The Best Things to Do in New Orleans with Kids: A Guide

Ready to experience the best things to do in New Orleans with kids?

This complete guide will introduce your family to the fun, food, and flair that defines the Big Easy, one of my favorite cities in the world.

Below, you’ll get tips on what tours to take, where to stay, how to navigate the city, and which restaurants are kid-friendly.

Each of these things to do in New Orleans will help your kids understand the culture and history of the city, even if you only have a day or two.

As a general note, all of the stops on this New Orleans itinerary are in, or can easily be accessed from, the French Quarter.

So, let the good times roll as we explore New Orleans with the entire family!

2 kids in cowboy hats standing in front of St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans, Louisiana

The Camping Kiddos in Jackson Square

 

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The Best Things to Do with Kids in New Orleans

 

NOLA with Kids, At-A-Glance

Best Hotel: Dauphine Orleans. Quiet location, great saltwater pool in the courtyard, and steps away from Bourbon Street and Jackson Square.

Best Sightseeing Tour: City Sightseeing Hop on Hop off Bus Tour. Convenient stops, live audio commentary, and double decker seating.

Best Place to Eat: Cafe du Monde. Cold chocolate milk and hot, fluffy beignets doused in confectioner’s sugar.

 

Take a kid friendly walking tour of the French Quarter.

yellow building in the French Quarter section of New Orleans

You could spend hours wandering in the French Quarter!

While New Orleans is a great place to visit for families, parts of it can be, let’s say, uneven.

I’m looking at you, Bourbon Street.

Still, a trip to New Orleans without visiting the French Quarter just isn’t a trip to New Orleans.

If you’ve never been to New Orleans before, it can be difficult to determine which parts of the French Quarter are kid-friendly and which are best left to the bachelorette parties and revelers.

That’s where a family friendly tour of this iconic area comes in handy.

Get your kids excited about the incredible history and culture in this part of the Crescent City while being assured that everything will be shared in a way they will be able to digest.

Taking a kid-friendly tour of New Orleans means that everyone in the family will be able to enjoy learning about this incredible city.

You’ll learn about art, history, food, and more!

 

Visit Jackson Square.

St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square

Those spires of the St. Louis Cathedral are some of the most photographed architectural elements in all of New Orleans!

The 2.5 acre square has served many purposes over the years, including an execution area, an arsenal, a painters' hangout, and (more recently) a place to have your fortune told. Kids will love the wide paths to run around on.

The bells of the Cathedral ring out every 15 minutes on the quarter hour, which is also a fun way to spend a few minutes.

If you’re using this as your starting point into New Orleans, you’re nicely set up to enjoy many of the essential New Orleans kids activities in this post.

Today, it's a great place to start your exploration of the French Quarter or see a few street performers. Around the edges of the square are local artists where you can grab a quick sketch of your family as a souvenir.

Address: 701 Decatur Street, New Orleans, Louisiana

 
 

Have a jazzy brunch at Cafe du Monde.

After you’ve taken your photo at Jackson Square, head across the street to the famous Cafe Du Monde.

It’s an open air restaurant that serves a limited menu of beignets, milk, and coffee.

So, what is a beignet?

Beignets are essentially square doughnuts without the hole. If you’ve ever had an elephant ear or a funnel cake at the fair, they have that same consistency.

The beignet dough is cut and then thrown into hot oil, where they’re quickly fried. As they’re brought out, they’re tossed in powdered sugar.

Go ahead and plan for your kids to eat their weight in beignets. Each order of beignets comes in threes, and they’re each fairly small.

Plan accordingly so there’s not any fighting between the kids! On our last trip to Cafe du Monde, we just got an order of 3 beignets for everyone, so that everyone could eat their fill.

The cafe is really casual with lots of foot traffic, so your kids will feel right at home.

If the parents in your group like coffee, try a cup of their brew; it's mixed with chicory in a throwback to when the French Revolution occurred.

Coffee was scarce, so people mixed in chicory to make it go further.

Turns out, it adds a unique taste to the coffee, and French settlers loved it so much that they continued to make the blend well after they'd made their home in New Orleans.

The original Cafe Du Monde is located across Decatur Street from Jackson Square: you can’t miss the open air building with the green and white striped awning.

You can grab a seat anywhere you can find one, or you can order at the small window towards the back of the covered area. (It’s cash only if you’re doing a takeout order.)

There’s usually a jazz band playing outside on the sidewalk for extra ambiance.

