Your fabulous first day in New Orleans!
Joined 2021
Discover the best of New Orleans in this expertly guided all-day, all-around the city tour by private car and on foot. Must-see sights -- French Quarter, Garden District, cemeteries -- as well as hidden away spots only locals know.
Itinerary
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Meeting Point
At your French Quarter or downtown hotel, or requested meeting spot
The French Quarter
From your hotel, we set off on a leisurely two-hour walk through the historic heart of New Orleans...the world-famous French Quarter. Highlights include Jackson Square with its beautiful St. Louis cathedral and Spanish colonial Cabildo, the 18th Century Ursuline Convent (oldest building in the Mississippi Valley), and the elegant Creole townhouses and mansions along Royal Street.
Mississippi River, Hurricane Katrina and Battle of New Orleans
We proceed by car downriver along the Mississippi River, stopping to take in river and skyline views, followed by a drive through the Lower Ninth Ward still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. This leg of our tour concludes at Battle of New Orleans battlefield where in 1815 and against all odds, a small American force under General Andrew Jackson turned back the invading British army.
Lunch like locals
New Orleans has many moderately priced neighborhood restaurants serving traditional Creole or Cajun fare. Your guide will suggest several spots to lunch like a local.
City Park, Cemeteries
One of the largest public parks in the United States, New Orleans City Park features lush landscapes, thousand-year-old live oak trees, and internationally acclaimed cultural attractions such as the Wanda and Sidney Besthoff Sculpture Garden. The nearby "Cities of the Dead" are a collection of seven large cemeteries with tens of thousands of "residents." We'll visit two -- posh Metairie Cemetery with its marble statuary and above-ground tombs housing generations of the city elite, and humble Holt Cemetery with its paupers' graves decorated with handmade displays of grief and memory. Unforgettable!
St. Charles Avenue, Garden District
Continuing along St. Charles Avenue, the "Fifth Avenue" of New Orleans with mile after mile of imposing mansions, we reach the Garden District. This beautiful and historic neighborhood was once a vast sugar plantation which was subdivided in 1832 to provide homesites for the ultra-rich of antebellum New Orleans. Here on quiet side streets are the most fabulous homes of all, including the 21,000-square-foot Henry Buckner mansion, the setting for many movie and TV productions.
Your hotel or designated drop-off spot
Your highlights tour ends here. Thank you for asking this GoWithGuide to share our wonderful city!
Ending Point
At your French Quarter or downtown hotel, or requested drop-off spot
Want to personalize this tour?
This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
Inclusions & Exclusions
Guide fee, hotel pick-up and drop-off, transportation via private car: 2020 Dodge Grand Caravan minivan, seats six.
Lunch at moderately priced neighborhood restaurant @ $15 per person
Wanda and Sidney Besthoff Sculpture Garden admission @ $6 per person
Tour Important Information
For safety and comfort, the tour described above is designed for a maximum of six guests in my seven-passenger 2020 Dodge Grand Caravan. Larger groups can be accomodated at additional cost in rental chauffeured mini buses.
Cancellation Policy
- Free cancellation - 8 days prior to meeting time
- 50% Refund - 3 to 7 days prior to meeting time
- No Refund - Within 2 day(s) prior to meeting time
Joined 2021
About Tour Guide Arthur S.
Welcome to my fascinating and beautiful city! I’m a native New Yorker and Tulane University graduate who fell in love with New Orleans 40 years ago and never left. I've been a professional guide here since 2013 after retiring as director of marketing and communications for the Louisiana State Museum. This second career has been an absolute joy. I get to experience New Orleans every day like it was my first day ever through the eyes of smart and curious travelers like you. That's why I always say my guests are my guide. Thank you!
Reviews
Michael D.
“Excellent day in New Orleans with Arthur”
We had a very interesting and informative day in New Orleans. Arthur told us a lot of background information and both current and historical facts about New Orleans. We thank him for the wonderful day, which brought us much closer to this city.
Arthur S.
Danke schoen, Michael! You and your friends made it a great day for me too! Arthur
Frank E.
“Great day in New Orleans”
My family and I spent a full day with Arthur, starting out for a few hours on foot, then driving around to major sites outside of the French Quarter; and having lunch at an out-of-the-way place mid-day. We had a great day. Arthur's knowledge of the city and its history is encyclopedic, and is informed by both a love of the area and its culture, and real perspective about the forces that have influenced it, both past and present. We learned a ton both about how New Orleans was founded and how it evolved in its early years, and about what it's like today. Our time with Arthur gave perspective to our whole five-day visit, and he was helpful in suggesting activities for the rest of our stay. Highly recommended!
Arthur S.
Hello Frank, thanks for the kind words above. I had a great time too and it was a pleasure to spend time with your beautiful family! With best regards, Arthur
$400/ per group
More tours by Arthur S.
Cities of the Dead: Seldom Seen Cemeteries of New Orleans
This half-day exploration by car and on foot offers a grand tour of New Orleans famous cemeteries with their unique burial customs, rich and varied architectural expressions, and fascinating stories from beyond the grave.
