The 10 Best Literary, Art & Music Tours in New Orleans, Louisiana (LA)

Join the leader of one of New Orleans' best-known bands for a behind-the-scenes musical experience in the Big Easy. You'll venture to three different jazz clubs in the French Quarter and be treated to premier seats while your host plays during live shows. Meet local band members and sip a cocktail at each venue during this 3-hour VIP experience.

Inclusions: Cocktail included at each club, All taxes and gratuities

Exclusions: Additional alcoholic beverages can be purchased

Because I am a long-term resident of the French Quarter, i can afford guests an insider's perspective of this unique neighborhood. My goal is to customize the tour according to guest's interests. Unlike other tours, this one goes beyond the tourist veneer and provides guests an authentic experience.

Inclusions: Architecture, sites of historical interest, ethnography

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This tour experience will complete our magical city in an epic way. Certainly younger than the Creole French Quarter, we will journey to the area of town formerly known as Lafayette – comprised of the working class neighborhood of the Irish Channel and aristocratic Garden District, home to beautiful houses made more famous by Anne Rice’s novel “Interview With A Vampire

Inclusions: In-person guide

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Five writers have passed through New Orleans on their way to the Nobel Prize in Literature. Dozens more who came this way have been awarded Pulitzers, National Book Awards and O. Henry Prizes. Something happens to writers in New Orleans that stays with them wherever they roam. During our Books and Bohemians Literary Walking Tour you will visit one of only three literary landmark hotels in America. William Faulkner, Tennessee Williams and Ernest Hemingway stayed there often. Truman Capote said he was born there. (He wasn’t.) We’ll visit the authors’ homes and favorite haunts. We’ll immerse ourselves in the vibrant culture of Dixie Bohemia, La Vie Bohéme, in the 1920’s. If you couldn’t join the Lost Generation in Paris, you came to Paris on The Mississippi. And we’ll shine the spotlight on New Orleans’ women, African American and contemporary writers. A relaxed stroll through the French Quarter with time for a cocktail or two (Drinks NOT included).

Inclusions: Licensed New Orleans Tour Guide

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Join us for this small group tour (maximum of 15 guests) led by a world-renowned jazz musician. This truly is a one of a kind New Orleans experience! In order to maintain proper social distancing, your guide Kevin will ask that the group stay at least 6 feet from back while you join him on a "tumble" through the French Quarter while he plays the tunes that made New Orleans famous. Kevin will play New Orleans Jazz as our "tumble" stops in front of several of famous Jazz Clubs such as Preservation Hall, Fritzel's and others while keeping a social distance between you and the guests of the clubs. You won't want to miss this one! Sign up now in order to secure your space for your next visit to New Orleans.

Inclusions: Escorted by World Reknowned Jazz Musician, Minimum of Two Performance Stops, Jazz Tour Through the French Quarter

Exclusions: Gratuities (recommended), Transportation, Alcoholic Beverages (available for purchase), Cafe Au Lait and Beignets

Mardi Gras Mambo Tours (MGMT) has captured the essence of what makes NOLA enchanted... it's mystic art, cuisine and of course spirits. MGMT brings brands together by creating exclusive experiences. We specialize in branding and hosting the most unique events New Orleans has to offer. This is an open bar cocktail tour but the kiddos are welcomed. Must be 21 to drink. Jump on board as we visit Mardi Gras World & Seven Three Distilling. Shuttle services are provided. Space is limited so Book Now!

Inclusions: Alcoholic Beverages, Air-conditioned vehicle, Private Room, Hurricanes and King Cake at Mardi Gras World, Tour and Open Bar at Seven Three Distilling Company, Mask-making, Dinner

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For the past 300 years New Orleans has hung precariously to the lower lip of a country that doesn’t know quite what to make of her. At best, New Orleans is called “different”. As often as not, the difference is characterized in travel memoirs as “decadence”. Decadent: corrupt, degenerate, depraved, dissipated, dissolute, immoral, sinful, unprincipled. On this two hour walking tour of the French Quarter you will meet the rogues and roués, the mobsters and madams: Silver Dollar Sam, Diamond Jim, Emma Johnson and her House of All Nations, Norma Wallace and, of course, Bourbon Street. In our mind’s eye we’ll tour down the line of Storyville, the legendary and notorious tenderloin district that beckoned all comers between 1898 and 1917. We’ll meet the King Fish, Gov. Huey Long, who fathered modern Louisiana through patronage and payoffs. He might have become President — if he hadn’t be assassinated. You must be at least 21 years old to take this tour. Adult content!

Inclusions: Licensed New Orleans Tour Guide

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Experience everything that ‘The Big Easy’ has to offer on this unique total day tour. Dig into the delicious flavors that make New Orleans one of the USA’s top foodie destinations, enjoy some classy cocktails in the famous French Quarter and hear all about the origins of jazz before visiting a few of our favorite local jazz clubs. By the end of this all-encompassing tour, you’ll be hooked on gin and jazz and a bona fide expert on North America’s Mardi Gras city! This tour is a combination of three of our most popular tours, the New Orleans Food Tour, the New Orleans Cocktail Tour and the New Orleans Jazz Tour

Inclusions: Local English-speaking guide, Food samples, Five cocktail samples, Small snack, Food options and portion sizes vary — the total amount of food included will be equal to a full meal. Cocktail portions vary throughout the tour., Streetcar ticket

Exclusions: Additional drinks, food, Tips/gratuities for your guide and the musicians

Few cities rival New Orleans’ nightlife thanks to its thrilling music scene. From authentic dixieland to big brass and every other jazz style in between, live music options are endless in the city that gave birth to the coolest genre in music. Hear about the origins and culture of jazz before making your way to the 19th century neighborhood that boasts the best music and bars in town. We’ll visit a few of our favorite local clubs, enjoy a beer and discover the talents of some of the city’s best local musicians. There’s nothing quite like a night out in ‘The Big Easy.’

Inclusions: Local English-speaking guide, One beer

Exclusions: Additional drinks, Food, Souvenirs, Tips/gratuities for your guide and the musicians

Explore New Orleans’ jazz and cocktail scenes on fun and far-reaching afternoon tour. With a local guide leading the way, learn about jazz’s origins and explore musical landmarks like Marginy and Louis Armstrong Park. Escape the beaten path in the French Quarter and visit a legendary 18th-century haunt. Enjoy a beer and five cocktail samples.

Inclusions: Local English-speaking guide, Five cocktail sample, Small snack, One beer

Exclusions: Additional drinks, food, Tips/gratuities for your guide and the musicians