Best New Orleans Hop On Hop Off Bus Tours

New Orleans is one of those cities that every traveler should explore at least once in a lifetime; it has a peculiar atmosphere that is hard to find in any other destination. Whether you visit for its renowned restaurants, its vibrant music scene or for its deep-rooted beliefs and traditions, New Orleans abounds with activities that are not to be found in any other destination. New Orleans abounds with things to see, do and enjoy.

When planning your tours of the city take into consideration the tour bus options explained below. Like any great city focused on tourism, the options are varied and interesting so that each style of traveler can choose the one that best suits their needs.

New Orleans City Sightseeing is a bus with pre-designed routes and free stops in the vicinity of all major tourist attractions; including churches, museums and New Orleans' iconic cemeteries.

It is therefore the best way to tour the city, especially if you are going to New Orleans for the first time and want to get a quick overview of the surroundings.

How New Orleans City Sightseeing works

The popular red double-decker bus operates in the city of New Orleans in a similar way as it does in other major cities in North America and Europe. You will need to book your pass for the amount of days you require, minimum 1 day and maximum 3 days; I recommend booking online days before your trip, so you will have everything organized before your arrival in the city.

• 1 day ticket: Approximately 38€ the adult ticket and 10€ the child ticket. Valid for 24 hours from activation.
• 2-day ticket: Approximately 47€ the adult ticket and 15€ the child ticket. Valid for 48 hours from activation.
• 3-day ticket: Approximately 57€ the adult ticket and 19€ the child ticket. Valid for 72 hours from activation.

Tour schedule and duration

Schedule: This bus service operates every day of the week from 09:30 am to 05:30 am. A new bus runs every stop on the route for about 30 minutes each.

If you buy your tickets for the tourist bus, take into consideration that the buses run all the stops in the first 30 minutes of the morning, say between 9:30 and 10:00h. But for the afternoon I recommend that if you want to do the complete route you take the service at 4:00h at the latest.

Duration: The New Orleans Hop-on-Hop-off sightseeing bus route takes 1 hour 30 minutes to complete. During the tour you are assisted by a narrated audio guide who explains the highlights of the route; you can get off at as many stops as you wish and get back on the bus as long as your pass is valid and active.

Tour routes and stops.

New Orleans City Sightseeing is the most comprehensive resource to attract more tourists as its route explores the most famous neighborhoods in the city of New Orleans including the French Quarter, the Arts District, the Garden District, Treme, Marigny and more.

The designed route has a total of 19 stops scattered among these important locations. Below is the list of stops in the order established by the company.

• Stop 1: Jackson Square
• Stop 2: French Market
• Stop 3: Faubourgs Marigny & Bywater, Frenchmen Street Music Clubs
• Stop 4: Treme
• Stop 5: Basin St. Station Visitor Information Center / Great Parking
• Stop 6: Canal Street
• Stop 7: Riverfront at Harrah's Casino
• Stop 8: CBD Poydras Street
• Stop 9: Louisiana Superdome - Hyatt Regency
• Stop 10: The National WWII Museum
• Stop 11: Magazine Street Shopping & Eateries
• Stop 12: Garden District
• Stop 13: Magazine Street Shopping & Eateries
• Stop 14: St. Charles Avenue & Streetcars
• Stop 16: Convention Center & Mardi Gras World
• Stop 17: Arts District
• Stop 18: Harrah's Casino on S. Peters Street
• Stop 19: Canal Place

Cajun Encounters is a local company with sightseeing tours designed to showcase the rich history and cultural diversity of the city of New Orleans. The company offers visitors two historic tours which I will explain below.

The City Bus Tour

The City Bus Tour is the traditional sightseeing tour that runs throughthe city's most famous neighborhoods including the French Quarter, the Garden District and more. This option does not include free stops but does have a live personal guide who is ready to answer any of your questions.

Stops prearranged by the guide include: a quick walk through St. Louis Cemetery no.3 and a stop to enjoy an aperitif at the famous Café du Monde in City Park.

Among the attractions you will see on the tour are: the World War II Museum, City Park, the Aquarium, the Street of the French and of course the St. Louis Cemetery.

