The Riverfront
The National Park Service offers free tickets to its first 25 customers at the French Quarter Visitor Center. This is a perfect way to start off your walking excursion through New Orleans. Informed rangers lead their guests along the riverfront of the Mississippi for an overview of the history of New Orleans. The information about New Orleans will help you throughout your stay in the city. The tour leaves at 9:30 a.m. and lasts about an hour. Tickets are given out at 9:00 a.m., so make sure you're there to take advantage of the free tickets.
The French Quarter Visitor Center
419 Decatur St.
New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 589-2636
nps.gov/jela/french-quarter-site.htm
The French Quarter
The national park service also offers a brochure for a self-guided tour around the French Quarter. You begin at the Kolly Townhouse, known as a townhouse built shortly after the founding of New Orleans in 1718. The map will guide you throughout the rest of the buildings and sights. The last building you'll see is one of the last Creole houses in the area, of French Colonial design, built in 1788. You can pick up the brochure at the French Quarter Visitor Center or download it from the website. Without stops, the tour lasts about two to three hours, not including lunch.
The French Quarter Visitor Center
419 Decatur St.
New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 589-2636
nps.gov/jela/french-quarter-site.htm
Garden District
Frommer's has laid out walking tours on its website. One takes visitors through the Garden District, which was at one point a separate city from New Orleans; its separate identity is reflected in the difference in architecture between the Garden Dictrict and the French Quarter. This tour begins at the Garden District Book Shop, where you might see Ann Rice signing books. The tour ends at Lafayette Cemetery, which was established in 1833. This tour can last from 45 minutes to one and a half hours; the best time to go is during the day. Refer to Frommer's website for more information and to print out directions and explanations of each building on the tour.
Frommer's
frommers.com
Esplanade Ridge
Another Frommer's walking tour will take you through Esplanade Ridge, an avenue which peaked in prominence at the end of the nineteenth century, on a tour that many visitors don't see. The tour begins at a bed and breakfast that was originally built as a plantation home in 1861. The tour ends at City Park, which has an amphitheatre and lush gardens. The tour lasts about one and a half hours with no stops. The best times to go are Monday through Saturday mornings. For more information and to print out the tour, refer to Frommer's website.
Frommer's
frommers.com
