3 Days in and Around New Orleans with Kids

New Orleans is a city I had always wanted to visit mainly for the food but also for the culture and fun vibes. It did not disappoint! Also, because it’s so close to Mississippi and Alabama, and we had yet to visit those states, we took a day trip to have some fun there as well. There is a lot to do in New Orleans with kids!

I knew New Orleans would be miserably hot during the summer, so we visited in April and it was perfect weather in my opinion. My friend and her daughter joined my daughter and I on this trip which made it even more fun. Both girls were 11 at the time. We only had 3 days not counting travel days because we did not want the girls to miss more than a couple of days of school. Even with the short amount of time, we fit in a bunch, and we all had a blast!!

Where We Stayed in New Orleans

My friend and I are both avid point collectors for travel, so we decided to stay at the Hyatt Centric French Quarter and split the cost of points between us. This made the hotel portion of our trip free! It also put us right in the center of the action, so we could easily walk around some of the best parts of the city. There are plenty of other amazing hotels, but if you have points with Hyatt (or with Chase or BILT since those can transfer to Hyatt), this is a great choice.

The Hyatt Centric French Quarter is a 4-star hotel. There is an outdoor pool in a secluded courtyard. There is a restaurant but no free breakfast. However, there is a very good breakfast place close by that is cheaper (I’ll mention it below). TripAdvisor ranks the walkability of this hotel as a 100 out of 100, so it is close to a lot!

We did have a rental car to get to stuff not right in the city, so the only downside was the $50 a night parking fee, but that is pretty typical in high demand cities, so it was not shocking to me. Plus, we split the cost, so it didn’t feel as bad.

The room we stayed in had access to a garden courtyard which actually worked out very well for us. No one else used it, and it gave a space for the girls to run around doing different dance and acrobatic routines. It actually was one of my daughter’s favorite parts of the trip…and to think, we almost called down to request to move to a room with a view.

Our Itinerary for New Orleans and Day Trip:

Here is a map and a quick summary of the main activities we did each day throughout our trip. Below this, I go into detail for each day. I include information for cost, hours, etc., that is correct at the time of writing.

Our original plan was to fly after school and get to New Orleans the same night, but our connecting flight in Atlanta got cancelled, so we had to stay overnight in Atlanta and fly out early the next morning. Although it was a complete pain, it didn’t put us too far behind what we originally planned since we got there early in the morning – we were more tired though! Below I am putting our actual itinerary instead of what was originally planned.

Day 1:

• Arrive and get car rental
• USS Alabama in Alabama – 2 hrs. from our car rental
• Gulf Coast Gator Ranch and Tours in Mississippi – 35 min. from above
• Get settled in hotel and relax – 1 hr. 45 min. from above

Day 2:

• Manchac Magic Kayak Tour – 37 min. from hotel
• Oak Alley – 39 min. from above
• Whitney Plantation – 12 min. from above
• Visit St. John the Baptist Catholic Cemetery – 7 min. from above
• Relax/swim at hotel – 50 min. from above
• Walk around hotel area – Bourbon Street

Day 3:

• French Quarter and Jackson Square – 14 min. walk from hotel
• St. Charles Cable Street Car – 14 min. walk from above to first stop of cable car
• St. Charles Avenue and Magazine Street – get off and walk around
• Relax/swim at hotel (we took an Uber back) – 16 min. ride from above
• Walk around hotel area

Day 4:

• Walk around area more
• Flight back home

Day 1: Arrival, USS Alabama, Gulf Coast Gator Ranch

We decided to take a major day trip to tick off the states of Alabama and Mississippi since we had yet to go to them and they were so close. I wanted to make sure we had some fun and unique things to do though too, so although it was quite a bit of driving, I think it was worth it – especially if you have kids!

USS Alabama Battleship

We decided to make the longest drive first and take the shorter segments on the way back, so first we went to the USS Alabama. This battleship was used during WWII. You can climb inside and around so much of the ship. The girls had an absolute blast here checking everything out, and there was a lot to see.

