Testimonials
December 1, 2012 - via Yelp
My friend and I were visiting New Orleans for the first time and had no idea where to start, so we went on a tour booking spree. This tour was the most expensive one we booked and it was pricier than similar tours, but it was definitely worth it. Our tour guide, Stanley, picked us up for the grand tour (2 plantation tours and a swamp tour) around 8am. We then headed out for the first plantation, which was about an hour away. He kept us entertained the entire way so it felt like we got there pretty quickly. My favorite story was about how Lake Pontchartrain is so shallow that he and his dad would walk miles and miles through it while looking for crawfish.
First, we went to the Laura Plantation, which is a Creole plantation. The plantation and grounds are beautiful. The history of the plantation is really interesting and unique. It's a fascinating family story and I think someone should turn it into a movie. Also, I bought a hot sauce that they make there which turned out to be really delicious. After that, we went to the Oak Alley Plantation, where we began with our delicious lunch that comes with the tour. The plantation is breathtaking, but definitely not as interesting as the Laura Plantation. They make a great mint julep, though.
Our last stop was the swamp boat tour with Torres Swamp Tours. It was a little chilly the day we went, but the tour was amazing. We saw a few alligators, a bald eagle, egrets, and turtles. On our tour, we had a lady who spoke mostly French and our tour guide, Roland, was kind enough to translate for her. He owns the swamp we toured and his family has worked on it for generations, so he really knows what he's talking about. He was by far my favorite tour guide. We were finally dropped off at our hotel around 5:30pm.
Even though the tour is pricier, it's well worth it. It also really nice to not have to worry about all the hassle of doing this on your own. I would recommend reserving at least a few days ahead of time to make sure there's enough people on your tour on the day you want. We had plenty of breaks throughout the day to use the restroom and go into the gift shops. I would also recommend trying to get the very backseat of the van. It's the largest seat and the other ones can get cramped.
November 18, 2011 - Lystra, via Facebook
November 11, 2011 - via TripAdvisor
“Great informative tour of New Orleans.”
I booked the city tour the night before and was really pleased with the friendly service. This continued when Diane picked us up for the tour. She was incredibly knowledgeable about the city and answered all our questions. A bit pricier than the cattle call tours but I was willing to pay more for a smaller group and more personalized experience. I wanted to do another Isabelle tour the next day but you know how it is when you travel with family! Definitely would recommend Isabelle and do it again.
November 9, 2011 - via TripAdvisor
“A great view of the tragedy in New Orleans”
While in New Orleans for only a few days, we wanted to see the city and understand what happened during and after Hurricane Katrina. It was a small group, 8, led by our driver Joel. He was well informed without getting into the politics. We saw the lake, the levee breaks, what hasn't been fixed or rebuilt, and what has been rebuilt including Brad Pitt and Harry Connick Jr's projects. Definitely a must see while in NOLA. There was a snack and rest stop in the middle of the tour.
November 4, 2011 - via TripAdvisor
"You get what you pay for and "Isabelle" delivers!"
I highly recommend "Tours by Isabelle". The tour guides are extremely knowledgeable, gracious, and professional. If you are interested in Louisiana culture and history you will be in for a real treat. I marvelled at their skill for continuous commentary while driving. Ginnie is bilingual (English/French). It was amazing the ease with which she could automatically switch from English to French and French to English when she needed to. There were two couples from Montreal on my tour and although they too were bilingual, Ginnie showed respect for them by speaking French an equal amount of the time. New Orleans is my favorite travel destination and I hope to be able to take every tour offered by Isabelle. Tours by Isabelle is a class act all the way! MERVEILLEUX!!!
November 4, 2011 - via TripAdvisor
"Perfect. Perfect service, vehicle, tour guide, subject matter...great time."
If you want a nice tour of New Orleans and/or the areas affected by Katrina, these are your people. They pick you up and drop you off where ever you want. They are fun, professional, knowledgeable, and really well priced. I just cant see how you could beat this service. Joseph was our tourguide, and he was awesome!
