New Orleans French Quarter Walking and History Tour
Description
Delve into the history of the French Quarter on a 2-hour walking tour with a knowledgeable guide who shares the legends and landmarks of this fascinating city. At a relaxed pace, take in the Mississippi River, French Market, St Louis Cathedral, the Cabildo, the Presbytere, Jackson Square and more. Visit historic buildings and secluded courtyards, see famous literary and silver screen locations, and learn about Creole culture. Your entertaining guide provides a deep understanding of the forces that shaped the Big Easy.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Make your own way to Musical Legends Park to meet your guide for your walking tour. After introductions, stroll a short distance to the banks of the Mississippi River where you learn how levee construction transformed the swamp into fertile farmland, making New Orleans an important hub in the region.
Choose from a morning or evening tour and expect to walk about 2 miles (3.2 km) at a leisurely pace before wrapping up near the Mississippi River levee.
Continue by walking through the French Market, the oldest open-air market in the US.
Next, you will head to Jackson Square, the heart of the French Quarter
See important sites including the Cabildo - built between 1795 and 1799 - this building once housed the center of government in New Orleans and it is now the Louisiana State Museum.
See the Presbytere - built in 1791 to match the Cabildo is a fascinating museum with 2 permanent exhibits telling of both the cities resilience and celebration.
Learn about these block-long buildings which form two sides of Jackson Square in the heart of the French Quarter of New Orleans.
Your guide takes you inside St Louis Cathedral and shows you where the Great New Orleans Fire of 1788 started, explaining how rebuilding post-fire resulted in what is now considered the classic architectural style of the French Quarter.
Next, step into a lush Creole courtyard and learn about the complexities of Creole society and slavery in South Louisiana. Walk to the balcony of the former Quadroon Ballroom while your guide explains the former lives of Creole mistresses and the system known as 'placage.' During your tour, your guide points out film sites and literary haunts such as the building where Tennessee Williams wrote ‘A Streetcar Named Desire.’ You'll enter William Faulkner’s home before you stop at Pirate's Alley, where your guide recounts local legends about prison escapes and dueling. Also, enjoy the tunes of talented street musicians as you stroll.
Stand outside the Mississippi River valley’s oldest building, the Ursuline Convent, whose history provides a window onto early colonization efforts in Louisiana.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(303)
Our tour guide David was very knowledgeable about the French Quarter history and architecture. He explained the history of many of the buildings that we had seen before, but we didn’t know what they were. It was a very enjoyable and interesting tour.
Wonderful experience. I come to New Orleans every year, and have gone on numerous tours; David captivated our attention the entire time, and made this history tour a favorite of mine.
If you book with Eve, you are in for a treat. She was extremely knowledgeable and catered the tour to the group’s interests. I truly enjoyed every second of the tour and wished it was a little longer. I would 100% book this tour again, it was the best way to explore the French quarter.
David was very knowledgable and professional, I absolutely enjoyed the tour.
She was very friendly and super informative! Knew the area very well and showed us great places with good stories!
Bryon was amazing and extremely knowledgeable about history and current implications of past events on what makes New Orleans what it is today. He even directed us to an authentic creole kitchen for one of the best meals I've had in a long time.
Our guide, Dave definitely knew his stuff. However, he didn’t take into account that our two kiddos (ages 8.&11) were also on the tour. In fact, he simply ignored them the entire time. I liked hearing everything he had to teach us but we had to end the tour early because our kids were so bored. If it isn’t designed for families of all ages, it should indicate a recommended age on the website. The thing is, our 11-year-old loves history and knows a lot but Dave did nothing to help include her. Disappointing. In addition, he did not encourage questions or interaction at all. In fact, he chastised me when I mistakenly attributed the St. Louis Cathedral to King Louis XIV instead of King Louis IX (heaven forbid). Dave was more concerned about telling us everything he knew than us having a good time.
I have taken similar tours before, and unfortunately this one was not what I expected. I had hoped we would walk around the French Quarter more and learn interesting things about multiple places. This tour turned out to be overly detailed history of the city which stops in only a few locations
Wonderful! Knowledgeable guide who made it enjoyable.
David was a hoot. Fun tour with a knowledgeable guide that hits the hot spots in the French Quarter.
