Cemetery No. 3, Private Option

New Orleans St. Louis Cemetery No. 3 Walking Tour runs through Red Sash Tours (led by author/historian Sally Asher). Rated 5.0 across 479 reviews. Runs 1.5 hours. From $35.

Overview

This walking tour spends an hour and a half inside St. Louis Cemetery No. 3, led by an author and historian who wrote a book about the St. Louis cemeteries. The focus is the physical cemetery itself: the different types of tombs, how New Orleans burial practices came to be, and the stories of the people actually interred behind the gates.

The walk is capped at 18 travellers, and the guide is a recurring theme in feedback: travellers call her a scholar on tombs and funerary practice, and several mention that she carries photographs and research materials that add depth to what is standing in front of you. Questions are welcomed, and reviewers say she fields them readily.

It suits anyone curious about why New Orleans buries its dead the way it does. The tour starts and ends at the cemetery gates on Esplanade Avenue. The guide also shares tips on local food, music, and culture.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Meet at cemetery gatesMeet at the front gates of St. Louis Cemetery No. 3 at 3421 Esplanade Avenue, New Orleans.
2. St. Louis Cemetery No. 3Walk through the cemetery for 1 hour with admission included, covering tomb types, burial practices, and the people interred here.
3. Return to meeting pointThe tour ends back at the front gates on Esplanade Avenue.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical things shape this tour, from the weather-dependent cemetery setting to the group size.

• Getting there. The meeting point is the front gates at 3421 Esplanade Avenue, and the tour ends at the same spot. One reviewer noted the guide provides helpful arrival information covering parking, ride shares, and the streetcar.
• Weather and sun. Multiple reviewers mentioned the guide providing umbrellas for both rain and sun, and one said explanations were given in the shade when the sun was strong. The experience requires good weather, and poor conditions can mean a cancelled departure.
• Group feel. The listing caps the group at 18 travellers. One reviewer contrasted this with larger tours elsewhere and described the atmosphere as intimate, with room for questions and conversation.
• Photos and pace. The tour runs about an hour and a half in total, with an hour inside the cemetery. One reviewer said there was plenty of time to take photographs, and another said the guide stayed around afterward to answer more questions.
• Accessibility. The listing states the tour is wheelchair and pushchair accessible, service animals are allowed, and the site is near public transportation. Most travellers can participate according to the listing.
• Bring water. Bottled water is not included, so bring your own. Gratuities are also not included in the ticket, and several reviewers clearly valued the guide enough to mention her by name in praise.

Common issues. The tour depends on good weather, and the operator cancels for poor conditions, offering a different date or a full refund in that case. Gratuities and bottled water are not included, so budget a little extra. One reviewer mentioned unforgiving weather on their visit, though the tour still ran. Groups can be as large as 18 travellers.

Before You Book Anything