There are several other locations throughout New Orleans, including at the City Park (read more about that in the off the beaten path New Orleans post).

Phone: (504) 587-0833

Address: 800 Decatur Street, New Orleans, Louisiana

Hours: 7:30AM-11PM Monday-Sunday

 

Cruise the town on a hop-on, hop-off bus tour.

While I love a good walking tour, New Orleans is too big to truly cover on foot—especially when you have kids in tow.

On our most recent trip to the Big Easy, we opted for a hop-on, hop off bus tour with City Sightseeing. You’ll see these big red buses all over the city, and they were a great choice to orient the kids to the city.

The ticket office is just across from Jackson Square (and down the street from Cafe du Monde). The first stop is less than a block away, which makes getting your ticket and then hopping on the next bus super easy.

On this trip, we didn’t want to drive into downtown NOLA, so we parked over in Algiers Point and road the ferry across. (See my notes on the ferry and Jazzy pass below as this is THE best value in New Orleans.)

From the Canal Street ferry dock, the City Sightseeing office is less than 2 blocks by foot.

We loved this approach as we didn’t have to fight traffic but still got to see everything that we wanted to in New Orleans.

Once you’re on the bus, you’ll have 17 different stops to choose from. If you were to take the entire route without getting off, it would take about 90 minutes.

Nearly everything on my list of the best things to do in New Orleans with kids can be accessed by this bus route, including the World War II Museum, Magazine Street, Mardi Gras World, and the Garden District.

You’ll need to take a streetcar to the City Park and the Children’s Museum, but that’s an easy transfer from the bus’ Canal Street stops.

As you’re driving around, there is a live guide on board to answer questions and provide an in-real-time commentary. My kids wanted to sit on the upper deck of the bus where the guides were, and all of them were so good about answering the kids’ questions and sharing fun facts for them.

The upper deck is covered, making it a great place to see the city on a sunny day. If you’d prefer to sit on the lower floor, there is air conditioning. When it rained, the bus drive and guide were quick with free ponchos for us.

I think that a 1 day hop on hop off bus ticket is a good amount of time, but 2 and 3 day tickets come with a discount.

Overall, I had a great time on this bus tour: the stops were well placed, the commentary was interesting, and the experience was well worth the cost.

Check availability and buy your tickets ahead of time (so you can just hop on a bus as soon as you get to town!):

 

Dive into history at the National WWII Museum.

History buffs, plan to visit here immediately. The National World War II Museum in the Central Business District of New Orleans is incredible, and offers exhibits on multiple floors across 2 buildings.

You’ll learn about the build up to the war, the war efforts at home, and both the Pacific and European theatres.

>> Get your National WWII Museum tickets here. <<

I did my M.A. thesis on London during World War II, so you know I had to read everything. Both of the Cosmos Mariners kids, who were 7 and 10 year old at the time of our visit, loved this place, too.

Many of the exhibits were interactive: they got to explore a replica of a kitchen from the early 1940s, complete a scavenger hunt for different types of planes, and listen to veterans’ audio interviews.

While the larger topic of the war is difficult, the museum presents everything in a way that anyone—regardless of their previous knowledge of the conflict—will be able to take away valuable insights.

The curators also did a great job of balancing topics like the Holocaust with the sensitivity of viewers, meaning I was comfortable letting my kids explore pretty much everything in the museum. (There was one video in the European theatre section that showed the Holocaust survivors being liberated. I had my sensitive 7-year-old skip that one.)

We spend about 5 hours here, and could’ve come back a second time. Highly recommended!

Check availability for your travel dates:

 

Take a riverboat cruise.

riverboat docked near Canal Street with the Huey P. Long bridge in the background

My kids love an activity where they get to try something new, and a riverboat is something they definitely don’t get to ride everyday!

The Natchez riverboat makes daily family-friendly tours of the Mississippi River, and guests can move freely around the 3-story boat for the best views of Louisiana.

Along the way, your tour guide shares bits of information about the city, river trading, and the history of steamboats on the Mississippi River, making this one of the best fun educational things to do in New Orleans.

This would be a great time to chat with your kid about Samuel Clemens, whose pen name (Mark Twain) was literally a measuring device from his time working on a Mississippi River boat.

The sailor would call “mark twain” if the river was at least 12 feet deep, and another person would note (or mark) that the water had come up to the second line on the measuring pole.

Even without the history and literature lesson, this boat ride will please any kid who loves boats, transportation, and adventure.

>> Get your family’s riverboat tickets here. <<

 

Wander down Bourbon Street.

