NOLA Detours

Marc was so awesome! This was the perfect tour for us. Don't waste your time on those big tours that are not tailored to you. Call NOLA Detours instead and get the truly personalized experience you're looking for. We learned so much about New Orleans and experienced the sights and sounds with a local as our guide. It was like having a friend pick you up and show you around. Marc's knowledge about and passion for New Orleans shines through. We will definitely be back and when you return, we will absolutely call Marc again.

Marc has been wonderful to work with in planning my visit to New Orleans, and setting up a full day of private tours of the city and a behind the scenes French Quarter restaurant and venue tour. Unfortunately, the declining health of my mother in law and hurricane Ian have forced me to cancel my trip. Marc was incredibly understanding and accommodating in issuing a full refund and offering to reschedule our NOLA adventure at a later date when things calm down. I am so grateful for his understand and assistance!

Simply AMAZING!! Marc crafted an amazing tour for us with a focus on music and the music history of New Orleans. He went above and beyond!! Introduced us to local musicians, showed us a lot of great local music venues, fats domino's house, and so much more. We got to see music box village which was simply awe inspiring. He was engaging not just with his storytelling but also in a personable manner. I can't say enough about how amazing this tour was. If you are in New Orleans hiring Marc for a a tour is a must!!

I have been in numerous tours all over the world, Marc Preuss of NOLA Detours is someone you will never forget. His knowledge and passion in what he does are rare qualities you'd find in your tour guide, you can tell he loves sharing and educating visitors of the history and culture of Louisiana! Such a real, helpful, no pressure kind of man! Aside from being an entrepreneur, he can cook too! If I could give more than 5 STARS, I'd do so! VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Found a lifetime friend in him as well!!!!

On a business trip to New Orleans recently, a friend arranged for me to spend time with Marc over several days. Each opportunity was a different aspect of the types of tours Marc offers. This was my 7th or 8th trip to the French Quarter and not my first tour. I was thrilled that not only was I thoroughly spell bound by the history Marc had to share but also enjoyed the easy relaxed way he delivers the information. A native, Marc grew up in the hospitality business and has connections that open doors for his guests. I can't recommend a better more authentic tour guide.

Marc Preuss's private tour was the best!Definitely worth the upgrade from the regular tour companies with their 22-seater buses. We have always shied away from private tours in the past because it sometimes results in high-pressure situations where the tour guide pushes the places and activities they want and is not able to tease out what you want without being overbearing. And if that happens, the higher cost of a private tour makes you feel a bit of a chump.However,our family of 4 (one teen and one younger daughter) visited New Orleans during 2023 Mardi Gras week and had an absolute blast with Marc. There were not too many tour companies running on Lundi Gras right Monday (the day before Mardi Gras Tuesday) but he was. His partner Kristen makes all the arrangements but Marc is the one who conducts the tours -- it's pretty much the two of them.We were picked up mid-morning in a mid-size Ford SUV that was comfortable and nimble enough to navigate the tight roads in the French Quarter and many other places. It certainly allowed us to see a few places we could have otherwise not visited. This also made it very easy to be dropped off right at our hotel in spite of the traffic late afternoon, in spite of live parades and crowds.With one teen and a young kid in our party, we had been concerned that the private tour might be a little over their heads, but Marc was able to make everything interesting for everyone and cover a lot of ground, both outside and inside the city proper. We were able to see some unique spots with him such as the Lake Ponchartrain shore and levees, Crescent Park, Treme and understand the history of the region.All in all, Marc went above and beyond, spending much more time with us than the reservation had promised, and accomodating all our desires. e.g. he took us on drive-through tour of a cemetery, since we wanted to see one but did not want to get out and walk. He knew what would be open even though most were closed that day.He treated us to beignets at a mid-morning tour stop in City Park that was much appreciated. As we are all vegetarian, we had also been concerned about lunch. But we need not have worried. He took us to a relaxed no-pressure lunch at a very nice food court/market, which had various cuisines from around the world and we had a great choice of flavorful vegetarian entrees. All too often, vegetarian is translated by some tour guides into an unappetizing salad and sandwiches. On the way back to our hotel, he stopped at a supermarket so the kids could find and buy the moon-pies they had been looking for, and we were able to pick up some bottled drinking water for the rest of our stay.We were not able to see inside St Louis Cathedral as they were closing for the day when we arrived, but we managed to get inside another day. Apart from that, we covered everything the tour companies would have and more, with very little walking, exactly as we had wanted. That said, we did get out and walk at multiple places that we wanted to and skip the ones we didn't.As we got back into our hotel room, we realized that our youngest daughter's bracelet had been left behind in Marc's vehicle. No matter, he found it and dropped it off at the hotel a couple days later.Marc also provided some tips on what to do on other days of our trip and where to eat or listen to live jazz. Be sure to ask Marc about the original business he and his father were into as natives of New Orleans -- that provides him the background to be such an effective tour guide. Overall, we agreed this was money well spent -- first time ever we splurged on a private tour, but very glad we did. Go for it, you won't regret it!

