The Best Tours to do in New Orleans | Walk Everywhere
Background & Short History of NOLA
Hi and Welcome to my blog post on the best tours in New Orleans! I am very excited to share the details of what to expect at these amazing locations and spill the beans on the very best tours to do in New Orleans. But, before we head into the tours part, I wanted to touch on the very rich history of New Orleans.
There are SO many things to see and do in the city. You could do a tour every week for a year and still not fully appreciate the rich culture of this magnificent place!! So many different cultures and ethnicities have left their mark here and I’m giving you the cliff notes below.
There have been plenty of wars and disasters shaping the landscape and culture. Most recently Hurricane Katrina, and the massive destruction of many parts this beautiful city. You can still see the markings left by emergency response teams on some of the houses indicating how many found dead or alive, date checked etc.
Further back it had French and Spanish influence, with both sides waging war against each other and other countries. Sprinkle in British interference, bribery and the slave trade from Africa and the Caribbean, and you’ve got quite the melting pot!
Creole is a huge part of the culture down in NOLA as well (Creole being defined broadly as a person of mixed European and Black descent, especially in the Caribbean. It can also mean food, architecture and language as well as many other things).
All these cultures, dialects, and history helped to shape the city it is today. MUSIC! Music is also a HUGE part of New Orleans Culture. You might have heard of the music genre Jazz
My husband and I found the people here charming, polite, funny and kind. They are also very resilient! The city is nothing short of fascinating and there is so much to do, see, and eat in New Orleans!
If you’re strapped for time, grab my free downloadable 3-day itinerary to make the most out of your visit to the ‘Big Easy’ below.
Books and TV Series
I have read plenty of novels set in New Orleans. There is just something mystical about the city that brings out the best writing and creativity. Once you’re there, you’ll understand why! My favorite series has always been Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire.
Honestly its hard NOT to picture the Vampires Louis and Lestat creeping about the dark alleys, and living their double lives in the creole townhouses down in the French Quarter. I also loved the Mayfair Witches, which is set in the Garden District of New Orleans (You can also view the homes of Anne Rice here).
Both book series have new TV shows out on AMC or Amazon Prime – if you’re headed to New Orleans, definitely watch them to get you in the right mood!
Supernatural NOLA
I knew I wanted to step into this supernatural world in person with a ghost tour! We were after all heading to New Orleans during HALLOWEEN!! After doing hours (okay, maybe days!) of research on YouTube and TripAdvisor, I settled on Free Tours by Foot.
There is an immense amount of free video tours on YouTube that you can check out. Even to take a tour in person, they are what they say they are – FREE! You pay what you think the tour is worth at the end.
My husband and I were blown away by both the ghost tour (which we took at night to set the ghostly mood), and the Voodoo tour we did as well. Keep reading to find out what we accomplished once in New Orleans in the flesh!
The Best Ghost Tour with a Local
Lets start with the ghost tour that took us through the stylish French Quarter on a misty night. We strolled by the elegant Creole townhouses with wrought iron balconies; all lit up with gas lanterns.
The tour began in historic Jackson Square by the towering white St Louis Cathedral. Our guide spoke to us about the haunting at Muriels restaurant beside the Cathedral (we literally had just finished eating here A+).
We learned from our guide that you can book an epic seat at the ‘seance table’. There, you sit for your meal, with a place especially set out for the spirit of the original owner of the house as appeasement for the disruptive nature of the restaurant. Rumor has it that you must also purchase a very expensive bottle of wine to share with the spirit!
We continued our nighttime stroll through alleyways towards the Old Urseline Convent where we learned about the ‘Casket Girls’ or ‘Filles a la Cassette’. They were young girls handpicked by the Bishop of Quebec in 1728 to travel from France to become brides of the single men newly populating the city of New Orleans.
The girls were severely malnourished and ill when they arrived in port. Unfortunately, they looked haggard and deathly; spending many months on ship, and rumors started to swell around them. Some of them made unhappy marriages where they were abused and mistreated, and some of them ended up in prostitution.
There are plenty of legends surrounding the building, and where the girls belongings were housed – the Urseline Convent. You’ll have to take the ghost tour for yourself to find out more!
Easily the most popular stop; is one that you might have heard of (also on TV: American Horror Story), is the CREEPY LaLaurie Mansion. Kathy Bates plays the INFAMOUS Madame Delphine LaLaurie. Her mansion and some of the modifications she made to it still stands on beautiful, elegant Royal Street.
Our tour guide REFUSED to cross the street to walk or even stand by it!!! We peered at it from across the street as she proceeded to unfold the gruesome story of torture, mutilation and murders that happened in this residence by this evil woman.
Many of the locals will not call the house by it’s name, won’t walk past it, and will make a detour especially. I took the picture below, along with several others trying to catch a glimpse of a ghost that can often be seen on the balcony.
As we continues the tour, we learned about some other haunted sites as we looped our way back to Jackson Square. Our guide told us a charming story about New Orleans, the Saints football team fans, and ‘Touchdown Jesus’. In the garden behind St. Louis Cathedral, in the French Quarter, you’ll find the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue.
