Rosemary guided us through the French Quarter bringing the history of New Orleans to life for us! Rosemary introduced us to locals, interesting architecture, and historic characters that contributed to what New Orleans is today. Thank you Rosemary and Le Monde Creole! read more

Like Zoolander, I'm not an ambi-turner. I can barely tell my left from right ("Your other left is a phrase that is often repeated to me), I honestly have no idea what people talking about when they say NE, NW, SW, SE, and the compass app on my phone is completely useless. Basically I'm telling you, I could not walk my way out of a paper bag. So when the boy surprised me with an impromptu trip to New Orleans for my birthday we spent our first day wandering the streets with no real places to go. Sure it's a wonderful city but we had a limited amount of time, places to go, and most importantly things to eat. It was time to call in the professionals. I emailed Le Monde Creole at 2 am in the morning to book a two and half hour tour of the city. Yeah it's touristy, but I highly suggest taking a walking tour. This trip helped us take in the culture better and also plan the rest of our trip there! I could not be happier with our host Bill, a local with a knack for storytelling. His musical, lilting voice took us into the story of the a Creole French family in the 19th century. Let me tell you, this is no American Girl story. The Lacoul Family had everything you could ever want: sex, intrigue, violence and scandal! I held on to every single word. For a girl who was diagnosed with ADD by a psychic at her high school graduation (another story, another day) this is quite the feat. I highly, highly recommend this tour. Besides the story you will also get to check out some private New Orleans courtyards (including one where an American Horror Story scene was filmed!), cemeteries (and see the NIcholas Cage future burial place), pharmacies, houses, etc! read more

I had found Le Mode Creole online while researching how to see courtyards and gardens in the French Quarter. I am so glad we took this tour as opposed to trying to find these things on our own. Bill was extremely friendly and answered my e-mails and phone calls right away. He met us in the French Quarter where the wonderful Rosemary then led our small group of 7 people on a very informative and authentic walking tour of hidden places. I had been to New Orleans before, but always for work. At night I would wander around and eavesdrop on the other tour groups I would see crowded on the sidewalk while the guide shouted ghost stories and places where Tom and Brad filmed Interview with a Vampire. Not this tour! Rosemary is a true local and literally had the keys to beautiful courtyards and gardens, including the ones behind St. Louis Cathedral and the Pharmacy Museum to name a few. We also saw the tomb of Marie Laveau in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 (which you cannot enter at all without a tour guide). All of this while learning the rich history of New Orleans and its people. This is a fascinating, informative, and extremely well done tour and since they keep the groups smaller, much more personal than anything else you could take in the city. I cannot recommend this one enough! *The our also includes a bathroom stop at a lovely visitor's center (I think it used to be a train station) read more

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I LOVE city walking tours. I think it's a great way to introduce yourself to a city. The service was great from the beginning - I had to cancel because we were not positive we would make it but we were told if we could make they would love to have us - WE MADE IT. BTW - if you have AAA you get a discount. Ina was our tour guide. She gave us such a great overview of the history of New Orleans and this tour covered quite a bit. The courtyards (which you may not be able to see without a tour), the cemetery, the French quarter. Really great. START your trip out with a tour so you can get a local flavor of the city. read more

This is the 2nd time I've taken this tour. Bill was the guide both times (the 1st was 3 years ago) And it was a great walk and tour to visit again. Bill is such a knowledgeable and enjoyable guide. He makes the world of the French Quarter during the 19th century come alive . He answers questions and involves you in understanding the world it used to be, that this family inhabited. read more

Le Monde Creole - Bill telling details of Laura's family in one of the courtyards we visited - Tours Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

I work in the French Quarter & people ask me all the time to recommend tours, after going on this tour with Bill, he gets my full backing. The tour is 2-1/2 hours and follows the family of Laura Locoul, of Laura Plantation, through the French Quarter and over into St Louis #1 to see the family crypt. Bill is engaging and knowledgeable, he's done an incredible amount of research on this family as well as the culture of the city during the time period being described. As a New Orleanian myself, I didn't expect to learn much about the local history, but I certainly did! Any questions I asked of Bill, he had an answer for or something to add- even about my own neighborhood! He was so good, I almost regretted not taking notes! If you're coming to New Orleans, or even if you live here and have company coming into town, this is THE tour I'd recommend. read more

We found Le Monde Creole via Yelp and it didn't disappoint. What I really liked was that much of the tour took place in quiet, out of the way spots. Our tour organizer did an excellent job presenting an overview of New Orleans, cultural fun facts and the story about the Creole family. It was fun ducking into beautiful courtyards and hearing stories that took me back to another time. read more

