New Orleans: Drunk History Walking Tour

New Orleans’ French Quarter is at its best when history gets a little strange. This two-hour Drunk History Walking Tour connects above-ground tombs, voodoo, pirates, prostitutes, convicted felons, ghosts, and vampires with the streets around Bourbon Street. The stories are delivered with humor, then mixed with stops at historic bars.

I like the way the tour covers more than ghost lore. You get useful context about burial customs, Marie Laveau, the Louisiana Purchase, the St. Louis Cathedral, and the old buildings around the Vieux Carre. I also like the guides’ personal style, especially Coty and Cody, who are praised for funny storytelling, odd facts, and thoughtful answers.

The main drawback is the drinking theme. Drinks are not included, and a two-hour walk through crowded streets is less appealing if you want a quiet, formal history lesson. Arrive sober enough to participate, wear good shoes, and remember that guides can refuse service to anyone who is extremely intoxicated.

Key points to know before you book

• Marie Laveau and voodoo: Visit places tied to New Orleans’ famous voodoo queen and learn where ceremonies took place.
• Ghosts with a bar stop: The route combines haunted houses and vampire stories with chances to buy drinks.
• A strong guide makes the difference: Coty, Cody, Ashli, and Donna are noted for humor, local details, and lively answers.
• Drinking is optional: You may refill your cup at stops, but every drink is your own expense.
• A compact French Quarter introduction: In two hours, you see the cathedral, Louisiana Purchase site, historic buildings, and darker corners of the Vieux Carre.
• Meet outside Lafitte’s: Find your guide on the sidewalk by the courtyard gate at 941 Bourbon Street, not inside the bar.

What the New Orleans Drunk History Tour is really like

This is a walking history lesson with a loose, social mood. The guide leads you through the French Quarter, stopping at landmarks and buildings while explaining the people, crimes, customs, and legends connected to them.

The title may suggest a bar crawl, but that is not quite the format. The focus is the walking tour. Bars are available along the route, and you can stop to buy a drink or refill a cup, but drinks are not part of the $28 price. One past experience included only a few bar stops, with the practical warning that buying a drink at every stop could make it hard to finish the walk.

That makes the tour flexible. You can take part fully without drinking, or use the stops to try a local cocktail or another beverage. The guide waits outside while adults go inside for refills when needed.

The tone is playful rather than academic. You will hear history alongside ghost reports and supernatural claims, so the guide may not always separate documented fact from local legend in the same way a museum tour would. That is part of the fun, but it is worth knowing if you want a strictly factual account of New Orleans.

Starting at Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop on Bourbon Street

The meeting point is the sidewalk in front of Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar at 941 Bourbon Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70116. You do not meet inside the bar. Look for your guide at the gate of the courtyard attached to the bar.

This detail matters. The bar’s staff are not part of the tour company and cannot check you in or explain the tour. Arrive a few minutes early, find the guide before departure, and do not count on joining the group later at another stop.

The tour begins in one of the French Quarter’s most famous nightlife areas. That gives you an immediate sense of the setting: old buildings, crowded sidewalks, bars at nearly every turn, and a district where grand architecture and rough stories sit side by side.

The walk is wheelchair accessible, though the French Quarter’s streets and sidewalks can still be busy and uneven in places. Comfortable shoes are essential. You will cover enough ground that sandals with poor support or dress shoes are a bad choice.

Above-ground tombs and New Orleans burial customs

One of the most useful parts of the tour is the explanation of traditional burial rituals. New Orleans is famous for above-ground vaults, and the guide explains why the city developed this practice.

The subject gives the tour more substance than a run of haunted-house stories. You learn how local burial customs connect with the city’s environment and traditions, then see how those customs became part of New Orleans’ public image.

The tour treats the subject as both history and atmosphere. Tombs and vaults are visually striking, but they also show how New Orleans adapted old customs to local conditions. If you have wondered why the city’s cemeteries look so different from those in many other American cities, this portion answers that question.

Expect the guide to add darker tales around the subject. That is typical of the tour’s approach: begin with a real place or custom, then add stories about the people and events that made it notorious.

