NOLA in a Nutshell: A Day Trip Guide to New Orleans, Louisiana

“It’s only sixty dollars,” I pleaded.

“Fine,” Michael said. “Let’s do it.”

A few days earlier I’d stumbled onto a $60 one-day, roundtrip fare to New Orleans on Frontier and we debated back and forth about it for way longer than necessary. By the time we decided to book, the fare was gone.

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But it suddenly popped back up again for the same price on a different weekend. This time, there was little in the way of discussion – we just went ahead and booked it on his Chase card to make sure we were protected should anything happen that would cause us to cancel our trip.

The perk of planning a day trip? Limited time in a city makes it easy to choose the things you really want to do and places you really want to go while eliminating some of the headaches caused by logistics. But if you’re too short on time to figure out what you’re going to do on your day trip to New Orleans, here’s what I wholeheartedly recommend (and as a bonus – here’s a breakdown of what we spent on our day in the Big Easy).

So, laissez les bons temps rouler!

WHERE TO EAT + DRINK IN NEW ORLEANS

Cafe du Monde

Cafe du Monde | 800 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70116

It doesn’t matter what time you arrive in New Orleans, Cafe du Monde will be ready to greet you. The famous coffee-and-beignets stop is open 24 hours a day, every day except Christmas. We arrived a little before 8 a.m. and could tell that the staff was wrapping up the evening shift.

Service is quick and the beignets are hot! The cafe au lait with chicory takes some getting used to, but judging by the sheer number of cans available for sale, it’s very popular.

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Spitfire Coffee

Spitfire Coffee | 307 Exchange Pl, New Orleans, LA 70130

Spitfire Coffee is a place of refuge in the heart of the busy French Quarter. Duck into this closet-sized coffee shop for a perfectly executed cortado or pour over made with beans carefully selected from some of our favorite roasters in the country. It was nice to travel to places we’ve visited before via coffee beans – like Panther in Miami and Oddly Correct in Kansas City.

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Brennan’s

Brennan's | 417 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Truthfully, we only stopped in at Brennan’s because we had time to kill in the morning before the city fully rose for the day and places began to open. We weren’t the only ones with this plan – we had to liberate our Bloody Mary and Milk Punch from the cramped bar to watch the turtles on the outdoor patio.

Were we not about to stuff our faces with crawfish at Crawfest, we would have preferred to dine in and enjoy Bananas Foster in its birthplace. It’s a bit gimmicky, sure, but I was heavily tempted to join the family we saw who ordered while we were there at 9 a.m. Yes, the dessert menu is available all day.

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Crawfest at Tulane University

Crawfest at Tulane University | 29 McAlister Dr, New Orleans, LA 70118

I sincerely hope your visit to New Orleans coincides with Crawfest at Tulane University as ours did (and if not, I hope you still get the chance to visit in the springtime to try out this local specialty). The event features all-you-can-eat crawfish and unlimited soft drinks for $15, and I can honestly say I’ve never seen anything like it.

With help from a group of students we learned how to tear open the freshwater crustaceans and eat the small pocket of meat inside (and not the “vein” – here’s a video tutorial in case you don’t have a kindly group of co-eds to help you out).

A word to the wise: have your towelettes ready! After eating all we could handle, we joined the crowd to listen to the two bands playing on either side of the field. It would be easy to stay and hang out for the whole event if you had the time.

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Neyow’s Creole Cafe

Neyow's Creole Cafe | 3332 Bienville St, New Orleans, LA 70119

Recommendations for Neyow’s Creole Cafe came at us right and left in the days leading up to our trip. In fact, our Lyft driver actually screamed and stated that we were heading to her favorite restaurant as she drove us there.

Even though it was earlier than our usual dinner time, the place was packed with diners. Had we arrived at a more standard dinner time we surely would have encountered a line, so don’t be surprised if you have to wait to get in. The meals and drinks aren’t inexpensive, but don’t let price stand in the way of ordering the chargrilled oysters as an appetizer – we still talk about those oysters often! The rest of the menu offers a great selection of Cajun cuisine; everyone should order something unique and share.

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The Delachaise

The Delachaise | 3442 St Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA 70115

I confess The Delachaise wasn’t our first choice for a drink, but The Columns was closed for a private event and the staff recommended it as an alternative.

The Delachaise is the perfect neighborhood bistro – it’s the kind of place every town would be lucky to have. They offer an outstanding wine and beer selection (I feel like we rarely see Trappist beers on tap in the U.S., so that was a treat!), and the food being carried to the neighboring tables looked delicious. The patio would be a great place to hang out once the sun goes down (and so do the temps).

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Angelo Brocato

Angelo Brocato | 214 N Carrollton Ave, New Orleans, LA 70119

Hands-down the best gelato we’ve had outside of Italy (and our freezer). One hundred and fourteen-year-old Angelo Brocato delivered with their Sicilian pistachio and fiore di latte flavors and with the cassata we took home with us to eat the following day.

It’s probably best for our waistlines that New Orleans is a flight away from us and not our hometown. But we can live vicariously through you, so promise you’ll get a scoop for me when you go?

