Family Itinerary
Who needs Disney World? New Orleans is a theme park itself! Come enjoy all the Crescent City has to offer with the kids and give them a vacation they will never forget. Whether you are here for a day or a weekend, there is so much to see and do. All the lights, music, food and culture will make you wish you could never leave. So, put on your dancing shoes and get ready to have some fun!
Day 1
The Riverfront and French Quarter
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| Café du Monde |
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| Saint Louis Cathedral |
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| Aquarium on the Americas |
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| Algiers Ferry |
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| Mardi Gras World |
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| Saint Louis Cathedral |
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| Horse and Carriage Rides |
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| Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville |
Only have one day in New Orleans? With this one-day itinerary, you won’t have to worry about missing out on any of the great family activities New Orleans has to offer!
First things first, you need breakfast. Take the kids to the infamous Café Du Monde for some beignets topped with mounds of powdered sugar and chocolate milk. Parents can load up on coffee to prepare themselves for a high-energy, excitement packed day with the kids.
After you have indulged yourself with this classic New Orleans treat, stroll along the river front through Woldenberg Park. If you take a look behind you, there will be a great photo opportunity of the St. Louis Cathedral. Keep walking towards the Mississippi River Bridge. Up ahead the Aquarium of the Americas and Entergy IMAX Theatre awaits you. Dive into the underwater world and check out the Mississippi River Gallery, home of the white alligator. Buck and Emma, the sea otters, will entertain you with their child-like behavior. You can also watch their feeding at 2 p.m. everyday! Waddle on over to the penguin exhibit where you can see the Rockhopper penguins. These feathery friends aren’t hard to miss with their orange feet and bright yellow feathers above their eyes. The penguins have a feeding twice a day at 10:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Surround yourself with the Caribbean Reef as you walk through the Aquarium’s 30-foot-long aquatic tunnel and experience the rain forest from the top of a tropical tree house. See all the beauty of the underwater world without getting wet!
Walk next door to the Entergy IMAX Theatre. Get a front row seat and see some of nature’s greatest creations. The theater features a five-and-a-half story tall screen – perfect for getting up close and personal with the wonders of the world. Swim alongside the sharks in 3D! Or tramp back in time to the pre-historic world when dinosaurs roamed the earth. IMAX is a great educational experience for the kids, and an excellent opportunity to sit back and recharge for the rest of the day.
As you leave the theatre, walk to the base of Canal St. where the free Algiers ferry will whisk you across the Mississippi River to Algiers Point. If you packed a lunch, this is a great place to sit and watch the ships go by while you picnic along the Mississippi River. Be sure to pack a camera because this is the best place to get a glimpse of the New Orleans skyline and St. Louis Cathedral. Even if you did not pack a lunch there are several neighborhood restaurants nearby where you can get a quick po-boy or sandwhich to go.
After lunch, walk off those calories with a short walk upriver to Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World where you can learn about the history of Mardi Gras, see the “den,” or float workshop where 80% of all Mardi Gras floats are made, and dress up in authentic carnival costumes. After you have learned everthing there is to know about Mardi Gras, take the ferry back to the French Quarter.
After a long day of walking through exhibits, wouldn’t it be nice to do something that does not take much effort? Once you get off the ferry, walk on down to Jackson Square for a carriage ride – its an absolute must for any New Orleans visitor. Give those feet a rest and climb on in! Listen to the history of New Orleans and take in the beauty of the quarter. Carriages park in front of Jackson Square, so just find the one you like and off you go!
When you get dropped back off at Jackson Square be sure to roam around the area. There is always something going on around the square. Do the kids want a caricature? Or do you want a one-of-a-kind painting? The area is filled with local artists displaying their craft. You can also find fortune tellers, human statues, street performers and even some locals sitting in beach chairs people-watching. Be sure to take the kids into the St. Louis Cathedral. Not only is the architecture gorgeous but this is the oldest cathedral in the United States still in use.
