City and are as much a part of its history as The French Quarter is. One of the easiest ways to experience southern Louisiana is via a swamp tour. Plenty of companies offer packaged deals but we think it’s best to ditch the crowds, rent a car and take yourself!

Budget Tip: Car rentals are about $30 per day, while most swamp tours start at $60 per person. A car and our self-guided tour with a map will save you a ton of money!