November 2, 2011 - via Trip Advisor
"Grand tour"
Our tour guide was Stanley and he was wonderful. He picked us up for the grand tour (2 plantation tours and a swamp tour) around 8am. We then headed out for the first plantation tour, which was about an hour drive away. He had a lot of great stories to tell on the way to the plantation about New Orleans and the areas around as well as some of his own personal stories.
We first went to the Laura Plantation, which is a Creole plantation. The plantation and grounds are beautiful, lush and colorful. The history of the plantation is really interesting and very different from the usual stories you hear about plantations. Our tour guide, Rose, was friendly and informative. Our next stop was the Oak Alley Plantation, where we began with our lunch that comes with the tour. I had a salad, etouffe, and bread pudding, which were all delicious. The plantation is beautiful and more what you expect when you think of plantation. The tour was little shorter than our last one. Our tour guide was awesome, but this plantation was not as interesting as the Laura Plantation.
Our last stop was the swamp tour with Torres Swamp Tours. We opted for boat tour instead of the airboat, which I'm really glad we did. It was a little chilly the day we went, but the tour was amazing. We saw a few alligators, a bald eagle, egrets, and turtles. On our tour, we had lady who spoke mostly French and our tour guide, Roland, was kind enough to translate for her. He had some great stories and jokes.
The grand tour lasted until 5:30pm. It picks up and drops off at your hotel. I would recommend reserving at least a few days ahead of time to make sure there's enough people on your tour on the day you want. We had plenty of breaks throughout the day to use the restroom or go into the gift shops. I highly recommend this tour.
October 29, 2011 - Solange E.
Hope my English will translate exactly my feelings about this exciting excursion...
From the start, Isabelle and John were very prompt in giving explanations and very accommodating to find a date for me as I was travelling in Louisiana before settling in N-O for a week. To the last minute, they tried to find a suitable slot for one of the two tours I wanted to make.
Diane was our driver/guide for the ride to the airboat tour. She picked us up at the hotel, with a very welcoming smile, dealt with the payment, picking up other guests in a very efficient and sympathetic way. She gave very good explanations and answered all of our questions while driving, with a smile and with a lot of patience. Once to the airboat launch, checked with her about our request to sit in the front of the airboat; she showed me the document with our request in red, bold letters and underlined twice. Then I heard her talk to our captain to remind him of the seating arrangement. She did everything in a most gracious way. Very good representative for you.
Captain Steve (if I'm not mistaken) was very nice, very interactive with us, joked a lot, and made sure this was a very exciting experience for us. Please thank him for us.
Thank you and I recommend you company for all the tours you offer.
Solange
Montreal girl
October 29, 2011 - via Trip Advisor
"Awesome Airboat Tour!"
Our family of 4 enjoyed the airboat tour with Isabelle's on a Friday afternoon. We chose this tour company, from prior experiences. Once again, we received the exact type of tour we had hoped for. Isabelle's offers a premium tour experience in a smaller setting.
We are picked up directly in front of our hotel and driven in a newer, air conditioned van. There were 10 guests in total in our van. Diana our initial tour guide was terrific. While driving us to the swamp, she told story after story recounting the history of New Orleans. Diana was friendly and very informed. She easily answered any and all questions about the city and state.
Upon arrival at the swamp, we were taken into a building with drink/restroom facilities. Next we were separated into smaller groups of 4. Our airboat captain "Monkey" was hilarious. He combined the speed and fun of the airboat with humorous stories. The time literally flew by.
Isabelle's tours is THE tour company in New Orleans.
November 2, 2010 - Judith C.