Stay classy, Bourbon Street! Sadly, Huge Ass Beers to Go is now defunct.

Despite popular opinion, you don't have to drink your way down Bourbon Street to have a great time.

This famous street in the French Quarter runs much further than the typical tourist would want to explore, so I’d stay between Canal Street and St. Ann Street for the most accessible jaunt.

I could spend days people watching on this boulevard of bars, shops, restaurants, and hotels.

In terms of family activities here, there’s not a lot specifically to do other than get a picture and duck into a couple of the gift shops.

I love all of the fun masks and Mardi Gras-themed souvenirs everywhere, and you’ll find plenty of those around Bourbon Street.

While you'd be mistaken to think that Bourbon Street is all that New Orleans has to offer, skipping this part of town all together would leave your trip with a serious gap.

Grab a photo of your family on Bourbon Street (probably not next to the Huge Ass Beers sign!), and then head elsewhere in the city.

 
 
Educational Things to Do in New Orleans free printable

Grab your FREE New Orleans Scavenger Hunt and learning printables here!

 
 

Explore the mausoleums at one of the cemeteries.

Lafayette Cemetery #1 New Orleans

While many people think that the mausoleums are used because of New Orleans' high water table, they're more likely used because of tradition and space issues.

Above ground burials date back to the Old World and the idea came to Louisiana with the first French and Spanish settlers.

Interestingly enough, the first burials in New Orleans were in-ground, but a huge fire in 1788 that left so many people dead that burials had to take place in a swamp.

This lack of space led city officials to build the St. Louis cemeteries--and the mausoleums which we now associate with New Orleans.

Entire families could be buried in a space just larger than an in-ground grave. What was once old was new again!

Did you know that the phrase “getting the shaft” comes from New Orleans cemeteries? The vaults were rented, not bought, and when families didn’t pay, the remains of their loved one would be swept into the shaft that ran at the back of the vaults. Gross, but true.

There is SO much interesting lore and history that comes out of the funerary practices here, so a cemetery tour is a must do.

If you have older children or teens, I’d recommend taking a formal cemetery tour as this is a great way to hear about some of the local lore, ghost stories, and fun facts.

If you have smaller kids, I’d still visit, but I would skip the tour and walk around the cemetery on my own. They will like the spooky atmosphere and the beautiful trees.

Lafayette Cemetery #1

Lafayette Cemetary #1 is the closest to the French Quarter, but it is in the Garden District, which is more than walking distance away. You’ll need to take the St. Charles Streetcar (see below) to get to this area.

Address: 1427 Washington Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana

Best tour of Lafayette Cemetery #1: Get tickets here.

St. Louis Cemetery #1

Lafayette Cemetery #2 is also a good distance from the French Quarter and will require a taxi or bus ride. Located in Iberville, near Louis Armstrong Park, this cemetery is the final resting place of Marie Laveau, New Orleans’ famed voodoo queen.

Best Tour of St. Louis Cemetery #1: Get tickets here.

Address: 425 Basin Street, New Orleans, Louisiana

NOTE: As a word of caution, the above cemeteries are fine to visit during the day if you’re with a tour group, but I would avoid going into the grounds after dark.

There are other cemeteries around NOLA with the iconic marble vaults and mausoleums, but I don’t recommend the average tourist wandering into these. Places like Louis Cemeteries 2 and 3 are known for pickpockets and petty crime, day or night.

 

Celebrate Mardi Gras all year long.

New Orleans is Mardi Gras. This incredible festival is held once a year in the 2 weeks leading into the Lenten season, which starts 40 days before Easter.

Once a last hurrah before devout Catholics had to abstain from meat during Lent, today’s Mardi Gras (French for “Fat Tuesday”) is a spectacle of floats, marching bands, custom throws, and parties.

And, despite popular belief, Mardi Gras isn’t just for drunken adults. There are many parades—both day and nighttime—that cater to families!

Learn more about Mardi Gras at the best place in the city: Mardi Gras World.

>> Grab your Mardi Gras World tickets here. <<

This working studio is the brain and brawn behind the iconic floats that many of the city’s Krewes fund and show off each year.

You’ll get to sample some King Cake, a cinnamon and sugar pastry that’s essential to any Mardi Gras Celebration, while you watch a video about the history of NOLA parade floats.

If you’re lucky, you might get the baby hidden in one slice of the cake like my son did during our visit. Tradition says that the person who gets the baby has to host the first Mardi Gras party the following year, so I guess it’s a party at our place next year!

