Things to do in New Orleans
French Quarter Ghost Tour27 optionsAirboat New Orleans14 optionsGhost Tour New Orleans51 optionsNew Orleans Air Boat Ride32 optionsPlantations in New Orleans39 optionsOak Alley Plantation Tours21 optionsFood Tour New Orleans39 optionsNew Orleans Garden District Walking Tour29 optionsBus Tour New Orleans6 optionsCity Tour New Orleans10 optionsNew Orleans Cooking Tour6 optionsHaunted Bar Crawl New Orleans5 options
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New Orleans: Manchac Swamp Kayak Tour with Local GuideYou paddle a 2–3 hour kayak tour through Manchac Swamp with a local naturalist explaining the bayou's history and wildlife. Small groups under 14 keep the pace manageable, and pickup from the French Quarter or self-drive option means you're not stuck arranging extra transport. The fixed 9am and 12pm departure times mean you plan your morning around the tour, not the other way around.Is it for me?Right for travelers staying in New Orleans without a car or who want transport handled — pickup from the French Quarter means no rental or rideshare negotiation. Plan for a morning or early afternoon out of the city; the 2–3 hour paddle plus travel time is what lets you see the swamp without rushing back.
New Orleans: Ghost, Vampire & Voodoo Walking Tour Adults OnlyYou walk the French Quarter for two hours with a guide who practices witchcraft or voodoo, stopping at the Lalaurie Mansion, Jackson Square, Pirates Alley, and haunted hotels while hearing the graphic, uncensored history of murders, voodoo, vampires and witchcraft. A bar stop breaks up the tour, and you get access to exclusive ghost photos taken by previous guests. Small groups keep it intimate.Is it for me?Book this if you want the uncensored, graphic history of New Orleans' darkest corners told by someone who actually practices within these communities—the kind of detail and honesty you won't get from larger tour groups or family-friendly alternatives.
New Orleans French Quarter Photo Shoot & Walking TourYou walk through the French Quarter's most photographed landmarks—St. Louis Cathedral, Bourbon Street, Preservation Hall, and more—while a local photographer captures you in each spot. Small groups mean personal attention, and you receive 15–20 edited photos within ten business days. No experience needed; just bring yourself and comfortable shoes.Is it for me?Book this if you want professional photos of yourself in New Orleans without arranging a separate photographer or spending hours editing phone pictures—the small group size and local guide's knowledge of the best light and angles are what make the difference between a souvenir and a photo you'll actually frame.
New Orleans Cemetery Tour: Graves of the notoriousYou walk St. Louis Cemetery No. 3 with author Sally Asher for 90 minutes, learning burial practices and the untold stories of notable citizens — from a secret photographer to the turducken's inventor. The tour covers less than a mile, includes insider cultural tips, and meets at the Esplanade Avenue gate.Is it for me?Right for travelers who want the real New Orleans history — the scandals and contradictions, not the sanitized version — and don't mind a slow walk through a cemetery to get it. Expect 90 minutes on your feet with no rushing; that's what makes room for the stories that actually stick with you.
New Orleans: Whitney & Laura Plantation Tour from HotelsYou're picked up from your New Orleans hotel and driven along the Mississippi River to Whitney Plantation Museum, where you self-guide through slave cabins and narratives using an app on your phone. Then a guided tour at Laura Plantation walks you through the lives of enslaved and Creole families, with stops at Oak Alley's famous oaks and St. Joseph Plantation along the way. The van holds 14 people, so the pace stays manageable and the guide's attention is split fewer ways.Is it for me?Right for travelers staying in New Orleans who want to understand plantation history beyond the mansion tours — Whitney's focus on enslaved people's narratives and Laura's guided storytelling offer depth that self-directed visits don't. The small-group van and hotel pickup mean you don't arrange your own transport or navigate the Great River Road alone.
Garden District New Orleans: Celebrity Homes & Historic Walking TourYou walk two hours through New Orleans' Garden District with a local guide who shows you celebrity homes, 1800s mansions, and movie filming locations. The tour covers the main historic streets, includes stories about the neighborhood's famous residents, and is wheelchair accessible. Book if you want the main sights without arranging your own route or timing.Is it for me?Pick this if you want to see the Garden District's main sights and celebrity homes without figuring out the route yourself — the fixed two-hour walk and local guide handle the timing and navigation, leaving you free to listen and look.
