The New Orleans Five in One Extravaganza Tour

New Orleans packs ghosts, voodoo, murder, old bars, celebrity homes, and movie sets into a few French Quarter blocks. This five-in-one walking tour turns that strange mix into a lively introduction, led by local guides such as Cody and Coty.

I like the way the tour combines real places with memorable stories, especially the LaLaurie Mansion, Jackson Square, and the old buildings along Bourbon Street. I also like that the guide adds basic New Orleans history instead of serving up ghost tales alone. The main drawback is value: at $35, the tour is fair for a good guide, but drinks are extra, interiors are generally not included, and the experience can feel light if you expect five separate tours.

Key points to know before you book

• Five themes in one walk: Ghosts, vampires, voodoo, crime, film locations, celebrity homes, and New Orleans history share the route.
• Meet at Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop: Find the gate to the attached courtyard at 941 Bourbon Street, not inside the bar or at a street corner.
• Expect about two hours on foot: The route covers more than ten French Quarter locations, with stops at Jackson Square and the LaLaurie Mansion.
• The guide matters: Cody and Coty are praised for clear stories, cultural insight, humor, and patient answers to questions.
• Drinks are not included: The route may pause near bars for purchases and restrooms, but no bar admission is part of the ticket.
• Read the fine print: Tickets are final, late arrivals are not refunded, and the tour can be canceled if weather or minimum numbers cause a problem.

Why this French Quarter tour works

The New Orleans Five in One Extravaganza Tour is built around a simple idea: you do not need five separate outings to meet the city’s strangest characters. One walk gives you a taste of supernatural lore, voodoo traditions, true crime, architecture, popular culture, and local history.

That format suits a first visit. You get oriented to the French Quarter while hearing why the city feels so different from other American destinations. The stories are tied to actual streets and buildings, so you can return later and look at the neighborhood with more context.

This is not a museum tour or a formal architectural lecture. It is a storytelling walk. The guide’s timing, personality, and ability to answer questions will shape your experience more than the ticket itself. Cody and Coty receive especially strong praise for making the walk interesting, friendly, and easy to follow.

The tour has also been called the New Orleans Drunk History Tour. That name tells you something about the tone. Expect an informal outing with possible drink stops, colorful anecdotes, and a willingness to discuss the city’s darker subjects. You do not need to drink to take part, and drinks are not included in the $35 price.

Meeting at Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop

Your starting point is 941 Bourbon Street, at the gate of the courtyard attached to Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar. This detail matters. The tour does not meet inside the bar, and it does not meet at one of the nearby street corners.

Lafitte’s is an old and famous French Quarter landmark, so it is a useful place to orient yourself. Give yourself a few minutes to find the correct gate, especially if Bourbon Street is crowded or you are arriving after dark. The group leaves at the scheduled time. If you arrive late, you cannot simply join at the next stop and expect a refund.

The meeting point puts you right in the middle of the French Quarter’s visual drama. Old masonry, narrow streets, wrought iron, bars, and passing crowds set the mood before the guide says a word. It is also a practical place to start a walk, since the tour finishes in the heart of the French Quarter rather than sending you far from the sights.

The LaLaurie Mansion and New Orleans crime

One of the strongest stops is the LaLaurie Mansion. The guide explains the crimes associated with Madame LaLaurie, whose story became widely known through American Horror Story: Coven.

The appeal here is not just the spooky reputation. The building lets the guide connect architecture, social history, celebrity culture, and true crime in one stop. You hear what happened at the house, why its reputation persists, and how popular entertainment has shaped the way people remember it.

The stop lasts about ten minutes, but the subject often leaves a strong impression. The story is disturbing, so this is not a gentle family tale. Parents should decide if the material suits younger children. The tour is open to most participants, but it deals directly with cruelty and violence.

You should also keep expectations in check. The tour visits the exterior and provides narration. You should not expect a house tour or entry into the mansion. The itinerary notes that no entry is gained inside locations, and this is especially important for anyone hoping to explore the building itself.

Bourbon Street, old bars, and the drink-stop question

Bourbon Street appears both as part of the opening area and as a dedicated stop during the walk. You may be invited to buy a drink while the group continues along the route. The stop is optional in the sense that you pay for your own purchase, and the ticket does not cover drinks.

