Top Louisiana Private Sightseeing Tours

Step beyond the French Quarter and discover the hidden side of New Orleans on this private city tour. From colorful Bywater to historic Bayou St. John, your guide takes you off the tourist trail and into neighborhoods full of culture, history, and character. Along the way, gain insider tips to make the most of your trip and experience the Crescent City like a true local.

Experience the charm of New Orleans’ Garden District at your own pace with David, a licensed tour guide eager to share his passion for the city and its history with others. On this self-guided walking tour, you will stroll picturesque streets, discovering the fascinating stories behind mansions linked to Ann Rice and Nicolas Cage. Uncover the district's Civil War history, its role in slavery, and the survival tales of its stunning architecture. Delve into landmarks like Buckner Mansion and Sandra Bullock's Swiss Chalet. Discover the first home with indoor plumbing, the Walter Grinnan Robinson House, with its unique rain collection tank on the roof. Get unlimited use of this tour before your booking date and after it. You can use the virtual tour option at home, too. Once you have booked, you will receive instructions and a unique code to download the tour. The app displays directions to the starting point; when you’re in the right place, tap start.

Experience New Orleans from a different perspective on a carriage ride through the French Quarter. In addition to navigating for you, your guide tells anecdotes about the historic landmarks from Jackson Square to Bourbon Street. Booking a private tour ensures the itinerary is customized to your own interests, whether it be a food–themed tour or a quiet, romantic ride.

Right in the heart of Lafayette, Louisiana sits the Vermilionville Historic Village, a living history museum. Get to know the history of Louisiana as you explore the 23-acre (9-hectare) village on a self-guided tour. Discover several 18th- and 19th-century restored homes and meet costumed artisans who demonstrate trades and crafts exactly how they would have been performed in that time period.

Uncover New Orleans’ haunted secrets by embarking on this self-guided ghost walking tour. If you’re traveling with a friend or partner, one purchase works on two smartphones—so you can both listen to commentary at the same time. During the tour, find out about the spooky tales behind the LaLaurie Mansion, discover the most haunted places in the French Quarter, and enjoy the freedom to explore the city at your own pace.

Enjoy an only-in-New-Orleans experience when you embark on a paddle-wheel boat tour of the mighty Mississippi River. In the evening, hop aboard the Steamboat Natchez or her sister vessel, the Riverboat City of New Orleans, and admire views of the city from the water's edge. This cost-saving package additionally includes a Creole‐inspired dinner (if option selected), plus live jazz music to set the mood.

Being in a kayak or canoe on Caddo Lake is the most amazing way to experience this magical place! Caddo Lake is a hidden gem nestled between Texas and Louisiana. The largest Bald Cypress Forest in the world is a magical place that has the be experienced. You will have a hard time believing this place is real!

Explore the rich culinary heritage of New Orleans' French Quarter on this half-day food tour. Sample traditional NOLA dishes such as gumbo, po-boys, jambalaya, and pralines while learning about the area's history. Your expert guide will lead you through local hotspots, offering cultural insights and tips on where to eat next. Upgrade to a small-group tour for a more intimate setting. Food offerings are subject to availability.

Discover New Orleans’ historic architecture, atmospheric neighborhoods, and 19th-century cemeteries on this private tour. Travel by private vehicle and enjoy the undivided attention of your guide as you explore the French Quarter, Bayou St John, and the Garden District. Stop along the way to stroll around St. Louis Cemetery No. 3, admire views along the Mississippi River, and tour Besthoff Sculpture Garden in City Park. You'll even make a stop for beignets and cafe au lait at the famous Cafe du Monde.

The French Quarter packs French colonial, Spanish, Creole, and American architectural layers into a small grid of blocks, with stories about voodoo practitioners, jazz musicians, pirates, and writers tied to specific addresses that aren't marked on the streets. This private tour covers the Quarter's main sites—St Louis Cemetery No. 1, St Louis Cathedral, Jackson Square, and Bourbon Street—with stories at each.

Discover a different side of New Orleans—and admire a new perspective from the water's edge—on this steamboat tour down the Mississippi River. Board the historic riverboat—either the Steamboat Natchez or her sister vessel—for a morning or afternoon tour. Stroll the deck, admire the iconic paddlewheel, enjoy live music, and snap photos of the picturesque shoreline. This family‐friendly excursion offers an optional lunch (additional expense).