I can't possibly express how incredible our tour with NOLA Detours was.We were looking for something that was different and would take us to places that were off the typical tourist routes. After reading review after review of people praising NOLA Detours and Marc, then going to their website and reading through some of their tour options, I knew they were the right fit. The thing that makes Detours special is that Marc, the owner and guide, is a New Orleans native raised in the French Quarter. He knows and loves this city. It doesn't matter what you're into - history, architecture, music, food, etc. - he has a tour for that. And if he doesn't, he'll build one. We wanted to "Frankenstein" a couple of tours together and after some back and forth emails, I just said, "We'd like a 2-3 hour tour of the less touristy areas of NOLA with historical context. Music locations and history should be included and can even be the focus." I mean, this is a pretty loose description but, seriously, seriously, we ended up getting so much more than we expected. And, Marc really honed in on what excited us and how we were vibing with different things so he'd adjust and take us to sites that he thought we'd like. Toward the end, my friend needed to do some very specific gift shopping and Marc took us to the most perfect shop. I mean, it was uncanny.So, when I tell you that you won't have a better tour guide, believe me. Whether you pick a tour from the site or you have them build something for you, you won't be disappointed. Since he grew up in the French Quarter and his parents still live there, I'm dubbing him the Mayor of Vieux Carre. He knows every shop and the people on the street and he uses that knowledge to make your experience beyond perfect.

We had a wonderful time touring NOLA with Marc! He is VERY knowledgeable, friendly and loves sharing his city. Our tour was completely customized to our requests and interests. We will definitely book with him again when we return to New Orleans.

What a joke! I signed up for a walking culinary tour of New Orleans with Marc, owner of NOLA DeTours. We had several phone conversations before the date of the tour... ton ensure that my husband and I knew where to meet him. Unfortunately, during those conversations, he was trying to constantly upsell the selected culinary tour. He wanted to add on a kayaking package or an airboat package or a music tour. We just wanted the walking culinary tour from a local!On the day of the tour, he called at our meeting time to let us know he would be an hour late. An hour later, he was still not at the meeting spot and my husband was boiling at this point. We canceled our tour for a refund but ultimately wasted time waiting on him the first half of the day. This was a short trip planned for our 10 year wedding anniversary... and to us, we wanted to spend every moment in the city with music, food, drinks and fun. And dealing with Marc just pissed us off!

Look no further because Mark is THE BEST hands down!! This was my second time visiting New Orleans, my first time I loved it so much I had to come back within 6 months. Last time I came, I did all touristy things, went on three different tours. When I came this time I was pleasantly surprised when Mark, my tour guide this time, showed me all new adventures!!! Everything from art, abandoned buildings, authentic New Orleans restaurants.. honestly this vacation with my dad could of not been any better. Hands down, Mark is the best and he will leave you with memories that last a lifetime. I'll be seeing him again in a few months. Thanks Mark!!!