We had a fantastic time on our trip to New Orleans and managed to enjoy the city while sticking to a budget. The pace was much more relaxed than some of our previous vacations. We left late on Tuesday night and drove overnight, arriving mid-morning on Wednesday.
I ended up sleeping a lot—often 12 to 15 hours a day—so it felt like a restorative, sleep-heavy getaway for me.
None of the content here is sponsored; any links included are simply to help readers who might be planning their own visit to New Orleans.
New Orleans is an incredibly fun city.
The streets are filled with beautiful architecture and colorful characters. There’s delicious food, creative drinks, and live music almost everywhere you turn. We traveled with two good friends, T and J, and did a lot of walking, exploring neighborhoods and popping into interesting places as we found them.
We visited Cafe Du Monde twice—those beignets are absolutely worth it. A single order of three beignets costs around $2.42 and is usually enough to share. We over-ordered on our first visit and ended up way too full, so one plate between two people is typically plenty. Note that Cafe Du Monde only accepts cash, and although many travelers report long lines, we didn’t encounter waits during either of our visits.
We also checked out the Casino on Canal and had a bit of luck—W won $30 within minutes before I convinced him to step away from the machines.
One unusual decision I made: I left my laptop at home and tried to run my side business from an iPad. It was much harder than I expected, and I don’t plan to rely on that setup again.
Below is a breakdown of how we enjoyed New Orleans on a budget.
New Orleans Costs
I’m always looking for ways to save money, even when I’m on vacation. That said, I don’t want the trip consumed by budgeting—vacations are for enjoying new experiences. Still, it’s possible to have a memorable trip without overspending.
Total cost for our vacation: approximately $1,300.
For a five-day trip, I think we did well. We could have cut costs by choosing cheaper dinners (most of our evening meals were in the $30–$40 per person range) or by drinking more in the hotel before going out. Ultimately, we went to New Orleans for the food and inventive cocktails, so we were happy to splurge selectively.
If we had eaten only fast food we could have spent under $1,000, but that’s not the point of a vacation spent in a culinary city. We stayed at a four-star hotel, dined at notable restaurants, did some shopping, and still kept the total near $1,300.
Hotel in New Orleans on a budget
We stayed at the Astor Crowne Plaza Hotel in the French Quarter, a well-located property right on Bourbon Street with a rooftop pool. The pool was small but rarely crowded, so it was nice to have it to ourselves occasionally.
Our room had a balcony overlooking Bourbon Street, which we only discovered on our last day. It was perfect for people-watching and spending an evening laughing at the lively street scene below.
We found an exceptional deal through a “Summer Sizzling” sale and upgraded from a less appealing option. The rate worked out to about $89 per night for what felt like a four-star experience. We were placed on the 10th floor with a Bourbon Street view so we could still get some sleep at night.
We were very pleased with the hotel and felt the price was a real bargain.
Total for the hotel: $475 per couple, including taxes and parking.
Transportation and getting around
We drove to New Orleans because we wanted a road trip with our friends, even though we sometimes have access to free airfare through family benefits. The drive was about ten hours each way, and I was proud to make it without getting carsick.
Once in the city we parked at the hotel and didn’t move the car again until checkout. Valet parking was included in the hotel fee at about $31 per night. The hotel handled parking to a garage a few blocks away, which made things convenient.
We refueled about four or five times on the trip. Given the distance and that we drove a Jeep, our fuel costs were reasonable.
For getting around the city we bought a Jazzy Pass one day for unlimited streetcar rides—only $3 per person—which made exploring easier and cheaper than taxis for short trips.
Total for gas and local transportation: $100 per couple.
Food and miscellaneous expenses
Food and incidentals were a meaningful portion of our budget. We wanted to try as many local specialties and quirky cocktails as possible—drinks like the Shark Attack and the famed Hand Grenade were part of the fun. Many bars and restaurants offer happy hours, and timing our visits helped keep drink costs down.
On average we spent about $125 per day per person on food and beverages, with some days higher and others lower. We also picked up souvenirs—masks, small trinkets, and local food items—and did a little shopping. W bought two hats from Goorin Bros. ($82 and $53), which he loved.
Total for food and miscellaneous purchases: $700.
Your turn: Have you been to New Orleans?
Have you visited New Orleans? What were your favorite experiences—events, places, restaurants? How do you keep your trips affordable while still enjoying the best of a destination?
FYI—I didn’t bring a dedicated camera, so all photos in this post were taken with my iPhone.
This is a Shark Attack.
View from our room.
View from the balcony at our hotel.
Alligator!
Beignets!
Another view from our room.
A Hand Grenade.