New Orleans French Quarter Walking Tour

While we tend to think of the French Quarter as a series of tourist attractions, but it's also incredibly rich in history and beauty.

This French Quarter walking tour should take about two hours and is best enjoyed at a slow place on a sunny day that's not too hot.

Start your tour at Jackson Square and head down Pirates Alley with The Cabildo behind the fence at your right. You'll probably have to dodge a few artists and their booths.

Ignore the stories about how Andrew Jackson met with Jean LaFitte and other pirates to plan the defense of New Orleans. The alley wasn't created until 1831. Its official name was Ruelle d'Orleans, Sud (South Orleans Walkway).

On your left, at 624 Pirates Alley, is Faulkner House Books, the site where William Faulkner wrote his first novel, Soldier's Play in 1925. The building was constructed in 1840.