It’s October, and it’s officially spooky season!
If you’re visiting New Orleans in the fall and staying in one of our vacation rentals in the heart of the city, it’s one of the best times of year to immerse yourself in the haunted history of New Orleans.
With such a rich history and culture and over 300 years of voodoo and supernatural stories, New Orleans is a favorite place to set out on a haunted tour and embrace your spooky side.
While it doesn’t have to be Halloween to enjoy NOLA’s best ghost tours – they’re offered year-round – fall is the time of year we’re most often asked for our recommendations. So we’ve put together a list of some of our favorites to help plan your trip.
Why Go on a New Orleans Ghost Tour
There are so many things to do and see in New Orleans in the fall that you may be wondering if a ghost tour is worth the limited time you have for your visit. But haunted tours are a popular, affordable, and safe way to enjoy the city.
When you reserve a NOLA ghost tour, you’ll walk (or ride) through the city with a knowledgeable tour guide, who’ll regale you with entertaining tales while teaching you all about the city’s history. You’ll get to visit popular New Orleans landmarks and learn a ton along the way. So definitely consider booking a tour while you’re in town!
Best Ghost Tours in New Orleans
Many ghost tours claim to be the best… but the truth is, there’s something for everyone in NOLA. From kid-friendly to adults only, from walking tours to bus tours, from pub crawls to carriage rides, we have a recommendation for you. Here are a few of our favorites.
Best New Orleans Ghost Tour for Kids
French Quartour – Spooky Tour Ghost Hunt for Kids
Who: 4-8 years old
Duration: 1.5 Hours
Price: $25
There are plenty of family-friendly ghost tours in New Orleans, but this one is regularly raved about by families with young kids. This kid-friendly ghost hunt takes kids 4-8 years old (and their families) in search of the French Quarter’s 19th-century residents. It’s not scary at all, just a fun way to make kids wonder “what if.”
This teacher-led ghost hunt reveals fun facts and anecdotes while teaching kids about the past and history of New Orleans. Families are encouraged to ask questions of the certified guides and experienced teachers leading the way. If ghosts aren’t your thing, this company has a variety of other teacher-led tours, including a Pirate Treasure Hunt and a Bizarre But True Bayou tour.
Best New Orleans Haunted Walking Tour for Everyone
Ghost City Tours – Ghosts of New Orleans
Who: All ages
Duration: 1.5 Hours
Price: Adults $25; children 6-9 $10; 5 and under free
This all-ages walking tour will take you and your family (ages 5 and under are free!) to locations such as the French Quarter’s most haunted mansions, sites of extreme paranormal activity, Jackson Square, and the LaLaurie Mansion. Those who have been on the tour love that it’s family-friendly, informative, and entertaining.
A trustworthy ghost tour company, Ghost City Tours runs haunted tours in fifteen other cities, so you can rest assured they know their stuff. In New Orleans, they also offer a haunted pub crawl (you can carry your alcoholic beverage with you as you go – they’re allowed on the streets here in NOLA!) and a Killers and Thrillers tour, which is a true-crime ghost tour with mature language and themes.
Best New Orleans Ghost and Vampire Tour
French Quarter Phantoms – Ghost and Vampire Walking Tour
Who: All ages
Duration: 2 hours
Price: Adults from $22; kids from $5
If you’re into vampires, this one’s for you. As seen on A&E, The Travel Channel, Sci Fi, The Discovery Channel, BBC World, the Discovery Channel, the History Channel – you get it! Visitors rave about the master storytellers who lead this tour, saying they’re friendly, knowledgeable, and funny. Your licensed guides will spin tales of both local hauntings and vampire lore as they lead you through the French Quarter, LaLaurie Mansion, Jackson Square, Verti Marte, and more.
The best part might just be the buy one get one free Hurricane deal for adult guests, so you can grab a drink before the tour and enjoy it while you stroll. This tour outfitter also runs other excursions, including the French Quarter History & Voodoo Tour, Garden District Tour, and Saints and Sinners Tour.
Best New Orleans Carriage Tour
Royal Carriages – New Orleans History & Haunts Carriage Tour
Who: All ages
Duration: 1 hour
Price: Adults from $60; kids from $40; 4 and under are free with adult
If a walking tour isn’t your speed, consider taking a mule-drawn carriage through the streets of the French Quarter. You may be thinking of romantic carriage rides around the city – and yes, Royal Carriages offers daytime history tours and private carriage rides. But they also offer something you might not expect – a haunted carriage tour.
