There are some advantages to taking tours. Though many are touristy (by definition), someone else does the planning, it's an easy way to get to outlying areas, and if the tour guide is good, you should learn a lot in a fairly entertaining way. Any of the following will be adding details about Katrina, to varying degrees, to their lectures, but don't look for that to be the focus. New Orleans had, in case you haven't figured out, a long rich history well before it, a history that covers a couple of near city-devastating disasters prior to the most recent one, and hearing all of that provides excellent perspective, not to mention optimism for what is possible for the city's future.

Be warned: Though we can't vouch for the accuracy of this information, we have heard reports that some hotel concierges take kickbacks from the tour companies they recommend -- a widespread practice around the world. Obviously, not every concierge is on the take, and some may have honest opinions about the merits of one company over another. The way to avoid this problem is to cut out the middleman; no matter how you learned about it, pay the fee directly to the company, not to your concierge. No reputable firm will insist you pay someone else first. In addition, except for the outstanding Historic New Orleans Tours, most tour companies seem to be hit-or-miss, depending on the guide you get.

In the French Quarter

Historic New Orleans Tours (tel. 504/947-2120) is the place to go for authenticity rather than sensationalism. Here, the tour guides are carefully chosen for their combination of knowledge and entertaining manner, and we cannot recommend the guides or the tours highly enough. The daily French Quarter tours are the best straightforward, nonspecialized walking tours of this neighborhood. They also offer a Voodoo tour and a Haunted tour and a Garden District tour. All of their tours are $15 for adults while students and seniors with ID receive $2 off; children 6 to 12 are $7 and those 5 and under are free.

The nonprofit volunteer group Friends of the Cabildo (tel. 504/523-3939) also offers an excellent 2-hour walking tour of the Quarter. It leaves from in front of the 1850 House Museum Store, at 523 St. Ann St., on Jackson Square. The fee is $12 per adult, $10 for seniors (over 65) and children 13 to 20; it's free for children 12 and under accompanied by an adult. Tours leave Thursday through Sunday at 10am and 1:30pm, except holidays. Reservations aren't necessary -- just show up, about 15 minutes early. Stop by the Jean Lafitte National Park and Preserve's Folklife and Visitor Center, 419 Decatur St., near Conti Street (tel. 504/589-2636), for details on its excellent free walking tour conducted by National Park Service rangers. The History of New Orleans tour covers about a mile in the French Quarter and brings to life the city's history and the ethnic roots of its unique cultural mix. No reservations are required for this tour, but only 25 people are taken in a group. The tour starts at 9:30am daily (except for Mardi Gras and Christmas); the office opens at 9am, and it's strongly suggested that you get there then to ensure that you get a ticket.

The Bienville Foundation, run by Roberts Batson (tel. 504/945-6789), offers a live-on-stage Scandal Tour entitled "Amazing Place, This New Orleans," and a highly popular and recommended Gay Heritage Tour. The tours last roughly 2 1/2 hours and generally cost $20 per person. Times and departure locations also change seasonally, so call or e-mail to find out what's happening when.

Kenneth Holdrich, a professor of American literature at the University of New Orleans, runs Heritage Literary Tours, 732 Frenchmen St. (tel. 504/949-9805). Aside from his considerable academic credentials, he knew both Tennessee Williams and the mother of John Kennedy Toole. In addition to a general tour about the considerable literary legacy of the French Quarter, some tours, arranged in advance, can be designed around a specific author, like the Tennessee Williams tour. Group tours ($20 per person for adults) can be "scheduled for your convenience."

Le Monde Creole (tel. 504/568-1801) offers a unique tour that uses the dramatic lives of one classic Creole family as a microcosm of the Creole world of the 19th century. This is the sister operation of Laura Plantation. At the city location, you can learn about Creole city life and the extraordinary story of Laura's family, off the plantation and in the Vieux Carré, while viewing French Quarter courtyards associated with the family. This is probably the only operation that also offers tours in French. (And also in German and Italian, but that needs to be arranged further in advance.) Currently, there are tours (which include a visit to St. Louis No. 1 and the voodoo temple on Rampart) Mon-Sat at 10:30am and Sun 10am in English. There are also four tours a week in French. All tours are reservation only, so call in advance. Tours can be given in the afternoon, but you must arrange it 24 hours in advance. Prices are $20 adults, $16 for students, $10 for children 4 to 10, and free for kids 3 and under.