The day is winding down and I’m sure that all you can think about is crashing in your hotel room. The last thing to do on the agenda is go to dinner. Feeling beachy? Head over to Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville for dinner and a tropical drink. You can’t go wrong with the great music, atmosphere and a menu that caters to everyone’s tastes.
Is Margaritaville a little too loud after a long day? A short stroll away is Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Restaurant & Market. This restaurant, which was inspired by the 1994 film Forest Gump, contains movie memorabilia and serves up great seafood, burgers, and lots of family fun!
Whew! What a day!
Day 2
Uptown/French Quarter
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| Audubon Zoo |
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| Train at Audubon Zoo |
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| Monkey Hill at Audubon Zoo |
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| Carousel at Audubon Zoo |
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| Romain Candy Man |
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| Louisiana Children's Museum |
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| New Orleans Riverwalk |
Get an early start to your day and hop on the St. Charles Streetcar for a ride along the historic St. Charles Ave. Enjoy the breeze as you glide under the canopy of oak trees.
You can depart the streetcar at Tulane University at walk across Audubon Park to the Audubon Zoo. This is a great place to play on the jungle gym, snack and watch the fountains and ducks on the bayou drift along for as long as you'd like. Then get ready to step into one of the nation's top-ranked zoos.
The Audubon Zoo is a world of its own - see exotic animals, reptiles, elephants and more. Walk through The Louisiana Swamp exhibit which is a re-creation of a 1930s swamp settlement equipped with a trapper’s cottage, Spanish moss, white alligators and cypress knees. Be sure to check the schedule for alligator feedings - you won’t want to miss this! Speaking of feeding…are you getting hungry? In the Cajun Swamp there is a restaurant overlooking the swamp. Who would have thought that you could have lunch in the bayou? Parents can also relax with an ice-cold beer or perhaps a refreshing daiquiri.
Also, be sure to check out Monkey Hill, which is the tallest point in New Orleans. Monkey around on the tree house and rope-bridge or sit and relax by the wading pools.
Its easy to spend hours in the zoo, so by the time you see it all, the kids might be getting restless for some lunch. When you walk out the main entrance of the zoo, you will be on Magazine St. Straight ahead of you is Audubon Park, which is popular among locals and tourists, alike. You’ll understand once you take a stroll under the canopies of oak trees. If you have some bread or snacks, be sure to stop at the lagoon in the center of the park to feed the ducks – its always a big hit with kids. Once you get to the other end of the park, you will hit the famous St. Charles Ave.
While strolling down the avenue, you may spot the Roman Candy Man in his mule-drawn candy wagon. Grab a stick or two of his famous, hand-made taffy to snack on until you get to lunch.
Keep walking towards downtown, along the avenue, until you get to Robert Street. Take a right and two blocks down will be your lunch haven: Felix’s Uptown. This restaurant and oyster bar is well worth the walk! Love seafood? They have everything your heart desires from gumbo, oysters Rockefeller, shrimp po-boys and many more. If you are not a big seafood lover, don’t worry. Felix’s has great burgers, sandwiches, salads and milkshakes. This classic New Orleans restaurant keeps everyone coming back for more with its delicious food and welcoming atmosphere!
Need to walk off some of your lunch? Then head back over to Magazine St. where there is tons of shopping to explore. Let the kids browse through the popular toy store Magic Box Ltd. This extraordinary toy store specializes in unique and hard-to-find products and offers a variety of education-oriented toys. Whether it is a collectors doll you are looking for or a new game, Magic Box is the place to shop.
Magazine St. is lined with a variety of stores all the way from uptown to downtown. With at least one retail store on every block, Magazine St. is the path to follow for all your shopping needs. However, if shopping with the kids is more of a hassle than a pleasure, take a cab back to the quarter for some more museums.