This part of the experience can be fun if you enjoy the social side of New Orleans. It gives the guide a chance to explain unusual bar traditions, old drinking laws, and the ways historic establishments have remained open. One particularly well-liked part of the tour is the discussion of some of the oldest bars in the country and the clever workarounds they used to operate.

The tradeoff is time. A bar may be busy, and the walk can last longer than two hours if the group waits or makes several stops. The advertised duration is approximately one to two hours, but the practical timing depends partly on how long people spend at bars.

If you want a tightly scheduled sightseeing walk, skip the drink or ask how long the stop will take. If you want a relaxed evening introduction with a beverage along the way, this format may suit you well.

The French Quarter as the main stage

The French Quarter is the heart of the tour, with more than ten locations included along the route. That broad area is where the five themes come together.

You will hear about the founding of New Orleans and the unusual mix of people who shaped its early years. The guide also points out historic buildings, mansions, courtyards, and streets tied to local legends. The stories give you reasons to look up from the sidewalk and notice the details around you.

The walk includes old, uneven, and sometimes damaged streets and walkways. Wear comfortable shoes, watch your footing, and keep clear of sidewalks and streets as the group moves. The route can change without notice, and traffic or local conditions may affect departure times.

This is a walking tour, not a hop-on, hop-off outing. There is no vehicle transfer between stops, and the value comes from moving through the district at street level. You see how close many of the famous sites are to one another, which helps you plan later visits to restaurants, bars, museums, and other French Quarter sights.

Ghosts, vampires, and paranormal equipment

The supernatural portion covers supposedly haunted buildings, ghost sightings, vampire stories, and reports of paranormal activity. The guide presents these tales as part of New Orleans folklore and local storytelling, not as a scientific investigation.

Some participants may enjoy using the provided ghost-hunting equipment. The equipment is available for detecting possible supernatural activity, adding a playful hands-on element to the walk. Keep in mind that the equipment belongs to the tour operator. A missing, damaged, or lost piece can result in a large charge, listed as $250, so handle it carefully and return it immediately.

The ghost material is best understood as entertainment with historical setting. You will hear why certain places gained a haunted reputation and how stories grow around old buildings, violent events, and famous residents. If you prefer documented history only, parts of the tour may feel too loose. If you enjoy folklore and do not need every tale proven, the mix is likely to hold your attention.

The tour does not promise a ghost sighting. It offers stories, locations, and equipment. That distinction helps you judge it fairly.

Voodoo, Marie Laveau, and cultural context

The voodoo section adds an important layer beyond the usual haunted-tour script. You learn about sacred rituals, sites connected with ceremonies, and the legacy of Marie Laveau, one of New Orleans’ best-known voodoo figures.

This part can be especially useful because voodoo is often reduced to movie clichés. A good guide can explain how the practice has been misunderstood and how it continues to influence the city’s spiritual identity. The tour presents voodoo as a living cultural subject rather than just a spooky prop.

You should listen for the difference between documented people and places, later legends, and stories shaped by popular culture. That distinction is part of the fun, but it also keeps the experience respectful. The tour is strongest when it treats the subject as history and belief, not merely as a scare tactic.

The supplied description does not promise entry into ritual sites or religious buildings. Plan on hearing the stories while walking past relevant locations.

Jackson Square and the closing stretch

Jackson Square provides several sights in one small area. The guide discusses the surrounding buildings and uses the square to explain more of New Orleans’ founding and development.

This is a good place for the history side of the tour to catch up with the supernatural side. You see some of the French Quarter’s most recognizable architecture while hearing about the people and events connected with the city’s early years. The stop is listed at about ten minutes, though the broader French Quarter portion lasts much longer.

The tour finishes somewhere in the French Quarter, in the center of the action. That is convenient for continuing your evening, finding food, or revisiting a place that caught your attention. Since the exact route can change, do not plan a tight appointment immediately afterward.

Hollywood homes and filming locations

The tour also points out French Quarter homes linked with famous Hollywood residents and locations used in films. The appeal is simple: you see the real streets behind familiar screen images.

This section works best if you enjoy identifying places from television and movies. The LaLaurie Mansion is a clear example, with its connection to American Horror Story: Coven. Other filming locations may be more recognizable to some people than others, so the experience depends partly on what you have watched.