WHAT TO SEE + DO IN NEW ORLEANS

Walk Around the French Quarter & Bourbon Street

Depending on what time of day you visit, Bourbon Street and the surrounding area will probably look very different than these photos. We walked around the densely foggy area mostly before 10 a.m., as the workers were arriving to clean up from the previous night’s debauchery.

We were blown away by the litter, the smell, and the fact that every day begins like this. After the streets are cleared of tossed cups and bottles, large trucks ramble down spraying massive amounts of soapy water to wash away everything else (pro-tip: take cover). I have to admit, seeing the aftermath of the previous night somewhat sullied the pretty architecture for me.

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French Market

French Market | 1008 N Peters St, New Orleans, LA 70116

Touristy for sure, but if you’re looking for an extra-large dose of New Orleans in one go, the French Market might be your answer. You’ll find food, drinks, souvenirs, and other goods for sale under the long overhang. This is probably a good place to pay close attention to your wallet, phone, and/or purse.

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Backstreet Cultural Museum

Backstreet Cultural Museum | 1531 St Philip St, New Orleans, LA 70116

If you can only visit one museum while you’re in New Orleans, make it the Backstreet Cultural Museum. It’s not very large, but this former funeral home is crammed full of cultural history, knowledge, and tradition.

Our tour guide, Dominique, shared her insider knowledge about the customs associated with jazz funerals, social aid and pleasure clubs, Mardi Gras Indians, and Skull and Bone Gangs.

In other communities, traditions seem to have fallen by the wayside, but ceremonies and celebrations still thrive in the African-American communities in New Orleans. If you’re lucky, Dominique’s father just might appear and share some of his first-hand stories of local musicians and parades.

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Ace Hotel

Ace Hotel | 600 Carondelet St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Normally we wouldn’t step foot in a hotel on a day trip, but the Ace Hotel offered a nice blast of A/C on an increasingly warm day. Plus, you don’t have to be a guest to head upstairs to the roof (but you do need to show ID), where there is a bar, pool, and lounge chairs.

We opted to sit in the lobby lounge to charge our phones and grab a drink while writing postcards, but the choice is yours!

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Festivals

I haven’t done the research to guarantee it, but it seems like there’s a festival every weekend in New Orleans. In addition to Crawfest, we also attended the Freret Street Festival, a street fair of vendors, live music, and tons of good eats. Be sure to check online before you go to see what events are taking place!

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: NEW ORLEANS

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport can be directly reached from both domestic and international destinations (full list here). New Orleans’ streetcar system covers a lot of ground for the cost of a day pass, but the cars don’t run as frequently as you may need if you’re only there for the day. We relied on Uber, Lyft, and our own two feet to get around the city.

Shall we chat safety? Don’t underestimate the heat and humidity, even in months that are usually mild elsewhere. Stay hydrated (especially if you plan on drinking!) and stay in the shade when possible.

I can’t attest to safety at night as we weren’t in the city after sunset, but it’s a good idea to be a bit wary of people who approach you out of the blue. While we didn’t encounter it, there are a number of bully scams that are supposedly common in the city. One such scam involves a person stopping you and saying, “I bet I know where you got your shoes.” Just about any response is an acceptance of the bet, and you may get hustled for money after the answer is revealed. FYI, it’s, “on your feet” – now pay up!

You also may encounter people giving out phony “citations” and demanding money. Your best bet is to keep walking, say no thanks, or laugh them off with an, “I’m from here.” As in any large city, you’d be better off safeguarding your valuables to prevent pickpocketing (and in the meantime, you can check out my roundup of pickpocket-proof clothes and accessories).

WITH MORE TIME IN NEW ORLEANS

While our one-day visit to New Orleans was definitely worth our time and money, I know we only scratched the surface of what the city has to offer. With more time, we’d stroll the shops on Magazine Street (the only shop we visited was UAL, and we just popped in and out), take a cemetery tour early on a foggy morning, attend a jazz concert, see some animals at the Audubon Zoo or Aquarium of the Americas, get a psychic reading, and perhaps even indulge in a ridiculously large drink on Bourbon Street or from a drive-thru daiquiri shop (yes, you read that correctly).

Have you visited New Orleans? What is your favorite New Orleans food or drink?

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2 Comments on “NOLA in a Nutshell: A Day Trip Guide to New Orleans, Louisiana”

The Luxe Strategist says:

May 7, 2019 at 1:03 pm

Wow, it looks like you covered a lot in one day! When I was younger and more nimble, haha, I would consider a one-day trip. Especially for beignets!

I’ve been to New Orleans once, and trying out po’ boys was a necessity. We also did a swamp tour, which was pretty fun, explored by renting bikes, and did some thrifting (we rented a car). I think next time I’d like to try staying in a boat on a swamp!

1. Alyssa says:
  
  May 8, 2019 at 1:45 pm
  
  That’s the trade-off for a one-day trip right there: we weren’t able to rent a car, take tours outside of the city, or spend time shopping away from the tourist areas. Our one-day trip felt like a “sampler” of the city, but we’re ready to return for a longer period of time and stay somewhere unique (but maybe after summer!).
  
  Staying on a boat sounds fascinating – have you ever done it before?