I have a thing for horses and buggies. Every time I see a rig, I want to jump on. I had been looking longingly at the long line of them stacked up outside of Jackson Square in New Orleans for weeks. Finally, I decided to just go ahead and drag Lars into it. I’ve taken two tours now, one hour-long tour with another company, and this half-hour basic tour with Good Old Days Carriage Tours. I recommend both.
First off, all the carriage tour companies here use mules rather than horses. Mules are the result of breeding horses with donkeys. This mix provides for better heat tolerance, so by using mules these tours can run even when those hot days hit the area.
This particular tour was only $12 for a 30-minute ride around the French Quarter. My guide was Jamie and she was a load of fun, as well as having a lot of knowledge about the area. Throughout the ride she regaled us with stories about various buildings and businesses. I particularly liked the bar that used to be the Pirate Jean Lafitte’s front for his pillaging and plundering. In fact, pirates played a key role in the development of New Orleans so many of the buildings have stories to tell.
This tour company has the longer carriages which seat 6… well, 7 if one sits up front with the driver. I sat at the back and was allowed to smoke during the tour. This, of course, made me happy. Luckier still, the other passengers this ride were smokers as well so I wasn’t subjected to a lot of grumbling and griping. If you prefer a smoke-free tour, do tell the driver. I’m sure they can round up enough other non-smokers for your tour.
You can call and pre-arrange a tour with any of these buggy companies, but it’s just as easy to find an empty one and just jump on. This day we waited only about 5 minutes for enough people to join in for the tour to go. If you are feeling generous, you can get the whole buggy to yourself for $60.
The seats were very well padded, having just been reupholstered. Actually though, all of the carriages in the line have always looked very well kept. The mules also seem pretty happy, and enjoy taking their walks… something evidenced by their desire to just go already. Jamie had to rein her mule in while laughing once he felt the carriage weight reach what he was used to pulling. It was quite amusing.
My only disappointment is that I know some of these drivers like to tell tales of ghosts and haunted properties, but my driver this day was a bit superstitious about it and skipped those tales. Still… it was a good tour and she was fun.
All in all, this is probably the best bang-for-the-buck in the city. I mean, 12 bucks for 30 minutes of wonderful carriage-ride tour? Get on down there and see for yourself. A very pleasant way to get off your feet for a bit in between hitting all those tourist trap shops. 4 stars out of 5. Highly recommended.
