Walking tours provide a personal view of a city that can’t be gained from a car, bike, or carriage. Finding a good walking tour isn’t easy, but the volunteer guides for the Friends of Cabildo offer two French Quarter Walking Tours a day. My guide was exceptional. His passion to share the history of the French Quarter means he leads multiple tours a week. The best news reservations aren’t required and tickets run $15 each for the two hour walk.
Our group had an added bonus as our group met a fellow guide near the end of our tour and we were given an inside peak of the courtyard area where he lives. This meant our tour ran over two hours in length, but oh, what a wonderful walk it was.
Tours leave from the 1850 House Museum Store at 523 St. Ann Street across from Jackson Square. Bring bottled water – or buy it at the 1850 House Museum Store.
This tour was a great personal way to learn about the French Quarter. My guide was so good that I found that I forgot about the heat and humidity of the city as I discovered what group was the largest ethnic population in NOLA in 1870, the difference between a gallery and a balcony, how citizens learned that Yellow Fever had broken out among residents, etc.
PS Don’t ignore the items in the 1850 House Museum shop. I found several holiday gifts from among the stylish, locally produced jewelry pieces. It’s wonderful to be able to help a worthy nonprofit while finding distinctive gifts for people you love!