The statue depicts Jesus with outstretched hands. The night before the Saints’ Super Bowl win in 2010, the then-Archbishop of New Orleans delivered a special prayer for the Saints. Once the Saints pulled off the Super Bowl win, the statue was affectionately renamed “Touchdown Jesus.”
Notes on the tour: Our ghost tour guide was a local and she had some REALLY funny stories to tell. Our tour started around 7, and lasted just under 2 hours.
We had about 20 people in our group, but it didn’t feel congested, or rushed in any way. We all had a great view of everything, and thought it a very enjoyable way to spend the evening!
Bring your walking shoes and a good camera – there was opportunities to take photos in spots that ghosts are known to frequent and show up often in still photographs. Will you see a ghost? Unfortunately we didn’t, but there’s always next time!
The Best Voodoo Tour – w/ Priest Robi (pronounced Row-be)
This tour is one of the best tours in New Orleans! This tour was available in the morning only; Free Tours by Foot does offer other Voodoo tours, but for obvious reasons: (THE GUIDE WAS AN ACTUAL HIGH VOODOO PRIEST) this one is the most popular!
We walked to Armstrong park from our Airbnb in the Marigny and met our group, consisting of around 20 people.
Many of them had been on the tour before and were returning because they had enjoyed it so much (a very good sign).
It was bright and sunny, but there was a chill in the air this particular October morning and I was glad I brought a sweater.
During our tour of this very special location, we found out that Voodoo is not what Hollywood has made it out to be with pin-cushion dolls and scary rituals.
Robi’s background includes being a High Priest in traditional Louisiana Plantation Voodoo, and also a High Priest in traditional Haitian Voodoo. He has been teaching the culture and history of Louisiana for 15 years, and most importantly he was raised in the culture of the religions.
The topics discussed on Robi’s tour included:
1. The difference between Hollywood’s version, and the real version of Voodoo.
2. The history of slavery involved with the Voodoo religion.
3. Past and Present Political issues that have involved Voodoo.
4. Extreme Past/Present Racism.
5. Religious and LGBTQ Descrimination Past/Present.
6. Marie Laveau and her involvement in the city of New Orleans.
7. Native American Ancestry and the “Mardi Gras Indians”.
8. Louisiana Creole People and their cultural relatives.
9. Plantations and how the religion was hidden.
10. The differences between Voodoo, and its sibling religions (Palo, Ifa, Santaria, etc)
Overall, it was very informative! As with most religions, the holy days in Voodoo are based on other important dates from the Catholic Saints calendar, further back through the Roman God calendar and then Pagan calendars.
Each religion taking bits that they liked from the others, and continued under a different Saint/God/Deity. Learning this information and understanding from a grass roots perspective all the way back through time, really gives a person the opportunity to start to piece together the world we live in.
Only in New Orleans melting pot of cultures does this all come together!
— >Both of these tours by Free Tours on Foot provided email links with lots of details the night before the tour, and a photo of what our tour guide would look like. I found this incredibly helpful, especially in the dark for the Ghost tour.
Mardi Gras World – Self Guided Tour
If you’re visiting NOLA for the first time outside of Mardi Gras season, and looking for a glimpse of what the floats and costumes look like; I recommend Mardi Gras World.
This is one of the best tours to do in New Orleans to get a tiny snippet of the extensive celebrations that happen every year in the city.
My husband and I visited during the Halloween season, and we were intrigued to find out about Mardi Gras since it is such an integral part of the culture here. We took a trip via the trolley car down towards Mardi Gras World.
It is a huge warehouse where companies and groups store many of the floats they use for the parades. Your entry ticket is a set of beads, how fun is that?!
During Mardi Gras, they might have up to a dozen parades EVERY DAY! These are family friendly events and they happen in all corners of the city. I would absolutely love to come back and see the world famous spectacle!
The floats, costumes and work involved in this event is a year long process. They are continually working to improve, repair and add new features. We did a self guided tour through the warehouse, although they do offer guided tours with a local specialist every hour. Find out more about this tour here.
If you choose to book a hop-on, hop-off bus tour to see all the city sights while in NOLA – the bus makes a stop at Mardi Gras World.
—- > Click here to get the best deal on the Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus Tour < —–
Sazerac & Rye Bourbon – Self Guided Tour
Maybe you know, maybe you don’t – that Sazerac Rye was first brought to life in New Orleans! The Sazerac cocktail is quintessential New Orleans. It just feels right in a persons bones to enjoy one of these potent potables while in the city!
“The Sazerac was born in the French Quarter at a time when saloons, veiled as coffee houses, lined the streets of New Orleans. At the famed Sazerac Coffee House, the drink of choice became a libation of rye whiskey, absinthe and bitters and with that, the first branded cocktail, The Sazerac, was born.”
We LOVED the self guided tour of Sazerac house on Magazine Street! The location is set inside a large multi storied office type building right on the corner of a busy boulevard, easily accessible from the busy trolley line there.