Beyond the French Quarter

Author Robert Florence (who has written two excellent books about New Orleans cemeteries) loves his work, and his Historic New Orleans Tours (tel. 504/947-2120) are full of meticulously researched facts and more than a few good stories. A very thorough tour of the Garden District and Lafayette Cemetery (a section of town not many of the other companies go into) leaves daily at 11am and 1:45pm from the Garden District Book Shop (in the Rink, corner of Washington Ave. and Prytania St.). Rates are $15 for adults, $13 for students and seniors, $7 for children 7 to 12, and free for children 6 and under.

Tours by Isabelle (tel. 504/391-3544) offers eight different tours for small groups in passenger vans. Most of their business is currently coming from the Post-Katrina City Tour ($58) (which is the only way they still show the city apart from what is listed and in walking tours). It is 70 miles long and takes 3 hours and 20 minutes. It still shows French Quarter, City Park, and other places that date from the beginning of the city's history, but otherwise is highly geared toward post-Katrina damage and sights, and is comprehensive. This may seem exploitative, but most of the drivers are from that impacted area, and this gives them work. Prices and departure times vary. Make reservations as far in advance as possible. For $60, you can join Isabelle's afternoon Combo Tour, which begins at 1pm and adds Longue Vue House and Gardens to a tour of the French Quarter, St. Louis Cemetery No. 3, Bayou St. John, the shores of Lake Pontchartrain, and the Uptown and downtown neighborhoods. Many more tours are available; contact them for more information.

Gray Line, 2 Canal St., Suite 1300 (tel. 800/535-7786 or 504/569-1401), like all businesses around town, took a hard hit, between severely reduced staff (most of whom, including the head of the local company, lost their homes), and, of course, being a business that involves sightseeing. Consequently, they took the controversial move of adding Katrina disaster tours to their menu. Initially, locals thought the tours a bad idea, but upon reflection, the majority agreed: These sights need to be seen, so that this disaster, and its victims, are not forgotten. Certainly, the company has gone to great lengths to operate these tours with respect. Guides are locals with their own storm stories to tell, tourists are not allowed to exit the vans while in the damaged neighborhoods, a portion of the ticket price goes to Katrina relief (and passengers can choose which organization, out of a selection, their money will go to), and petitions to various government agencies are sent around for voluntary signatures. Gray Line also offers tours of the entire city in comfortable coaches, with the exception of the French Quarter tour. And it has a tour that includes a 2-hour cruise on the steamboat Natchez, plus plantation tours, swamp tours, and a number of walking tours, including nighttime and ghost tours.

Good Old Days (tel. 504/523-0804) offers 3-hour daily van tours of the city for $45; children 11 and under go for half-price. The company also offers a plantation tour for $60 and carriage tours for $125 an hour.

Swamp Tours

In addition to the tour providers listed below, Jean Lafitte and Gray Line both offer swamp tours, which can be a hoot, particularly if you get a guide who calls alligators to your boat for a little snack of chicken (please keep your hands inside the boat -- they tend to look a lot like chicken to a gator). On all of the following tours, you're likely to see alligators, bald eagles, waterfowl, egrets, owls, herons, ospreys, feral hogs, otters, beavers, frogs, turtles, raccoons, deer, and nutria (maybe even a black bear or a mink) -- and a morning spent floating on the bayou can be mighty pleasant.

Dr. Wagner's Honey Island Swamp Tours (tel. 985/641-1769 or 504/242-5877) takes you by boat into the interior of Honey Island Swamp to view wildlife with native professional naturalist guides. The tour guides provide a solid educational experience to go with the purer swamp excitement. Tours last approximately 2 hours. Prices are $23 for adults, $15 for children 11 and under, and if you drive to the launch site yourself; the rates are $45 and $32 for children if you want a hotel pickup in New Orleans, though at press time they were not offering that option.