The Louisiana Purchase, St. Louis Cathedral, and the old French Quarter

The route includes the place where the Louisiana Purchase was signed, along with St. Louis Cathedral and other important sites in the Vieux Carre. These stops help anchor the stranger stories in the city’s larger past.

The cathedral is one of the French Quarter’s most recognizable landmarks. Seeing it on a walking route gives you a chance to connect the district’s religious history with its architecture and public life.

The Louisiana Purchase site adds another layer. You are not only hearing about ghosts and voodoo. You are also visiting a place tied to a major event in United States history and learning how New Orleans fit into the changing political story of North America.

This is where the tour works best for first-time visitors. You get a quick orientation to the French Quarter without spending the entire two hours on dates and names. If you have visited New Orleans before, the guide may point out details you have passed without noticing, including buildings and corners with less obvious stories.

Pirates, prostitutes, felons, and the city’s rough beginnings

The tour gives attention to the less respectable characters connected with New Orleans. Pirates, prostitutes, and convicted felons all enter the story of the city’s founding and early development.

That angle suits New Orleans. The city’s past is not a neat tale of officials, merchants, and famous generals. The French Quarter also grew through people living outside polite society, and the guide uses their stories to explain the city’s tough reputation.

The humor keeps this material moving. Guides such as Coty, Cody, Ashli, and Donna have been praised for making unusual facts memorable rather than presenting a list of dry dates. Coty and Cody, in particular, are associated with playful useless facts that often turn out to be useful once you understand the place.

You should expect some exaggeration in the storytelling. The tour invites the guide to put a personal spin on well-known events, and that is different from reading a formal account in a history book. I would use the experience to understand the character of the French Quarter, then check especially surprising claims later if accuracy matters to you.

Marie Laveau, voodoo, and the darker side of New Orleans

The voodoo section is one of the tour’s main draws. You learn how voodoo came to New Orleans, hear about Marie Laveau, and visit property connected with her. The route also includes places where voodoo ceremonies were held.

Marie Laveau is one of the city’s most famous historical figures, and the tour uses her life to explain how religion, healing, folklore, and public fear became tangled together in New Orleans. The guide does not treat the subject as a simple horror story. You get a sense of why Laveau became such a powerful figure in the city’s imagination.

This part is valuable because voodoo is often reduced to spooky decoration. A good guide can give the subject more context and show why it remains tied to New Orleans identity. The tone is still informal, so anyone seeking a detailed religious or academic treatment should choose a specialist tour instead.

The stop connected with the property given to Laveau as payment for her magic adds a physical point to the story. Rather than hearing about her in the abstract, you connect the legend with an actual place in the French Quarter.

Haunted houses, vampires, and paranormal equipment

The ghost portion focuses on places where apparitions and vampires are said to appear. You visit the city’s most haunted house and hear stories about the people and events linked to it.

The guide also identifies spots where the most predictable ghosts and vampires are said to lurk. That wording tells you what kind of experience to expect: this is a tour of local legends, not a promise that you will see a supernatural figure.

Paranormal equipment may be used during the walk. It adds a hands-on bit of entertainment, especially for people who enjoy ghost investigations. Guests are responsible for a $250 fee if paranormal equipment is lost or damaged, so handle anything supplied by the guide with care.

Video recording is not allowed. Guides also do not use their phones during the tour, which helps them keep their attention on the group. You can enjoy the stories, ask questions, and take in the buildings without treating the walk like a filming session.

The bar stops and the real cost of a $28 ticket

At $28 per person, the tour offers a reasonably priced two-hour introduction to the French Quarter. The value comes from the guide, the route, and the mix of landmarks and stories. It is not a bargain bar crawl because drinks are extra.

Plan for additional spending if you want cocktails, beer, or other drinks at the stops. You are free to skip the purchases, and drinking is optional for everyone on the tour. That is useful for mixed groups, including people who want the social mood without alcohol.

The best way to judge the price is to compare it with what you want from the evening. For a guided orientation that includes history, voodoo, ghosts, and several historic locations, $28 is fair. If you mainly want drinks, spend the money at a bar and skip the tour. If you want a serious architectural or museum-style history lesson, choose a more focused experience.

