Top New Orleans Half-day Tours

Gaze at the spectacular sights of New Orleans from the comfort of a luxury coach on an unforgettable 3-hour city tour. With a professional guide, cruise past historical highlights like the French Quarter and the Garden District while listening to illuminating commentary. See the the lakefront area and the 17th street canal where the canal bank was breached by hurricane Katrina, and delve into the city’s rich history as you take a tour of the best museums in New Orleans. Enjoy the convenience of round-trip transportation from your hotel in Downtown New Orleans on this informative tour.

Although not your typical tour of New Orleans, this expedition through the Big Easy takes in some of the major points of interest, including the French Quarter, Treme, the Esplanade, the Garden District and the Metairie Cemetery. Relax in air-conditioned minibus comfort, and listen as a guide leads you through one of America's most historic cities.

The Steamboat Natchez is taking some time off, but her sister vessel will be taking her place. You’ll get the same authentic experience of New Orleans at night on this romantic riverboat cruise! Journey through time on a paddle-wheel boat ride along the mighty Mississippi. Stroll the deck, cozy up with family and friends, and delight in the sparkle of the urban shoreline at dusk. This excursion includes a Creole‐inspired dinner (if option selected) and live jazz music.

Take a trip to either Oak Alley or Laura Plantation on this 4-hour tour from New Orleans. Explore the creole Laura Plantation, known for its historic representation of slave plantations. Or head further down to Oak Alley Plantation and stroll around the 300-year old oak trees that cover the plantation grounds with a 40-minute guided tour. See the ‘Big House,’ slave quarters, and beautiful architecture and gardens on either tour.

Nowhere is Louisiana’s wildlife more abundant than in the swamps and bayous of New Orleans. Take a boat ride through these swamps and bayous and be on the lookout for alligators, raccoons, snakes, turtles and native birds. Hear stories from your guide about local Cajun culture and the mysteries of the swamps and bayous.

Visit the Whitney Plantation Museum, a former indigo and sugar plantation on the River Road now dedicated to promoting an understanding of slavery in Louisiana. Learn about the realities of plantation life through museum exhibits and recorded narratives as you explore the restored structures and historical slave cabins. Download the Whitney Plantation app for the self-guided tour of Whitney Plantation Museum.

Experience the grandeur of New Orleans’ antebellum south on a half‐day tour of Oak Alley Plantation. Take a journey through time to the manicured estate and into the gorgeous home, built in 1839. View stunning architecture, oak‐lined esplanades, and enduring sugar cane fields while learning about the plantation’s fascinating – and often somber – histories from expert guides.

Get more from the city by exploring New Orleans’ food culture with a guide. Stop by some of the French Quarter’s most famous restaurants for some of the area’s most delicious food. Enjoy tastings that could include seafood gumbo, Creole brisket, and beignets. Learn fun facts from your guide as you walk along the city streets, and if you choose, upgrade to a small-group tour with no more than 12 guests.

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 most eerie sites at night in the safety of a group with a knowledgeable guide. Stop by top attractions such as the LaLaurie Mansion and New Orleans Pharmacy Museum, all while listening to your guide’s detailed stories of the paranormal and beyond.

Immerse yourself in the culture, history, and landscape of vibrant New Orleans on this half-day tour with a small group of 15 people or fewer. This experience combines elements from several disparate tours, including those focusing on architecture, the Garden District, historic cemeteries, the French Quarter, and recovery from Hurricane Katrina. Hotel pickup included.

Tour the Oak Alley Plantation, named for the alley of centuries-old oaks leading up to the antebellum Big House. Follow the oak-shaded paths to the blacksmith shop and a souvenir shop during your free time. Alcoholic drinks and lunch are available to purchase at the restaurant on-site, with round-trip hotel transport provided from New Orleans.

Experience New Orleans’ wild bayou country on an exciting, family‐friendly airboat tour. This fun-filled tour includes a ride on the boat plus admission to an albino alligator exhibit and transportation from New Orleans. While on-board, enjoy lively commentary from your guide as you spot local wildlife, including alligators, nutria and native birds, and visit the secluded fishing village of Jean Lafitte, the infamous 19th‐century smuggler. The airboat holds 15-27 passengers.

The Steamboat NATCHEZ is taking some time off, but her sister vessel will be taking her place. You’ll get the same authentic riverboat experience, journeying back in time to when cotton was king and New Orleans was a budding port town that dazzled visitors with its colorful Creole culture. Board the historic riverboat for a morning or afternoon float down the mighty Mississippi. Stroll the deck, admire the iconic paddlewheel, enjoy live music, and snap picturesque shots of the beautiful urban shoreline. This family‐friendly excursion offers an optional tableside lunch (additional expense).

