French Quarter Food Walking Tour: Gumbo, Oysters & Tastings

Gumbo, oysters, boudin, muffuletta, jambalaya, beignets: a half-day route through the Quarter's working kitchens

A three-hour food walking tour of New Orleans' French Quarter where you taste your way through Creole and Cajun cooking at multiple restaurants and food establishments, guided by a knowledgeable local. The tour includes tastings of gumbo, po'boys, boudin, muffuletta, jambalaya, oysters, crab boudin balls, beignets and pralines: enough to read like a meal. You can book the standard group tour or upgrade to a small-group option capped at 13 guests for a closer connection to the food and stories.

The experience

You meet your guide in the heart of the French Quarter and spend three hours moving between restaurants and specialty food spots, tasting as you go. The route takes you past Café du Monde and through kitchens you've seen on food shows and in cookbooks. Your guide knows the neighborhood and can recommend favorites or steer you toward the restaurants you want to check out. There's a moderate amount of walking involved (you're moving from one tasting to the next), but the pace is built around eating, not rushing.

The tastings are all included: rich traditional gumbo at a beloved Creole restaurant, a shrimp po'boy, boudin or alligator sausage for the adventurous, a classic muffuletta stacked with olive salad, rustic jambalaya, char-grilled or BBQ oysters, a crab boudin ball, and calas, beignets and buttery pralines made fresh. Cocktails like the Pimms Cup, a New Orleans invention, are available for purchase. Many people find the tastings add up to a full meal's worth of food, so you can work off the walking.

The tour wraps up in the French Quarter, leaving you free to explore on your own or return to a favorite spot later for a sit-down meal. If you want a smaller group and more direct access to the guide and the stories behind the food, you can upgrade to the small-group option, which keeps the party to no more than 13 people.

What’s included

• Three-hour guided walking tour with a knowledgeable English-speaking guide.
• food tastings at multiple French Quarter restaurants and specialty food establishments including gumbo, po'boy, boudin, muffuletta, jambalaya, oysters, crab boudin balls, beignets and pralines.
• option to upgrade to a small-group tour with a maximum of 13 guests.

Options for this experience

2 options

Food Walking TourGuide in English · 10:30, 13:00 and 15:00Group size capped at 18 guests

Food walking tour in a small groupGuide in English · 09:30, 11:30 and 14:00Limited to a maximum of 13 guests

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day6 departure times: the first at 09:30, the last at 15:00

Book up to15h before

GroupUp to 18 · max 9 per booking

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Destination Kitchen

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to taste your way through New Orleans' Creole and Cajun cooking without planning which restaurants to hit. The guide handles the route and the tastings are all arranged, so you show up and eat your way through the Quarter.

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Top questions

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What exactly do I taste on this French Quarter food tour?

The tour includes tastings of gumbo, shrimp po'boy, boudin or alligator sausage, muffuletta, jambalaya, char-grilled or BBQ oysters, crab boudin balls, and calas, beignets and pralines. All tastings are included in the tour price, and many people find them substantial enough to count as a meal.

How much walking is involved in the three-hour tour?

There's a moderate amount of walking as you move between restaurants and food establishments throughout the French Quarter. The pace is built around eating and exploring rather than covering distance quickly, so it's manageable for most fitness levels.

Can I choose which restaurants we visit, or does the guide decide?

You can let your guide know which restaurants interest you or ask for a personal favorite recommendation. The guide leads the route and knows the neighborhood well, so you get both choice and insider knowledge.

What's the difference between the standard tour and the small-group upgrade?

The small-group option caps the tour at 13 guests instead of a larger group, giving you a closer connection to the guide and more direct access to the stories behind the food and the Quarter's culinary history.

Are alcoholic drinks included, or do I have to buy them?

Cocktails like the Pimms Cup are available for purchase during the tour. They're not included in the tour price. Beverages are available for guests 21 and older.

Do I need to tell the tour operator about food allergies?

Yes, advise the operator of any true food allergies before your tour. The tour highlights set tastings with no substitutions, and many authentic Louisiana dishes include pork, so it's important to flag allergies in advance.