New Orleans: French Quarter Private Carriage Ride & Local Guide

4.93

(520 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure about taking a carriage ride in New Orleans. It sounded a little touristy — but then we met our guide, Sam, waiting at the stand on St. Louis Street. The mule (her name was Daisy and she looked completely unbothered by the chaos around her) gave us this slow blink as we climbed in. Right away, I could smell that mix of river air and something sweet — maybe pralines? It was humid, but not too hot; people were everywhere, laughing or just leaning on balconies above us. Sam grinned and asked if we wanted a picture before we started rolling. We did — my mom made him take three because her eyes kept closing.

The French Quarter is different when you’re moving at mule speed. You notice stuff: chipped paint on shutters, old ironwork curling like vines, music leaking out of open doors even in the middle of the afternoon. We rattled past Jackson Square and Sam told us about the cathedral — oldest in the country, apparently — and pointed out where he used to sneak beignets as a kid (he swears they taste better if you eat them sitting on the curb). At one point he let us choose: Bourbon Street or Royal? We picked Royal because it was quieter, and I’m glad we did. There was a woman selling paintings who waved at Daisy like they were old friends.

We didn’t have a script or anything — Sam just told stories as they came up. Some about pirates (I think he might’ve exaggerated), some about hurricanes and how people here never really leave. Passing through Faubourg Marigny felt different too; less polished than the main squares but somehow more alive. The French Market smelled like coffee and fried dough. I tried to say “merci” to an older guy selling fruit and he just laughed — apparently my accent is hopeless.

I still think about that hour sometimes when I hear jazz somewhere unexpected — how slow everything felt compared to my usual pace back home. The private carriage tour of the French Quarter isn’t flashy or staged; it’s just New Orleans rolling by while someone who loves it tells you why it matters. There’s something about seeing those streets from behind Daisy’s ears that sticks with you longer than you’d expect.