Once you get back into the French Quarter, start off your afternoon with a trip to The Children’s Museum. Even parents will find their inner child again in this magnificent museum filled with imagination and wonder. Your kids will get to play and explore in the numerous exhibits. Kids can go shopping in the miniature grocery store to buy all the groceries they want or they can even be the cashier. At the WWL-TV Kidwatch let your kids creativity run wild as they role play. Watch them deliver the news as a meteorologist, news anchor, director or reporter. Kids can even learn the anatomy of an eye by stepping into giant eyeballs while learning about its function, impairments and visions.
Kill some time before dinner and take the kids to pick up a few souvenirs to remember their trip by. Make your way over to the corner of Toulouse and Royal St. to browse the New Orleans To Go store, which has great souvenirs for kids. Check out their t-shirts, Mardi Gras beads and masks, stuffed animals and more. You can also spend some time in the Riverwalk where there are tons of shops. If you have a sweet tooth, there is a fudge factory store inside. Be sure to visit The Kite Store so you can spend an afternoon flying kites along the river front.
After you buy all your paraphernalia, it is time to go to dinner. Come enjoy the rhythms of BB King or relish in the memory of the legendary Blues Brothers at The House of Blues. This unique establishment provides its customers with its southern inspired cuisine, live music and a hypnotic atmosphere. You can choose to eat inside or venture outside to dine in the Voodoo Garden. This is dining experience that both kids and adults will enjoy.
After dinner, if the kids aren’t scared easily, keep the fun and imagination going by taking a haunted ghost tour. Explore New Orleans’ streets to hear about some of the ghosts and spirits that still haunt the Vieux Carre today. Experience the history of Voodoo with one of the city’s many Voodoo tours. Hear the tales and folklore, visit a voodoo shop and see a real voodoo alter. These historical tours are both educational and memorable. For more information on what tours are recommended, please ask the concierge of your hotel.
Day 3
Venture on the Wild side
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| Plantation House |
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| Carousel Gardens Amusement Park in City Park |
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| Storyland in City Park |
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| Storyland in City Park |
Ready for some more adventure? Take a walk on the wild side when you sign up for a Swamp Tour. Most companies pick you up at the hotel so you don’t have to worry about getting lost on your way to the swamps. Travel Louisiana swamps by airboat or a pontoon style boat. Encounter another world filled with wildlife, moss, cypress trees and of course the alligators! Some tours offer customers a combination package that includes a swamp and plantation tour.
The South is often known for their magnificent and beautiful Plantation homes. Take a tour of these historic homes and learn about what the South was like in the old days. Step back in time to see how people used to live, what they would do, and how they became the owners of these plantation homes. Experience Southern Comfort at one of these popular plantations: Oak Alley, Houma House and San Francisco. For more information on what tours are recommended, please ask the concierge of your hotel.
Most of your day will be dedicated to seeing the swamp and plantation tours. After all that is said and done, why not take a drive or a cab to City Park. This park is the city’s largest and has the biggest collection of mature live oaks in the world! You can take a boat ride, have a picnic, wander through the Botanical Gardens, or visit the New Orleans Museum of Art. City Park also has Storyland which is a pure fantasy land for kids. Kids will have a ball playing in the 26 larger than life exhibits that are taken right out of the story books; such as, Pinocchio, Jack & Jill, Peter Pan, Old Woman in the Shoe and others. If you brought your tennis rackets with you, play a couple of sets on the public courts in the park. This is a great way to have fun without spending a dime; parents, we know how family trips can be a little pricey!
Bring a picnic basket for an evening in the park and dine under oak trees while you take in the picturesque beauty of the park. No picnic? No problem. Call a cab and head on down to Jacques-imo Cafe. Be sure to get here early because it gets packed quickly and reservations are generally only taken for groups of six or more. This lively and casual hot spot is THE place to enjoy Creole and Cajun dishes that will make your mouth water. This is what Southern food is all about! Try the deep-fried roast beef po-boy, oyster-filled eggplant, shrimp and alligator cheesecake or any one of their seafood dishes. After you eat all the delicious food that Jacques-imos has to offer, you will be ready for bed!
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