New Orleans · HISTORICAL TOURS

The 15 Best History Tours in New Orleans

73 tours  ·  from $8 a head

Three hundred years of French, Spanish and American rule stacked on ground that keeps trying to sink. The 15 below cover the Quarter, Treme, the cemeteries and the museums, priced and timed.

New Orleans Garden District History Walking Tour - Meeting At 1427 Washington Avenue
Garden District Tours, Historical Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours

New Orleans Garden District History Walking Tour

1.New Orleans Garden District History Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,879 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $35Our pick

Explore New Orleans’ Garden District, Lafayette Cemetery, grand homes, burial customs, and film lore on a lively two-hour walking tour.

“This tour was a highlight of our trip. Our guide, Angie, was wonderful. She was sweet and knowledgeable about the area, and able to answer all of our questions. We were incredibly lucky- I bought the tour at 7pm the night before, and we were the only ones on the tour. There wasn’t a ton of walking (the route covers a couple of blocks) but you have to stand and the sidewalks can be uneven.”

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French Quarter Historical Sights and Stories Walking Tour - Meeting at Dumaine Street and getting oriented
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French Quarter Historical Sights and Stories Walking Tour

New Orleans Small-Group Haunted History Carriage Tour - French Quarter history before the ghosts
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New Orleans Small-Group Haunted History Carriage Tour

New Orleans Haunted History Ghost Tour - Starting at Reverend Zombie’s Voodoo Shop
Ghost & Haunted Tours, Historical Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

New Orleans Haunted History Ghost Tour

4.New Orleans Haunted History Ghost Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,084 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $30

Explore New Orleans after dark on a two-hour French Quarter ghost tour with haunted bars, LaLaurie Mansion, voodoo lore, and local stories.

“Overall, the tour was very fun, informative, and you see a lot of the French Quarter while learning a lot about the city's history.”

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Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Historic Mississippi River Cruise - Chalmette Battlefield: The Tour’s Most Distinctive Stop
Cajun & Creole Food Tours, Cruises & Boat Tours, Historical Tours, Steamboat & River Cruises, Tour Reviews

Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Historic Mississippi River Cruise

5.Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Historic Mississippi River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,948 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $47

Cruise the Mississippi aboard the Creole Queen, hear New Orleans history, and tour Chalmette Battlefield with a National Park ranger.

“A really enjoyable & relaxing afternoon on a paddle boat, a true icon of the Mississippi. The presentation from historian guide Doctor Lauren was both informative and very entertaining.”

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New Orleans Food and History Walking Tour - Hot sauce, seasonings, and the value of a non-food stop
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New Orleans Food and History Walking Tour

6.New Orleans Food and History Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,544 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $85

Taste gumbo, po’boys, pralines, boudin, and more while learning how New Orleans food grew from Creole, Cajun, and global roots.

“Beth was an awesome tour guide. Her knowledge of the background of the local food was excellent. Her sense of humor is great and kept the group engaged. The following day we went back to a couple of the places to eat or purchase goods. Definitely do this tour if you know nothing of the local food and it is great to get Beth’s recommendations.”

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New Orleans: Creole Queen History Cruise with Optional Lunch - The first 45 minutes on the Mississippi
Cajun & Creole Food Tours, Cruises & Boat Tours, Historical Tours, Lunch Experiences, Steamboat & River Cruises, Tour Reviews

New Orleans: Creole Queen History Cruise with Optional Lunch

7.Creole Queen History Cruise with Optional Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 1,112 reviews · 2h 30m · from $47

Cruise the Mississippi to Chalmette Battlefield aboard the Creole Queen, with local storytelling, New Orleans views, and an optional Creole buffet.

“It was great. Very cool to ride on a Mississippi River boat. I liked the creole/cajun lunch option. Enjoyed our stop at the battlefield. It was a very enjoyable experience.”

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New Orleans Cocktail and Food History Tour - Pepper Palace turns Cajun flavor up
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New Orleans Cocktail and Food History Tour

New Orleans: French Quarter Food History Walking Tour - Starting inside 3rd Block Depot
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New Orleans: French Quarter Food History Walking Tour

9.French Quarter Food History Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 713 reviews · 3 hours · from $85

Taste gumbo, po-boys, muffuletta, pralines, and more while a French Quarter guide connects New Orleans food with its past.

