What to Do in New Orleans

It depends on what you like to do. I Love New Orleans. The French Quarter is a magical place. There is so much history there that just looking at the homes, streets etc. is inspiring. There are wonderful shops, picture opportunities, and fantastic food. You can tour plantation homes and Mardi Gras is in March this coming year. There is the Aquarium of the America's, lots of fortune telling and plenty of bars, lol. I would say it's an experience that if you have an opportunity, then go, it's different every time. You never know what you will see. :)

OMG...just walk around Bourbon St, drink, eat, and drink some more!

We took a cemetery tour while we were there, which was pretty cool, too. And it walked through a lot of the old buildings as well.
There is a casino, so you can gamble if you like. But mostly...drink and eat! :)

I will never understand why people go to Vegas instead of New Orleans. New Orleans never sleeps, you can walk around with drinks in your hand, shop and take in the local culture...and do it at a fraction of the price you pay in Vegas.
Same party...different locale. With actual personality! :)

What is worth doing? Preservation Hall. A cooking class. Eat crawdads (and suck the heads - seriously). Chickory coffee and beignets. The French Quarter. The Garden District. The old street cars. A carriage ride. The cemetery (during the day). Any venue with good live local music.

If you're there during Mardi Gras, be prepared for a whole lot of crazy. If you're there before Mardi Gras, a lot of the groups that march have practice parades, which means you can enjoy some of the pageantry without the craziness.

Do be aware of personal safety. New Orleans is not a good place to go wandering around off the beaten path at night.

Cafe Du Monde for coffee and beignets. Then stroll on down to the open air market. Lots of little shops on both sides of the street.
Go to the WW2 museum and attend the show afterwards.
Take a haunted history tour - very interesting and fun.
NOLA is home to some of the best restaurants - Commander's Palace, Emeril's, LaProvence (about 20 miles outside NOLA), plus lots of charming local bistros and other eateries,
Walk down Bourbon Street - totally different at night vs day - just be aware of your surroundings
Have fun!

Go tour the 6th ward post Katrina, park the car and take cabs or walk the city. Good luck.

I had a blast in New Orleans. I agree with the previous poster when comparing new Orleans vs. Vegas. Granted there weren't casinos, but everything near bourbon street was so much more "adult" and crazy all of the time.