New Orleans

New Orleans Voodoo & French Quarter Cultural Walking Tour

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Overview

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. This 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. You'll leave with feelings of trepidation and excitement, as well as an appreciation of New Orleans' incredible history.

Listen to your guide’s master storytelling as they dive deep into the city’s past
Learn the history behind above-ground burying and other New Orleans facts
Don't worry about getting lost with a centrally located meeting point

What's Included

A guided walking tour with a licensed, 5-star guide.

Gratuities
Food and drinks
This tour does not enter any cemeteries.

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Witches Brew Gallery & Oddities Shop
311 Exchange Pl, New Orleans, LA 70130, USA
This tour meets at Witches Brew Gallery at 311 Exchange Place

End point

Jackson Square
New Orleans, LA 70116, USA
Tour ends at Jackson Square in the heart of the French Quarter.

What To Expect

Your journey through mystical New Orleans’ begins in the French Quarter. Choose a morning or afternoon start time and meet your friendly local guide for a narrated walk through the French Quarter. Discover the architectural diversity of the area as you pass French and Spanish‐inspired buildings, gorgeous Creole townhouses, ‘Entresol’ houses and shotgun homes. Catch a glimpse of a cloistered courtyard and hear of its utilitarian function.

As you stroll, enjoy tales of New Orleans’ voodoo history and peek into a small shop that specializes in voodoo ritual materials such as herbs, oils, and amulets. Hear more from your guide about a largely misunderstood religion that still enjoys a formidable presence in New Orleans.

Take a short break at the old train station. Then walk through Louis Armstrong Park where you visit Congo Square, a historical site from the 1800s. Here, slaves and free people met on Sunday to openly trade, socialize, play music, dance and practice voodoo rituals.

Please note that this tour covers about one mile of the city, so comfortable walking shoes are recommended.

French Quarter

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Bourbon Street (Pass By)

Louis Armstrong Park

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 (Pass By)

Voodoo Authentica

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Jackson Square

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Most travelers can participate

Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately.
All guides are licensed by the City of New Orleans.
Bring bottled water. Weather conditions can become increasingly hot in the summer months and drinking water is necessary to prevent dehydration.
Check In begins 30 minutes prior to tour departure. Tour departs on time. Late arrivals will not be refunded.
Children under 5 are free of charge.
While we do our best to accommodate all guests with mobility issues, the conditions of the terrain in the historic French Quarter present challenges. Please book accordingly.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 28 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Frequently Asked Questions

The answers provided below are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.

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Q:Where is the departure location for the BYOB Cemetery Insiders Tour?

A:The group meets at 801 Rampart Street at Louis Armstrong Park.

Apr 2021

Q:Where is the departure location for the Voodoo, French Quarter, Cemetery Tour?

A:The tour departs from the corner of Royal and Conti Streets directly across from Latrobe’s. (400 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70130)

Apr 2021

Q:How early should I arrive for the Voodoo, French Quarter, Cemetery Tour or BYOB Cemetery Insiders Tour?

A:Check-in begins 30 minutes prior to tour departure and the tour departs on time. Late arrivals will not be accepted due to liability issues, as well as respect for the guests who arrived are already mid-tour.

Apr 2021

Q:Do I have to make reservations in advance for the Voodoo, French Quarter, Cemetery Tour or BYOB Cemetery Insiders Tour?

A:Yes. The city of New Orleans regulates the tour guide industry and places a numerical limit on the number of guests each guide can lead at one time. If you do not make reservations, we cannot guarantee that there will be an available tour guide.

Apr 2021

Q:Why does the BYOB Cemetery Insiders Tour not run in the night time?

A:The cemetery is owned and operated by the Catholic Archdiocese and they control the hours. The hours are Monday through Saturday until 3 pm and until 12:00 pm on Sundays and so there are no tours after these hours.

Apr 2021

Q:What happens in cases of bad weather on the Voodoo, French Quarter, Cemetery Tour or BYOB Cemetery Insiders Tour?

A:Flooding, Tropical Storms, Hurricanes, Fires, and Cloud-to-Ground Lightning within the French Quarter are the only reasons a tour would be canceled. Tours are never canceled due to rain, cold, snow, sleet, or other inclement weather.

Apr 2021

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.5

2,899 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 2,899 reviews

Stories passed on from generations

Andrew_P, Mar 2024

So much great history and stories of creepy events within a small area of the city. James also made some great recommendations for places to eat as a local.