New Orleans: Witchcraft, Voodoo & Ghost Tour with Spell CastingYou walk the French Quarter with an expert guide who separates real history from Hollywood myth — from the Ursuline Convent and Napoleon House to the infamous LaLaurie Mansion and a working voodoo shop. The tour culminates in exclusive access to a witch coven's actual temple, where you participate in a group spell-casting ritual in the hidden courtyard. Plan for 2 to 3 hours on foot through the Quarter.Is it for me?Right for travelers who want New Orleans history beyond the surface — the real people, the documented hauntings, the cultural roots of voodoo and witchcraft — and who are comfortable with dark subject matter. The 2- to 3-hour pace keeps the experience focused and walkable, and the spell-casting ritual at the end is something you won't find on other tours.
New Orleans: French Quarter & St. Louis Cemetery Bus TourYou ride a small bus through New Orleans' main neighborhoods and historic sites, stop to walk St. Louis Cemetery No. 3 with a licensed guide, and spend 20 to 30 minutes at the sculpture garden in City Park with time for beignets. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, and the whole thing takes 2.5 hours.Is it for me?Choose this if you want to see the main neighborhoods and historic sites of New Orleans without arranging your own transport or timing—the bus, the guide, and the stops are all planned, so you just show up at your hotel.
New Orleans Garden District & Lafayette Cemetery Gates TourYou walk through the Garden District's mansion-lined streets with a local guide who points out celebrity homes and architectural history, ride past the St. Charles Streetcar, and view Lafayette Cemetery #1's aboveground tombs from the gates while learning about New Orleans' burial customs and the stories of the people buried there. The tour is wheelchair accessible, moves at a comfortable pace, and takes two hours total.Is it for me?Book this if you want the Garden District's real history—the architecture, the names, the why behind the mansions—without arranging your own research or getting lost on the streets. The small-group format and local guide mean you hear the stories that don't make it into guidebooks, and the two-hour length fits into an afternoon without eating your whole day.
New Orleans bike tour: French Quarter and Garden DistrictA 3-hour guided bike tour of New Orleans covers the French Quarter's oldest streets and history, then crosses to the Garden District to see 19th-century mansions built for the city's wealthy. The tour runs with a maximum of 12 riders, includes a local guide, bottled water and a comfortable bike with basket, and starts and ends 1.5 blocks from Canal Street.Is it for me?The guide speaks English throughout, so you follow the commentary without translation. This tour suits anyone who can ride a bike for three hours and wants to cover both sides of New Orleans in one morning or afternoon without renting a bike separately or navigating the neighborhoods alone.
New Orleans: Airboat Ride & Swamp Wildlife with PickupYou’ll feel the wind whip your face as you speed across Louisiana’s wetlands on an airboat ride near Jean Lafitte. Watch wild alligators slide through sunlit water and listen as your local guide shares stories about life in the bayou. Includes round-trip pickup from New Orleans plus time to check out an albino alligator exhibit before heading back.
New Orleans Garden District Architecture Tour MansionsA two-hour walking tour of New Orleans' Garden District with a licensed local guide covers Greek Revival, Italianate and Victorian mansions built in the 1800s, plus a visit to Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 to learn the city's distinctive above-ground burial customs. Groups stay under 14 people. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended; the tour runs in favorable weather only, with a reschedule or refund if canceled.Is it for me?Your guide teaches you to read architectural styles by standing in front of the actual houses, pointing out what makes Greek Revival different from Italianate and Victorian—the small group means you can ask about the details that catch your eye.
Seven Three Distilling Tour and Tasting: New OrleansSeven Three Distilling offers a 45-minute guided tour of their North Claiborne Avenue distillery in New Orleans, where you learn the history of craft distillation and the Old Treme neighborhood, tour the production area including the custom-built double pot still and bottling line, and taste five of their house spirits. The tour is led in English by a live guide; you must be at least 21 years old to attend. Wheelchair accessible throughout, with public transportation nearby.Is it for me?Book this tour if you want to see how spirits are actually made rather than just hear about it—you'll stand in the production area, handle the equipment, and taste the results while a guide explains the choices that go into each bottle. The 45-minute length fits an afternoon without eating up your whole day.