Westwego Swamp Adventures (tel. 800/633-0503), located on Bayou Segnette in the town of Westwego, offers an "authentic Cajun Heritage" tour. It includes transportation from most downtown hotels for an additional fee. Prices for the 2-hour swamp tour are $24 for adults and $12 for children 2 to 12 for drive-ups; with transportation prices are $43 for adults and $24 for children. Kids under 2 free with paid adult.

Pearl River Eco-Tours, 55050 Hwy. 90, Slidell, LA 70461 (tel. 866/59-SWAMP or 504/581-3395), is built on Southern hospitality. The boat captain, Neil, has been doing tours of Honey Island Swamp for over 10 years The swamp is beautiful, even during the months the gators are in hibernation. If you have a car, you can drive over there and tour for $23 (children 4-12 go for $15). Tours run at 10am and 2:30pm. If they provide transportation from New Orleans, the cost is $45 for adults, $32.50 for children ages 4 to 12.

Mystical & Mysterious Tours

An increased interest in the supernatural, ghostly side of New Orleans -- let's go right ahead and blame Anne Rice -- has meant an increased number of tours catering to the vampire set. It has also resulted in some rather humorous infighting as rival tour operators have accused each other of stealing their shtick -- and customers. We enjoy a good nighttime ghost tour of the Quarter as much as anyone, but we also have to admit that what's available is really hit-or-miss in presentation (it depends on who conducts your particular tour) and more miss than hit with regard to facts. Go for the entertainment value, not for the education (with some exceptions -- see below). But just remember this: there was no New Orleans vampire tradition until Ms. Rice created one.

While most of the ghost tours are a bunch of hooey hokum (many using bullhorns during nighttime tours, disturbing neighborhood peace and quiet), we are pleased that there is one we can send you to with a clear conscience: Historic New Orleans Tours (tel. 504/947-2120). They offer a Cemetery and Voodoo Tour, the only one that is fact- and not sensation-based, though it is no less entertaining for it. The trip goes through St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, Congo Square, and an active voodoo temple. It leaves Monday through Saturday at 10am and 1pm, Sunday at 10am only, from the courtyard at 334-B Royal St. Rates are $15 for adults, $13 for students and seniors, and free for children 11 and under. They are also offering a nighttime haunted tour, perhaps the only one in town where well-researched guides will offer genuine thrills and chills. It leaves at 7:30pm from Snooks, at the corner of Bourbon and Orleans.

Magic Walking Tours, 714 N. Rampart (tel. 504/588-9693), was apparently the first to up the ante on the evening tours, offering a bit of theatrical spectacle along with the tours. When others copied the concept, they toned down the gimmicks, emphasizing the history and folklore along with ghost stories. The guides are generally good, all, per the owner (who has a Ph.D. in history) scholars and journalists. Several guided walking tours are offered daily: St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. (which is probably the only voodoo-free cemetery tour out there), Courtyards, the French Quarter, the Garden District, and the Ghost-Hunt and Voodoo Walking Tour. Reservations are required, but call ahead for tour schedules. Meeting places vary according to the tour. Tours cost $18 for adults; $15 for students, seniors, and military; and are free for children 5 and under.

Haunted History Tours, 97 Fontainebleau Dr. (tel. 888/6-GHOSTS or 504/861-2727), is the Magic Walking Tours' big rival and the place to go if you want mild theatrics along with facts (and we use the term "facts" very loosely). Expect fake snakes and blood, costumes, and gizmos. They offer everything from a voodoo/cemetery tour to a nocturnal vampire tour of the Quarter. Prices are $20 for adults, $17 for seniors and students, $10 for children; meeting places and departure times vary with the offerings.

Creole Cooking Vacations

For visitors who want to take their New Orleans culinary experience one big step further, the New Orleans Cooking Experience (tel. 504/945-9104) offers personalized cooking classes, from half-day courses to special-events demonstrations to 2- or 4-day complete vacations. The latter includes classes, dining out, and most meals. Classes are taught at The House on Bayou Road, a charming 18th-century inn. Celebrated New Orleans chef Frank Brigtsen has created the course curriculum, which will feature classic New Orleans Creole dishes such as filé gumbo, crabmeat ravigote, barbecued shrimp, jambalaya, crawfish étouffée, and bananas Foster. Look for classes and special series taught by local culinary legend Leah Chase, and other high-profile local chefs. Regular classes are limited to no more than 10 people. Single classes are $150 per person and include recipes, a multicourse meal, and wines. Classes-only series are priced at four classes for $560 and three classes for $420. Complete vacation classes are $290-$385 for 2 and 4 days. Private classes and customized group rates are available by reservation.