After that intro, you’ll go on a guided tour of the workshop, where you’ll learn about how the float designers create and recreate pieces from year to year. I found it fascinating that some of the acrylic and styrofoam pieces could be reworked to save money for the Krewes!

children standing in front of a brightly colored and lit up Mardi Gras float at Mardi Gras World museum

The Cosmos Mariners kids in front of one of last year’s floats

Along the way, you’ll see dozens of creative floats and float props that have been used in past parades, and will make an appearance in future parades once they get their new themes.

My family was surprised at how much we loved this place. It was part art museum, part New Orleans tradition, and part working art workshop.

 

Head into the swamp on a boat tour.

baby alligator on a log in Jean Lafitte National Park
cajun cabin in Jean Lafitte National Park
large white bird in cypress swamp

The first time I did this tour was I went to New Orleans as a teenager, and I thought it was so much fun! We’ve done a couple more since then, and they never get old.

Your trip to the Big Easy isn’t complete without a swamp tour in Jean Lafitte National Park! It’s fascinating to see just how close the swamp is to the hustle and bustle of the French Quarter.

You can add on a transportation option from your hotel, which makes the process of getting to the boat super convenient for those without a rental car. (If you want a rental car for your stay in New Orleans, book one here.)

You’re guaranteed to see at least a few alligators on your trip along with old growth cypress trees, possums, deer, snakes, and wild pigs.

The boat allows kids of all ages, but preschoolers and up will get the most out of this tour. Keep in mind that the total time on the boat is about an hour and half, but you can get up and move around if your child gets antsy.

>> Get your Jean Lafitte National Park excursion tickets here. <<

 

Eat your way through New Orleans.

woman with brown hair holding up a section of a mulffaletta sandwich from Central Grocery in New Orleans

Me with just one of the many Central Grocery muffalettas I ate on this trip

Trying new food is a fun (and delicious) way to introduce your kids to an unfamiliar culture, and New Orleans has some fantastic food!

Before visiting New Orleans for the first time in my teens, I'd never tried a muffaletta (also spelled muffuletta)--or even heard of it.

But then I read a small line in our guidebook about the tastiness that awaited me at the Central Grocery at 923 Decatur Dtreet, and I was a fan for life.

This cold sandwich has an olive tapenade, salami, Provolone, mozzarella, mortadella, and prosciutto piled high on a crispy piece of french bread.

My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

2024 Note: Central Grocery was damaged in 2021’s Hurricane Ida and hasn’t reopend yet. You can still order muffalettas through the mail, though! The convenience store next door also sells them in person until the grocery is back up and running.

I’ve since introduced my kids to the muffaletta, and they both like it as well.

oval plate of red beans and rice on a dark wood table

The red beans and rice with a slice of ham from Joey K’s

I'm horribly allergic to shrimp, so I’ve never had the chance to try that time-honored New Orleans favorite, the shrimp po' boy.

However, I have it on good authority (aka the rest of my family) that they are delicious.

Thankfully, po’ boys do come in a variety of other, less traditional flavors, like roast beef, fried chicken, and fried fish. I have had those, and they make for a great, but not overly heavy, lunch.

Another must try food in New Orleans is red beans and rice, which is comfort food at its finest. Fluffy white rice is served alongside a rich, creamy, and salty bean stew.

You can get boudin in restaurants all over the state, but some of the best ones come from corner groceries and convenience stores.

These fried balls are made of a rice and sausage mixture. If a hush puppy married Cajun sausage, you’d get boudin.

After introducing beignets to your kids, maybe they’ll be more likely to try more New Orleans staples like these.

Our Favorite Kid-Friendly NOLA Restaurants

While there is an ever changing list of best places to eat in New Orleans, I can’t say I’ve ever been disappointed with a meal in the city.

girl and dad sitting in Johnny's Po Boys in the French Quarter of New Orleans

My daughter and husband at Johnny’s Po Boys

I would recommend getting off the main streets of the city as you’re more likely to find authentic food where you’re eating alongside the locals here.

We love Joey K’s on Magazine Street for classic New Orleans food in an artsy, laid back atmosphere. The burgers are big and juicy, while the red beans and rice are classic and filling.

Johnny’s Po Boys in the French Quarter on St. Louis Street is an eclectic dive, but it’s been serving up hot, freshly fried sandwiches for over 70 years. We’ve tried the shrimp po’ boy and the roast beef po’ boy here, and both were great.