On this spooky ride, you’ll hear chilling ghost stories and tales of pirates and voodoo history while visiting sites like haunted restaurants and hotels. The guides are knowledgeable, the pace is relaxed, and the group size is capped at eight per carriage for an intimate experience.
Best New Orleans Ghost Tour for Bachelorette Parties
Unique NOLA Tours – Lewd Spirits Tour
Who: 21+
Duration: 2 hours
Price: Ages 21 – 64 $37; ages 65+ $30
Unique NOLA may have designed the perfect New Orleans ghost tour for bachelorette parties! Combining three haunted bar stops in the French Quarter with the raunchiest NOLA ghost stories, your crew will love this 21-and-over tour. Expert guides impress visitors with their storytelling and humor at each of the three stops, one of which is a former brothel.
Due to the risqué tales of adultery, murder, and mayhem, this tour is for mature audiences only. If you want to include friends or family who are under 21, you’ll want to check out their Our Favorite Ghosts (consistently rated one of NOLA’s best haunted tours) or the Kid-friendly Ghost Tour.
Best New Orleans Haunted Bus Tour
NOLA Ghost Riders – Cemetery Bus Tour
Who: 6+
Duration: 2 hours
Price: Adults $45; children 6-12 $30
Another fun way to hear about New Orleans’ haunted history is via bus. If you have guests in your group with mobility issues or who don’t want to walk through town, this is a great option. This night-time Cemetery Bus Tour will escort you to multiple beautiful and ornate New Orleans cemeteries. While on the tour, you’ll learn about New Orleans’ unique burial rituals and practices along with chilling ghost stories.
If this tour isn’t for you, you can always check out NOLA Ghost Riders’ Haunted Plantation Tour, Haunted Drunken History Tour, or Ghost Walking Tour.
Best New Orleans True Crime Tour
Haunted History Tours – True Crime Tour
Who: 13+
Duration: 2 hours
Price: Adults $30; seniors, students & military $25
True Crime buffs, you’ll love this one! New Orleans’ largest and longest-operating walking tour company, Haunted History Tours, breathes new life into ghost tours with a true crime-inspired walking tour. Unlike the typical ghost stories you’ll hear on other tours, this one features well-researched, graphic tales of the city’s most notorious crimes, like unsolved mysteries, missing persons and kidnappings, and heinous murders, all documented by police records, newspaper archives, and court records.
Due to the graphic and disturbing details of violent crime, this tour is not recommended for small children (or the faint of heart). All guests must be at least 13 years of age to take this tour. If you’re not into the graphic nature of this tour or you’re traveling with younger kids, this tour outfitter also offers a haunted pub crawl, cemetery bus tour, vampire tour, voodoo tour, daytime cemetery tour, and more.
Ways to Enhance the Spooky
Ghost tours got you in a spooky mood? Keep the vibe going by exploring one of New Orleans’ most haunted places on your own. Or visit one of NOLA’s hauntingly beautiful cemeteries, many voodoo shops, or supernatural-themed restaurants. Here are a few ideas to get you started!
Voodoo Museum – mysteries, legends, and traditions of voodoo, educating visitors on the influence voodoo has had throughout NOLA’s history
Museum of Death – displaying body bags, coffins, skulls, Manson family photos, and gruesome crime scene photos
New Orleans Pharmacy Museum – a historic apothecary housed in the French Quarter
Tatlo – Southeast Asian restaurant and Absinthe House in the heart of the French Quarter, inviting the “bewitched and hex-curious” to sample their Filipino and Vietnamese flavors
New Orleans Vampire Cafe – New Orleans cuisine in the heart of the French Quarter, welcoming vampires and mortals alike to enjoy lavish bites and Blood-Type specialty cocktails (also has a boutique selling items like custom fangs, creepy dolls, and magical candles)
Bottom of the Cup – a world-famous tea room and shop where you can have your tea leaves read by experienced psychics.
Best Haunted Tours in New Orleans
Next time you’re in NOLA, we hope you’ll check out one of these entertaining ghost tours and let us know what you think!
And don’t hesitate to tell us your favorite New Orleans haunted tours so we can add them to the list.
If you’re looking for a place to stay while exploring our favorite haunts, browse our Book NOLA properties to find a New Orleans vacation rental that’s perfect for you. We can’t wait to host you in NOLA!