Cemetary tours, walking tours etc.

Is it necessary to book these tours on line in advance or can we purchase tours at the hotel or somewhere else?

For walking tours I have taken many with Haunted History Tours and even though I have booked online I have seen people just walk up to the meeting site and pay their money. Just know when and where they are meeting for the tour. Anything that requires transportation you most likely want to book in advance.

No, it is not necessary to book in advance for tours with Haunted History. You can show up at Rev. Zombies Voodoo Shop 15-30 minutes before the tour and the guide is usually there waiting and doing his or her things necessary before the tour starts.

They have recently closed the St. Louis #1 cemetery off to general public just wanting to wander through as a tourist because of excessive vandalism and stupid things some tourists do (not you of course). Tell your guide you'll be staying in the cemetery when it is done and tip the guide before he or she ends the tour back in the FQ. The only way to see the cemetery now is with a guided tour and a fee is levied on each person going who is a tourist. It is a recent change and I saw it online that the archdiocese has had enough. All things considered it must have costed a nice sum to remove the house paint from Marie Laveau's tomb and restore it. It wasn't even finished when I was there last year, first coat of paint was applied only and people were already marking it. Good thing I got pics the year before of it in original state....still worth seeing!

Seriously think of doing your tour with the preservation group "Save Our Cemeteries". Save Our Cemeteries depends on the kindness & generosity of people like you to support our work of preserving, protecting & promoting the historic cemeteries of New Orleans. They have wonderful tours, historically accurate and help preserve our cemeteries. Their mission at Save Our Cemeteries is dedicated to the preservation, promotion, and protection of New Orleans’ historic cemeteries through restoration, education, and advocacy.

I too highly recommend, Save our Cemeteries. Best bonus is their historic rather than theatrical tours.

I also recommend Free tours by Foot. http://www.freetoursbyfoot.com/new-orleans-tours/ You do have to reserve in advance. You tip it's worth, with the ones I have done have been excellent. Also have done the Haunted History tours.

I too highly recommend, Save our Cemeteries. Best bonus is their historic rather than theatrical tours.

 

I also recommend Free tours by Foot. http://www.freetoursbyfoot.com/new-orleans-tours/ You do have to reserve in advance. You tip it's worth, with the ones I have done have been excellent. Also have done the Haunted History tours.

Thanks for this. I just booked a 2PM French Quarter tour for tomorrow. Any idea what a good tip would be? We're 3 people and I'm thinking $20 for the three of us, but is that enough?

Thanks for this. I just booked a 2PM French Quarter tour for tomorrow. Any idea what a good tip would be? We're 3 people and I'm thinking $20 for the three of us, but is that enough?

I know this person is already done, but I would be tipping more, at least $10pp, in my opinion. These tours, are generally are excellent.

We did our own walking tour of Metarie cemetery in April so we could see the weeping angel. One of the groundskeepers opened the crypt so we could take a photo.

We got a great deal from Travelzoo and went on the St. Louis Cemetary tour. I'm kind of a history nerd so this tour focuses A LOT on history and side stories about people laid to rest in the cemetery. That made it all the more interesting to me. The tour guide definitely had a good relationship with all the people working around the area, which made it almost feel like a friend was walking you around his hometown. Not formal or stuffy at all.

http://www.magictoursnola.com/

I've done some searching but can't find a tour that just takes you to and from the cemetary. I'm not interested in the other stops ore the two hour time limit on most of them. Is there one like that or am I out of luck on seeing it?

I've done some searching but can't find a tour that just takes you to and from the cemetary. I'm not interested in the other stops ore the two hour time limit on most of them. Is there one like that or am I out of luck on seeing it?

What cemetery???? St. Louis #1?

I was assuming they all look pretty much the same so any one of them that just allows a quick walk through would work. or can you see anything from the street without a tour?

I was assuming they all look pretty much the same so any one of them that just allows a quick walk through would work. or can you see anything from the street without a tour?

Save Our Cemeteries, is very worthy of the admission, and doesn't add much fluff to their tour. They add some, commentary, of what you are walking past to get there, but otherwise, it is pretty much concentrated on the cemetery.

No you can't see much from the sidewalks. Mostly a solid high wall enclosing it. IF you are talking at St. Louis #1?

Save Our Cemeteries, is very worthy of the admission, and doesn't add much fluff to their tour. They add some, commentary, of what you are walking past to get there, but otherwise, it is pretty much concentrated on the cemetery.

 

Thank you for this recommendation. My sister has always wanted to see St. Louis #1, but never got over there. (She really wanted to do it at night, but that's a whole different ball game and no longer safe - not that it was all that safe when we lived there). Anyway, thanks to your recommendation, we will be touring SL#1 when we get to NOLA the day before our cruise.

Thank you for this recommendation. My sister has always wanted to see St. Louis #1, but never got over there. (She really wanted to do it at night, but that's a whole different ball game and no longer safe - not that it was all that safe when we lived there). Anyway, thanks to your recommendation, we will be touring SL#1 when we get to NOLA the day before our cruise.

Enjoy your tour. I have done both the St. Louis and Lafayette tours. This organization had done a LOT of work supporting saving those treasures. Very worthwhile to support them, in my opinion.

. This organization had done a LOT of work supporting saving those treasures. .

This is exactly why we are going with this group. We lived in Slidell, LA (just across the Lake) for 9 years and never got to see the cemeteries. I would really like them to still be around if my kids would someday like to see them.

I too highly recommend, Save our Cemeteries. Best bonus is their historic rather than theatrical tours.

 

I also recommend Free tours by Foot. http://www.freetoursbyfoot.com/new-orleans-tours/ You do have to reserve in advance. You tip it's worth, with the ones I have done have been excellent. Also have done the Haunted History tours.

Budget Queen - you did it again! You helped me so much when I was planning our 2013 Alaska trip and you helped again when I was planning a trip to NOLA. My sister had been wanting to tour St. Louis #1 since we moved to Slidell, LA in 1976 and she (and I) finally got a chance. We went with Save Our Cemetaries and it was AWESOME!!! The only "disappointing" part was that for some reason I thought our group would have the cemetery to ourselves or maybe share with 1 other group and that was not the case. There were probably 4 or 5 other groups and sometimes we all ran into each other trying to get to the same spot. Other than that, it was so phenomenal and so informative. Still think Nicholas Cage is a bit narcissistic for building that hideous monstrosity of a tomb for himself.:D:eek:

Thank you again for a superb recommendation!

Thank you for suggesting Save our Cemeteries... I am looking into them now! :)