Dat Dog in the Marigny on Chartes Street is kid-friendly food in a super fun, colorful environment. There are classic beef hot dogs served alongside more creative fare like alligator sausage dogs and beer-battered cod dogs!

The Chicory House in the Garden District has coffee, freshly made cookies, and sandwiches with laidback, covered outdoor seating. It’s the perfect place to people watch on Prytania Street.

 

>> Explore more of the state with stops at the best plantations in Louisiana. <<

 

Ride the St. Charles streetcar.

 
St. Charles Streetcar in New Orleans
 

Need a little literary inspiration to help you along on your New Orleans family vacation?

Then, jump on the St. Charles line, and you'll be screaming, "STELLA!" before you know it. (Your kids will be super embarrassed, but having a weird parent builds character.)

This streetcar is identical to the one that used to run on the now-defunct Desire line--which was the inspiration behind Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire. If you want more literary fun in New Orleans, I've got some great suggestions.

Even if your kids have no clue who Tennessee Williams is, they will love riding the streetcar.

My younger kid is obsessed with all things transportation and would gladly ride the streetcar all day long.

We’d never even have to do anything else!

The St. Charles line starts at Canal Street and Carondolet Street, and runs down Carondolet through the Central Business District, Garden District and all the way past Loyola University and Audobon Park Golf Course.

Bring exactly $1.25 per person as the driver won’t make change. You have to pay per person per ride, but the city transportation does offer discounts on multi-day Jazzy passes.

 

Play at the Louisiana Children’s Museum.

Colorful museum with children playing

This museum is worth at least half a day of your New Orleans family vacation. Located in City Park, the museum has plenty to keep your kids busy for hours, and, hands down, it is one of the best things to do in New Orleans with kids.

Your kids will love the water play as they learn about the Mississippi River (just make sure they don one of the bright blue smocks!).

There’s also a music-themed interactive space that pays homage to the NOLA musical heritage, and series of areas where they can learn about fresh produce, cooking, and grocery shopping.

On a nice day, head to the outdoor portion, where kids can check out the lagoon, walk the paved path around the property, and play the outdoor instruments.

Check with the front desk to see the daily activity schedule, which includes baby-centric play time, storytime, art programs, and more.

If you have extra time, the City Park area outside of the museum can easily fill the rest of your day. There's paddle boats, picnic tables, walking paths, and more.

To get there, you can drive your rental car or take the #48 Canal Street streetcar route. In the latter case, look for the streetcar stop outside Harrah’s Casino on Canal Street, then take the streetcar 25 stops to the terminus. You’ll be able to look at Canal Street along the way, which is super wide and pretty all the way down.

Phone: (504) 523-1357

Address: 15 Henry Thomas Drive, New Orleans, Louisiana

Hours: 9:30 AM-4:30 PM Wednesday-Saturday, 11:30 AM-4:30 PM Sunday (closed Monday and Tuesday)

Admission: $14/person, $12/seniors and military, free for kids under 12 months

 

>> Explore elsewhere in Louisiana with a trip to do the best things in Natchitoches! <<

 

Take a ghost tour.

guide shares ghost stores in New Orleans
spooky Lalaurie mansion in New Orleans
spooky statue in New Orleans graveyard

The city of New Orleans definitely capitalizes on its spooky side, and several tour companies offer jaunts around the French Quarter at night.

Having taken a couple of them, I can tell you that there are some seriously creepy tales and legends associated with that area from Marie Leveau (an actual Voodoo priestess) to Delphine LaLaurie (a high society woman who supposedly performed horrible experiments on her slaves).

You'll also learn fun tidbits like the fact that Nicholas Cage used to own the LaLaurie mansion, but spent exactly one night in it before he sold it, purportedly because he was terrified.

Now, I know that some kids will be able to hand all of that—and more—but most parents don’t want their kids to be so terrified that they’re up all night afterwards.

The traditional ghost tours are good for ages 12 and up, but what if you have younger kids who want to experience a ghost tour, too?

I’ve got the perfect solution for you: a family-friendly spooky ghost tour of New Orleans. Going on one of these will allow your kids to get that thrill without being overly scared.

The tour guides know their audience and will balance along that fine line well for your family during this walking tour.

>> Get tickets for this fun and spooky tour here. <<

 

Tips for Visiting New Orleans with Kids

New Orleans can get hot.

You’d think that a city situated between the Mississippi River and the massive Lake Pontchatrain would get a healthy breeze during the spring and summer, but you would be wrong.

Visiting during the summer means high temperatures, often into the mid to upper ‘90s, with nearly 100% humidity.

