French Quarter Drunken Ghost and Vampire Tour

New Orleans does not need much help feeling haunted. On this walking tour, you move through the French Quarter after dark, passing old buildings, tragic homes, bars, and places tied to grisly crimes while your guide mixes local history with ghost and vampire lore. The real EMF paranormal detector adds a playful investigative angle, rather than leaving the night as a simple storytelling walk.

I like two things right away: the $19.25 price is modest for a one to two hour guided outing, and the route lets you buy drinks to go from local bars as you walk. I also like that the stories include burial customs, Voodoo, architecture, and documented crime, so you get more than a string of jump scares.

The main concern is reliability. Several bookings have reportedly been canceled or left without a guide, while other outings received glowing praise for guides such as Coty and Cody. You should arrive early, keep your phone available for text updates, and have a backup plan if this is one of the few activities you have scheduled in New Orleans.

Key Things to Know Before You Book

• The meeting point is outside Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop: Meet at the gate of the attached courtyard at 941 Bourbon Street, not inside the bar and not at a nearby street corner.
• The tour ends at Jackson Square: This makes it easy to continue into the heart of the French Quarter afterward.
• Drinks are extra: You may buy alcoholic drinks along the way, but the $19.25 ticket covers only the walking tour and guide.
• The ghost detector is real equipment: An EMF meter is available for paranormal investigation, with a $250 charge for lost or damaged equipment.
• The pace is moderate: Expect uneven, old streets and sidewalks, a moving group, and few opportunities to wander off for photos.
• Timing can stretch: The advertised duration is about one to two hours, with bar wait times affecting the finish.

Starting Beside Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop

The tour begins on Bourbon Street beside Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar, one of the French Quarter’s best-known old buildings. You do not check in inside the bar. Look for the gate at the entrance to the attached courtyard at 941 Bourbon Street, and arrive several minutes before departure.

That detail matters. The bar staff are not part of the tour company and may not know where your guide is standing. The instructions specifically say not to meet on the corner or inside Lafitte’s. If you arrive late, the guide may already be leading the group away, and late arrivals are not promised a refund.

The opening walk gives your guide room to explain the French Quarter itself. Expect stories about old buildings, supernatural beliefs, Voodoo, vampires, ghosts, and the city’s traditional burial practices. The strongest part of the experience is likely to be this blend of setting and narration. You are not sitting in a dark room hearing generic ghost stories. You are standing in the streets and looking at the places connected to them.

The tone depends heavily on the guide. Coty, also written as Cody in some tour material, is repeatedly associated with a funny, warm, story-led style. He has been praised for mixing humor with city history and for offering suggestions about food and bars. Gabe is also described as funny and enthusiastic. Guide assignments can change, so you should not assume a particular person will lead your departure.

Ghost Hunting With an EMF Meter

The paranormal detector is one of the tour’s more unusual features. It is a real EMF meter, a device used to measure electromagnetic fields. The tour presents it as a ghost or paranormal detector, but you should treat it as part of the entertainment and investigation rather than scientific proof of spirits.

You may request equipment at check-in. The operator requires your name, phone number, address, and booking reference number before lending it out. Equipment must be checked out and returned to a staff member before you leave. Take care with it, since the stated replacement charge for a lost, damaged, or missing item is $250.

This activity works best if you enjoy a little uncertainty. The operator makes no promise that you will see a ghost, vampire, demon, spirit, or any other supernatural being. That honest warning is useful. You are buying stories, atmosphere, a night walk, and a chance to test the detector, not a guaranteed encounter with the other side.

Photos are encouraged, but audio and video recording are not allowed during the tour. You also need to stay with the group. The guide cannot stop for every individual photograph, so use quick shots and avoid blocking sidewalks or streets.

Jackson Square and the Story of Julie

The route continues toward Jackson Square, where the tour concludes. Along the way, the guide covers several dark New Orleans stories, including Julie, described as one of the city’s most predictable ghosts. Her tale is tied to a tragic love story, the kind of personal drama that often gives a haunted-place story more weight than a simple account of unexplained noises.