Le Monde Creole - Tours Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

As a Chicagoan who travels to New Orleans quite frequently, I've enjoyed experiencing various tours of the city with different friends and visitors. People who journey to New Orleans often ask me about the city and for recommendations. My first choice for a city tour? Le Monde Creole. Le Monde Creole describes the life and times of the Creole Duparc- Locoul family. This is the family that ran the famous Laura plantation for generations. Bill, the dynamic and friendly tour guide, provides a rich history of the family and the city while taking you throughout the French Quarter, various courtyards, some residences, and the St.Louis Cemetary No.1. I've been on MANY tours of the city and this is he best by far. You get a decent history lesson of the city, a tour of the graveyard, the story of one of the most famous families of New Orleans, with some jokes and scandelous tales throughout. Can't be beat! I would recommend traveling to the Laura Plantation a day before taking Le Monde Creole tour. I just happened to do this and I feel that it really added to the experience. BONUS- Bill give discounts to students, so bring your college I.D. read more

I recently was in New Orleans for the first time. I was there for a conference just on the edge of the French Quarter and I wanted to see and experience some of the French Quarter architecture and history (rather than the "nightlife" on Bourbon Street). This was a great historic tour that focused on the French Quarter and the time & life of Laura Locoul and her family who owned and ran Laura Plantation in Vacherie, Louisiana. As a side note: if you can make it outside of NOLA to visit Laura Plantation, I highly recommend it! I went to Laura Plantation for the plantation tour first and then took the French Quarter walking tour with Bill at Le Monde Creole. The two tours work really well together to flesh out the Creole culture and history of the area in the context of a family who lived and worked there for 4 generations. This is NOT a "boring history" tour. Rather it is masterful historic story-telling that is illustrated by the French Quarter as you are walking through it. Taking this tour with Bill was an entertaining & well-researched refresher class in American colonization and history. Bill was animated, informative & knowledgeable in conveying interesting historical stories about the city of NOLA, the Creole culture and the architecture of the French Quarter. We toured a number of private courtyards and the St. Louis Cemetery #1. I wish we had been able to go into the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum, but it was closed on Monday, the day I went on the tour. When I first arrived in the French Quarter I wondered if anyone was ever in their homes because the windows that face the street are usually closed and shuttered. In taking this tour I realized that most of residential life in the French Quarter goes on around the beautiful interior courtyards that you never see from the sidewalks. I HIGHLY recommend this tour -- I learned a lot AND it was very entertaining. It was definitely worth the time (2 hours +), money & effort. read more

Yay! This is a great tour for anyone wanting to get a taste of the history of the Quarter and also if you want to get access to St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. Bill was a great tour guide. He gave us some great background and told us a few stories and took us through several courtyards and eventually to the cemetery. It was an educational tour (without being boring) with visual aids and plenty of sites to see. We even met Iko, a cockatoo, towards the end of our tour. I would have given 5 stars except for two little snafus. One: it took over a week to get a response to my reservation inquiry (via the form on the website) and two: our tour was actually cancelled due to inclement weather but we were never informed and they had my phone number and email. However, to make it up to us, the guide only charged us $15 each the next day (instead of the full $25) which was rather generous. Lucky for us, my friend and I were pretty quick on our feet and managed to rearrange our schedule a bit so we weren't overly affected by this change (we were only in NOLA for 72 hours). read more

Highly recommended, and that's coming from someone who scoffed at the idea of "touristy tours." Exceptional introduction to New Orleans - particularly for the history buffs, cultural anthropologists, and romantics out there. Phenomenal interweaving of one Creole family's legacy and memoirs into New Orleans early history and Creole culture - it was like a trip back in time. Bill is a master story teller - it's no small feat to do a 3-hour, one-man show - and did a jaw-droppingly good job of recounting American history in way that made it interesting and feel somehow new. This tour is also a great value - the access to private courtyards and the pharmacy museum alone are worth the price of admission, but with the walk-thru of the St. Louis cemetery thrown in, the tour really covers what any first-timer to New Orleans would like to know. Go ahead and book it. Solid entertainment and history lesson in one. read more

I highly recommend this tour! It was a fantastic way to get introduced to the French Quarter and learn a lot about the history of New Orleans. Bill K was our tour guide. (His last name was Germanic and I have trouble remembering the spelling.) Bill is a walking encyclopedia of knowledge that you won't get bored of. Not only was he great at telling the history of New Orleans, he has a real love of history that really comes through when he speaks. Keep in mind that he is able to do this with a group of people in 90+ degree weather. In fact, he is such a nice guy we had lunch with him right after the tour where we learned even more! The tour takes you through some of the more noted areas of the French Quarter, including courtyards (you can't see these from any of the streets, old homes, the cemetery where a Vodou Priestess lies, and my personal favorite the Pharmacy Museum. All in all, the tour is a fantastic buy and really gives you your money's worth. In fact, Bill mentioned that he could make the tour 5 to 6 hours long, and you know what, if he offered a tour that long, I'd take it. read more

