Top New Orleans Tours, Sightseeing & Cruises

Immerse yourself in the rich culture and natural splendor of New Orleans’ mystifying swamps and wetlands on a New Orleans swamp tour and wetlands adventure. Relax in the luxurious interior of a New Orleans swamp tour boat as you cruise past cultural highlights like a Cajun cemetery, an Indian burial mound and a traditional fishing village. Scour the scenery for fascinating flora and fauna like snakes, turtles and alligators while listening to interesting commentary from your professional guide.

Explore one of Louisiana’s last protected wetlands on a 2-hour boat tour that includes round-trip transport from New Orleans. Depart in the morning or afternoon for Honey Island Swamp, a wildlife preserve teeming with critters such as 'gators, wild boar, snakes and birds. Ride through the swamp dripping with lush foliage and visit a boat-accessible Cajun village with an informative local guide who sheds light on the area’s inhabitants.

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).

Explore New Orleans your way with a 2-day pass for the City Sightseeing hop-on hop-off bus tour, featuring 19 stops across the city. From the lively French Quarter to the charming St. Charles Avenue, you’ll enjoy the freedom to discover top attractions and hidden gems at your own pace. Plus, your pass includes a guided Garden District walking tour to uncover the stories behind its historic streets and stunning architecture. Upgrade your experience to include a 3-day pass for the hop-on hop-off bus, plus a guided French Quarter Walking Tour.

Exploring New Orleans in the evening can seem like an intimidating quest on your own, but this ghost, voodoo, and vampire walking tour takes you to the city’s eeriest sights at night in the safety of a group led by a guide. Stop by top attractions such as the LaLaurie Mansion and New Orleans Pharmacy Museum while listening to your guide’s detailed stories of the paranormal and beyond.

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.

Cruise the Mississippi River aboard the Riverboat CITY of NEW ORLEANS on a relaxing 75-minute sightseeing experience suitable for all ages. As you travel along the river, the captain provides engaging commentary highlighting the French Quarter, historic waterfront locations, and the role the river has played in shaping New Orleans over the centuries. Guests can enjoy multiple onboard bars, including an open-air bar on the upper deck with sweeping views of the city skyline and riverbanks. Light snacks and beverages are also available for purchase, making it easy to sit back and enjoy the ride. Whether you’re visiting with family, friends, or as a couple, this river cruise offers a scenic and informative way to take in New Orleans from the water.

Experience New Orleans’ wild bayou country first-hand on an exciting, family‐friendly airboat ride. This boat tour winds through the mossy cypress swamp near Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, named for the 19th-century pirate and smuggler. While onboard, enjoy lively commentary from a local guide as you admire lush, forested shoreline and spot local wildlife. Gators appear most commonly in the summer months, so keep your eyes peeled.

Maximize time in New Orleans with a sightseeing bus tour. Explore beyond the beauty of the French Quarter to see other neighborhoods including the Garden District, Treme, and the Ninth Ward. Learn about city culture and history as you travel through town, and make a stop along the way at the St. Louis Cemetery No. 3.

Experience New Orleans with ease on a minibus tour and avoid the hassle of navigating the city on your own. Ride in air-conditioned comfort as a local guide offers insight into the city’s rich history, diverse architecture, and vibrant culture. Travel through neighborhoods including the French Quarter and Garden District, and get a comprehensive introduction that’s ideal for first-time visitors.

Connect with the dark and complex history of the American enslavement trade on a tour to Whitney Plantation, the only plantation totally dedicated to memorializing the lives of enslaved people. Get a primer on antebellum history on the drive from New Orleans, and then explore museum exhibits, memorials, and historic slave cottages on a self-guided audio tour.

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.

If you're looking for no-holds-barred frights in New Orleans, explore the city’s dark history on this adults-only tour. Set off after nightfall to discover a new perspective on the city, and steel yourself for gruesome tales and fearsome encounters: Your guide saves the most grisly true-crime stories, voodoo legends, and paranormal frights for this tour, and takes you past the French Quarter's most supposedly haunted locations.

Sail down this Mississippi River on a classic Paddlewheeler boat on this New Orleans river cruise. Enjoy illuminating narration from the onboard historian and stop part-way through the trip to learn about the Battle of New Orleans. Then, get back aboard the vessel and enjoy a cash bar while admiring the views.

Uncover the mysteries of the swamps surrounding New Orleans on an exhilarating airboat tour of the area, led by a professional guide. Cruise along the picturesque waterways in search of ferocious alligators and other rare wildlife while listening to illuminating commentary from your guide. Feel your adrenaline levels surge as your driver accelerates to high speeds, and capture fantastic photographs during regular stops. Enjoy the convenience of round-trip transportation by comfortable, air-conditioned coach.

Step aboard an air-conditioned bus to escape the heat for a comfortable, comprehensive tour of New Orleans. This whirlwind tour hits all the most important sights—the French Quarter, the Garden District, Treme, the 9th Ward, and others—in just a couple of hours. Plus, you get a guided tour of the atmospheric cemetery. Have the benefit of in-depth commentary and the chance to ask questions as you travel.

One of New Orleans' most popular tourist attractions, St. Louis Cemetery No.1 is only able to be visited as part of a guided tour, with limited visitors allowed into the City of the Dead each day. This pre-bookable experience ensures you don’t miss out on the chance to visit the impressive cemetery—or the opportunity to learn more about the final resting place of some of the city’s best-known residents.

Experience the Jean Lafitte National Park and Preserve on this shaded pontoon excursion - the closest swamp tour to downtown New Orleans. Your tour guide, who was born and raised in the bayou, will teach you about Southern Louisiana’s distinctive ecology as you cruise past magnificent cypress trees and watch for native wildlife like gators and egrets.

Experience New Orleans’ haunted history on this fun and affordable French Quarter walking tour. Hear the real-life stories of unsolved murders, mysterious hauntings, and unexplained events from an informative historian-guide. Visit the infamous crime scenes, like Lalaurie Mansion, and learn about the city’s relationship to the occult—from vampires to voodoo, pirates to witchcraft—on a compelling, alcohol-friendly excursion.

Discover one of Louisiana’s last preserved wetlands on a Honey Island Swamp boat tour. Make your own way to Slidell, then travel deep into the secluded swamp across Lake Pontchartrain to view native wildlife and discover a remote Cajun village only accessible by boat. Enjoy your expert guide's insights into Cajun culture and the lush swamps as you look out for alligators, wild boar, snakes, and native birds.

Taste the flavors that make New Orleans famous on this guided food walking tour through the French Quarter. Discover hidden gems and local favorites you might miss on your own, while sampling authentic Cajun and Creole dishes like gumbo, jambalaya, and more. Along the way, your guide shares stories about the city’s rich history and cultural traditions, giving you a deeper appreciation for every bite.

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.

Louisiana’s wild backcountry is known for its cypress swamps that are home to alligators, snakes, and turtles. Explore this area in a safe and fun way in a flat-bottomed boat that travels through the marshes. Learn more about local wildlife from the guide and look out for herons, hawks, owls, and bald eagles too. Hotel pick-up and drop-off are available with certain options for added convenience.