Cost:	Adults (12 – 55): $18, 55+: $15, 6-11: $6, 5 and under: free
Hours:	8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last ticket sold at 4); closes early on Christmas Eve and closed on Christmas
Address:	2703 Battleship Parkway | Mobile, AL 36602
Parking:	$5 parking ($30 for oversized vehicles like RVs); big lot with plenty of parking

Gulf Coast Gator Ranch

How could we come to this area and not experience some alligators?! This Gator Ranch was in Mississippi. We got here later in the evening and practically had the place to ourselves. The lady running the counter said the earlier hours can be very busy.

We started by feeding some of the alligators. We also got to hold a baby alligator. It really seemed to enjoy being rubbed on the top of its head.

Finally, we got to go on a swamp boat (airboat) and ride around the water/marsh looking for gators. Our guide was very informative about the different gators in the area. It was very interesting! We had the boat to ourselves, and my daughter rode in the very front to get a little splash on sharp, quick turns. The entire experience here was a lot of fun!

Cost (ranch & boat tour): Just ranch/walking tour: Food: Hold baby alligator:	age 4-9: $20; 10 and up: $35; under 4 can’t get on boat $8 one bucket is $5 $5
Hours:	Most of the year is 8 to 5; on Sundays, airboats don’t start until 12, but ranch is open at 8
Address:	10300 Hwy 90 Mosspoint MS
Parking:	ample parking available

Once we finished, we headed back towards our hotel. We ate at a Texas Roadhouse because we all love it, and we were starving! The rest of our trip, we ate authentic Orleans food! Once we got back to our hotel, we were exhausted and just relaxed.

Day 2: Kayak Tour, Plantations, Cemetery

Manchac Magic Kayak Swamp Tour

This kayak tour was with Wild Louisiana and was a perfect adventure for our morning! It goes through the beautiful cyprus swamps right outside New Orleans. It is composed of open marshes, bayous, and open backwater channels. The tour is very beginner friendly, accommodating all ages, and lasts 2 to 3 hours.

We had a guide leading our tour and giving us interesting information throughout. We saw a variety of wildlife including gators, turtles, birds, and snakes. Our guide even picked a couple of snakes up right out of the water to tell us about them! Our focus was the gators though. We got fairly close but kept enough distance for safety following our guide’s lead.

Other than the gators, I loved seeing all of the beautiful cypress trees with the Spanish moss hanging from them!

Cost:	$65
Hours:	2-to-3-hour tour; starts at 10, 1, 2:30, and 4
Address:	Launch site: 118 Gary Rd, Laplace, LA 70068
Parking:	Side of the road parking if meet at launch spot; they do offer a round-trip shuttle service for $25 per person

For lunch, our guide recommended Frenier Landing Restaurant and Oyster Bar, and it did not disappoint. I started with a cup of the seafood gumbo which was good. For my main meal, I had their signature baked crab cakes with shrimp inside. It was excellent!

Oak Alley Plantation

We did not partake in this plantation since we were doing the one after this, and we figured our girls wouldn’t like two of them in a row, but I did want to at least get a picture of the gorgeous oak trees. It’s also very close to Whitney Plantation which is the one we did do. Here is a pic of Oak Alley without any obstructions – just gorgeous!

Although we did not do this tour, it focuses on the “Big House” and the wealthy families who lived there. There are also exhibits detailing the Civil War and the lives of the enslaved workers, but that is not the primary focus.

The other very popular plantation that we did not do that gets extremely good reviews is the Laura Plantation.

Whitney Plantation

We took this trip when our daughters were nearing the end of their 5th grade school year. They had learned about the Civil War. My friend and I both adamantly felt that it was important for the girls to really get a sense of what slavery was like for the people who had to endure it.

Whitney Plantation is the only plantation in the area where the focus is on the enslaved people. There is artwork, restored slave cabins, and even authentic first-person slave narratives to really bring their narrative to life. It was very sobering, but educational, and extremely important.