Le Monde Creole - Bill K. telling the history of Vodou - Tours Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Bill K was our tour guide. He is very informative and passionate and you can tell that he loves this city. The tour takes about two and half hours and even though it was hot and humid it was well worth doing because it left us with a better idea of what the city of New Orleans is both history wise and character wise. I can not say I would recommend it if you had children under the age of 14 or so but I highly recommend it for anybody who is truly interested in getting a taste of what New Orleans is all about. read more

My girlfriend and I were lucky enough to be the only two on the tour which made for a very personable experience. We had an awesome time, just wear comfortable shoes because the walking tour will last a while. The woman leading the tour was very friendly and knowledgable, and guided us through a side of the French quarter we never would have seen if we had not taken this tour. We had the opportunity to go into private courtyards and learn a great deal about the history behind each one, as well as a quick tour through St. Louis cemetery where we saw the grave of Madame Laveau (and Nicholas Cage's future grave, no, I'm not joking). I'm always one to try and avoid the "touristy" stuff on any trip, but I honestly had a really great time, swallow your travelers pride and check out some beautiful courtyards! read more

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This was one of the tours I remembered the most. The tour guide is a wealth of information and makes it fun ! It felt like someone that knows New Orleans very well is showing you around. This tour focuses mostly on the Creole Family of " Laura Locoul" as she is known in New Orleans. It tells the typical story of a Creole French family in NO back in those days. This tour is so interesting that it made me buy Laura's Memoir to further learn about her family . This is not some tourist trap tour. He brings you into some courtyards ( which you'll learn played a major role in New Orleans during those times) which you otherwise would not be able to enter. read more

Our tour guide, Bill, was a treasure trove of knowledge about the history of Louisiana and New Orleans. He especially provided insights into the rich texture of the life of notable Creole woman, Laura Locoul, the namesake of Laura Plantation near Vacherie, LA. Through her story, Bill wove information about the Civil War, slavery, and other historical events. A well-worth tour about New Orleans and the Old South from which it grew. read more

Le Monde Creole - Our tour guide, Bill, telling a story in the Pharmacy Museum. - Tours Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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We really enjoyed the concept of telling Laura's story. Our tour guide Bill was very nice! read more

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This was my first visit to New Orleans, and I thought a walking tour would be a great introduction to the City. Ina was our guide, and she has the gift of story telling that makes the history of New Orleans come alive. Thank you Ina for creating a memorable experience of my trip to New Orleans. I look forward to a return visit. read more

Really really fun tour, Bill C is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about his city. We received a very personal tour through some of his own friends and connections private spaces. This was my first time to New Orleans, and I couldn't imagine missing out on a tour like this, it just made the visit so much richer. No matter what you think you know, or where you have already been in New Orleans definitely add this to your list of things to do. read more

Best tour of the city by far! Recommended by a friend and so informative. Friendly guides give tours in English or French. We stopped in some lovely private courtyards that only Le Monde Creole tours has access to. I'd recommend this tour to everyone visiting Nola! read more

