St. Charles Streetcar Line

Shore excursions

There’s so much to see, so much history to soak in. You’re probably worried you won’t have time to see it all. That’s where this tour can help. For two hours, you will go on an air-conditioned ride throughout some of the most famous neighborhoods in New Orleans. You will see the landmarks you don’t want to miss, as your guide shares stories you’ll love to hear. You will go from the Treme to the Garden District, the 9th Ward to the back streets of The French Quarter. Your guide will tell you where the best crawfish are, or where to get the coldest beer. t’s your guide's mission to make sure that when you step off the bus you’re in love with this great city as well. Come experience the best two hours of your vacation today.

Embark on a guided walk in New Orleans’ enchanting Garden District and hear about the events and people who shaped it. Admire ornate antebellum mansions and lush gardens, and peek into an above-ground cemetery, currently closed to the public. Start with a brief introduction to New Orleans and the Garden District. Then, walk along elegant tree-lined streets and discover the roots of the neighborhood's distinct architectural style. Learn about the risk-takers, speculators, and dreamers who established it as a wealthy suburb after the Louisiana Purchase. Peek inside the gates of Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, which is currently closed to the public, and hear about New Orleans' interesting above-ground interment customs. At the end of the tour, continue to explore the cemetery and the Garden District, or head over to nearby Magazine Street for an authentic shopping and dining experience in New Orleans.

Experience the beauty and history of New Orleans at a walking pace with this city sightseeing tour covering 25 square miles of iconic neighborhoods through three centuries. Board your bus in the French Quarter then follow the history of New Orleans’ expansion up Esplanade Avenue. Learn about the tradition of above-ground burial before you hop off to explore St. Louis Cemetery #3. Cross Bayou St. John into City Park, where you can purchase beignets at Café du Monde or set out to find your own “Instagrammable moment”. The park’s museums, attractions, and sculpture gardens are nestled among picturesque lagoons, bayous, and groves of ancient oaks, some ovrt 800 years old. Hop back on the bus to travel along the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain, past a post-Katrina pumping station, seafood restaurants, marina, and a historic lighthouse with the 24-mile-long Causeway Bridge in the distance. Although called a lake, Lake Pontchartrain is actually one of the largest brackish estuaries in North America at 630 square miles (1600 km2) fed by freshwater rivers and connected to the Gulf of Mexico. Continue to St. Charles Avenue, home to Audubon Park and lined with elegant mansions, churches, and schools, including Loyola and Tulane Universities. Follow the route of streetcars and Mardi Gras parades to the Garden District, one of the most well-preserved living neighborhoods in the US.

Visit three food stops that highlight New Orleans history through flavors on this guided walking tour of the Garden District. After a brief tour of the neighborhood's architecture & history, delight your senses with a full meal of unique Cajun and Creole specialties, spread out over 3 local eateries.  Start at the Lafayette cemetery, and listen as your guide tells you the unique funeral customs and traditions of New Orleans and introduces you to the history of the city's early years. Then explore the architecture of the Garden District, home to historic mansions, colorful shotgun houses, and beautiful oak trees.  Your first food stop includes an indulgent taste of Creole fusion and the multicultural influences of the Italians, Germans, Irish and Afro-Carribeans that shaped the 300-year-old city. Learn about the Cajun people and find out what influence they also had on the culinary culture of Louisiana. Two food stops also include your choice of special alcoholic drinks or a non-alcoholic beverage. At our beignet stop, sip a cafe au lait or tea. Along the way, check out locally-owned shops, vintage stores, an artist co-op and gallery. Finish with a full stomach and plenty of recommendations for local fun and flavors for the rest of your visit.

Enjoy a guided tour of the New Orleans Garden District, considered by many to be one of the best-preserved collections of historic mansions in the United States, and admire the amazing Antebellum architecture which makes the area a favorite for locals and visitors alike. Later, we will walk pass one of New Orleans’ oldest cemeteries - Lafayette Cemetery. Continually popular with travelers, the cemetery has a unique approach to burials: namely, the above-ground, multiple-burial techniques used. Then, continue on for a view of one of the most striking buildings in all of New Orleans: Commander’s Palace. Host to a myriad of wedding receptions and dinners throughout the year, this eye-catching, turreted Victorian building is one of the most well-respected upscale restaurants in the entire country. Next, take a stroll past more gorgeous homes, some with famous Hollywood connections. Later, visit the working-class area known as the Irish Channel which developed in the early 1800s when the city’s shipping, alcohol, and brewing industries drew workers from all over the world, especially from Ireland. Your guide will then take you back to the streetcar line, where your Garden District tour ends.

New Orleans has an incredibly vibrant soul that can never be kept down. Today, you will experience its heart with a combo city tour that will take you deep into the splendor of the French Quarter, and then out towards the levee system along Lake Pontchartrain before heading back through the mansions around town. It is sure to be a delight! We first stop by the French Market, for a taste of New Orleans' rich culinary history. We'll then head out to the old U.S. Mint and the stately mansions along Esplanade Ave. Here you can dream of what life must have been like 100 years ago, and see the vibrancy that still remains. Next we'll walk into St. Louis Cemetery #3. One of the fascinating things about a New Orleans cemetery is that everything is above ground, since the city technically lies below sea level. For this reason, St. Louis is a fascinating journey into the quirks about this city, and you will see some famous residents as well. Riding along peaceful Bayou St. John, we view houses from the late 1700's. Driving through City Park, see the antique carousel and centuries-old live oaks. Stop to explore the Besthoff Sculpture Gardens at City Park. This exquisite 8 acre park is definitely worth the time. Stroll along meandering walking paths and water features amid centuries-old, moss-draped live oaks surrounding two lagoons. Along Lake Pontchartrain's shores our levee system is explained and the longest of all Causeway bridges is seen. Then we'll head uptown to Carrolton, the Tulane and Loyola Universities, the 160-year-old streetcar line and St. Charles Avenue's grand colonial mansions. Finally, we'll head back downtown around the Superdome and through the heart of the business district before returning to your hotel. You will see how vibrant and exciting New Orleans is again today, and we look forward to sharing our home with you.