Start your tour at Café du Monde on Decatur Street in the French Quarter, the open-air café established in 1862 where visitors and locals stop for beignets and coffee amid the sounds of street performers nearby.
From this spot, cross Decatur Street to Jackson Square, the historic plaza laid out in 1721 with a central statue of Andrew Jackson erected in 1856 and surrounded by iron fences and artists displaying work.
Proceed to St Louis Cathedral on the north side of the square, the basilica rebuilt in 1850 after earlier versions from 1794 with its triple spires and interior featuring stained glass and a pipe organ.
Move along the Pontalba Buildings flanking the square, the row of red-brick apartments constructed between 1849 and 1851 with cast-iron balconies overlooking the green space.
Head west along St Peter Street or St Ann Street to reach Bourbon Street, the thoroughfare known for its bars and music venues that stretches several blocks through the Quarter with neon signs and balconies above the pavement.
Continue north on Bourbon Street past establishments dating to the 19th and 20th centuries where live bands play and crowds gather day and night.
The route stays within the grid of the French Quarter bounded by the Mississippi River and Rampart Street and covers about two kilometres in total with a duration of around one hour at a moderate pace.
End at Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar at 941 Bourbon Street, the building from around 1772 claimed as one of the oldest in the city with exposed brick walls and a history tied to the pirate Jean Lafitte.