Nice walking tour

Aaron_B, Mar 2024

Our guide did a nice job and ee were comfortable and picked up some good information we wouldn’t have had otherwise. Also stopped by a few spots we definitely wouldn’t have seen on our own. Thank you!

The introduction to...

Henry_L, Mar 2024

The introduction to Voodoo when we were at the park. The guide provides the books and show us the African gods and goddesses.

Amazing Tour!

Margaret_R, Mar 2024

Amazing tour! Excellent tour guide, very knowledgeable about the city. One of the best tours i’ve been on

Great tour and guide

Cindy_M, Feb 2024

William did a great job of telling the history. Got everyone involved. It was very educational. Great job!

Really interesting tour

Lesley_K, Feb 2024

William was very knowledgeable and brought everything to life really well. Great to see someone local so passionate about where they live.

A different side of NOLA

Tracy_S, Feb 2024

Our guide William was knowledgeable and entertaining, and showed us a different side or New Orleans.

Great!

Brandalynn_G, Jan 2024

Love that William was very knowledgeable and entertaining even for my teenagers. I would highly recommend!

Great tour

Craig_M, Dec 2023

William did a great job with this tour. He was very informative with great knowledge. I highly recommend this tour.

Response from Host, Dec 2023

Thank you so much for this wonderful feedback!

Difficulty understanding guide. YOU DONT ENTER THE CEMETARY

Jeni_L, Dec 2023

The guide was very nice but spoke really fast and wasn’t very clear. I only got 20% of what he said.

Rain or shine, this was the perfect tour for us!

CJ_F, Dec 2023

Our rainy tour began on Basin St with William who was excited to tell the unique stories of New Orleans. As we braved the weather with umbrellas and soaking feet, we visited the cemetery where Nicolas Cage has a mausoleum and Marie Laveau is rumored to be laid to rest (although the verdict is still out on this), Congo Square to learn about the open space where African dance and drumming celebrations took place and the development of jazz music, gave an offering by the very oak tree where people have gathered for centuries, as well as the Louis Armstrong park. We learned about the Voodoo divinities as we strolled down to learn more about the architectural history of the city, visited Marie's home where I left a ponytail for good luck and ended at Voodoo Authentica. Would highly recommend if you love rich history!

Excellent Tour!

Eric_H, Nov 2023

We had a great time with William! He was very knowledgeable about cemeteries and the Quarter in general, and did a really great job expressing the history and spirituality of voodoo.

Enjoyed every minute!

Barbara_N, Nov 2023

The tour guide William was everything. He was extremely friendly, informed and had a great sense of humor. He had amazing great stories- made NOLO past and present come to life for us!

Wonderful tour and the guide Bill was great!

Linda_H, Nov 2023

Learning about Maria Lavau and the burial techniques of New Orleans!The walk through the French Quarter with Bill the guide was extremely informative. He talked about Voodoo and their deity’s which was interesting.

Interesting look into the past

Katherine_H, Nov 2023

Bill was great as a tour guide. We learned a lot about Voodoo, the history of the city and cultural roots that make New Orleans the city it is today. It definitely inspired me to continue my own learning about our historical past.

Orion was an amazing...

Heather_C, Oct 2023

Orion was an amazing guide. Very friendly, knowledgeable, and honest. He did not hide the darker side of the history which was refreshing to see.

Loved it!

Page_D, Oct 2023

William was a great guide and very knowledgeable. We learned a lot and saw some parts of the city that were new to us.

Enjoyable

Sharla_J, Sep 2023

Our tour guide was good. He gave us many aspects in detail (history and facts) along the route of the walking tour. He was funny in his story telling as well. Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed the experience (Congo and Jackson squares and French quarters for Voodoo), but the tour which included the cemetery was unfortunately unavailable for this tour even though it is advertised as a “cemetery tour”. We could not go directly into St. Louis cemetery, so the tour guide gave us the history and background from outside.

Great

Oscar_H, Aug 2023

Really enjoyed the tour and learnt a lot about the history of the city. Tour guide William was great!

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Thank you, Oscar! We're so happy to hear this!!

Nice tour

Kelly_R, Jun 2023

William is an excellent guide. Great experience! He made the experience very personalized to what our teens wanted to hear. Very knowledgeable.

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