Top New Orleans Private Sightseeing Tours

Explore New Orleans through the eyes of a local on this hyper-authentic tour of the Crescent City. From the Bywater to Bayou Saint John, get off the beaten track and discover parts of New Orleans privy to local knowledge. Get insights into the city’s rich culture and history along the way, plus insider travel tips to enhance your trip.

There's so much more to New Orleans beyond the French Quarter, so get to know the “real” city on a private tour led by a born-and-bred local. Traveling in a private vehicle, explore all the major neighborhoods, from Garden District mansions and cemeteries to sprawling City Park, the bustling port, and Lake Ponchartrain. Avoid the crowds and tourist traps, learning about 300 years of New Orleans history along the way.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

Savor your New Orleans experience with a professional photographer to show you around the French Quarter and capture high-quality photos of the excursion. The local photographer not only knows the top photo spots in the city but can also share other details about the sights throughout the tour. This enables you to maximize your time and take home photos.

See New Orleans through the eyes of a local on a private driving tour that takes you around the French Quarter and beyond to see parts of the city that many visitors miss. From the Mississippi River to the leafy Garden District, peaceful City Park to legendary cemeteries, cover more ground than a walking tour on an itinerary that can be customized based on your group’s interests.

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.

Sail down this Mississippi River on a classic Paddlewheeler boat on this New Orleans river cruise. Enjoy illuminating narration from a licensed historian and stop part-way through the trip to learn about the Battle of New Orleans. Then, get back aboard the vessel and enjoy a cash bar while admiring the views.

Discover the rich history of New Orleans, beyond the bars of Bourbon Street and the parties of Mardi Gras, on a private, 3-hour walking tour of the French Quarter. Visit many landmarks that tell the story of the city’s unique French, Spanish, and Creole heritage while strolling through the atmospheric streets with a private guide.

Explore one of Louisiana’s last protected wetlands on a 2-hour boat tour that includes round-trip transport from New Orleans. Depart in the morning or afternoon for Honey Island Swamp, a wildlife preserve teeming with critters such as 'gators, wild boar, snakes and birds. Ride through the swamp dripping with lush foliage and visit a boat-accessible Cajun village with an informative local guide who sheds light on the area’s inhabitants.

Get a taste of 18th-century New Orleans while exploring its most notorious haunts aboard a mule-drawn carriage. Join a small group of no more than eight people for an intimate evening tour through the French Quarter, where rollicking nightlife conceals a past filled with dark deeds, natural disasters, and supernatural sightings. Hear the city's most salacious history from a guide as you clip-clop your way past iron-laced balconies, darkened alleys, and southern mansions steeped in legend.

Immerse yourself in the rich culture and natural splendor of New Orleans’ mystifying swamps and wetlands on a 2-hour New Orleans swamp tour and wetlands adventure. Relax in the luxurious interior of a New Orleans swamp tour boat as you cruise past cultural highlights like a Cajun cemetery, an Indian burial mound and a traditional fishing village. Scour the scenery for fascinating flora and fauna like snakes, turtles and alligators while listening to interesting commentary from your professional guide.

Get amazing aerial views of New Orleans on this 15-mile helicopter tour. While listening to guided commentary from your pilot through your headset, you and just a two other passengers will fly over Jackson Square, the French Quarter, City Park, and Lake Pontchartrain, among other landmarks.

Experience the iconic New Orleans swamplands during a small-group airboat tour, led by a professional guide. Alternate between adrenaline-fuelled high speeds and gentle cruising as you sail past fascinating flora and fauna. Capture fantastic photographs of alligators in their natural habitat, and relish the intimate atmosphere of a small-group, limited to only nine passengers. Enjoy the convenience of round-trip transportation by comfortable, air-conditioned coach from your hotel in Downtown New Orleans.

Discover historic New Orleans in an open‐top double‐decker bus on this hop‐on hop‐off sightseeing tour. With either your 1‐or 3-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’.

Maximize time in New Orleans with a sightseeing bus tour. Explore beyond the beauty of the French Quarter to see other neighborhoods including the Garden District, Treme, and the 9th Ward. Learn about city culture and history as you travel along Frenchmen Street, Esplanade Avenue, and more.

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.

Experience New Orleans’ wild bayou country on an exciting, family‐friendly airboat ride. This boat tour winds through the mossy cypress swamp close to Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, named for the 19th‐century pirate and smuggler. While onboard, enjoy lively commentary from a native guide as you admire lush, forested shoreline and spot local wildlife.

See the many faces of New Orleans on this 3-hour private tour. Your guide, a local historian, will lead you through the Lower Ninth Ward and the ever-evolving Warehouse/Arts District. Explore the scenic Garden District, known for its oak-lined streets, lush gardens, and impressive Victorian mansions. End your tour with a visit to the historic Lafayette Cemetery.

Let a wetland ecologist guide you through the Honey Island Swamp during this private tour from New Orleans. Listen to engaging commentary about the city as you make your way to the West Pearl River. Then, climb aboard a shaded flat-bottom boat, equipped for up to 14 passengers, to get a close look at one of the country's wildest swamps. This private tour offers flexibility and personalized attention from your guide.