USEFUL INFORMATION

• Duration of tour: You should reserve about 2 hours of your itinerary for this experience.
• Schedule: The company offers three daily tours in this format. The first at 08:30h, the second at 11:15h and the last at 14:30h.
• Price: Approximately €52 per adult and €36 per adult ticket.

The Ghost Bus Tour

The Ghost Bus Tour is a night tour of New Orleans, designed for those who want to know the dark side of New Orleans. A city famous for its connection to the paranormal and the horrible tragedies that tarnish its past.

From cemeteries to haunted houses, get ready for a spooky night filled with stories of ghosts, witches, vampires and lots of voodoo!

USEFUL INFORMATION

• Duration of tour: You should reserve about 2 hours of your itinerary for this experience.
• Schedule: The company offers this tour in two schedules. The first one at 18:30h and the last one at 21:00h.
• Price: Approximately 52€ per adult and 36€ per adult ticket.

Louisiana Tour Company is another local company that offers numerous sightseeing experiences in the city of New Orleans. These include a tour of the city's highlights aboard a tour bus.

You will travel around the city aboard an air-conditioned bus, which is appreciated if you go to New Orleans in the summer when the temperature gets very hot. Highlights you can expect to see on the tour include: the areas devastated by Katrina, the St. Louis Cathedral, Old City Hall, the City Hall and many more.

Among the amenities included is the accompaniment of an expert guide who explains to travelers each of the important monuments or historical sites you will see along the route. The company also includes in the excursion a tour of the downtown area where most of the city's hotels are located.

Useful information.

• Duration of the tour: You will need to reserve about 3 hours of your itinerary to do the complete tour.
• Schedule: Varies according to availability.
• Price: Approximately €52 per adult ticket.

Hiring the services of a tour bus is one of the best alternatives for those travelers who are visiting the city for the first time, since they stop at the most important tourist sites and you will not need to worry about looking for transportation options.

It is especially useful if you are visiting the city for a short trip, for example if you only have 3 days to get to know New Orleans or less; as the buses include a tour guide (either in the form of an expert guide or a recording) designed to explain to travelers the different places or attractions you will see during the tour.

The guides included as an additional service and free of charge are usually offered in several languages. A guide in Spanish makes it much easier to understand the urban environment and the history of the city, in case you do not have a very good command of the English language.

Additionally, the tourist bus is a great option for those travelers who may have mobility problems, for example if you go to New Orleans with children the distance you can walk is considerably reduced.

Also, it is a fabulous alternative for those who visit the city in the coldest and rainiest months such as winter in New Orleans.

As you may have noticed, a city sightseeing bus pass will save you hours of planning and effort. Now, if you want to have the best experience during your trip, pay attention to the following tips.

Pay attention to the schedule

If you plan to enjoy the nightlife of New Orleans, which of course I recommend, be aware that the tour buses do not operate at night and that you will most likely need to arrange your own transportation back to your hotel.

Some experiences in the city, such as the New Orleans ghost tours, may include a ride in a ghost vehicle, but most tours are actually walking tours of the French Quarter so transportation is not included in the price.

Organize your itinerary if you want to get the most out of your investment.

A two-day tour bus ticket can cost around 50€ per traveler, which is a considerable monetary investment; consequently you should organize your travel itinerary to get the most out of it.

I recommend focusing a part of your trip to do activities such as guided tours of New Orleans (you will find a lot around the city) and then dedicate 1 or 2 days to visit the most emblematic attractions at which time the bus services will be used 100%.

A 2-day pass is usually enough.

While it is true that this point depends a lot on your travel itinerary, it is also true that the two-day pass to tour the city's attractions is usually enough for most travelers.

If you are a traveler who has the time and budget to organize numerous adventures, I recommend dedicating a full day to visit the Plantations from New Orleans. In my experience one of the best things to do in the city.

Take advantage of the staff to ask for directions.

Whether you use the Hop-On Hop-Off or other similar services you should know that the staff who operate these services are usually very friendly and always ready to help.

Looking for directions to places to eat in New Orleans, where to find a bar or a small art gallery, don't hesitate to ask! An additional tip for sampling the best of the local food is to take aculinary tourof New Orleans with an expert guide.