I was very frustrated and upset by this tour. The quick and dirty: * The tour ran almost TWICE as long as advertised. * There were only four courtyards visited, and they were all, as far as I could tell, publicly accessible. Not one was, as the website claims, private. * We spent more time locked in confined spaces listening to lectures than we spent looking at beautiful architecture or museums. * For running two hours late (almost four hours total!), no time was provided to look around or take photos and we were rushed through everything interesting. The long version: The website said the tour would take "about" two hours.Since the tour starts around 10:30, that would mean we ended around lunch, which is what I planned for. We actually ended well after 2 PM. The tour took almost twice as long as anticipated. Not only that, but it ended well after lunch. As I'm a person who needs to eat on time, I was miserable and exhausted by the time the tour wound up. Furthermore, I only had one day in New Orleans and had planned my schedule carefully. An almost two (?!) hour delay meant I had to cancel other items on my to-do list and miss out on a lot of fun, like visiting the cemetery in the Garden District (which was closed by the time I got there). I would probably have forgiven this IF it meant we had taken more time in special spots, or saw a lot of neat, fun, interesting architecture that I could not have seen otherwise. However, that was not the case. First stop: A courtyard behind an ice cream shop (publicly accessible). It was here we spent the most time, sitting for what felt like more than an hour hearing a very meandering explanation of New Orleans history that basically felt like a Wikipedia article read aloud. This was all information that could have easily been conveyed en route between destinations, and, since I was already familiar with this history of the region, it was torturous to be forced sit and feel the minutes drag by while our tour guide drank her coffee. We weren't even allowed to get up and look around the courtyard. Second stop: A courtyard in a local history museum (which was free, btw, and publicly accessible). After being rushed through the museum and told that we should consider "coming back later to really look around" we were led out to the courtyard and given an interesting talk on Creole courtyards, which I did enjoy. I did not enjoy that the second the talk was over, we were rushed out of the space without being given time to look around or take photos. We were there less than ten minutes, fifteen tops if you include time spent walking through the museum. Third stop: Pharmacy museum and courtyard. A lovely courtyard, also publicly accessible. A shame we were only there less than five minutes. We were then rushed up through an interesting stairwell into the pharmacy museum where, instead of being allowed to look around, we got a brief but salacious recounting of Laura Locoul with lots of obvious questions and Innuendo. I think the pharmacy museum would be a great place to visit, but I wouldn't know because I didn't really get to visit it. Next was the cemetery, where we did get about two minutes of interesting history, and over five minutes on why we should not desecrate tombs before being rushed out without time for photos or to look around. Finally we reached our last destination--Laura Lecoul's town house. Oh, lovely, her actual home! This is the only (apparently, not 100% sure) non-freely accessible location, since you'd normally have to pay for a tour of the home from what I gathered as we rushed past the reception desk. We didn't pay, but we didn't get a tour of the home, either. We were whisked through the courtyard (less than one minute this time, in and out and through as quickly as the tour guide could manage), past a tantalizing staircase that promised a lovely home that we would never see as we were herded into a dark, windowless living room where the tour guide SHUT THE DOORS to give us another painfully long family story that seemed barely relevant. Meanwhile, we are sitting in a dark, tiny room of a gorgeous New Orleans town house with a gorgeous New Orleans courtyard, looking at antique reproduction furniture and an anachronistic mirrored fireplace and thinking of all the amazing house we are not seeing that we could be seeing at that exact moment. To someone who loves architecture and homes it was like that science experiment where they tell the children that they have to wait for the marshmallow and if they wait, they will get two marshmallows. But then imagine at the end of a three and a half hour exercise in frustration and boredom, the child is told to please buy the tour guide's eBook and get the hell out and don't you dare try to linger or look around because the TOUR IS OVER. read more

I took the Courtyard and Apothecary tour - and was the only one who showed up on an early Tuesday Morning. Bill agreed to take me around and I absolutely loved it. The tour was informative and I got to see so many Courtyards and took some beautiful pictures while Bill talked about the dazzling history of New Orleans. One of my favorite tours! He dropped me off at the Apothecary Museum which was also a wonderful experience. Would definitely recommend. read more

My bad... I was in the Crescent City last March and took this tour and forgot to leave a review!! I've been on quite a few walking tours in the city and this is THE BEST one I've ever taken. It encompasses way more than the other ones offered. You won't regret taking this one as you get it all along with getting to follow the history of the Duparc-Locoul family. read more

This was such a great tour. Bill was the perfect guide showing us his city and all about the story of Laura Lacoul, namesake of the Laura Plantation. We took the tour at Laura Plantation the day before and this was the perfect compliment. I really felt like I knew the people he spoke about. The stories, courtyard and cemetary all add to such rich tales of this great city. Definitely recommend going on this tour. We had neebr been to New Orleans before and really thought this was the best way to enjoy it!!! read more

This is quite possibly the best tour I've ever taken of any city. Bill is an enchanting storyteller, and as he takes you through the back courtyards of the French Quarter and tells you the history of the New Orleans, the stories of Laura Locoul's family come alive. I was fascinated by the stories of race and class relations among the Creoles - the debutante balls and the slave markets - and how these shifted as New Orleans became an American city with the sale of the Louisiana Purchase to the US. After my boyfriend and I took the tour, it changed the way we looked at the French Quarter. The colors and structure of the buildings, the food, the voodoo dolls in the French Market, the above-ground cemeteries - they all come alive with history. I didn't realize when we started the tour that it would last over 2 hours, but the tour was so good that even as I started to get hungry around noon I was thinking to myself: wow, I don't want this tour to end. I highly recommend this tour! I suggest taking it near the start of a trip to New Orleans; it'll give the rest of your visit a richer flavor. read more

