See Your City Like a Tourist: Why Locals Are Riding the Hop-On Hop-Off Bus This August 

When you know a city as well as locals do, it is easy to think there is nothing left to discover. But some things only shift when you do. The streets are the same. The neighborhoods have not moved. Step onto the top deck of an open-top bus, though, let someone else do the driving and the storytelling, and the familiar starts to look a little different. Not foreign, just deeper.

August, with its lighter tourist traffic and slower pace, is the right time to find that out. And if you are a Louisiana resident, there is a $5 local discount per adult waiting for you at the ticket counter — just bring your ID.

What Makes This August in NOLA Different

When you are a local looking for fun things to do in New Orleans this weekend, the pull is always toward the familiar. The same spots, the same routes, the same trusted corners. There is nothing wrong with that. But City Sightseeing New Orleans puts you in a different position: no car, no parking, no navigating. You sit on the top deck of an open-top double-decker bus and the city comes to you.

That shift matters more than it sounds. From the top deck, the architecture on St. Charles Avenue reads at a different scale, and the transition from one neighborhood to the next feels more connected than it does behind a wheel. Live local guides add context to streets you have driven down your whole life — take Frenchmen Street in the Marigny, long one of the city’s most storied music corridors, or Congo Square in Tremé, recognized as one of the earliest sites of African cultural expression in the United States. From a car window, they are just streets. With a guide, they become something else.

You are not here to find something new. You are here to give the city you already know the chance to show you a little more of itself.

August Has a Pace That Works in Your Favor

The city tends to see fewer tourists in August than during peak spring and early summer months, and that matters. The stops are less crowded, and the whole experience moves at a pace that suits a local who is not in a hurry. You can ride the full loop in 90 minutes for a complete overview, or hop off wherever something catches your attention and rejoin whenever you are ready.

Our buses run every 25 minutes from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM, seven days a week. No itinerary required. For anyone searching for what to do in New Orleans this weekend without wanting to over-plan it, that kind of flexibility is the whole point.

Bring the Visitors. Or Just Come Yourself.

Got friends or family in town for the weekend? August is one of the better times to play tour guide without the stress. Our bus handles the navigation, our guides handle the storytelling, and for once you get to experience familiar neighborhoods alongside someone seeing them for the first time. That shift in dynamic, their perspective meeting yours, is its own kind of interesting.

Or come solo. Add a French Quarter Walking Tour or a Garden District Walking Tour for a deeper look at two of the city’s most story-rich neighborhoods. Both are available individually or as part of our multi-day packages – paired naturally with a hop-on hop-off pass for a full day across the city.

our City. Seen Again.

If you are a Louisiana resident, this one is for you: show your valid Louisiana ID to a ticket agent at the time of purchase and get $5 off per adult ticket. A local experience, at a local price.

The best things to do in New Orleans this weekend are not always somewhere new or far away. Sometimes the most worthwhile afternoon is the one that gives you a different relationship with what you already know.

Grab your 1-day pass and let the city show you something you have always known, just a little differently.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the hop-on hop-off bus worth it for New Orleans locals? Yes — and August is one of the better months to try it. With somewhat lighter tourist traffic and a more relaxed pace across the city, the experience feels less like a tour and more like a new way to spend an afternoon in your own neighborhood. Live local guides share stories and context that even longtime residents may not have come across.

Do Louisiana residents get a discount? Yes. Louisiana residents get $5 off per adult ticket when showing a valid Louisiana ID to a ticket agent at the time of purchase. The discount applies to in-person bookings at our ticket office locations.

What is there to do in New Orleans in August? More than most people expect. The city’s music scene, restaurants, and neighborhoods are fully alive in August — the tourist crowds are just a bit thinner. The hop-on hop-off route covers 18 stops across the French Quarter, Tremé, Magazine Street, the Garden District, and the Riverfront, giving you an easy way to spend a full afternoon across the city.

How long does the full loop take? The full loop covers all 18 stops in approximately 90 minutes without hopping off. Buses run every 25 minutes from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM, so you can explore at your own pace and rejoin whenever you are ready.

Can I use the bus to beat the August heat? August in New Orleans is genuinely hot, and the bus is not a substitute for air conditioning. That said, several stops along the route put you right at the entrance to some of the city’s best indoor attractions — including the National WWII Museum at Stop #10, JAMNOLA near Stop #3, and the Storyville Museum at Stop #5 — making it easy to plan your day around the hottest hours.