New Orleans doesn’t slow down during these warmer months, but you’ll need to take some extra steps to enjoy your time.

Make sure your kids drink plenty of water, and not just as meal times. It’s easy to get overheated when the humidity is as high as it gets in the South—your body just can’t properly cool itself down through sweat alone.

Get ice water in an insulated bottle and encourage your kids to sip consistently.

Balance outdoor activities like walking through the Shops of the Colonnade with air conditioned activities like the World War II Museum.

If possible, schedule walking tours so that you’re done no later than 11 AM. Overheated kids on a history tour is going to elicit plenty of whining, which is fun for no one.

The best time to go to New Orleans is in the late fall, around October or November. You won’t be competing with any major events (see below), and the weather is going to be perfect for walking around.

Check the calendar.

There’s always something going on in New Orleans, but there are a couple of times each year where the social calendar is super packed.

The Mardi Gras season is huge in New Orleans—and not just in the French Quarter. You’ll find parade routes everywhere from Metairie to Tulane, which can put a damper on exploring the city normally.

The season changes every year as it is based on the lead up to the Lenten season and Easter, the dates of which also change every year.

Roughly, the Mardi Gras season runs through February every year, though it can start a little earlier some years.

Jazz Fest is another huge draw to this area, and I’d avoid visiting during this time unless you’re specifically planning to attend the festival.

Jazz Fest usually starts in the last week of April and runs for 2 weeks. The dates do change each year, so check the official website.

You’ll want to avoid these times as hotels, tours, campgrounds, and restaurants are packed, and everything’s going to be more expensive.

In the case of Mardi Gras, you’ll likely have to navigate around parade routes, which means altered traffic patterns, detoured tour buses, and more general congestion if you’re trying to drive.

Be street smart.

Despite what you’ve probably read in the news, you’re not going to get murdered the minute you set foot in New Orleans. It’s a big city, and—surprise!—big cities have crime.

Now, I won’t sit here and tell you that you’re okay to wander wherever and whenever you want as that would be terrible advice.

New Orleans is uneven when it comes to safety, and you should do a little research before you get there. The places that you’re likely to find yourself, like all of the places on the list above, are going to be fine during the day.

Most are going to be fine at night, too, though some areas, like Bourbon Street, can get rowdy the later it gets.

However, there are places that I would advise not venturing into unless you’re with a local (and even then, not at night). The area of Tremé around Louis Armstrong Park can get tough at night. Parts of North Rampart Street and Basin Streets, particularly the area between Bienville Street and Canal Street, isn’t somewhere that tourists need to be at any time. There are a lot of abandoned buildings and high crime in this area—and there just aren’t any must-do’s here anyway.

All of that being said, I’ve traipsed all over the French Quarter, the Central Business District, the Garden District, Algiers Point and everything in between with my kids in tow.

Use regular big city safety, including:

  • not looking lost (duck into a shop to check your maps app),

  • carrying your wallet in your front pocket, not the back,

  • using a crossbody purse instead of a backpack, clutch, or shoulder strap,

  • being firm with anyone who asks you for something (a simple but strong, “no, thank you” as you continue walking is sufficient), and

  • having a plan on where you’re going before you actually set out.

Doing all of that, along with your pre-trip research, will mean you’re just as safe in NOLA as you’d be in any other big city.

Grab the Jazzy Pass.

Even if you’re only in town for a couple of days, you will need the Jazzy Pass!

The RTA Le Pass app is your ticket to the entire New Orleans area transit system, including city buses, streetcars, and ferries.

Put the Le Pass app on your phone, and you’ll be able to show your digital Jazzy Pass any time you get onto transportation.

The passes are cheap and can be used all day as many times as you’d like. As of the writing of this post, the adult Jazzy Pass was $3 for a 1 day pass, and $8 for a 3 day pass (or $2.60 a day). The children’s 1 day pass is just a dollar, while a 3 day pass is also $8.

To show you what a great deal it is, let’s look at just one day of our most recent trip.

We look the Algiers Point ferry to Canal Street (normally $4 round trip for an adult), then took the St. Charles streetcar to Magazine Street (normally $2.50 round trip for an adult). We also rode the Canal Street streetcar to get to City Park (another $2.50 round trip).

In total, we should’ve spent $9 for each adult, but got all of that for only $3. It’s not a ton of money saved, but the difference bought me a muffaletta!

 

Have you taken your family to the Big Easy? Which of these New Orleans kids activities would they enjoy the most?


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