Because my time in New Orleans was limited and my physical limitations put a crimp in my ability to be as highly mobile as I like, I decided to take both the Post Katrina and the City Combo tours. This was the BEST decision I have ever made. I think I saw more of New Orleans that I would have even if I'd been a 100%. Diane was my tour guide on both tours and I could not have asked for anyone better, she has a vast knowledge of her city, what's happened before and what is going on now. Her speaking voice is terrific and she's just so darn cheerful even with a van full of people (granted, we had a good group that didn't seem to mind being a little tightly packed). Wow, I can't thank you enough for organizing such great tours. I know when I come back to New Orleans, yes I have decided to return at tome point, I want to take the swamp tour and the plantation tour, from Diane I know when the good time to come is: March and October! See you next Halloween! Judith W.
March 31, 2010 - via Trip Advisor
"Mind Blowing"
My wife and I took the Katrina tour at a a cost of $65/per. It was worth every penny. Our guide, Jenny, was extremely well informed on all of the details about this devastating disaster that never have been reported. She was also very passionate about her city and was able to convey that well during the nearly four hours we were together. If, like us, you are not terribly familiar with New Orleans, and know about Katrina only what was reported on national tv five years ago, this is a do not miss event.
March 23, 2010 - via Trip Advisor
"Solid performance as a tour provider"
We took the combined Oak Alley / Laura Plantation tour on our first day in NOLA and the Air Boat Tour on our second day.
On both days with different tour guides and different destinations, the service was excellent and the tour guides were extremely well versed on their city's history and facts.
The costs of the tours were on the pricey end of the scale, but keep in mind that you are getting a very small group tour. The small groups means much more personal service and interaction with fellow tourists.
On the first tour there was 8 of us and on the second only 3. Our experience with Tours By Isabelle was fantastic on both occaisons.
I would concede that you may need to wait until the day before a tour to know if it is going ahead, particularly in the cold months, but the communication from Isabelle was excellent and managed this issue superbly.
If you are just focusing on tour costs, go with a large bus. But if you want a high quality tour with personal, knowledgable and friendly service go with Tours By Isabelle. It's a holiday after all, spend a little extra and go for quality... it will make ALL the difference.
March 8, 2010 - via Trip Advisor
"Katrina and Swamp Boat Tours"
Tours By Isabelle... OMG... great tours! We are 3 women who had the pleasure of meeting 2 great tour guides on our recent trip to N.O. We just got back and can still appreciate Rosie, who was super on our Katrina tour. She took us all over the city and gave us many historical facts about Katrina but also about the many cultures and history of N.O. for a present day memory. By also adding personal touches about her own life and experiences growing up in N.O. and living through the devastation of Katrina we were given new insight regarding the recovery of this vibrant city. As a retired school teacher Rosie was most articulate and entertaining in presenting the facts and adding her "special humor."
We were amazed by the vastness of the devastation since we had only seen what millions saw on T.V. This was truly an eye opening experience.
The swamp tour was much lighter as you can guess. Our guide on the airboat, Kevin was absolutely one of the funniest guides we ever met. Very knowledgeable and entertaining at the same time... a great wit and yet a very down to earth kind of guy. Wildlife, alligators and Spanish Moss hanging from the trees... just like in the movies! We got to see it all... live and up front!
We would recommend both of these tours to anyone. Their service was great, they picked us up at the hotel and were very punctual and professional all the way through. Then they return you to your hotel after the tour. Doesn't get better than that! On our next visit we will look forward to the Plantation tour.
Thanks again to Isabelle and especially Rosie. You gave us some great memories and a "taste of southern hospitality."
The New Hampshire Girls
February 28, 2010 - via Trip Advisor
"Tours by Isabelle"
I visited New Orleans for the first time this past week and while there took two of the Tours by Isabelle - the City tour and the Post-Katrina tour. I cannot recommend them highly enough. Tour guides, Diane and Rose, both New Orleans natives, were delightful company and extremely knowledgeable. The city tour provided all sorts of information about the history of the city, its architecture, culture, music scene, neighbourhoods and outlying areas. The Post-Katrina tour was also very informative and gave me a good understanding of the mechanics of what occurred and also the extent of the personal costs. We were also able to see the efforts of reconstruction in the devastated areas. I am so glad that these tours are available. Customer service is evidently important to this company as well as a gracious and informed presentation. Top marks.
