We booked the 10am French Quarter Architecture Walking Tour, and it was fantastic! Our guide, Guy, was very knowledgeable (having lived in the Quarter for sometime himself) and came armed with numerous historical photos to support his tour commentary, tracing the history of architectural evolution in the Quarter from the oldest buildings to modern-era buildings masquerading as older buildings and everything between.
This is definitely a tour ABOUT architecture and its specific history in the Quarter. We were the only 2 on the tour which in my mind, was perfection. But I suspect the tour isn't for everyone, since it isn't going to be geared as much towards storytelling (though specific people from New Orleans' history are integral to the architectural development history, so they do come up.)
I would add a caveat to "wear comfortable walking shoes" -- be sure those shoes are also comfortable standing-still shoes. Bring a hat if sunny, and water is always a good idea -- first weekend in October for our tour, and it was still mid-80's and swampy/sticky humid; my t-shirt was soaked through by noon!
We (me+brother-in-law) thoroughly enjoyed learning from Guy and covering some ground in the Quarter, seeing all the many distinctions of styles and types of buildings.
Réponse de l'hôte
Oct 2021
So glad to hear that you enjoyed your French Quarter Tour with Guy! We like to keep our tours on the small side and it looks like you got lucky with a private tour! :)
Our tours take place at the crossroads of architecture and history. The built landscape is telling so much - the climate, materials available, cultures of the people involved, and the time period that the building was designed. If we are doing our jobs right, we are creating a curiosity to learn more about how buildings tell the story of a place, any place.
Thank you for taking a moment to write this incredible review about your experience. We appreciate you adding your recommendations about the weather. It does seem like summer is sticking around a little later this year. And your advice to wear comfy shoes is also spot on. We don't walk very far on our tours but we are on our feet for two hours.