You also hear about the Carter Brothers, who were tried, convicted, and executed, yet are still said to appear to some people. Another stop concerns the site of the largest mass murder in New Orleans history, an unsolved crime whose ghosts are said to remain.

These stories give the tour a wider range than its name suggests. Some material is about vampires and hauntings. Some is about crime, punishment, love, architecture, and the way New Orleans handles the dead. One person could find the mix fascinating, while another might feel the tour is more about unusual city facts than actual vampires.

The final stop in Jackson Square is practical as well as atmospheric. You finish near one of the French Quarter’s best-known public spaces, with restaurants, bars, and streets to explore nearby. The tour does not provide transportation back to your hotel, so plan your route before you start.

Vampire Lore, Voodoo, and Burial Customs

New Orleans vampire stories can be tricky. The tour attempts to separate vampires of legend from vampires connected to historical accounts and reported sightings. That distinction is valuable because it keeps the subject from becoming one long blur of folklore.

The material includes alleged vampire activity, people who claim to be present-day vampires, and the Ursuline Convent’s connection to early vampire stories in the United States. The route also includes locations where vampires allegedly held victims captive. You should expect a mixture of documented history, local legend, and supernatural tradition, with the guide explaining how those strands fit together.

Voodoo and burial practices add useful context. New Orleans is famous for above-ground tombs and distinctive funeral customs, and the tour uses those subjects to explain why the city’s dead have such a strong place in its identity. The result should appeal to you if you want a little history along with the spooky material.

It is not a formal academic lecture. The tour is designed for entertainment, drinks, jokes, and a moving group. If you want a serious study of New Orleans religion, crime, or cemetery architecture, choose a specialized history tour instead.

The Drink Stops and the Meaning of Drunken

You may stop at local bars and buy drinks to go along the route. Alcohol is not included, so the final cost depends on what you order. The permission to walk with a drink gives the experience a relaxed pub-crawl feel and fits the French Quarter setting.

The bars can also affect the schedule. The operator says the tour may last longer than an hour when a stop is crowded. That is worth remembering if you have dinner reservations, a show, or another timed activity afterward.

The number of drink stops is not fixed in the details provided. One outing included several stops, including a bar serving a drink called the Ghost Buster. Another person wanted more bar stops. You should see this as a flexible part of the route, not a guaranteed series of long pub visits.

You do not have to drink alcohol to take part. To-go windows and bar stops are offered along the route, and the walk itself is the main activity. Still, this may not suit you if you want a quiet, tightly timed history walk. It is better for an easygoing evening with room for conversation and drinks.

The guide can refuse service to someone who becomes extremely intoxicated. If intoxication causes the tour to be canceled for that person, no refund is promised. Pace yourself, especially in New Orleans heat and humidity.

What the Guides Add to the Experience

This tour’s value rises or falls with the person holding the flashlight and telling the stories. Several strong outings are linked to Coty or Cody, who is described as funny, personal, and well informed about the city. His best quality appears to be the ability to make history feel like a conversation rather than a memorized speech.

Some praise focuses on his mix of humor, haunting stories, architecture, and practical food and bar advice. One particularly positive account describes a group of 16 people enjoying the balance of patience, historical detail, and horror. Another says the tour was so enjoyable that someone from a different group joined partway through.

The experience is not uniformly polished. One person felt the guide talked too much about himself and not enough about New Orleans. That is a fair warning for a tour where the guide matters so much. A charismatic narrator can make ordinary streets memorable, but a poor fit in personality can weaken the whole evening.

If you are booking for a private group, the possibility of a small departure may appeal to you. One group of two effectively had a private outing. The maximum group size is 50, however, so you should not assume a small group unless your booking confirms it.

Is $19.25 Good Value?

At $19.25 per person, this is one of the cheaper ways to add a guided evening activity in the French Quarter. The ticket includes a licensed local guide, the walking route, the stories, and access to the paranormal equipment process. Drinks and tips cost extra.

The value is strongest if you were already planning to walk through the French Quarter at night. You are paying a small amount to give that walk a theme and structure. The tour also ends in Jackson Square, so you can continue your evening without paying for a return ride.