Go for the gastronomic gusto on a food‐filled walking tour of New Orleans! Journey with a savvy local guide to popular Creole eateries, markets, and artisanal shops to sample diverse foods that define Louisiana’s culinary landscape. Stopping at several locations, savor such classic bites as gumbo, muffulettas, po'boys, bananas foster, and pralines. Along the way, meet local chefs and learn about New Orleans’ rich culinary history.

Experience the grandeur of New Orleans’ rich and conflicted past on a small‐group plantation tour. Take a journey through Laura Plantation and St. Joseph Plantation, spying other historic plantations as you travel the Great River Road. View stunning architecture and enduring sugar cane fields while learning about the plantations’ fascinating—and somber—histories from expert guides.

Beat the heat on this New Orleans SUV tour that takes you to four of the city’s must-see areas. Get a local perspective on essential sights throughout the French Quarter such as Ursuline Convent and Jackson Square before continuing to the Garden District, Metairie Cemetery, and the 1,300-acre City Park. Throughout the tour, hear fun facts and get local-approved recommendations for restaurants, jazz bars, and other Big Easy haunts.

Discover one of Louisiana’s last preserved wetlands on a Honey Island Swamp boat tour. After making a short drive to Slidell, travel deep into the secluded swamp across Lake Pontchartrain to view native wildlife and witness a remote Cajun village only accessible by boat. Enjoy guided commentary on Cajun culture and the lush swamps as you spot alligators, wild boar, snakes, and native birds. This tour does not include transportation.

If you're looking for a no-holds-barred fright in New Orleans, explore the city’s dark history on this adults-only tour from Hottest Hell, one of the top-rated haunted tour operators in town. Storytelling guides save the most grizzly true-crime tales, voodoo legends, and paranormal frights for this one, taking you on the choice of two different routes through the most haunted locations in the French Quarter and beyond.

Stroll around Frenchmen Street, New Orlean's top nightlife spot for live music, on this small-group evening tour. Listen to guided commentary on the street's colorful history and visit some of the hottest nightclubs, one of which will serve you an included New Orleans-style cocktail. You can also peruse the Frenchmen Street Art Market to pick up some locally-made souvenirs.

Rich history and voodoo legends make New Orleans one of the most fascinating places to visit, but if you see the sights alone, you could miss out on some of the key details that bring this vibrant city to life. Choose from two options - the voodoo walking tour takes you through the city during daylight hours—perfect for those who don’t want to get too scared, but still want a look into the city’s mysterious past. The BYOB Cemetery Insiders option is a walking tour that allows you to journey through three of New Orleans’ hallowed historical cemeteries. Bring your favorite beverage and learn of the city's burial customs and traditions. While you pass through the aisles of tombs, you'll hear stories like one of the thousands buried in the graveyard behind the Katrina Memorial. No matter which option you choose, you will leave you with feelings of trepidation and excitement, as well as an appreciation of New Orleans' incredible history.

Discover historic New Orleans in an open‐top double‐decker bus on this hop‐on hop‐off sightseeing tour. With your 1-day ticket, design a personal itinerary with several stops, including the French Market, Jackson Square, and the Garden District, plus available walking tours, depending on the option you buy. Enjoy unobstructed views and fun onboard commentary as you soak up ‘The Big Easy’.

Experience Louisiana’s wild bayou country on an exciting, family-friendly airboat tour. This tour includes an airboat ride that zips through the tree‐lined marshes at speeds up to 45 mph (72 kph). While onboard, enjoy lively commentary from your guide as you view lush scenery and local wildlife, including alligators, nutria, and native birds. Pickup and drop-off from downtown New Orleans and French Quarter hotels included.

Trade in the urban bustle for the bayou on a half-day trip from New Orleans to the wilds of the Honey Island Swamp. Relax on the ride from your downtown or French Quarter hotel, and then cruise beneath hanging moss and cypress trees while a wetland ecologist shares tall tales and fun facts about this protected nature reserve on the shores of Lake Ponchartrain. Learn about Louisiana’s long-standing fishing industry, and keep an eye out for native critters like otters, turtles, egrets, and alligators lurking beneath the surface.

Take a wild ride through the bayous of Cajun Country on this airboat adventure from New Orleans. In a small group, wind through tree‐lined swampland and spot abundant local wildlife, including nutria, alligators, and giant catfish, and stop at Destrehan Plantation to get a taste of the elegant antebellum south.