Get a taste of 18th-century New Orleans while exploring its most notorious haunts aboard a mule-drawn carriage. Join a small group of no more than eight people for an intimate evening tour through the French Quarter, where rollicking nightlife conceals a past filled with dark deeds, natural disasters, and supernatural sightings. Hear the city's most salacious history from a guide as you clip-clop your way past iron-laced balconies, darkened alleys, and southern mansions steeped in legend.

Embark on a food-filled journey around the French Quarter of New Orleans—and visit places you might miss while exploring alone—on this private tasting tour. With your guide in the lead, set off to discover historical highlights from St. Louis Cathedral to Bourbon Street. Along the way, enjoy a range of traditional Creole and Cajun bites, including gumbo and beignets, while you’re immersed in the neighborhood’s culture and heritage.

Experience different sides of Louisiana and its complicated history on this plantation tour and swamp boat ride from New Orleans. On this full-day journey, visit Oak Alley Plantation or Destrehan Plantation (depending on the time chosen), where you learn about antebellum life. Next, head into the marshy swampland for a boat ride and some wildlife spotting. Enjoy guided commentary as you snap photos of alligators, raccoons, snakes, and native birds.

Visit the Whitney Plantation Museum—a former indigo and sugar plantation that is now dedicated to promoting an understanding of enslavement in Louisiana—on this hassle-free trip from New Orleans. Round-trip transit and admission tickets are included for your convenience. Upon arrival, learn about the brutal realities of plantation life through museum exhibits and an audio guide as you explore the site independently. You can also choose to upgrade your experience to include a 90-minute swamp tour.

Discover the stories behind New Orleans’ French Quarter with a self-guided audio tour that gives you the ultimate flexibility. See all the city’s highlights, starting and stopping whenever and wherever you want. See landmarks including Dutch Alley, Café du Monde, and Pirates Alley, with tons of fascinating stories and facts narrated via an app on your mobile device that never expires.

Delight in sweeping views of New Orleans at twilight on a private evening sightseeing flight. Choose a 30- or 45-minute flight and glide by small plane over dazzling urban New Orleans. Hear colorful tales from your experienced pilot and glimpse famous sights by night including the French Quarter, the Mississippi River, and illuminated city landmarks. Sightseeing requests are welcome for a flexible itinerary.

This private, self-guided audio tour lets you explore New Orleans' City Park at your own pace using a GPS-enabled app that works offline. Stroll beneath ancient live oaks and discover wildlife, historic architecture, and sculptures with automatically triggered commentary. Enjoy lifetime access to the tour and the freedom to stop and start whenever you like, gaining deeper insight into the park's natural and cultural heritage.

New Orleans' historic cemeteries require active preservation to maintain—this private tour is run by a non-profit whose restoration work is directly supported by each booking. The walking tour covers local burial practices and the stories behind notable figures interred here, including architect James Gallier and photographer E.J. Bellocq, with historically accurate commentary throughout.

Go for a sunset cruise aboard the Paddlewheeler Creole Queen on this boat trip. Listen to an on-board jazz band and choose to add on a Creole-style dinner buffet as the boat sails along the Mississippi River. Take in the views from the promenade deck and sip New Orleans-inspired cocktails.

Admire the sights of New Orleans from a comfortable coach on a half-day introductory tour. Check out highlights such as the French Quarter and the Garden District while listening to live commentary. Delve into the city’s rich history as you tour one of the oldest cemeteries in New Orleans. Enjoy the convenience of round-trip transportation from your hotel in Downtown New Orleans, too.

Standard New Orleans walking tours follow a fixed route, which doesn't suit every traveler, particularly those with specific neighborhoods or cultural interests they want to prioritize. This private walking tour starts before the day itself, with a guide who contacts you in advance to plan a route around your preferences. Optional visits to monument exteriors can be built into the itinerary, with the pace adjusted to suit your group throughout.

Exploring outside the city limits of New Orleans can be difficult without a car. With this private tour, visit two of the best-preserved antebellum plantations—Oak Alley and Laura—without worrying about navigating or dealing with crowded tour buses. Take a docent-led tour at each site to learn about the complex and often dark history of the rural South, including the impact of enslavement in Louisiana.