The 12 Best New Orleans Architecture Tours

1.Houmas House Estate and Gardens Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 632 reviews · 1 to 3 hours (approx.) · from $38Our pick

Tour Houmas House with a costumed guide such as Ruby, John, Cheryl, or Sami, then explore 38 acres of gardens at your own pace. See historic furnishings, Bette Davis’s room from *Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte*, a museum, restaurants, and the former sugar plantation’s complicated past.

“We loved this experience at Houmas House Plantation. Our two grands (teenagers) had a blast too! Well worth the price and time invested in the tour and spending time roaming the grounds afterward.”

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2.New Orleans Homes of the Rich and Famous Tour of the Garden District

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 397 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $30Top rated

Walk through New Orleans’ Garden District with a local guide such as Bob, Jet, Bobby, Toast, Chase, or Drew. See antebellum homes, celebrity addresses, movie locations, Lafayette Cemetery, and the house where Jefferson Davis died. The pace is easy, but uneven sidewalks call for good shoes.

“Our favorite part was the homes and their history. Our tour guide was wonderful. Very knowledgeable. A whole hour of the tour was walking around 4 sides of a cemetery. This was way too much. One side with 15 min would have been fine.”

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3.New Orleans Garden District Architecture Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 369 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $40

Spend about two hours walking New Orleans’ Garden District with a licensed local guide. See Lafayette Cemetery, Italianate mansions, Commander’s Palace, the Rink, and homes tied to famous residents. Guides such as Angela, Doug, Lee, and Pauline add local stories and practical dining tips.

“This was a 2-hour feast of New Orleans history and architecture. Lee is a fabulous guide: highly educated, witty and charming.”

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4.New Orleans French Quarter Architecture Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 290 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $40

Join a licensed local guide for a two-hour, small-group walk through the French Quarter. You’ll study St. Louis Cathedral, Jackson Square, the Cabildo, Ursuline Convent, Chartres Street, and Royal Street while learning how climate, culture, and French, Spanish, and American rule shaped New Orleans architecture.

“Very informative. Not that much of walking. Worth taking, even if you think you know everything French Quarter.”

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5.2-Hour Homes of the Rich & Famous Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 115 reviews · from $25

Walk New Orleans’ Garden District with guides such as Bob Bell, Val, Charmaine, Gabriel, and Drew. Over two hours, you’ll see grand homes linked to Anne Rice, Nicolas Cage, John Goodman, and Sandra Bullock, plus movie and TV locations, cemetery details, local plant life, and neighborhood stories.

“Drew was knowledgeable and entertaining. Our tour was both interesting and enjoyable.”

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6.Gallier House Tour in New Orleans

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 60 reviews · from $17Best value

Spend about an hour inside Gallier House at 1132 Royal Street, where a guide explains its 1860 architecture, Victorian furnishings, trompe l’oeil work, indoor plumbing, and the enslaved people and servants who kept this elegant home running.

“Great learning experience. As the original owner was an architect, it was interesting to see how he tried to improve his home with "innovations" from the time. The differences in the enslaved people's quarters versus the owner's family was stark and sobering.”

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7.Creole Architecture of the Marigny Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 46 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $40

Spend two hours walking from the French Quarter to the Old Mint, Esplanade Avenue, Faubourg Marigny, and Frenchmen Street. Guides such as Kelsey, Karen, and Guy explain Creole architecture, local migration, and neighborhood life in a group capped at 14 people.

“Great commentary! Friendly guide! Fun history and detailed stories ! Featured uncrowded locations ! I cannot say any more right now 😀!”

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8.History, Culture & Architecture Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 38 reviews · 3 hours · from $55

Join a local English-speaking guide, including Joseph or Bob, for a three-hour air-conditioned minibus tour of New Orleans. Visit the French Quarter, Treme, City Park, the Besthoff Sculpture Garden, the Garden District, and Metairie Cemetery, with hotel pickup included.

“Joseph was very knowledgeable about all aspects of New Orleans’ history, architecture and culture. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour.”

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9.Garden District Architecture Walking tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 5 reviews · from $20

Walk New Orleans’ Garden District with an English-speaking local guide, viewing grand colonial homes linked to planter families and Anne Rice. Hear about slavery, segregation, and above-ground burial customs at Lafayette Cemetery, though temporary closure prevents entry. Keynin Joiner may lead the tour.

“Keynin was an exceptional God. Knowledgeable and very entertaining. Also professional. Would totally recommend him at any point for anybody.”

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10.Tombs and Mansions of the Garden District

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 4 reviews · 2 hours · from $38

Walk New Orleans’ Garden District with an experienced English-speaking guide, visiting Lafayette Cemetery, Prytania Street mansions, Colonel Short’s Villa, and the American Horror Story house. Hear stories about Nicolas Cage, swill milk, the Manson Murders, and the Eiffel Society Building.

“Nice informative walk. beautiful historical homes. There were only two of us so we ended up with a private tour. Guide was accommodating and engaging.”

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11.Garden District Architecture Walking Tour in New Orleans

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 4 reviews · from $20

Spend two hours with a local guide in New Orleans’s Garden District, viewing grand homes, film sites, and Lafayette Cemetery No. 1. Guides such as Keynin and Keynon focus on architecture, planter families, slavery, Civil War history, and above-ground burial customs.

“The tour guide kept saying the same thing over and over. The new information he did offer was clearly incorrect, much of the time, as evident by plaques right in front of him while he talked. He could have just read them. And, he got mad at me Read more”

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12.Garden District Celebrities Cemeteries Mansions and Mysteries Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $26

Walk New Orleans’ Garden District with a professional guide, visiting Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, Buckner Mansion, Colonel Short’s Villa, the Seven Sisters, and Commander’s Palace. Expect about 40 minutes at the sights and the rest on foot, with history, architecture, and ghost lore along the way.

“It was excellent. The tour was so informative. All our questions were answered. I couldn’t ask for a better guide. I recommend this tour to anyone who wants to learn about the history and culture of New Orleans”

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