New Orleans Airport Transfer: Private SUV & Sedan PickupYou get picked up by name in baggage claim, choose your vehicle type, and ride directly to your New Orleans hotel or cruise port without arranging transport or managing luggage logistics yourself. The fixed arrangement means you know the cost and the driver before you land, which is what turns a transfer into one less thing to think about on arrival day.Is it for me?This works best if you're arriving with luggage and want to skip the taxi line or shuttle wait — the fixed pickup means you're not managing timing or negotiating rates after a flight.
Oak Alley Plantation & Swamp Boat Tour from New OrleansYou get hotel pickup, a guided tour of the 1837 plantation house with its iconic 28 oaks, a narrated swamp boat ride with a native captain, and wildlife viewing in the Barataria Swamps—all in one full day without arranging your own transport or timing. The covered boat keeps you comfortable, and the slow pace gives you real time to photograph and absorb the bayou.Is it for me?Book this if you want to see both the grand plantation history and the living bayou culture in one day without arranging your own transport or timing—the hotel pickup and fixed schedule handle the logistics, leaving you free to focus on the oaks, the swamp, and what the captain tells you.
Cajun Roux Cooking Class in New Orleans: Make Gumbo & EtouffeeA hands-on Cajun cooking class in New Orleans' French Quarter where you learn to make gumbo, shrimp étouffée and bananas foster, then dine on what you've prepared. Classes run three hours with a chef leading you through each step, starting with the Cajun Holy Trinity and finishing with dessert. Groups stay small—minimum two people, maximum eight without advance arrangement—and the kitchen feels more like cooking with friends than taking instruction.Is it for me?The chef-led instruction and small group size mean you're learning technique hands-on without the chaos of a large class—you actually get to ask questions and watch the chef work beside you, not from the back of a crowded kitchen.
New Orleans: Oak Alley & Laura Plantation with Hotel PickupYou get hotel pickup from your New Orleans hotel, a 40-minute guided tour of either Oak Alley Plantation or Laura Plantation with a professional guide, and return transport to your hotel. You see the Big House, slave quarters, gardens and 300-year-old oaks without arranging your own transport or timing the drive yourself — the tour handles the logistics so you just show up.Is it for me?Book this if you want to see the plantation history outside New Orleans without renting a car or figuring out the drive yourself — the pickup and fixed schedule mean you just show up at your hotel and the rest is handled.
New Orleans: Voodoo, Vampire & Ghost Walking TourYou walk the French Quarter for two hours with a local guide who covers verified ghost stories at LaLaurie Mansion, St. Louis Cathedral, and other haunted sites. You learn about New Orleans' vampire folklore, pirate history, and public executions—all grounded in historical research rather than theatrics. The guide is included; routes may change due to festivals or construction.Is it for me?Book this if you want the real history of New Orleans' haunted side without the theatrics—the guide's research-backed stories are what make the difference between a ghost tour and an actual account of what happened here.
New Orleans Airport Transfer: Private Black Car & Meet-GreetYou get picked up inside the terminal with a name sign, tracked via real-time flight data, and driven directly to your New Orleans hotel without negotiating a fare or waiting for a shared ride. The driver handles luggage, the price is fixed, and the service adjusts automatically if your flight is early or late. Outbound transfers work the same way—you choose your pickup time, the chauffeur arrives punctually, and you're dropped at the terminal entrance.Is it for me?Right for travelers landing at Louis Armstrong Airport without a rental car or who prefer not to drive after a flight. The service handles all coordination—flight tracking, luggage, timing—so you step out of the terminal and into your car without arranging anything else.
Whitney Plantation Tour from New Orleans with PickupYou get picked up at your hotel with advance notice, driven to Whitney Plantation Museum with local commentary and jazz, admitted to the museum for a self-guided 75-minute tour of exhibits and narratives on enslaved life in Louisiana, and returned to the city by early afternoon or late afternoon depending on which departure you choose. Round-trip transport and entry are included in the price.Is it for me?Choose this if you want to visit Whitney Plantation without arranging your own transport or timing the museum entry yourself—the pickup handles logistics, and the fixed departure times mean you know exactly when you'll be back in the city.
