United States New Orleans

An intensely charming city with a French heritage and a renowned nightlife scene, New Orleans is a place that radiates charm. Stroll through the French Quarter, 78 blocks of French Colonial architecture with bright colors and ornate balconies unlike anything else you’ll see in North America. Join the droves of tourists and locals at café du Monde for a large coffee and a plate of light and fluffy, sugar-dusted beignets. For a slightly macabre (but really interesting) experience, walk through one of New Orleans’ above-ground cemeteries, which are like small cities of mausoleums.

When the sun sets over New Orleans, the city comes alive in places like Bourbon Street, the famous avenue of the French Quarter that is packed with bars, dance clubs, and even strip clubs. This is the most liberal part of the city, so be prepared to party hard and meet a lot of new people. If all that bar-hopping has you famished, stop in a restaurant to sample some authentic Cajun food like crawfish, jambalaya, or a fried oyster Po-boy.