We chose the self-tour because we wanted to go at our own pace, have our own conversations, and allow the girls to be emotional/reflect/ask questions if needed. Our main concern though was that the tour group would move slower and the girls would get antsy. We had a guided audio track that gave us tons of information, so we still felt like we got the important information. I personally would love to go back and do a guided tour because I am sure you get more and you can ask questions and what not.

This plantation also has beautiful trees lining the sidewalk in front of the main house. We refrained from taking pics while we were using the audio tour because it was not our focus.

Cost:	Self-guided Tour: Adults – $25, 6 to 18 – $11, under 6 – free Guided Tour: Adults – $32, 6 to 18 – $15, under 6 – free
Hours:	9:30 to 4:30; closed Tuesdays (last entry 3:00) and certain holidays
Address:	5099 Louisiana Hwy 18, Wallace, LA 70049 (GPS sometimes lists it as Edgard)
Parking:	Free, ample parking; certain tours/shuttles in the area offer transportation

St. John the Baptist Catholic Cemetery

This is not one of the famous cemeteries in New Orleans, but it is very close to where we were and there wasn’t a sole there, so it was nice to get out and quickly check it out. It is one of the oldest cemeteries in the state being established on February 21, 1770. There were definitely some old tombstones there, but there were also new ones as well. It was very…varied. This was free and located at 2361 Highway 18, Edgard, LA 70049.

Once we got back to the hotel, the girls played in the courtyard for a while, and I went to get a to-go order from Acme Oyster House. I don’t remember what anyone else got, but I got a fried shrimp Po Boy and Jambalaya. The Po Boy was tasty, but the Jambalaya was soooo good! I forgot to get a picture of this.

A little later in the evening, we also walked around Bourbon Street some before it got dark and maybe too risqué – though we never felt unsafe. We did see and hear a lot of music being played on the streets. In one area there were a lot of musicians all playing together – it was so cool to experience and such a vibe!

Day 3: French Quarter/Jackson Square, Cable Cars, Walking

This was our one day to really explore New Orleans! We could’ve spent a lot more time in just this area, but we got a taste (literal and figurative) of a lot on this day.

For breakfast, we went to Ruby Slipper. The food here was so good, I wish we would’ve known sooner as we would’ve gone here both mornings instead of just quickly grabbing something from our hotel. There are multiples of this restaurant around the city, but the one on Canal Street was only a 3-minute walk from our hotel.

Again, I wanted to try something authentic to this area, so I got the Bananas Fosters French Toast. It is New Orleans styled with rum-flambéed bananas and raisins. This was maybe my favorite thing I tried in New Orleans, but at least top 3 (the other two are coming below). There were so many other things on this menu I wanted to try!

Jackson Square

Next, we walked to Jackson Square which was about a 15-minute nice walk. Our first stop was the St. Louis Cathedral. It is the oldest continuously active Roman Catholic cathedral in the United States. It has stunning steeples and stained glass. There is also deep historical ties to Andrew Jackson. To visit on a self-guided tour is free which is what we did. We didn’t stay too long – just long enough to take in the beauty of the place.

Next, we walked over to the steps of the Mississippi River Levee (Washington Artillery Park) to get a good picture of the cathedral and to see boats on the river. We even got to see the famous Natchez Steamboat go by.

Before we got our famous beignets, we looked around the plethora of shops that are in that area. We especially had some fun in Jazz Funeral.

Our final stop in this area was to try the world-famous beignets at Cafe du Monde. There is a quick-service line over to the right that you can order from. Although there was a line, it moved quickly. These were delicious, though I liked the ones we tried later a little better. The beignet was definitely in my top 3 favorite foods in New Orleans!

St. Charles Cable Car (Green One)

The St. Charles Streetcar Line is the world’s oldest continuously operating street railway, dating back to 1835. The dark green cars it uses were built in the 1920s. It runs a 13-mile round trip from downtown through the Garden District to Uptown. It runs 24/7 and only costs $1.25 for a single ride or $3 for an all-day Jazzy Pass.

I downloaded the transit app, Le Pass, to pay, but you can also pay exact cash. If you use the app, keep your tickets in your “My Tickets” section and wait to activate it until you’re about to board. The single pass has a time limit of 2 hours.

