FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do I find my tour guide?
Just look for the sign that says Hottest Hell Tours outside the entrance of Armstrong Park, located at 801 North Rampart Street at the edge of The French Quarter. Additional instructions will be emailed after you book your tour.
Should I tip my tour guide?
Absolutely yes. Tour guides work for tips, and are part of our legendary service industry. They are providing you with 90-120 minutes of personalized, safe passage through one of the most complex and historic locations in the United Sates of America. Please bring cash and tip accordingly.
What do I wear?
New Orleans is a tropical city. Dress in light layers so that surprise rainstorms—which are common here—wind, and/or Gulf sun do not disrupt your experience of the tour. Flat, comfortable shoes suitable for walking are strongly encouraged.
What if it’s raining?
Again, New Orleans is a tropical city—we rarely let a little water get us down. That said, inclement weather which poses a threat to client safety (flooding, flood warnings, tornado or hurricane warnings, lightning, etc.) are grounds for canceling tours. Please check your email before arriving for tours for updates on cancellations and rescheduled tours.
What if I’m late?
Late arrivals will not be accepted once the tour departs. We will happily re-book your tour at the cost of $5 per person.
Do we go inside haunted buildings?
Um, have you ever seen a horror movie? Hollywood’s made clear you can’t take guests inside haunted places without demonic possession or a few murders, and getting insured for that’s a nightmare so…no, we do not go inside. And, more seriously: The French Quarter is a protected historic district. Many of the locations on this tour are privately owned residences lived in by locals. The rest are operating businesses. You are welcome to visit the businesses during their regular hours on your own time, but we cannot invade homes or shops during the tour unless you’d also like an extended visit to the New Orleans’ parish prison.
Is the tour scary?
The content of the tour is spooky, unnerving, and perhaps disturbing, but no more so than the French Quarter itself. Absolutely no fake ghosts or monsters will jump out at you during your journey, and we do not schedule “scares” into our tour.
What if I get separated from my guide?
A phone number will be provided to you before the tour so that wayward souls can easily be reunited with their guides.
Will there be alcohol?
Please note that Hottest Hell Tours has a zero-tolerance policy for inebriated guests—this is a city where you can “do whatcha wanna”, but you may not ruin, interrupt, or jeopardize the tour for any other guests. Buzzing is fine (so long as you’re of age), but drunken antics are not. Hottest Hell Tour Guides reserve the right to refuse service to guests who arrive drunk for check-in, and to anyone under the age of 21 who is drinking alcohol. There will be one “pit stop” at the halfway point to allow responsible adults to fill their cups.
Are there bathrooms?
There are many bathrooms throughout the French Quarter. We stop at one, midway through the tour. While some guests fill their cups, you can empty your bladder.
Is the tour accessible for the disabled?
Hottest Hell enthusiastically welcomes all individuals and goes above and beyond to accommodate the needs of our guests. If you or a family member need specific accommodations, please reach out to us directly to communicate your needs prior to booking your tour. Unfortunately, the historic French Quarter is not the most wheelchair accessible neighborhood—ours is a city that has drowned twice, after all. Sidewalks can become very crowded, and there are a limited number of ramps on and off our notoriously uneven (and old) streets. Visitors with comprised mobility are strongly encouraged to bring a buddy who can assist them with navigating the tour. For those with more severe mobility issues, electric scooters are strongly encouraged.
Can we dress up?
This is New Orleans. Everyday is Halloween here.
““The first thing you notice about New Orleans are the burying grounds - the cemeteries - and they’re a cold proposition, one of the best things there are here. Going by, you try to be as quiet as possible, better to let them sleep. Greek, Roman, sepulchres- palatial mausoleums made to order, phantomesque, signs and symbols of hidden decay - ghosts of women and men who have sinned and who’ve died and are now living in tombs. The past doesn’t pass away so quickly here.
You could be dead for a long time” ”