The price is less compelling if you expect a polished theatrical production, guaranteed ghost sightings, or a carefully controlled schedule. The route is on public streets, the sidewalks can be uneven, and busy bars can slow the group. This is a casual walking tour, not a stage show.

Tips are not included and are recommended. If your guide keeps the group engaged, explains the city well, and handles the route smoothly, plan to tip separately.

Timing, Weather, and Cancellation Concerns

The tour offers several departure times, but the exact options depend on the date. It usually lasts one to two hours. The walk is moderate, but New Orleans weather can change the practical difficulty quickly. Summers can bring severe heat and humidity, while winter evenings can feel cold.

The operator has canceled or shifted outings because of weather and local safety conditions. A documented summer heat warning led to a departure being pushed from 4 p.m. to later times, including 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. That decision was sensible in triple-digit heat, but it also shows why you should not build an entire evening around one departure.

The booking conditions say you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start for a full refund. Changes or cancellations within 24 hours are not refunded. If the minimum number is not reached, you may be offered another date or a full refund.

Weather terms need close attention because the general booking information and the operator’s detailed conditions are not identical. The booking terms describe a different date or full refund if poor weather cancels the experience, while the operator’s conditions say tours are rain or shine and prepaid bookings may receive credit for a future tour. Confirm the final policy at checkout and use a working mobile number for text alerts.

A handful of scheduled departures have reportedly had serious communication problems, including guides who did not appear and cancellations sent very close to the start time. That is the largest practical weakness here. If your stay is short, place this tour early enough in your trip that a cancellation does not ruin your only free evening.

Who Should Take This Walk?

I would recommend it to adults and older teens who enjoy spooky folklore, casual history, walking, and the option to buy drinks. It is particularly useful on your first day in New Orleans because the route helps you get oriented to the French Quarter and may point you toward bars and food spots for later.

It can also work well for a group of friends. The detector, drink stops, and humorous stories create easy conversation. Couples may enjoy the tragic love stories, while solo visitors can use the group setting as a relaxed way to spend an evening.

Children under 18 need a parent or guardian unless a guide authorizes otherwise. Not every bar allows children inside, although to-go windows are available along the route. Families should confirm the age rules and expect the subject matter to include murder, executions, captivity, and other grim topics.

Skip it if you need step-free, slow-paced sightseeing, a guaranteed departure, or a strictly historical presentation. The operator warns about uneven streets and walkways, and the group must keep moving. Service animals are allowed, and the tour is near public transportation.

Should You Book the French Quarter Drunken Ghost and Vampire Tour?

Book this for the low price, flexible evening format, local storytelling, and chance to use an EMF meter. It is a good fit when you want a fun introduction to the French Quarter rather than a rigorous examination of paranormal claims.

I would be cautious if you have only one night in New Orleans. The mix of excellent guide feedback and serious no-show or last-minute cancellation complaints makes reliability the deciding issue. Keep your phone on, arrive early at the courtyard gate, and maintain a backup plan.

If you enjoy atmosphere more than proof, can handle a moderate walk, and do not mind paying separately for drinks, the tour offers a lot for $19.25. Just book it as a flexible night out, not as the one event your whole trip depends on.

FAQ

Where does the tour meet?

Meet on the sidewalk at the gate of the courtyard attached to Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar at 941 Bourbon Street, New Orleans. The tour does not meet inside the bar or at a street corner.

Where does the tour end?

The tour ends at Jackson Square in the French Quarter.

How long does the experience last?

The walk lasts approximately one to two hours. Bar wait times may make it longer.

Are drinks included in the ticket price?

No. Alcoholic drinks are available to purchase along the route at your own expense.

Is the paranormal detector included?

A real EMF meter is used during the tour. If you check out equipment, you must return it before leaving. Lost or damaged equipment may result in a $250 charge.

Can children join the tour?

Children under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian unless a guide authorizes otherwise. Some bars may not admit children, though to-go windows are available.

What is the cancellation policy?

You can cancel at least 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes within 24 hours are not refunded. If the operator cancels because of weather or insufficient numbers, you may be offered another date or a refund, but the detailed operator terms also mention future-tour credit for some cancellations.