Voodoo Walking Tour New Orleans: High Priestess Guide

Hear the truth about Vodou from someone who practices it

This walking tour of New Orleans follows Vodou history through Congo Square, Louis Armstrong Park and the site where Marie Laveau lived, led by a High Priestess of Louisiana Plantation Vodou with direct lineage to the Gullah-Geechee traditions of Virginia and the Carolinas. The guide answers questions about ancestors, offerings, folklore and the real story behind the Hollywood stereotypes that have shaped how outsiders understand the religion.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each3 stops

1. Congo Square30m
2. Louis Armstrong Park30m
3. Runyon Canyon Park30m

Explore Voodoo history and sites

• Hear origins of Vodou at worship site
• Visit Egun tree and learn ancestor roles
• See Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau's site

The experience

The tour starts at Congo Square, where enslaved people gathered to worship and where Vodou itself took root in New Orleans. You'll learn why so much misinformation exists about the religion and what the actual practice looks like, not the versions Hollywood created. From there, the walk moves to Louis Armstrong Park to visit the Egun tree, where you'll understand the role ancestors play in Vodou and what kinds of offerings are left there and why.

The final stop is the neighborhood where Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau lived, healed and worshipped. Your guide (initiated as a High Priestess and an Isefa and Olorisa) separates the documented facts from the folklore and mystery that surround her. You'll get straight answers about voodoo dolls, the actual practices of the religion, and whatever questions come up during the walk. The guide's bloodline traces back to Nigeria and Kenya as well as the Gullah-Geechee coast, so the knowledge here is rooted in real lineage, not in books written by outsiders.

What’s included

• A guide who is a High Priestess of Louisiana Plantation Vodou with initiations as an Isefa and Olorisa.
• stops at Congo Square, the Egun tree in Louis Armstrong Park, and Marie Laveau's neighborhood.
• answers to your questions about Vodou practice, ancestors, offerings and the real history behind the Hollywood stereotypes.

Information

Lasts 1h 45m, runs Thursday to Saturday at 10:00, from US$ 40 per person, with a live guide in English and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesThursday to SaturdayDeparts at 10:00Another time? ›

GroupUp to 28 · max 9 per booking

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (17 to 59 years) · Senior (60 and older) · Youth (13 to 16 years) · Child (6 to 12 years) · Infant (1 to 5 years): free

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 nearby

Operated by Anansi's Daughters

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to understand Vodou from someone actually initiated in the religion and lineage rather than from a non-believer repeating secondhand information. The guide's ancestral connection to the Gullah-Geechee and West African traditions means the knowledge here is rooted in real practice, not in popular myths.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 16 years); Child (6 to 12 years); Infant (1 to 5 years): free.

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's the difference between this Voodoo tour and the others offered in New Orleans?

Most Voodoo tours in New Orleans are led by non-initiates or people without lineage in the religion. This tour is led by a High Priestess of Louisiana Plantation Vodou with direct ancestral connections to the Gullah-Geechee traditions and West African roots, so the information comes from someone who actually practices and was initiated into the religion.

What exactly happens at Congo Square during the tour?

Congo Square is where enslaved people gathered to worship and where Vodou took root in New Orleans. You'll learn the origins of the religion in that actual place and understand why there's so much misinformation about Vodou in popular culture versus what the religion actually is.

Who was Marie Laveau and why does her neighborhood matter?

Marie Laveau was a Voodoo Queen who lived, healed and worshipped in New Orleans, and her story is surrounded by both documented facts and folklore. Your guide will separate what's real from what's myth, and explain the truth about practices like voodoo dolls that have been distorted in popular imagination.

What's the Egun tree and what will I learn there?

The Egun tree in Louis Armstrong Park is where ancestors are honored in Vodou practice. At this stop, you'll learn what role ancestors play in the religion, what kinds of offerings are left at the tree, which deities receive which offerings, and the reasons behind these practices.