New Orleans is hands-down one of my favorite cities I’ve yet had the opportunity to visit. It is diverse, full of culture and history, teeming with delicious food, composed of colorful and old buildings, home to an unforgettable live music scene, and surrounded by mystery, voodoo magic, and lore. Read our full city guide to New Orleans (coming soon)!
It was love at first sight on our initial visit with my partner, our 10-month-old (her second cross-country trip), and my partner’s parents—more on that below! I’ve since been to the Crescent City for a bachelorette party, and am always scheming to find another opportunity to get myself there.
On this trip we were able to experience highlights from The Big Easy with our extended family, trying not to sweat the FOMO (too much to do, so little time) and assuring ourselves that we’d be someday back for more fun and adventures. Below we share our trip highlights and reflections from our first visit—let us know your thoughts or questions in the comments below!
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The city of New Orleans—referred to as Balbancha by the Choctaw—is the stolen and occupied land of the Choctaw, Houma, Chitimacha, Biloxi, and other Native peoples.
WHAT WE SPENT
- Airfare: ~$275/person
- Hotel: ~$150/night (covered by work)
- Meals: ~$40/person/day
- Rental Car & Gas: ~$30/day
Add-Ons
- Souvenirs
About Our Visit
AGE OF THE KID: 10 months
LENGTH OF VISIT: 5 days
TIME OF YEAR: June; balmy weather and sometimes stormy!
What We Packed
- Standard diaper bag essentials
- Plane ride essentials
- Travel carseat
- Umbrella stroller, if needed
- Ergobaby or soft baby carrier, if needed
Where We Stayed
The Mercantile Hotel
~$110+ per night
We stayed in a small suite at The Mercantile Hotel, courtesy of my partner’s employer. We found it to be a very lovely boutique hotel in a historical building, and would consider staying there again!
It was nice to have a living area separate from the bedroom so that when the baby was asleep we could still chat and move about before retiring for the night. The hotel was close to the river and within walking distance to The National WWII Museum, Audubon Aquarium, and restaurants like Cochon.
Trip Highlights
Check out our full list of recommendations on our New Orleans city guide page (coming soon!),
and email us to get a copy of our New Orleans bookmarks to help you plan your next trip!
Diversity+++
We were amazed at the diversity of New Orleans, which is made up of a predominantly African American population. This was reflected not only by the beautiful brown skin tones and colors we saw throughout our journey, but also in the amazing food, culture, art, music, and history of the city.
Our visit to Studio Be, a black-owned arts space showcasing colorful and poignant murals and artworks with social justice commentary, was one of the most memorable parts of our trip (read more on our full city guide, coming soon)!
ALL OF THE FOOD
Even if all NOLA had going for it was the food, it would STILL be in my top travel destinations. Being a pescetarian, I appreciated all the amazing seafood options (shrimp po’boys galore!), as well as the beignets, of course!
Live Music Everywhere We Turned
Especially in the historic district of the city around Jackson Square, the sweet sounds of jazz could be heard on almost every corner. I noticed myself being in such a lovely mood in this kind of atmosphere, where musicians displayed their talents all across the city!
Sunset River Cruise
Our friend, who had been living in NOLA for a few years, recommended we take the ferry across the river to Algiers Point. The ferry was much more affordable and less crowded than a river cruise + buffet teeming with tourists, and the dock out of New Orleans was quite close to our hotel.
Timing it with sunset, we hopped on the boat only to come straight back, but it was a wonderful way to get a different vantage point of New Orleans!
Mishaps & Reflections
When things don't always go according to plan...
While we had a wonderful time on this first trip to New Orleans, by the end of it we were not unscathed. My partner and I actually got into a huge fight on this trip (as to be expected as new young parents who didn’t know WTF we were doing half the time). Similar to how I feel on the eve of most family vacations, I was P-I-S-S-E-D on one of the last nights of the trip when I felt “stuck at home” with the baby while both my partner and my partner’s parents both had nights out on the town.
Things may have been a little less rage-y had my partner not hyped me up about taking me to Frenchmen Street to visit the jazz night clubs. He had been to New Orleans before, and was excited on this trip to show me around the famous strip of jazz clubs. My in-laws heartily agreed to our babysitting proposition, as they could spend some quality time with our daughter while we were out gallivanting. As the days went on, however, it became clear that my partner’s energy levels weren’t on-par with a late night out, so we continued to postpone our date night. “Tomorrow, for sure,” we’d say. That is, until we found ourselves on the last night of the trip 🙁 My partner had already reserved the night to go on a coworkers-only visit to—you guessed it—Frenchmen Street. Throughout the night he’d send me photos of the clubs he visited with kissy-face emojis. To top it off, my in-laws had gone to Harrah’s for a night of gambling, one of their favorite pastimes.
While feeling sorry for myself in a dark hotel bedroom with my 10-month-old at my side, I wondered if this would be my new fate—accompanying my partner on work trips and taking care of the baby while he was off doing his own thing. Let’s just say it didn’t turn out to be a pleasant night (or morning, for that matter). We talked it out, eventually, but this trip was certainly a turning-point on my outlook on work-trips with family; I would have to think long and hard before doing this again.
Our Itinerary: 5 Days in NOLA
Here’s everything we did on our first visit to New Orleans, but at the end of the day only a few of these are also on our list of must-visits. Check out our full guide to New Orleans (coming soon!) to get our top recs and suggested itineraries!
Day 1
- Arrived at Louis Armstrong International Airport
- Arrived at The Mercantile Hotel
- Hung out and ate snacks at Ugly Dog Saloon & BBQ
- Visited Mardi Gras World (included dinner) and met up with the grandparents
Day 2
- Brunch at Emeril's
- Visited WWII Museum
- Dinner at Compere Lapin
Day 3
- Brunch at Cochon Butcher
- Free walking voodoo walking tour of St. Louis Cemetery No. 1
- Sweets & coffee at Sucre
- Walked around Bourbon Street and Jackson Square
- Dinner at Gumbo Shop
- Beignets & coffee at Cafe du Monde
Day 4
- Lunch at Bevi Seafood Co.
- Tour of Longue Vue House
- Self-guided tour of the Garden District
- Sweets from District Donuts Sliders Brew
- Ferry across the river to Algiers Point and back
- Dinner at August Restaurant
Day 5
- Brunch at The Court of Two Sisters
- Visited Studio Be
- Flew home from Louis Armstrong International Airport
Wishlist for our Next Visit
Following this first visit to New Orleans, I would love to visit for Mardi Gras festivities, get to experience live music on Frenchmen Street and New Orleans nightlife, see more Pilipinx historical sites, and to continue eating my way through the city!
Our first trip to New Orleans was one for the books, for reasons both positive and challenging. Although we didn’t get to do everything on my wishlist (ahem, Frenchmen Street), it was a great introduction to the city which I hope to continue visiting for years to come!
Angelica (she/her) is of Cebuano(Pilipinx)-descent and was born and raised in Huchiun Ohlone territory (the East Bay Area--pay your Shuumi Land Tax!), where she also now resides with her partner and their toddler. She loves to spend her time sipping on boba and dirty chai lattes (sometimes together), and eating pescetarian goodies at BIPOC-owned cafes and restaurants.