Upon entering we were greeted by a very friendly lady who directed us to the till to check ID and issue wrist bands. We were shocked to learn that the self guided tour is 100% FREE!
We headed upstairs to the 3rd level to learn all about the Sazerac brand and family (they have a long and rich history in America). Our self guided tour also allowed us to try 3 samples of local cocktails, also absolutely free!
We were able to take home the recipe cards that accompanied this cocktails as well, and have recreated the libations at home!
They do have other tours you can book for a price of around $20-$30, where you’d receive full size cocktails and demonstrations on how to make them along with their history.
Learn more about Sazerac House, or check out the other Evening Cocktail Tours you can do.
City Park – Self Guided Tour
One day we decided after seeing the blue bicycles all over NOLA that we needed to rent a couple ourselves! We grabbed two by downloading the ‘Blue Bikes NOLA’ app in putting in our credit card information. They cost 0.15/min and are $1 to unlock.
We biked up St Bernard St to Harrison Ave, thinking it would be nice to see more and travel back down Esplanade to the Marigny on the way back.
I don’t know that I’d suggest this route again; Esplanade is just fine and has plenty of shade to keep you cool. Although we wouldn’t have met the beautiful local lady who offered us bottled water in the St Bernard area had we not gone this way.
We biked the perimeter of City Park, making a few stops. Then we crossed Freeway 610 to hit the Cafe Du Monde in City Park – because why not indulge in more beignets?!
NOMA which is the New Orleans Museum of Art is located inside City Park. It is a grand looking building boasting 40,000 pieces of French, American and Japanese art including famous pieces by Edgar Degas.
Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to visit the inside the museum, but did take in the exterior Sculpture Garden; it’s a 12-acre space with over 90 sculptures.
You’ll find the sculptures spread out along footpaths, near lagoons, and under 200-year-old live oaks. The garden also has pines, magnolias, camellias, and a few pedestrian bridges. It’s a peaceful spot to take a walk and enjoy some art.
Cemeteries – Self Guided Tour
We did our own self guided tour of St Louis Cemetery No. 3 on the way back from our cycling adventure to City Park. I had watched the YouTube video from Free Tours By foot. I’ve linked it below!
This is a great way to wander around on your own and take pictures as you like. The cemetery is free to enter; there is a guard near the front gate that will wave and say ‘Hi’ to you.
We left out bikes at the front, as they are NOT allowed inside. Free tours by foot has numerous videos to help you navigate the city. Be sure to check them out before heading to NOLA!
Garden District – Self Guided Tour
No trip to New Orleans is complete without riding the St Charles Ave heritage street car! We picked up the street car at the busy corner of St Charles and Canal St.
The St. Charles Streetcar line, running since 1835, is the oldest continuously operating streetcar line in the world. Operated by the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA), it’s officially known as Route 12 and travels along St. Charles Avenue.
This line is the busiest in the RTA system, popular with both locals and tourists. On RTA maps and publications, you’ll see it marked in green—the same color as the streetcars themselves.
We stayed on the street car all the way to St Charles at State which happened to be the famous ‘Skeleton House’ stop.
Pro Tip: If you’re coming during Halloween season: I definitely recommend getting off here to admire the decorations in the garden at 6000 St Charles Ave!! There are plenty of houses gussied up for Halloween along St Charles Ave and in the Garden District.
We walked down further and visited Audubon Park (which has some clean public toilets), and then hopped back on the street car to head back towards Canal St again.
We made a stop for a quick bite to eat at the local sandwich shop Avenue Cafe – they have some fantastic locally made products and friendly service.
The Best Guided Tours in NOLA
If self-guided tours aren’t your thing, check out some awesome guided tours with local experts here:
- New Orleans: Cemetery Bus Tour At Dark with Exclusive Access <<<
- New Orleans: French Quarter Ghost and Murder Tour <<<
- New Orleans: French Quarter Food Walking Tour with Tastings <<<
- New Orleans: Garden District and French Quarter Bike Tour <<<
- New Orleans Garden District Walking Tour Including Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 <
- More Than Mardi Gras: French Quarter Tour (Small Group) <<<
Conclusion
Looking back on all these experiences, I’m so glad I could share them with you. From the spooky corners of the French Quarter to the lively vibes on Bourbon Street, New Orleans has definitely left its mark. I am definitely making plans to head back to the ‘Big Easy’ again in the future!
Safe travels!
xoxo Tanya
What are some unique activities or locations in New Orleans that showcase the city’s multicultural heritage?
I went to New Orleans and did a Voodoo Tour and a cemetery tour. The spooky tours and activities here are pretty fun! Love these other ideas too though, still so much to do here!
All of the tours sound like a blast, especially the Haunted Tour. I’ve not been to New Orleans yet, and had no idea you could experience Mardi Gras (in a way) through Mardi Gras World, this sounds like more my speed!
New Orleans is so vibrant, it would be fun to visit Mardi Grass or the park tour…
The food and walking tour sounds like a fun way to explore (and taste) New Orleans!