New Orleans Ghost Tour — Licensed-Guide French Quarter Walk With Interior Haunted-Building Access

Our featured French Quarter ghost tour starts from $37 per person for a 2-hour licensed-guide walk that includes interior access to a private haunted building. Most New Orleans ghost tours range from $18 (basic haunted pub crawls) to $69 (plantation night tours with transport). Cemetery bus tours sit around $36, and a guided walk inside St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 with a licensed operator is typically $25. See our French Quarter vs cemetery tour comparison for which is best for your trip.

Your 2-hour tour includes a licensed local historian guide, a walking route through the French Quarter past LaLaurie Mansion and other haunted landmarks, and interior access to a private haunted building no other ghost tour in New Orleans can enter. Drinks and gratuities are not included. Routes may shift slightly due to parades, construction, or weather.

Most French Quarter ghost tours including this one welcome families — the focus is documented local history rather than jump-scares or actors in costume. That said, content covers crime, slavery, and dark events, so parental discretion matters for kids under 10. Pub-crawl ghost tours are 21+. See our what-to-expect guide for a section-by-section breakdown of the route.

Year-round at night — start times are typically 7 to 9 pm, when the French Quarter's gas-lit balconies and shadowed alleys are at their most atmospheric. October is peak (Halloween, Voodoo Festival weekend, cooler nights). Avoid the worst summer heat (July–August) and book early if traveling during Mardi Gras (Feb–Mar) — ghost tours sell out fast around major festivals. Hurricane season runs June through November but tours run rain-or-shine. See our best-time guide for month-by-month picks.

A French Quarter ghost tour is a 1.5–2 hour walking tour past haunted historic buildings (LaLaurie Mansion, Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop, Pirate's Alley) led by a licensed local guide telling documented stories of crime, slavery, voodoo, and vampire folklore. A cemetery tour is a guided walk inside St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 (or a bus tour to multiple cemeteries) focused on above-ground tombs, voodoo queen Marie Laveau's gravesite, and the city's burial traditions. They cover different territory and are often combined. See our full comparison.

No. Since March 2015 the Archdiocese of New Orleans has restricted St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 to family members of those interred and groups accompanied by an Archdiocese-licensed tour operator. Independent visitors are turned away at the gate. This rule was put in place to stop vandalism (especially to Marie Laveau's tomb). See our St. Louis Cemetery access rules guide for which tour operators are licensed.

Look for the Red Door ticket booth at 620 Decatur Street, in front of Bon's New Orleans Street Food — one block from the Mississippi riverfront and a 5-minute walk from Jackson Square. Arrive 15 minutes before your tour time. There's no parking at the meeting point; consider rideshare or the Riverfront streetcar (Toulouse stop).

The tour runs 2 hours. You'll cover about 1 mile on foot at an easy pace, with frequent stops in front of haunted buildings and restroom breaks. Wear comfortable shoes — the French Quarter's banquettes (sidewalks) are uneven brick and bluestone.

No. The operator's stated policy is that guides are professors, historians, and educated lovers of New Orleans dark history — there are no costumes, no actors hiding to jump out, and no horror-movie theatrics. The frightening parts come from real events: documented crimes, slave-era atrocities, voodoo practices, and unexplained paranormal accounts.

The operator doesn't publicly reveal which building it is — it's a privately owned haunted site they're the only ghost-tour company with access to. You'll go inside, hear its documented history, and have time to take photos. Past guests have shared what they captured on social media; if you photograph something paranormal, the operator will evaluate and may feature it on their channels.

With over 1,070 reviews and a 4.5/5 rating, it's one of the most-reviewed and consistently highly-rated French Quarter ghost tours on GetYourGuide. For $37 you get 2 hours with a licensed local historian who walks you past sites you'd pass without knowing their stories, and the interior haunted-building access is a genuine differentiator. Guests routinely flag it as a highlight of their NOLA trip. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before removes the booking risk.

Tours run rain or shine. Bring a small umbrella or a light poncho — most balconies along Royal and Bourbon offer brief shelter. Severe weather (hurricane warnings, lightning storms) is the operator's call; if they cancel, you're refunded in full. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before gives you options if forecasts deteriorate.