New Orleans Tours for Every Traveler

Perfect if you’re the type who secretly enjoys hitting your daily step goal while learning a little gossip about the city’s past. Many of the tours below follow the format of a walking tour. Dive deeper into local neighborhoods, eat and drink like royalty, and take in the architecture that the city is famous for with a walking tour. 

These tours are great for those who prefer their history with a side of jump scares — and maybe a blurry orb in the background of your photos. Visit cemeteries and local landmarks and learn about the history of voodoo. There are even tours suitable for children in the ghostly variety! 

For more on Ghost & Haunted Tours, see here. 

Neighborhood walking tours are the best way to see New Orleans’ architecture up close. From colorful row houses to Classic Revival mansions and charming cottages shadowed by giant oak trees, these houses have been around for centuries. These tours are ideal for anyone who opens Zillow listings “just to look” and ends up designing their dream home. 

Want a bite of every dish but don’t know where to start? Culinary tours in New Orleans offer a taste of our best dishes. Dive headfirst into a piping hot bowl of gumbo or belly up to Bananas Foster. Consider taking a cocktail tour for sips of New Orleans classics! 

For more on Culinary Tours, see here AND For more on Cocktail Tours, see here. 

Ever wanted to pet a gator, or see a racoon in the daytime? There are plenty of swamp tours to choose from when visiting New Orleans that are equal parts thrilling and scenic. Take to the water in a swamp boat or kayak tour or channel your inner thrill-seeker with the only zipline over a swamp! Many tour operators offer transportation to and from downtown New Orleans. Think about it, where else do you get to say you locked eyes with a gator before lunch? 

For more on Swamp Tours, see here. 

These tours offer a fun way to cover a lot of ground and see the city. Enjoy a standard bicycle tour and get a great workout in or opt for an E-bike tour where you don’t have to put in as much muscle. By night, you’ll catch these tours illuminated by LED lights and passing in a herd, usually led by someone blasting music. 

Kick back and relax atop a hop-on-hop off bus tour, and don’t worry about breaking a sweat when it comes to seeing all the sights. Live guided, bus tours are also a great way to learn about the city’s history easily. 

Step back in time and into a carriage pulled by horse on your tour of the French Quarter. Hop aboard the Riverboat City of New Orleans or Paddlewheeler Creole Queen for a cruise on the Mississippi River. Riverboat cruises are a popular choice for holidays, like Independence Day and Halloween. 

For more on Riverboat Cruises & Carriage Tours, see here. 

Go off the beaten path and into the neighborhoods that make New Orleans a community. Learn about the Tremé neighborhood, known as the oldest African American neighborhood in the U.S. Dive into historic museums, local Black-owned businesses, and more with the help of a local guide. 

For more on History & Culture Tours, see here. 

Specifically designed for children, these tours are kid-approved options for when you want to keep everyone entertained without hearing the words “I’m bored” once! French Quartour Kids offers a variety of tours based on age, such as a Spooky Ghost Hunt for kids ages 4-8 and a Creole Kids Living History Tour suitable for ages 7-12. Tours that are a popular choice for the whole family include swamp tours, riverboat cruises, and Mardi Gras tours.  

For those who believe if you didn’t post it, it didn’t happen. Bonus: you’ll leave with shots better than your phone’s portrait mode. 

Want to get to know New Orleans but don’t know where to start? We recommend starting in the French Quarter. Walking tours bring the French Quarter to life, with specialized guides possessing expert knowledge of all sorts: historic architecture, local landmarks, and haunted history to name a few. This tour is perfect for a first-time visitor or anyone wanting to know more about the most famous neighborhood in New Orleans! 

For more on French Quarter Tours, see here. 

Perfect for those on a budget or free spirits — check out our self-guided neighborhood walking tours here to dive into the best of the Arts District, Bywater, Tremé, Lower Garden District, and more! Plot your own path, hit pause for a po-boy, and continue your tour of New Orleans at your leisure.  

For more on Self-Guided Tours, see here.