New Orleans: French Quarter & Cemetery Tour with Pickup

Two and a half hours, four neighborhoods, one guide who knows the stories.

You get picked up at your hotel, driven through four distinct New Orleans neighborhoods in a climate-controlled coach, walk through one of the city's most historic cemeteries with a local guide explaining the burial traditions and famous residents, and return to your hotel within 2.5 hours. Hotel pickup is from the Homewood Suites French Quarter location only, so confirm that works for where you're staying.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Runyon Canyon Park1h 30m
2. Jackson Squarepass by
3. Garden Districtpass by
4. St. Louis Cemetery No. 31h · entry included

New Orleans city and cemetery tour

• Board mini-coach outside hotel
• Drive through French Quarter
• See Creole townhouses and shotgun homes
• Pass small voodoo shops
• View Jackson Square park
• Pass Tremé neighborhood and Garden District
• See Lake Pontchartrain Causeway bridge
• Walk St Louis Cemetery No. 3
• Return to hotel by mini-coach

The experience

You're thinking a cemetery tour sounds morbid until you're actually standing in front of 18th-century above-ground tombs and realizing why New Orleans built them this way: the water table, the heat, the whole logic of the place suddenly clicks. The mini-coach picks you up outside your hotel and heads straight into the French Quarter, where the streets narrow and the Creole townhouses start looking like they've been there since before you were born. Your guide points out the shotgun homes, explains the architecture, and you pass the small shops selling herbs and candles for voodoo rituals, not a tourist trap, just how it is.

Jackson Square comes next, a National Historic Landmark that actually feels like a landmark, not just a photo spot. Then the drive shifts: you're through Tremé and into the Garden District, where the mansions sit back from the street like they're still deciding whether to acknowledge you. The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway appears: longest bridge in the world, and it's just there, matter-of-fact, stretching across the water. After that, the walking part begins at St. Louis Cemetery No. 3, and this is where the tour gets real. The guide talks about the burial traditions, the theories about why above-ground tombs made sense, and the famous figures buried here. It's not spooky in a Halloween way. It's historical and specific and you leave understanding something about the city you didn't before.

The whole thing runs 2.5 hours door-to-door, which means you're not exhausted and you've actually covered ground. Multiple tour times are available, so you can fit it around whatever else you're doing in New Orleans. The mini-coach is air-conditioned, which matters in the warmer months. The guide will tell you to wear light colors and bring a hat or umbrella, and that's not filler advice, that's practical.

What’s included

Your tour includes hotel pickup and drop-off at the Homewood Suites French Quarter location, round-trip transport by air-conditioned mini-coach, a local guide leading you through the French Quarter, Jackson Square, the Garden District and past the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, and a walking tour of St. Louis Cemetery No. 3 with stories about the city's burial traditions and historic residents.

Options for this experience

3 options

Afternoon departure from the bus meeting pointGuide in English · 14:30Meet your bus about half an hour before the tour starts in the afternoon.

Late-morning departure from the bus meeting pointGuide in English · 11:30Meeting Time: this option starts from the bus meeting point at the late-morning departure.

Early-morning departure from the bus meeting pointGuide in English · 08:30Pickup comes one hour and thirty minutes before the tour begins, so the bus meeting point is where you start.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:30, 11:30 and 14:30

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (under 12)

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.Operator's directions: “Meet the driver in the back bus loading area of the Homewood Suites French Quarter at 317 North. Rampart St. at the beginning of the pickup window. Your shuttle departs promptly.”

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by Cajun Encounters Tour Co.

Is this one for you?A good fit if you want to see multiple New Orleans neighborhoods and understand the city's unique history without arranging your own transport and timing: the 2.5-hour format covers the main sights and the cemetery walk without leaving you exhausted. Pickup is from one specific hotel location, so confirm the Homewood Suites French Quarter works for where you're staying.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 12).

What is included in the tour?

Hotel pickup and drop-off, transport by air-conditioned mini-coach, a local guide, and access to St. Louis Cemetery No. 3. Entry fees to attractions are included.

How long is the tour?

Two and a half hours total, including driving and the cemetery walk.

Where does pickup happen?

Outside the Homewood Suites French Quarter at 317 N. Rampart St. only. Confirm your hotel location before booking.

What neighborhoods are covered?

The French Quarter, Jackson Square, Tremé, the Garden District, and St. Louis Cemetery No. 3.

Is this tour suitable for people with mobility issues?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. Most of it is by coach. The cemetery portion is a walking section.

What should I wear?

Light-colored clothing is recommended during warmer months. Bring a hat, cap or umbrella for sun and occasional rain protection.

Are there multiple tour times available?

Yes, you can choose from multiple departure times to fit your schedule.

What is St. Louis Cemetery No. 3 known for?

Its 18th and 19th-century above-ground tombs and the unique burial traditions of New Orleans. The guide explains the history and stories of notable figures buried there.