I really enjoyed this walking tour through the French Quarters. As previous reviews mentioned, the tour guide highlighted the history of New Orleans as well as the family of a wealthy plantation owner. Even though I walked around the French Quarters before this tour, I appreciated learning more about the history of NOLA. Bill was a great storyteller! read more

This tour with Bill K took us to several private courtyards and the cemetery while we were entertained with fabulous history and song (yes, Bill sings). Recommend doing this tour early in your visit as it gives you many tips for things to do and sets the stage for this wonderful city. read more

I loved this tour and my husband enjoyed it as well. We have been gone for two weeks, but looking through our photos we have learned so much!! Michelle was our guide! She has a thick French accent, but was so informative and kept things very interesting!! We saw so many things, and learned so much! I highly recommend this tour for something different. Keep in mind, we started at 10:00, and ended at 1:30. It's not a two hour tour, but well worth it! read more

Bill was fabulous! Our group consisted of 3 New Orleans natives and 1 San Franciscan. He kept us all entertained and taught us all interested facts. Would highly recommend this gentleman. PS- Have done lots of tours all over the world. Bill ranks right up there with the best! THANK YOU BILL. read more

We took this tour with Bill as our guide on Wednesday, May 15, and it was fantastic. I'm not generally a big fan of guided tours, but I'd heard such great things about this one. It did not disappoint! Bill is a fantastic storyteller, and hits on so many of the important themes of U.S. history, race and class in the United States, and Creole culture, all masterfully woven through the tale of Laura Locoul and her forebears. The story unfolded as we made our way through the courtyards, museums, and cemeteries of the French Quarter, illuminating these landscapes far better than any rote historical recitation could. Highly recommended! read more

Basically when you get to New Orleans you really should go on a walking tour. There are so many things to see walking that you can't see by car or bus. And if you have a guy that is interested and really loves what they do, it makes a difference. Let me introduce you to Bill, our guide from Le monde Creole (the earth/world of Creole). We could not have asked for a better tour guide. He knows his information inside and out, never had a question that he couldn't answer, so he really is very historically smart. He is energetic, patient, theatrical, and brings the history to life. We had a different guy different kind of tour who was much more like a robot, and it made Bill seem all the more special. You also get to go in special courtyards and spaces that are not open to other tours, how cool is that! We loved it, Bill, thank you so much. read more

As mentioned below this tour was absolutely amazing! Very interesting and informative. What really helped was doing the Laura Plantation tour first. After getting a little insight to the family, when we did the tour he really expanded on the family and brough it to life. He took us into places that you cannot normally get into. Great stories, insights, and knowledge! This is definitely one tour you do NOT want to miss. If you are fortunate to get Bill you will surely not be disappointed! The time just flew by. I couldn't believe how the time just flew by. read more

Brilliant tour! Bill was an incredible guide - a true showman, and such an authority on New Orleans' Creole history. The tour was structured wonderfully, weaving in bits of history and sensory experience throughout the story of the Lacoul family. I highly recommend that anyone who is new to New Orleans (or not!) book this tour. You won't regret it! Astonishingly reasonable price as well. Thanks again, Bill! read more

We absolutely loved the tour. It gave such a rich and unique perspective on the view of the city! Thank you.

Bill K. was our tour guide and he did an excellent job. He was every knowledgable of the French quarter and the cemetery. I would recommend this tour to first time visitors of New Orleans. read more

Le Monde Creole - Tours Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

We toured with Rosemary and had a great time. She is very knowledgeable of the city and took us to some unique spots that only this tour company is allowed to go in. It was a very hot day and so we were grateful she made a stop in a visitors center to give us a chance to cool off, buy bottled water, and go to the bathroom. I feel like the length of time of the tour (2 hours) was perfect. I would recommend this to anyone unfamiliar with the city who wants to learn a little bit of everything about New Orleans. read more

what a fantastic story of the history, culture, politics, of all things NEW ORLEANS and all things creole. Bill, our tour guide extraordinaire, has vast knowledge of the family history of a historical plantation owner and the four or five generations that followed her. Reasonable cost. and very much worth doing. Joe J read more

I took the wonderfully engaging, so well researched, and beautifully presented "Courtyards and Cemeteries Tour." Absolutely one of the very best tours I have ever taken in the US or Europe. read more

I used Le Monde Creole for a big group tour during the Super Bowl. Bill was wonderfully professional and our guests greatly enjoyed his tour. Highly recommend this company for very special, beyond the basics tours. read more

Bill was a excellent tour guide. I thought I was watching prose. Well thought-out, historical and informative tour of the courtyards pertaining to the life of Laura Lacoul. If you love history and would love to hear a story of a Creole drama of the past, you will enjoy this tour. Wear your good walking shoes and wide brimmed hat! read more