“I enjoy everything about my tour. I love how knowledgeable Beth was about the history of New Orleans. I can’t wait to come back”

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New Orleans Cocktail History Walking Tour in the French Quarter - The Sazerac and Brandy Crusta on Chartres Street
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New Orleans Cocktail History Walking Tour in the French Quarter

New Orleans Jazz History and Music Walking Tour - Congo Square and the roots of an American sound
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New Orleans Jazz History and Music Walking Tour

11.New Orleans Jazz History and Music Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 477 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $60

Trace New Orleans jazz from Congo Square to Frenchmen Street with a local guide, live music, one drink, and a small group of 12 or fewer.

“Kristy provided an enertaining & factual account of cultural & music history that shaped jazz and the character of New Orleans.”

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Garden District Home and History Walking Tour - Starting inside the Women’s Guild mansion
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Garden District Home and History Walking Tour

12.Garden District Home and History Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 470 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $26

Walk beneath New Orleans oaks, enter a 1859 mansion, and hear Garden District stories about architecture, celebrities, and local life.

“Eva was fantastic - very engaging and knowledgeable. We learned so much both about the history of the city and the neighborhood.”

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New Orleans French Quarter Walking and History Tour - French Market: a quick look at food and trade
French Quarter Tours, Historical Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours

New Orleans French Quarter Walking and History Tour

13.New Orleans French Quarter Walking and History Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 288 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $29

Walk New Orleans’ French Quarter with a small group, tracing levees, markets, courtyards, music, architecture, and literary landmarks for $29.

“David was extremely knowledgeable and was able to tailor our tour to our interest due to the fact that it was just our family. We were very grateful that he was willing to take us even though the tour was small because our previous tour that we had booked canceled on us due to low numbers. David understands the history culture and describes it well and we learned so much on this tour. we highly recommend it!”

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New Orleans Music Heritage Tour - Starting on Frenchmen Street at Louisiana Music Factory
Historical Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

New Orleans Music Heritage Tour

14.New Orleans Music Heritage Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 246 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $30

Walk through New Orleans jazz, blues, gospel, and brass-band history with record producer Keith, music clips, historic sites, and local stories.

“We enjoyed all the stories about the various musicians, the tour stops, the walk and the history. Hearing the music that went along with the artists was a great addition while we toured. We appreciated the coffee/restroom stop halfway through, too. Overall a unique experience and Keith made it a lot of fun. Both of our older teens thought it was well worth it!”

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New Orleans History and Sightseeing Small-Group Bike Tour - Faubourg Marigny and New Orleans music
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New Orleans History and Sightseeing Small-Group Bike Tour

15.New Orleans History and Sightseeing Small-Group Bike Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 215 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $55

Cycle beyond the French Quarter on a small-group New Orleans bike tour covering Creole history, jazz, cemeteries, City Park, and Tremé.

“Excellent bike ride, see more than just typical New Orleans sights. Lots of history along the way. Knowledge able tour guide. Good way to survey the city and see places to go back to later”

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New in Historical Tours

★ 5.0Historic Carrollton Neighborhood Walking TourFrom $379 reviews
★ 3.8New Orleans Cocktails, History, Voodoo & Paranormal TourFrom $239 reviews
★ 5.0Cajun History & Folklore Walking TourFrom $2010 reviews
★ 5.0French Quarter Walking Tour: LGBTQ History, Literary History, and Voodoo11 reviews
★ 4.0New Orleans Haunted & History TourFrom $3511 reviews
★ 5.0New Orleans French Quarter History Walking TourFrom $1512 reviews
★ 4.5New Orleans Weekend Garden District Food and History TourFrom $9512 reviews
★ 4.5Self Guided Walking Tour of New Orleans’ Historic Garden DistrictFrom $713 reviews
★ 5.0Historic French Quarter Segway TourFrom $7913 reviews
★ 5.0Private New Orleans Historical Sightseeing Tour with Hotel PickupFrom $48015 reviews
★ 4.9True Voodoo History of NOLA’s Congo Square with Local GuideFrom $3916 reviews
★ 4.5Downtown Lafayette Cajun History & Folklore Walking TourFrom $2016 reviews
★ 5.0A Chef led Culinary Journey exploring hidden gems and history!From $16517 reviews
★ 5.0New Orleans African American Heritage Walking TourFrom $2920 reviews
★ 4.5New Orleans Historical and Haunted Walking TourFrom $1821 reviews

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