Garden District Tour: Explore Historic New Orleans
4.9
2,233 Ratings
New Orleans
Experience the opulence and beauty of New Orlean's historic Garden District on this walking tour. Discover the rich history, architecture, and celebrity homes with a knowledgeable local guide.
Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Garden District - Your tour will be conducted by a local, licensed and professional tour guide! We walk along the rows of antebellum mansions after our cemetery portion of the tour and we discuss architecture, the people who lived there in early New Orleans and the people who live there today. We also include a celebrity portion of the tour.
  • Lafayette Cemetery No.1 - Lafayette Cemetery #1 will be closed for maintenance, so the cemetery portion of the tour will be conducted outside the gates. You will learn the history of the cemetery and of New Orleans’ unique burial traditions.
What's Included
  • Expert-guided tour with a professional guide
  • Curated recommendations for restaurants, music, and entertainment
  • Exclusive insider tips for local hotspots
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Lafayette Cemetery access - cemetery is closed to the public
Additional Information

Commence a journey into the historical Garden District of New Orleans with this thought-provoking Walking Tour. Explore the narrative of American settlers, their splendid residences, lush gardens, opulence, and the indelible imprint they left on society with their impressive deeds. The tour delivers a diverse overview of the distinct past, intriguing culture, and delightful architecture of our wonderful city. As we stroll through this extravagant and wondrous area, the settlers’ early history, lavish lifestyles, and enormous affluence are undeniably apparent.

Our journey kicks off at the entrance of Lafayette Cemetery #1, where you’ll gain insights into fundamental funeral norms and customs, and learn what sets New Orleans cemeteries apart (NOTE: THIS CEMETERY DOES NOT PERMIT PUBLIC ACCESS). Our expedition further leads us around the surrounding neighborhood to marvel at classic American architectural styles, homes of notable figures, immaculate landscaping, and popular film locations. Experience the city from a local’s perspective by walking with us!

  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
  • Dress code is smart casual
  • Tour is generally wheelchair accessible however be prepared for very uneven surfaces at the sites visited which may be difficult for those with mobility issues or using a wheelchair
  • Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
  • A significant amount of walking is involved
  • The Lafayette Cemetery #1 is closed due to repairs and we cannot enter, but we do our cemetery portion of the tour from the iron gates, where you can see the tombs clearly.
Location
1400 Washington Ave
Washington Avenue
Meet ACROSS THE STREET from 1400 Washington Avenue at the gates of the Lafayette Cemetery #1. Your guide will be wearing a green shirt/jacket with the Tours by Steven logo. We also end our tour nearby. You can park anywhere around the cemetery but read all signage please.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(2233 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Amy_r
Apr 25, 2024
Fun tour of the historic Garden District - Fun tour of the Garden District historic homes. Our guide Lee was energetic and very knowledgeable about the architecture and history of the area. While the tour was 2 hours long it wasn’t actually that much walking. Definitely recommend!
Review provided by Viator
472cleoj
Apr 25, 2024
wonderful walking tour - Harris was a wonderful guide! Very knowledgeable and personable. Very willing to answer any and all questions. Would recommend him and this tour!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nadia_m
Apr 25, 2024
Excellent Tour - Lee was our tour guide, and he was fantastic! He is very knowledgeable, funny, and welcomed questions. Loved his insight into the meaning behind paint colors.
Review provided by Viator
Stacey
Apr 24, 2024
Best Garden Disrict tour and guide. - Lee was an AMAZING tour guide! His tour through the Garden District was by far the best experience we had on our week long stay. We learned so much from his extensive knowledge on history and architecture. Lee is thoroughly entertaining, kind, and welcoming. Thank you for making our trip so memorable.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dianebo7964aq
Apr 24, 2024
Not to be missed! - Our guide, Harris, a city native, was a kind and extremely knowledgeable ambassador of the Garden District - the lovely architecture, its historical occupants, the beginnings and growth of the city and its cultural evolution, and burial customs of the time to the present at Lafayette Cemetery #1. Not to be missed
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Annlj4635dq
Apr 24, 2024
The Garden District Tour is a must ! - Our Garden district tour was wonderful. Our tour guide Lee, was fabulous. He knew the history and architecture of the area inside and out and all our questions were thoroughly answered. Lee also had stories and anecdotes about the people, past and present, who live there which made the tour especially fun. He is high-energy and really engaging....very clear that that he loves what he does ! Ann & David from Dover, NH
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Anita_k
Apr 24, 2024
Interesting Tour - We went on this tour, and Harris was our guide. He was so knowledgeable about NOLA history and he explained things so well. He made the walk even more interesting by pointing out the different types of architecture and design of homes/buildings built in different eras. Harris also took us by the homes of current celebrities which was cool. Lastly, he sent us an outline that listed the places we visited, topics (and movies) we discussed, and some suggested reading. So appreciated! We highly recommend you go on this this tour.
Review provided by Viator
Prnwork
Apr 24, 2024
Angie the amazing - Excellent guide by name of Angie. Knows her history. Presented it extremely well with humor. Considerate of her group and the different ages
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jkaflagg
Apr 23, 2024
Excellent Tour - Very interesting and informative. Harris was excellent and gave a true local contex to what makes the area so unique and how how it fits into the whole story of New Orleans.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ryan_h
Apr 23, 2024
Beautiful tour with a wonderful guide. - This tour was worth every penny. You get to learn so much about the history of Nola and its architecture in the garden district. Our tour guide - Roni (sp?) was incredibly informative & entertaining. He had our attention at all times of the tour. He was happy to answer questions and interact with the people in the group. We were so happy we decided to do this tour.
Review provided by Viator
Select Date and Tickets
up to 15 guests
1 Adult
May 2024
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Today