New Orleans City Tour: French Quarter & Garden District

Four neighborhoods, one afternoon, your own driver and vehicle

A private 2-hour driving tour of New Orleans with a licensed local guide covers the French Quarter, Garden District, City Park, and Metairie Cemetery in a single itinerary. The guide is born and raised in the city and leads fact-based history rather than ghost stories. Pickup and drop-off happen at your chosen location, and the tour fits up to four passengers in an air-conditioned Toyota RAV4.

Step-by-step itinerary

Private city tour of New Orleans

• Visit French Quarter historic landmarks
• Explore Garden District mansions and gardens
• Tour City Park and see live oaks
• Visit Metairie Cemetery notable tombs

The experience

The French Quarter is where the tour begins: the oldest neighborhood in the city, dating to 1718. You'll see Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral built in 1727, the French Market from 1791, and the brick-lined streets lined with Creole cottages and centuries-old restaurants. The guide walks you through the area's real history: how it became the most secretive neighborhood in a city famous for its nightlife, and what the architecture and layout actually tell you about how New Orleans was built.

From there, the route moves into the Garden District, where the landscape shifts to oak-lined avenues and antebellum mansions set back from the street. You'll pass homes associated with Sandra Bullock, John Goodman, and Anne Rice, see the Cornstalk Fence, and drive past Lafayette Cemetery (1833) and the St. Charles Avenue Streetcar line (1835). The guide explains the neighborhood's development from the early 1800s and the role these streets played in the city's social and architectural history.

City Park comes next: 1,300 acres that have existed since 1854, centered on the world's largest stand of mature southern live oaks. Some of these trees are over 800 years old, their limbs stretching twice as long as the trunk is tall. You'll see the Museum of Art, Sculpture Gardens, Big Lake, and the Cypress Swamp that marks the original ground New Orleans was built on. The final stop is Metairie Cemetery, established in 1872 on what was once a race track. It holds over 9,000 people in above-ground tombs and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The tour runs 2 hours total and stays private to your group: no strangers joining, no split attention. Pickup and drop-off happen wherever you're staying or want to start, and the vehicle is air-conditioned. If your group is larger than four or you need a different time, the guide asks you to contact directly to arrange it.

What’s included

• Air-conditioned Toyota RAV4 for up to four passengers.
• pickup and drop-off at your location.
• 2-hour private driving tour with a licensed, born-and-raised New Orleans guide.
• access to four neighborhoods (French Quarter, Garden District, City Park, and Metairie Cemetery) with stops at landmarks including Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral, Lafayette Cemetery, and the 800-year-old oaks.

Information

Lasts 2h, runs every day at 09:00 and 13:00, from US$ 120 per person, with a live guide in English, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 09:00 and 13:00Another time? ›

GroupPrivate7 group tours ›

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Child (5 to 17 years) · Under 5: can't be booked

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPets welcome

Operated by NOLA's BIG 4 PRIVATE CITY TOUR - NO GHOST, ONLY FACTS!

Is this one for you?Choose this if you prefer a private vehicle over walking. Your guide drives while you cover four neighborhoods spanning New Orleans' architectural history, from 1718 to 1872.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 17 years). Children under 5 can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What's actually inside the French Quarter that makes it different from the rest of New Orleans?

The French Quarter is the oldest neighborhood in the U.S. section of the city, dating to 1718. It's famous for nightlife but also home to a community that values its timelessness: the handcrafted details in the buildings, the Creole cottages worth millions, and streets like Royal and Frenchman that have remained largely unchanged for centuries.

Can I see celebrity homes in the Garden District?

Yes. The tour passes multi-million-dollar antebellum mansions associated with Sandra Bullock, John Goodman, Anne Rice, and homes featured in American Horror Story. You'll also see the Cornstalk Fence and the house used for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

What makes City Park worth a stop on a 2-hour tour?

City Park holds the world's largest stand of mature southern live oaks, some over 800 years old. The trees have a distinctive sculptural shape: the oldest limbs stretch twice as long as the trunk is tall. You'll also see the Cypress Swamp that marks the original ground the city was built on, plus the Museum of Art and Sculpture Gardens.

Is Metairie Cemetery really one of the most beautiful in the country?

Metairie Cemetery was named one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the country and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. It sits on 130 acres and holds over 10,000 above-ground family tombs, including those of prominent New Orleans figures like the founders of Popeyes and Ruth's Chris Steak House.

Why does the guide emphasize "no ghosts, only facts"?

The guide is a licensed New Orleans native who leads history-based tours rather than ghost stories or folklore. The focus is on the real history of each neighborhood (the dates buildings were established, who lived there, how the city developed), so you leave with information that helps you understand and plan the rest of your stay.