How to Spend One Day in New Orleans on a Budget

Hi everyone! My sister and I recently took a day trip to New Orleans, Louisiana, and had a ton of fun. We are also both college students, so we were trying to stay on a tight budget for the day. This travel guide will include all of our sightseeing stops, restaurants we ate at, and free activities we did. Without further ado, here is how to spend one day in New Orleans on a budget!

Parking

Parking can actually be one of the biggest expenses in New Orleans! Thankfully, I did some research beforehand and found a cheap parking lot super close to the French Quarter. It’s called Basin lot, and 1205 St. Louis St is the address.

Cafe du Mond

For our first stop, we went to the iconic Cafe du Mond for some beignets! My sister and I split an order of the beignets, and we each got the cafe au lait. Personally, I thought the coffee was overrated, but the beignets were 10/10.

Woldenburg Park

Walking along the riverfront at Woldenburg park was a great way to burn off the beignets! The park is open daily and offers beautiful views of the Mississippi River. There are also some unique art pieces to check out along the way.

Jackson Square & St. Louis Cathedral

Next, I recommend checking out Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral. The center of Jackson Square features a famous statue of Andrew Jackson, who was known as the Hero of New Orleans. The history of the St. Louis Cathedral dates all the way back to the 1700’s! The cathedral is open daily, and we actually checked it out during Sunday Mass, which was a very cool experience.

French Quarter

There is so much to do and see in the French Quarter! From restaurants to shopping to artwork. No matter what you like, you’re sure to find something you enjoy while exploring. My sister and I had a great time here and ended up walking around for a couple of hours.

Johnny’s Po-Boys

Johnny’s Po-Boys is the perfect lunch spot! Located in the French Quarter on St. Louis Street. They have a wide variety of delicious Po-Boys and the restaurant is open daily from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Louis Armstrong Park

I felt like Louis Armstrong Park was a hidden gem! The park honors jazz musician Louis Armstrong and features some beautiful art pieces along several walking paths. There are also three stunning bridges you can walk across.

Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden

The Sculpture Garden might have been my favorite activity we did! It’s located at the New Orleans Museum of Art and is free to the public. The space is utilized so well, and the sculptures are nothing short of incredible.

Garden District

My sister and I originally went to the Garden District to see the Buckner mansion that was featured in American Horror Story (fun fact: Coven is my favorite season). We decided to walk around, and the houses here were amazing. We also ran into so many friendly kitties!

Le Petit Bleu

Our last stop before driving back to Florida was Le Petit Bleu in the Garden District. The inside of the cafe is super cute and they have a wide variety of food and drinks. We each got coffee and split the banana foster crepes, which were delicious!

Thank you so much for reading how to spend one day in New Orleans on a budget! I hope by now you’re ready to do some exploring in NOLA without hurting your wallet. In case you missed my last blog post, you can click here to read it. Also, don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a blog post!