Our American programme is two walking tours, one in New York and one in New Orleans. Both are guided in English and both are built around a story rather than a checklist of photo stops, which is what a walking tour should be when the city is this well documented already. In New York the tour links three parts of Lower Manhattan that are usually visited separately: the 9/11 memorial site, the Wall Street financial district and the view across to the Statue of Liberty, starting at St Paul’s Chapel. In New Orleans the tour follows the city’s voodoo history through the French Quarter, a subject that is either badly explained or turned into a gimmick almost everywhere else. Prices are per person in US dollars, the meeting point is a fixed address confirmed at booking, and neither tour requires transport beyond your own feet.

New York

The tour starts at St Paul’s Chapel in Lower Manhattan and covers the 9/11 memorial area, Wall Street and the harbour view of the Statue of Liberty on foot. It is a walking tour, so check the tour page for which admissions, if any, are included before you buy tickets separately for the memorial museum or the ferry.

• NYC Trilogy: 9/11, Wall St, Liberty — 4h — from $92

New Orleans

The New Orleans tour meets on Toulouse Street in the French Quarter and follows the city’s voodoo history and its landmarks on foot. It is a short outing, which leaves the rest of the day free for the Quarter, the Garden District or the river.

• Voodoo Vibes: Best of New Orleans Tour — 2h — from $45

When to go

The two cities want opposite months. New York is best in late spring, from April to June, and in autumn, from September to early November, when the walking is comfortable; July and August are humid and December to February can be genuinely cold for a tour spent outdoors. New Orleans is the reverse: October to April is the pleasant stretch, and July to September is hot, humid and inside the Atlantic hurricane season. Mardi Gras usually falls in February and fills the French Quarter completely, which is either the reason to go or the reason to avoid those dates. If you are doing both cities on one trip, October and early November suit them both.

Frequently asked questions

What language are the tours in?

English, with local guides in both cities. If you need another language for a private group, write to us with your dates before booking and we will tell you whether we can arrange it, rather than confirming and hoping.

Are museum or ferry tickets included?

Check the inclusions on each tour page before booking. These are guided walking tours, and where an admission is not listed as included it is not included. In New York in particular, the 9/11 Memorial Museum and the Statue of Liberty ferry sell their own tickets and are worth booking separately in advance if you want them.

How much walking is involved?

Both are walking tours on city pavements, with no coach and no transfers. The New York tour covers Lower Manhattan and runs longer; the New Orleans tour stays within the French Quarter. Wear shoes you can walk in, and tell us at booking if anyone in your group has limited mobility so the guide can adjust the pace and route.

Can children join?

Yes on both, and the price categories on each tour page show what applies. The New York tour deals with 9/11 directly and the New Orleans tour covers voodoo and local funerary tradition, so both are better suited to older children than to small ones. Tell us the ages at booking and the guide will pitch the content accordingly.

Do you run tours in other US cities?

Not at present. New York and New Orleans are our two American tours and this page shows both. If you want something in another US city, write to us with your dates and we will say honestly whether we can help or whether you are better off booking locally.

Book either tour directly on its page, in US dollars. Adding a European leg to the same trip? Send us your dates and we will coordinate the bookings across both sides of the Atlantic.