New Orleans Tours for 2024: 5 out of 5 Star Tours

New Orleans has been a popular destination for many years and with tourists, comes tourist attractions.  From the incredible history, to the food, the booze, and the jazz, you won’t want to miss these New Orleans Tours! (This article contains affiliate links.)

Let me guess, you are headed to New Orleans and want to hit the highlights?  

These New Orleans Tours will take you to these beautiful attractions without the fear of getting lost.  I’ve put together a list of 11 tours that highlight various aspects about New Orleans.  

And the best part?  Every one of them has 5 out of 5 star ratings from tour-goers like you and me!

It’s been a few years since I’ve visited New Orleans, but I am planning to get there again within a year.  So I’ll be taking a few of these tours and updating this post once we do!

But for now, let’s get right to it!

If You Want to Sightsee

First up, we have a couple New Orleans tours that will show off the city.  By bus or by van, these are both rated with 5 stars on TripAdvisor.  

Bus Sightseeing Tour 

This Bus Tour will take you beyond the beauty of the French Quarter, after all, there’s so much more to this city than just that one area.  This bus tour is about 2.5 hours and it will lead you around the garden district, the Treme, and the 9th ward.  All the while your tour guide will speak about the culture and throw in some history as you ride around the city.  You can book this Bus Tour Here.   

Van Sightseeing Tour 

Next up, is a similar tour, but in a van.  This Van Tour offers a smaller group feel to your exploration of New Orleans.  As you explore the city in a van, you can skip worrying about transportation as your drive transports you to the French Quarter, the Garden District and a few other stops.  

As with the bus tour above, this van tour will have a tour guide who will inform you about the history and culture of New Orleans while also discussing the city since Hurricane Katrina.  You can book your Small Group City Tour here.  

If You Want to go Outside of the City

Now what about you people who want to explore a little outside of the city.  After all, Louisiana has so much to see and explore besides just New Orleans.  

These 2 tours are similar but offer very different tour lengths depending on your availability.  The swamps of Louisiana are calling!

Let’s start with the short 2 hour tour!

Airboat and Swamp Tour 

This Swamp Tour will give you a true Bayou experience and features a high speed airboat tour of the swamps surrounding New Orleans.  Your skilled guide will speed through the swamps, with regular stops for photos.  This guide will not only be commentating your entire trip, he will be searching for a few gators for you see.  

While the swamp tour in itself has a 5 star rating, this particular tour also includes hotel pick up and drop off!  So enjoy a little authentic Louisiana swamp tour, and book this 2 hour tour here.  

Now, if you are looking for a full-day adventure in the swamp and a few plantation tours, this next tour is for you!

Swamp and Plantation Tour 

Clocking in at just under 8 hours, this full-day Swamp and Plantation Tour will take you to tour both Oak Alley Plantation and Destrehan Plantation while also drop you off for a tour of this private swamp with Cajun Pride Swamp Tours.  A touch of history, mixed in with a lot of Louisiana culture, you won’t want to miss this tour!

This tour will take up a full day of your trip, but with 3 major stops included, you’re getting quite the bang for your buck here!  You can book your full-day swamp and plantation tour here.  

Let’s head back to the city for a different type of tour, Food!

If You Are a Foodie, or Want a Few Cocktails

If you’re here to explore the city and taste the famous cuisine, you might be interested in these 5-star food tours!

Food Walking Tour 

Let’s start with this 3 hour walking food tour where you will get to sample some of New Orleans best cuisine!  This tour rotates their menu, but you could taste anything from seafood gumbo to jambalaya to Creole-style brisket and of course beignets.  Alcohol is available to purchase, but is not included with the tour, making it a family friendly food tour.  

If you and your family want to experience the delectable foods of New Orleans without the push of alcohol, this tour is for you.  Book your Walking Food Tour here.  

But if you want a half-day New Orleans food tour that includes alcohol, the cocktail and food tour below might be more your style.

Cocktail and Food Tour 

New Orleans is known for their food and their tasty adult beverages!  

With this Cocktail and Food Tour, you will get to experience both!  This half-day tour lasts 4 hours and leads you all around the city.  

You will get to sample 10 dishes, visit 6 unique locations and will be served 4 full-size drinks that are included in this price.  This tour is perfect for any foodie over the age of 21 who wants to be shown the highlights of New Orleans without having to figure it out on your own.  

If food and cocktails are your thing, you’ll want to book this New Orleans food tour here.  

So we’ve discussed sightseeing, food, the swamps and a couple plantations, but a New Orleans list of tours wouldn’t be complete without some history, jazz and architecture.  Plus a few other things for good measure.  

Here are 5 more FIVE STAR New Orleans Tours you won’t want to miss.  

History and More Tours

Jazz Tour 

First up, we have a Jazz History and Live Jazz tour that you won’t want to miss!  With some of the best jazz in the world, this New Orleans tour not only takes you through the history of jazz, but it will also take you to see some live jazz performances around the city!

Starting the tour with information of Louis Armstrong himself and finishing up with some live jazz, you’ll get a good glimpse into the musical side of New Orleans.  Book your Jazz Tour here.

Historical Walking Tour 

Next up we have a historical walking tour that leads you through and around the most famous section of New Orleans, the French Quarter.  

This tour is guided by a New Orleans expert who walks at a leisurely pace throughout the city.  With a max of 12 people per group, you can assure you’ll get to ask your guide any questions you might have.  Included on this tour are 6 stops. Making this tour more than just a quick walk around the block, but not an overwhelming amount of walking either.  

So if history and walking around popular places is your thing, you’ll want to book your Historical Walking Tour here.  

Architecture Tour 

Another walking tour that seems quite interesting is this 5 star Architecture Tour.  If you’ve never been to New Orleans, one thing that makes this city so unique is the incredible 18th and 19th century architecture. And it’s all around the French Quarter.

This tour will lead you past some French and Spanish influenced buildings that are still famous to this day!  You won’t want to miss the St. Louis Cathedral and the famous wrap-around verandas along the streets.  If you want to take a deeper dive into this beautiful architecture, you’ll want to book your Architecture Tour here.

Haunted Walking Tour 

And the final walking tour is one I actually took when I visited New Orleans a few years ago!  Taking a haunted tour through one of America’s most haunted cities seemed like a right of passage.

This tour will guide you along the streets of New Orleans telling of stories vampires, ghosts, and the infamous voodoo of New Orleans.  

Prepare to be spooked, with a touch of history, as you lead through the streets of this spooky city.  Book your Haunted Walking Tour here.  

WWII Museum

And the final thing I recommend to everyone who asks me about New Orleans is the World War 2 museum.  This museum offered so much knowledge and information about WWII that we ended up spending hours here.  

This is also a great way to beat the heat or the rain.  While history might not be your favorite thing, the interactive exhibits are incredible!  Each room transports you to a new place and time during the war. Allowing you to do more than just read about what the war was like.  

I was forever touched when I visited this museum and a group of World War II vets were here touring the exhibits.  And while I can’t guarantee that you’ll have the same experience, this museum is a must see in my opinion.  You can buy your ticket to the New Orleans WWII Museum here.  

Conclusion

New Orleans is an amazing city with more things to do than you could possibly do on a simple vacation! But I’m hoping these New Orleans Tours will help you hit the highlights. And maybe allow you to explore more than just Bourbon Street.

All of these tours have a 5 star rating for a reason, and I hope you enjoy them!

Happy Touring!