Your tour begins near Bourbon Street where you'll meet your local expert guide and a small group of no more than 20 people. Surrounded by the 24-hour party, you'll set off to learn how this area developed from a seedy slum into one of the preeminent pleasure districts in the United States. Along the way, you'll pass through hotbeds of vice such as the Tango Belt, Storyville, Pirate Alley, and Exchange Place and see the bars and flophouses that hosted the unique mingling of cultures that we have come to call “Creole”.
You'll also swing into a bar to learn about (and enjoy if you wish) one of the many cocktails created in the French Quarter and pause on Royal Street to see some of the best street musicians in America. From there, your guide will take you to Jackson Square where you'll see landmark buildings like the Pontalba apartments, the St. Louis Cathedral and the Cabildo (where the Louisiana Purchase was signed). You'll then step inside the Presbytere for a guided tour of the interior and see exhibits on Mardi Gras and Hurricane Katrina.
Your next stop is one of the most haunted buildings in the city for a tour of the interior, which includes the infamous seance room.
You'll end on a high note with a visit to Cafe du Monde, home to the city's most beloved donuts or beignets. Your guide will buy you one then take you down to the riverfront to watch the steamboats go up and down the mighty Mississippi River.
Guided walking tour
Additional food or alcohol purchases