The celebrity-home portion is generally an exterior viewing experience. You are not promised access to private residences, and the tour should be treated as a look from the public street. That keeps the stop brief and respectful while adding a modern pop-culture thread to older New Orleans stories.

What the $35 price really buys

At $35 per person, the price is reasonable for a guided French Quarter walk lasting roughly two hours. You are paying for a licensed guide, a planned route, storytelling, and the convenience of connecting several themes in one outing.

The value is strongest for first-time visitors who want orientation and atmosphere. A good guide can help you understand where the French Quarter’s major streets and landmarks sit, while giving you ideas for what to explore later.

The value is weaker if you want long visits inside buildings, cemetery entry, or five fully developed tours. The experience includes exterior stops and narration. Drinks, food, transportation, and admissions are not included. One rating specifically felt the ticket should offer more for the price, and that is a fair warning for visitors with high expectations.

The rating is listed at 4.4 from seven ratings, with strong praise for the guides and the stories but one serious complaint about a missed departure and refund handling. That small sample does not guarantee your experience. It does show that guide quality is central, and that arriving early is essential.

Who should book this walk?

I would point this tour toward:

• First-time visitors who want quick French Quarter orientation
• People who enjoy ghost stories, true crime, and local legends
• Fans of American Horror Story: Coven and movie-location spotting
• Adults who like a relaxed walk with optional drink stops
• Families with older children who can handle dark subject matter
• Visitors who want one affordable outing instead of several separate themed tours

I would be more cautious if you need step-free, perfectly even paths, a fixed end time, or a purely academic approach to history. Service animals are allowed, and most people can participate, but the streets and walkways are old and uneven.

Children must be accompanied by an adult, and some bars do not allow children inside. Since drinks are optional but bar stops may be part of the route, families should ask the guide about the plan at the start.

Practical details that can affect your day

The tour is offered in English and uses mobile tickets. It operates near public transportation, but the meeting and ending points are both in the French Quarter, so you may find it easiest to arrange your day around that district.

Tickets cannot be transferred, and sales are final. The stated policy allows no refund for cancellation or amendment, including weather in New Orleans, except when the operator cancels because of poor weather or insufficient numbers. In those cases, you are offered another date or experience, or a full refund.

Minimum numbers apply. The operator may cancel as late as one hour before departure and contact you by phone, text, or email. Keep a backup plan, especially if this is your only scheduled activity that afternoon.

The operator can refuse service to anyone showing extreme intoxication. Do not arrive impaired, and remember that the company accepts no responsibility for injuries caused by poor footing or failure to follow tour instructions.

The company also prohibits video recording of the tour or guide narration. You can take in the streets and landmarks, but do not plan to film the storytelling portion.

Should you book The New Orleans Five in One Extravaganza Tour?

Book it if you want an entertaining first look at New Orleans through stories of ghosts, voodoo, crime, old bars, films, and famous residents. The $35 cost is sensible when the guide is at his best, and Cody or Coty’s friendly, story-driven approach appears well suited to curious first-time visitors.

Skip it if you want interior access, a quiet architectural walk, or a firm finish time. Go early to the correct gate at Lafitte’s, wear shoes suited to uneven streets, budget extra for drinks, and keep a backup plan in case minimum numbers or weather cancel the outing. With those expectations, this is a lively way to get your bearings and meet the city’s stranger side.

FAQ

How long does the tour last?

The walk takes approximately one to two hours. It may last longer if the group waits at busy bars or makes several drink stops.

Where does the tour meet?

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

Should I meet inside Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar?

No. The tour does not meet inside the bar or at a nearby street corner. Use the gate to the attached courtyard.

Where does the tour finish?

It concludes in the French Quarter, in the center of the district.

What is included in the ticket?

A licensed tour guide is included. The ticket does not include drinks or entry into locations.

Is the tour offered in English?

Yes. The tour is offered in English with an English-speaking guide.

Are drinks included?

No. The tour may stop near bars where you can purchase a drink, but you pay for drinks separately.

Can children join the tour?

Children must be accompanied by an adult. Some bars on the route do not allow children inside.

Is paranormal equipment provided?

The tour may provide ghost-hunting equipment for participant use. Return it immediately after use, since charges apply for lost or damaged equipment.

Can I cancel for a refund?

The experience is normally non-refundable and cannot be changed. If the operator cancels because of poor weather or insufficient numbers, you may receive another date, another experience, or a full refund.