New Orleans: Drunk History Walking Tour

New Orleans has a long memory, and this two-hour walking tour prefers its stranger stories. In the French Quarter, you’ll hear about above-ground burial vaults, voodoo ceremonies, pirates, prostitutes, convicted felons, vampires, and ghosts, with stops near major landmarks and historic bars.

I like the mix of real places and tall tales, especially the way the route links the Louisiana Purchase site, St. Louis Cathedral, Marie Laveau, and reportedly haunted buildings. I also like that drinking is optional. You can buy a refill at a bar stop, or stay with the history and skip the alcohol.

The main consideration is the tour’s pace and tone. It is built for fun, dark stories, and drinks rather than a formal account of New Orleans history. You’ll also need comfortable shoes, and drinks cost extra.

Key points to know before you book

• Marie Laveau and voodoo: Learn how voodoo came to New Orleans, hear about its most famous practitioner, and visit a property associated with her.
• A French Quarter history lesson: See the St. Louis Cathedral, the Louisiana Purchase site, burial traditions, and places linked to the city’s early history.
• Ghosts with a drink nearby: The route includes haunted locations, vampire stories, and optional stops at historic French Quarter bars.
• Guides make the difference: Coty and Cody receive especially strong praise for humor, local facts, and lively storytelling. Ashli and Donna have also led highly rated tours.
• Drinking is optional: You may stop for drinks, but the tour price covers only the guide and walking tour.
• Strict meeting rules: Meet on the sidewalk by the courtyard gate at 941 Bourbon Street, not inside Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar.

A dark introduction to the Vieux Carré

The tour begins outside the famous Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar at 941 Bourbon Street. Your guide meets you on the sidewalk by the gate to the attached courtyard. This detail matters because the bar’s staff do not run the tour and cannot check you in or direct you to the group.

Arrive a few minutes early. Once the group leaves, you cannot join at another point, so this is not a tour where you can casually catch up after dinner. The French Quarter is full of distractions, but keep an eye on the meeting time.

From there, the guide leads you through the Vieux Carré, the French Quarter’s historic district. The route combines recognizable landmarks with stories that are easy to miss if you walk alone. You’ll hear about the city’s early settlers and the less polished parts of its past, including pirates, prostitutes, and convicted felons connected to New Orleans’ founding story.

That mix gives the tour its appeal. You are not simply looking at old façades and hearing dates. You are being shown how crime, religion, death, folklore, and nightlife shaped the way the quarter is remembered.

Burial vaults, fires, and the city of the dead

One of the most useful history stops concerns New Orleans burial customs. The guide explains why many graves are placed above ground in vaults rather than below it. This is a practical piece of local history, not just a spooky flourish, and it helps explain one of the city’s most recognizable visual features.

The tour also touches on fires and other events that changed the French Quarter. These stories give you context for the buildings around you, especially when the guide explains who lived in them and what happened there. Several past guides have been praised for connecting old events to ordinary modern life, which makes the information easier to remember.

If you have taken a standard sightseeing tour, this experience may cover a few familiar stories. Its value comes from the delivery and the added details. Coty, Cody, Ashli, and Donna have all been praised for answering questions and adding side facts instead of simply reciting a fixed script.

That said, you should expect folklore as well as documented history. The title sets the mood. This is a playful tour, not an academic lecture, and the guide may put a humorous spin on events. If you want dates, architecture, and source-based history only, choose a more traditional history walk.

Marie Laveau and New Orleans voodoo

The voodoo section is one of the tour’s central themes. You’ll hear how the practice came to New Orleans and learn about Marie Laveau, often called the city’s voodoo queen. The tour visits property associated with her and points out places where ceremonies were held.

This part can help correct the usual cartoon version of voodoo. The tour presents it as part of New Orleans’ cultural history while also leaning into the mystery surrounding Laveau. The result is a mix of social history, legend, and the city’s long fascination with spiritual practice.

Pay attention to the setting as much as the story. The French Quarter’s narrow streets and old buildings make these accounts feel tied to a specific place. You are not hearing a generic ghost tale that could happen anywhere. You are standing near sites connected to the people and traditions being discussed.

The treatment is still aimed at entertainment. The experience includes reports of ceremonies, ghosts, and supernatural activity, so some stories are presented as local belief or legend rather than proven fact. I would listen for the difference between what is documented and what belongs to New Orleans folklore.

Ghosts, vampires, and the most haunted house

The paranormal portion sends you toward locations where ghosts and vampires are said to linger. You’ll hear about the city’s most predictable supernatural visitors and visit a house described as the most haunted in New Orleans.

One stop has also been identified by past participants as the American Horror Story house. That detail will appeal to television fans, though the tour’s focus remains the stories attached to the location rather than a screen-themed attraction.

The guide may use paranormal equipment as part of the experience. This adds a hands-on element and gives the group something to discuss while standing outside a site. There is an important practical warning here: lost or damaged paranormal equipment can result in a $250 charge.

You cannot record the tour on video. The restriction applies to the walk itself, so keep your phone away for filming. Guides are also expected not to use their phones during the tour, which helps keep their attention on the group.

Do not book this expecting a haunted-house attraction with actors and special effects. The experience is based on stories, locations, atmosphere, and the guide’s performance. Some tales may give you a chill, while others are clearly told for laughs.

Historic bars and optional refills

The drinking element is woven into the walk, but it is not compulsory. The route passes many French Quarter bars, and the group may stop at one or two historic places. You buy your own drinks, and the $28 price covers only the guide and walking tour.