Keep your pace sensible. The tour is designed to finish in two hours, and stopping for drinks can slow the group. The guide may wait outside while adults go in for refills, but you should not assume that every stop is a long break.

Why the guide matters so much

The guide is the heart of this experience. The strongest names associated with the tour are Coty, also called Cody in some comments, Ashli, and Donna. Their styles vary, but the pattern is clear: expect an energetic storyteller who answers questions and adds personal details.

Coty is especially associated with funny, unusual facts and a strong command of the French Quarter’s stories. Ashli is praised for keeping groups engaged and for making the tour feel personal rather than rehearsed. Donna is described as offering a distinctive mix of stories and information.

A small group can change the evening. If attendance is low, you might receive a very personal walk, with time for questions and photos. Private groups are also available, which can suit birthdays, friend groups, or families who want the guide’s attention.

The company can cancel if too few people book, sometimes contacting you in the hour before departure with an alternative or full refund. Bad weather can also lead to rescheduling. Keep your schedule flexible if this is your only plan for the evening.

Who should book this French Quarter walk

I would choose this tour for adults who enjoy history presented with jokes, local legends, and a drink in hand. It suits first-time visitors who want to see several important French Quarter sites quickly, as well as repeat visitors looking for stories behind familiar buildings.

Solo visitors may appreciate the organized evening walk, particularly because the guide keeps the group together through the French Quarter. Couples and small groups can also benefit from the relaxed format and bar stops.

Families need to think about the alcohol-centered setting. The tour is not described as a children’s program, and the adults-only bar stops may not suit younger children. If adults go inside for refills, the guide waits outside.

It is a poor match for anyone who wants a silent, strictly documented history lecture, a dedicated cemetery tour, or an included drinks package. It also requires good judgment. The supplier can refuse service to someone who is too intoxicated, and there is no refund if a participant is removed for extreme intoxication.

Practical details before you go

The tour lasts two hours and runs in English. Check the available start times when booking, since the schedule can vary.

Cancellation is listed as free up to 24 hours before departure, with a full refund, while the supplier also warns that no refunds are issued for certain problems such as intoxication or failing to check in. Read the final booking terms carefully before paying.

Reserve and pay later is available, which helps if your New Orleans schedule is still changing. Private groups can be arranged, and the activity is wheelchair accessible.

Bring comfortable shoes and arrive early. Do not try to meet the group at a later stop. The guide cannot simply add you after departure, so the sidewalk by the courtyard gate at Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop is the place to be.

Should you book the New Orleans Drunk History Walking Tour?

Book it if you want a fun, story-led introduction to the French Quarter with real history, voodoo, ghost lore, and optional drinks. The strongest part is the guide’s personality, so a lively storyteller such as Coty, Cody, Ashli, or Donna can make familiar sites feel new.

Skip it if you want drinks included, a quiet walk, or a fully academic treatment of New Orleans history. At $28, it is a good value for an entertaining two-hour overview, as long as you treat the paranormal material as legend, budget separately for drinks, and arrive ready to walk.

FAQ

Where does the New Orleans Drunk History Walking Tour meet?

It meets on the sidewalk in front of Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar at 941 Bourbon Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70116. Find the guide at the gate of the attached courtyard.

Do I meet inside Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar?

No. The tour does not meet inside the bar. The bar’s bartenders are not connected with the tour and cannot provide tour information.

How long does the tour last?

The walking tour lasts two hours. Starting times vary, so check availability when booking.

Are drinks included in the $28 price?

No. Drinks are not included. You may stop at bars and buy drinks, but drinking is optional.

Can I join the tour if I do not drink alcohol?

Yes. Drinking is optional, and you can take part in the walking and storytelling without buying drinks.

What should I bring?

Bring comfortable shoes. You should also arrive a few minutes early so you can check in before the group leaves.

Is the tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes, the activity is listed as wheelchair accessible.

Is the tour offered in languages besides English?

The tour is offered in English.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund under the stated cancellation terms. The supplier also warns that no refund is issued if a participant is removed for extreme intoxication or fails to follow departure requirements.