Hop in a boat, bus or take to the streets by feet to experience New Orleans with the help of a tour guide this fall. There’s so much more to our food and drink, culture and history than meets the eye. The rich knowledge that a tour brings combined with a stroll through the crisp fall air makes for an ideal New Orleans day. Take a tour this fall in New Orleans and leave with a story, not just a souvenir. 

Learn more about the city’s reopening here. Check with your tour company of choice on their individual guidelines and protocols.

Ghost Tours

Spooky season might have passed, but New Orleans is still home to some seriously haunted activities. Most haunted tours are offered in the French Quarter and range from ghost tours to Voodoo history to cemetery tours and more. A few tour operators to look into include Gators and Ghosts, New Orleans Ghosts and Witches Brew Tours. Don’t be spooked out of skipping these tours. Read more about haunted tours here.

History and Heritage Tours

Exploring New Orleans’ history can come in the form of visiting museums, trekking through neighborhoods or simply conversing with locals. For a guided tour, there are plenty of options for diving into the city’s history, including Black history tours, music history tours, neighborhood tours and tours of the surrounding river parishes. Experience a Black heritage tour of Tremé from All About Dat Tours. The Historic New Orleans Collection has a range of self-guided history tours of the French Quarter. Learn about the history of the Civil Rights movement with Tours by Judy. Choose from walking, bus or bike – there’s a history tour for everyone. Read more about history tours here.

Swamp Tours

Explore Louisiana’s wetlands located just a short drive from downtown New Orleans with a swamp tour. Kayak and airboat tours are the best way to get up close and personal with the region’s wildlife. Learn about the tranquil wetlands that protect our environment and, if you’re lucky, you could even get to feed marshmallows to alligators. Small, personalized tours are the way to go right now, and swamp tours have been very accommodating, often including transportation to the swamp site. Take a trip to the Honey Island Swamp with Cajun Encounters Swamp Tours or visit the Manchac Swamp in Ponchatoula via a New Orleans Kayak Swamp Tour. Read more about swamp tours here.

Culinary Tours

You can’t come to New Orleans without experiencing the food, much of which is rooted in tradition. If you’d like to eat your way through NOLA, then culinary tours are for you. Sample cocktails or go from one savory spot to the next and experience the diverse cuisine that New Orleans is known for. New Orleans Secrets Tours has a Magazine Street Foodie tour and a French Quarter History & Cocktail tour currently available. Learn about food or cocktail history (or both!), including tastings of gumbo, po-boys and pralines with Doctor Gumbo Tours. Read more about culinary tours here.

Neighborhood Tours

See New Orleans like you’ve never seen it before via foot, bike or bus with the help of a guided tour. The architecture of the city combined with iconic sights and hidden gems are a great way to experience the city through a new lens. Buzz NOLA offers complete bike tours of the city, including the French Quarter, Bayou St. John and Treme. The Amazing Scavenger Hunt Adventure tour offers a fun challenge in downtown New Orleans. Check out more neighborhood tours here.

Virtual Tours

Not quite ready to book an in-person tour? Our roundup of virtual tours and visits brings you to the heart of New Orleans from the comfort of your own home. Explore Bourbon Street, City Park and the Garden District with virtual tours from Free Tours by Foot. For more on virtual tours, see here.