This arrangement gives you control. If you are celebrating a 21st birthday, meeting friends in New Orleans, or simply want a night walk with a drink in hand, you can join a stop and order something. If alcohol is not your thing, you can continue listening without turning the tour into a bar crawl.

Keep the number of drinks sensible. A past participant pointed out that buying a drink at every possible stop would make it hard to finish the tour. That is good advice. The guide still has stories to tell, and excessive drinking can make the walk less enjoyable for everyone.

The supplier may refuse service to anyone who is already severely intoxicated. If a participant is asked to leave for extreme intoxication, there is no refund. In practical terms, treat the bar stops as optional pauses, not as a challenge to see how much you can consume in two hours.

The bar stops also add local context. Your guide can explain the history of the places you visit, so you get more than a random drink break. Still, the exact bars and number of stops can vary, and the tour should not be booked as a guaranteed nightlife itinerary.

The guides are the heart of the experience

The strongest part of this tour is the guide. Names appearing repeatedly in the experience’s guide history include Coty, also spelled Cody in some accounts, along with Ashli and Donna. Recent praise has focused especially on Coty for his humor, local details, and ability to handle questions.

Coty’s style is built around unusual facts, quick jokes, and personal storytelling. Past participants have described his supposedly useless facts as genuinely interesting, and one person even checked several details afterward. That tells you what kind of guide to expect: informal, curious, and ready to wander beyond the basic script.

Ashli has also been praised for energy, warmth, and an entertaining way of explaining darker parts of New Orleans history. Donna has been described as offering a distinctive set of stories and facts. Since the guide can vary by departure, you should book for the tour’s format rather than assume one specific person will lead it.

The group may be small. Several past departures ended up with only two participants because other people did not attend, creating a private-feeling walk. That can be a real benefit if you like asking questions or want a more personal conversation.

A small group is not guaranteed, though. The supplier can cancel if there are not enough participants and may contact you in the hour before departure with an alternative tour or full refund. Weather can also lead to a rescheduled departure.

What the $28 price really buys you

At $28 per person, this is a reasonably priced way to spend two hours in the French Quarter. You are paying for a live English-speaking guide, a planned route, storytelling, and access to a mix of history and folklore. Drinks are separate, so budget for them only if you want to join the bar stops.

The value is strongest if you want several themes in one outing. You get burial customs, early New Orleans history, voodoo, Marie Laveau, haunted places, vampires, and bars without booking separate activities. The tour can also help you get oriented in the French Quarter early in your visit.

The value is weaker if your main goal is serious architectural study or a detailed account of the Louisiana Purchase. You will see the site where the purchase was signed and visit the St. Louis Cathedral area, but the tour’s attention is spread across many subjects.

Private groups are available. That may suit a birthday, bachelor or bachelorette gathering, or family group with adults who want the same guide and route. Remember that the tour’s adult tone and bar setting may not suit every family member.

The tour is wheelchair accessible, but comfortable shoes are still required for the walking route. The available information does not give a precise distance or explain every surface, so ask the supplier for current route details if you have specific mobility needs.

Who should book this French Quarter walk

I would choose this tour if you like history served with humor. It suits first-time visitors who want a broad introduction to New Orleans, as well as repeat visitors who have already walked the main streets and want stories about buildings they may have passed before.

It is also a good fit for paranormal fans, casual history buffs, solo visitors who prefer an organized evening activity, and adults who want a bar stop without joining a full nightlife crawl. The tour can feel reassuring for a solo participant because you are walking with a guide and group, though normal city awareness still matters.

You may want a different tour if you dislike ghost stories, voodoo legends, or theatrical storytelling. The drink stops are optional, but the overall mood remains playful and spooky. It is not designed as a quiet, slow-paced museum talk.

Wear comfortable shoes and arrive early. Do not plan to record video, and do not rely on the bar staff for directions. Most importantly, keep enough energy and sobriety for the whole walk.

Cancellation and booking details

You can cancel up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund, and reserve now while paying later. The stated information also says no refunds are issued for any reason, so read the active booking terms carefully and avoid assuming that a late cancellation or removal for intoxication will be covered.

Tours are conducted in English. The supplier can reschedule for bad weather and can cancel close to departure if too few people are booked. If that happens, you may be offered another tour or a full refund.

FAQ

Where does the Drunk History Walking Tour meet?

It meets on the sidewalk at the gate of the courtyard attached to Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar, at 941 Bourbon Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70116.

Do I meet inside Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar?

No. Meet outside on the sidewalk by the courtyard gate. The tour is not affiliated with the bar, and its bartenders do not have tour information.

Are drinks included in the $28 price?

No. The price includes the tour guide and walking tour only. You pay separately for any drinks you choose to buy.

Do I have to drink alcohol?

No. Drinking is optional. You can join the walking tour and listen to the history, ghost, vampire, and voodoo stories without ordering a drink.

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts two hours. Starting times vary, so check availability for the date you want.

Is the tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes, the activity is listed as wheelchair accessible. Comfortable shoes are recommended for all participants.

Can I record the tour on video?

No. Video recording is not allowed. The guides also do not use their phones during the tour out of respect for participants.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if you want New Orleans history with a mischievous edge. The combination of Marie Laveau, burial vaults, haunted houses, vampires, historic bars, and quick-witted guides gives you a memorable introduction to the French Quarter for $28.

Skip it if you want a formal lecture, a guaranteed list of specific bars, or a serious paranormal investigation. For most adults who enjoy stories, local oddities, and the option of a drink along the way, this is a smart first-night activity. Just arrive on time, wear good shoes, and pace yourself.