The starting point for this streetcar is at the intersection of Canal Street and Carondelet Street which was about a 15-minute walk from the Jackson Square area. At that intersection, there is a median where you cross the street and wait – you’ll see the end of the tracks. Getting on here also means you’ll be the first on and can choose where you’d like to sit. If you have 4 people, like we did, you can even reverse one of the seats (by pushing on the upper part) so that you’re facing one another instead of facing their backs!

Our Route

The first stop we got off at was stop 13, St. Charles at Third Street. This put us right in the heart of the Lower Garden District. We admired some exquisite houses and then walked up a little to Christ Church Cathedral to eat our beignets from before.

Then we walked 4 blocks to Lafayette Cemetery No. 1. It was closed, but it was still cool to get a peek inside. Then we walked 2 blocks back to the streetcar (stop 15) at St. Charles at Washington. After that, we got off at stop 24 at Louisiana Ave. and took a short walk to Magazine Street where we shopped a little more. Finally, we took a Lyft back to the hotel.

This line goes to a lot more that would’ve been great to check out; we were just on limited time and limited 11-year old patience!

Dinner, Swimming, and Ice Cream

As soon as we got back to the hotel, we walked over to Acme House again! I really wanted to try their chargrilled oysters with herb butter sauce and cheese because I read so much hype about it. I should’ve realized that even with the butter, cheese, and being cooked, I still wouldn’t like them because I am not a fan of oysters. However, if you love oysters, like so many people, you may love these too! Everyone got to try one though, and I thought they were okay, if I ate some of the bread that came with it at the same time.

I also ordered seafood étouffée, and it was the other stand-out favorite for me food wise! Maybe the top, but at least top 3 since I can’t decide between my top 3 favorite foods here! I also got to try their grilled smoked sausage since that’s part of what my daughter ordered, and it was also delicious.

After our early dinner, we went back and enjoyed the pool for a couple of hours. Then we came back for one final short walk along with getting some ice cream and the other beignet I hinted at earlier.

This beignet came from Cafe Beignet, and it is the other very popular place to get beignets near the French Quarter in New Orleans though not near as popular as Cafe du Monde tourist wise. The beignets at Cafe du Monde are denser and doughier. The beignets at Cafe Beignet are lighter and fluffier which I preferred more. The courtyard by Cafe Beignet was also very nice. If you’re near the area, try both as they’re both still delicious!

Day 4: Flight Home

We didn’t have to be to the airport until about noon, so we mainly relaxed until we had to check out of the hotel. Then we returned our car and boarded our flight.

Recommended Items

There wasn’t a ton I thought I needed for this trip, but I do think the following can be helpful. Each of the items below are an affiliate link to Amazon at no cost to you.

Probably my most used item is my bag which I love! It is lightweight, has multiple pockets, good space, water bottle holder, and nice shoulder pads, sternum strap, and hip strap. It is the Osprey Daylite Plus which I LOVE, and I have used it for almost every trip since I bought it.

Next would be a good pair of shoes to walk in! My daughter can get away with wearing Crocs everywhere, but I need more! I love Brooks. Here is a cheaper pair designed for walking and running and one that’s a little nicer with more options. I also just recently bought these, and so far, I have absolutely loved them!

Finally, and especially if you’re coming when it’s hotter, these fans and cooling towels have been a lifesaver on multiple trips we’ve taken.

Additional Fun Activities to Make Memories in and Around New Orleans

Although we lost our first night, our flight the next morning arrived so early, that we did not have to cancel anything I had originally planned. Still, we only had 3 days. There are so many other things you could do if you have more time and/or different interests! Just check out the activities below for some additional ideas. Most of these are in or close to New Orleans, but a few are outside of that area.

Each picture below is linked to their site for more information.

Please leave suggestions for cool activities or places to visit in San Diego that I missed so future readers and I can learn from your knowledge and experience!

Here are a few other cities we’ve visited and stayed at least a few days:

Austin, Texas

New York City

San Diego

Most of our other trips have been longer trip destinations/road trips to multiple places. Click here to see a list of all of our trips!