February 1, 2010 - via Trip Advisor
"Memorable tour, with a good customer service twist!"
My parents and I signed up for the post-Katrina tour. At $65 per person (plus tip) it was a bit on the steep side, but the tour did live up to its billing in quality and customer service. Our driver, Stanley, was a local who was clearly proud of the community he was born and raised in. Personable and accommodating, I would generally rate him favorably. (Side note: the neighbors in the Katrina-affected areas reacted favorably to Stanley's tour - one woman flagged our van down and handed us some photos of the flood damage to her house! Apparently they like that the outside world is seeing how this situation has affected them... and hope that we'll work to make the situation better)
The customer service twist came when I realized I had left my iPhone on the van. I called in the missing phone within 10-15 minutes of having been dropped off. Unfortunately, the dispatcher said that Stanley was already crossing the Mississippi River and wouldn't be able to return to drop off the phone right away and that we'd have to wait and see if the cleaning service found the phone.
Fortunately, I got a call from Isabelle herself that night, who confirmed that they had indeed found the phone and that they would arrange to return it to me the next day (the last day of my trip). Even though they didn't have any tours scheduled that Monday, Isabelle herself drove downtown in her personal vehicle and delivered my phone to me! She probably spent an hour of her own time just to make sure I left my tour a satisfied customer, and I have to say that I appreciated the effort. Very impressive, and so happy to have my phone back too! When it comes to this tour company, you obviously get what you pay for: an interesting, personalized, first-rate tour, and top-notch customer service that goes above and beyond what you'd expect!
September 15, 2009 - via Trip Advisor
"Delight, Delovely"
Tours by Isabelle provided the most personal service I have ever had the pleasure to experience on a group tour. Our guide was not just a fountain of memorized information but obviously had a passion for the subject matter and embellished it with wonderful human interest stories and conveyed to us her love for New Orleans. My friend and I took the Creole plantation tour over this past Labor Day and we thoroughly enjoyed it even in the pouring rain! Oak Alley is just at thrilling in a down pour as it is in bright sun shine. Our group was small and we were a family by the end of the afternoon. Isabelle was prompt in responding to messages left on a voice mail and everything was arranged with ease. Isabelle, we will be sure to contact you on our next trip to New Orleans. I am glad to know that the difference between Creole and Cajun cooking is tomatoes. Thank you for making a wonderful trip to New Orleans even better. Ann B. Washington DC
September 10, 2009 - via Trip Advisor
"Post Katrina Tour"
We took the Post Katrina tour yesterday. I had reservations about taking a tour - not wanting to "gawk" at the people still having such a hard time. Then I read an article that most people still living in the affected areas didn't mind the tours because it brought more awareness to their situation. I must say I was shocked. I had no idea of the devastation that still exists four years after the storm. It was very, very sobering but very enlightening. Our tour guide was Joseph, who evacuated during the storm, lived in a FEMA trailer, and had a lot of first hand knowledge about the situation. The tour is not really something you would take for enjoyment, but as a definite learning experience. I really felt like we came away from it with a much better understanding of how it happened and what still needs to happen. I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone who comes to New Orleans and thinks everything is back to normal. The van picked us up at our hotel promptly at 8:30 and it was a very pleasant and comfortable trip - with only 3 other passengers besides my husband and I. Thanks Joseph for telling us about Mulate's - just ate and danced there tonight!!!!
July 18, 2009 - via Trip Advisor
"Isabelle Tours"
We had the Katrina tour with Isabelle tours. Our tour master was Ginny. She was FANTASTIC!!!!! She has a wealth of knowledge and very pleasant. I would never use anyone else for tours in New Orleans. It was intimate and very personal. She came to our hotel and picked us up in front..service...lol Mid-point through the tour, we stopped at a very nice cafe. We used the bathroom and got some coffee...