Boat Tours

For those interested in doing the Mark Twain thing, a number of operators offer riverboat cruises; some cruises have specific destinations like the zoo or Chalmette, while others just cruise the river and harbor without stopping. They're touristy, but they can be fun if you're in the right mood, and they are good for families. Docks are at the foot of Toulouse and Canal streets, and there's ample parking. Call for reservations, which are required for all these tours, and to confirm prices and schedules.

The steamboat Natchez, 2 Canal St., Suite 1300 (tel. 800/233-BOAT or 504/586-8777), a marvelous three-deck stern-wheeler docked at the wharf behind the Jackson Brewery, offers at least one 2-hour daytime cruise Wednesday through Sunday, and a jazz dinner cruise Thursday through Sunday. The narration is by professional guides, and there are a cocktail bar, live jazz, an optional lunch, and a gift shop. Daytime fares are $19.50 for adults and $9.75 for children; evening cruises (not including dinner) are $31 for adults, $16 for children. Children 2 and under ride free. The cruise with dinner runs $57 for adults, $29 for children 6 to 12, and $12 for children 2 to 5.

Aboard the stern-wheeler John James Audubon, 2 Canal St., Suite 1300 (tel. 800/233-BOAT or 504/586-8777), passengers travel the Mississippi, tour the busy port, and dock to visit the Audubon Zoo and the Aquarium of the Americas. There are four trips daily Friday through Sunday, departing from the Riverwalk in front of the aquarium at 10am, noon, 2, and 4pm. Return trips from the zoo leave at 11am and 1, 3, and 5pm. One-way or round-trip tickets can be purchased with or without aquarium, zoo, and IMAX admission. Combination tickets, ranging from $41 to $73 for adults and $23 to $39 for children, saving you several dollars, are available.

The paddle-wheeler Creole Queen, Riverwalk Dock (tel. 800/445-4109 or 504/529-4567), departs from the Poydras Street Wharf adjacent to the Riverwalk on Friday and Saturday afternoon for a 1 1/2-hour narrated excursion to the port and to the historic site of the Battle of New Orleans. There is also a 7pm jazz dinner cruise. The boat has a covered promenade deck, and its inner lounges are air-conditioned and heated as needed. Snacks are available on daytime cruises. Daytime fares are $20 for adults, $12 for children; the nighttime jazz cruise is $58 for adults, $33 for children. Children 2 and under ride free. They also offer swamp tours and harbor cruises; prices vary.

Carriage Tours

Corny it may be, but there is a sheepish romantic lure to the old horse-drawn carriages that pick up passengers at Jackson Square and take them for day and nighttime tours of the Quarter. (They are actually mule-drawn because mules can take heat and humidity while horses can't.) The mules are decked out with ribbons, flowers, or even hats, and the drivers seem to be in a fierce competition to win the "most unusual city story" award. Once again, the "facts" presented are probably dubious but should be most entertaining. Carriages wait at the Decatur Street end of Jackson Square from 9am to midnight in good weather; the charges are $8 per adult and $5 for kids 11 and under for a ride that lasts roughly half an hour.

Private horse-and-carriage tours offered by Good Old Days Buggies (tel. 504/523-0804) include hotel or restaurant pickup and cost $125 an hour.

Antiquing Tours

Antiquing in New Orleans can be an overwhelming experience, especially if you have your heart set on something in particular. For that, you might need a little expert help, and that's why Macon Riddle founded Let's Go Antiquing!, 1412 Fourth St. (tel. 504/899-3027). She'll organize and customize antiques-shopping tours to fit your needs. Hotel pickup is included, and she will even make lunch reservations for you. If you find something and need to ship it home, she'll take care of that, too. Prices vary.