New Orleans: Drunk History Walking Tour

New Orleans has plenty of ghost tours, but this one adds a useful twist: the stories arrive with a drink in hand if you choose to stop at one of the French Quarter’s historic bars. You’ll hear about above-ground burial vaults, Marie Laveau, voodoo ceremonies, pirates, prostitutes, convicted felons, and the city’s most talked-about haunted houses.

I like the mix of serious history and playful storytelling. I also like that the bar stops are optional, so you can focus on the past without turning the evening into a drinking contest. The main drawback is the pace: two hours on Bourbon Street and nearby streets can feel crowded, noisy, and warm, and the tour is not a good fit if you want a quiet or strictly academic history walk.

Key points to know before you book

• The French Quarter is the classroom: See the St. Louis Cathedral, the site linked with the Louisiana Purchase signing, old burial sites, voodoo locations, and haunted buildings.
• Coty is a frequently named guide: His humor, personal stories, random facts, and ability to answer questions have made him a popular guide on many departures.
• Drinking is optional: You pay for your own drinks, and you can stop at historic bars along the route or keep walking.
• The stories cover more than ghosts: Expect local history, burial customs, fires, romance, voodoo, crime, pirates, and dark characters from New Orleans’ past.
• Wear proper walking shoes: You’ll spend the full two hours on foot, often on busy French Quarter streets.
• Meet at the exact starting point: The tour begins outside the gate of the courtyard attached to Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar at 941 Bourbon Street, not inside the bar.

What the two-hour walk is really about

This is not a museum tour with dates delivered in order. It is a walking story about how New Orleans became a place where Catholic burial customs, African spiritual traditions, French and Spanish rule, crime, nightlife, and ghost lore all overlap.

Your guide leads you through the Vieux Carré, the French Quarter’s formal name, stopping at landmarks and old buildings along the way. The route includes the famous St. Louis Cathedral and the area connected with the signing of the Louisiana Purchase. You also hear about buildings tied to voodoo, alleged hauntings, and people whose lives helped shape the city’s reputation.

The tour’s title tells you what to expect from the tone. It is meant to be funny, loose, and social. You get facts, but you also get comic timing, odd details, and stories told with a strong personal voice. That makes it a good first-night activity if you want to learn where you are while getting a feel for the French Quarter after dark.

It is also a useful choice for repeat visitors. The French Quarter is easy to walk through without noticing what is behind the doors and balconies. A guide can point out places you may have passed several times and explain why they matter.

Bourbon Street, Lafitte’s, and the first practical detail

The meeting point is on the sidewalk at 941 Bourbon Street, in front of the famous Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar. Look for the guide at the gate of the courtyard attached to the bar.

This detail matters. You do not check in inside Lafitte’s, and the bar’s staff do not run the tour or provide tour information. Arrive a few minutes early, since you must check in before the group leaves. You cannot join later at another stop.

Starting on Bourbon Street puts you right in the middle of the French Quarter’s nightlife. That is convenient, but it can also be hectic. Large crowds, music, drinks, and traffic are part of the setting, so give yourself extra time to reach the meeting point.

The route is wheelchair accessible, though French Quarter paving, crowds, and building entrances can still affect how easy each stop feels. The tour is offered in English, and private groups are available if you want a more personal outing.

Burial vaults and the city below the stories

One of the most useful parts of the walk is the explanation of New Orleans burial customs. The city’s high water table makes traditional underground graves difficult, so above-ground tombs and vaults became a defining feature of local cemeteries.

You learn about the rituals connected with these burials and why the vaults are built above ground. This gives the ghost stories a real setting. Instead of treating every tomb as a prop for a spooky tale, the guide connects burial practices to the city’s environment, religion, and long history.

That balance is one reason I would choose this tour over a ghost walk that focuses only on dramatic claims. You still get the eerie side of New Orleans, but you also get a reason for the architecture and customs you see.

The route can also touch on fires, old buildings, and the people who lived in them. Some stories are grim, some are strange, and some are funny. The tone changes often enough to keep the walk moving.

Marie Laveau, voodoo, and the city’s spiritual traditions

The voodoo portion focuses on how the practice came to New Orleans and on Marie Laveau, the city’s best-known voodoo figure. You visit property associated with her and hear about locations where ceremonies were held.

This section needs a little care from the listener. New Orleans voodoo has often been reduced to sensational images, but the subject is tied to African, Caribbean, Catholic, and local traditions. The tour presents it through stories and landmarks rather than as a formal religious lesson.

I like this part because it gives the French Quarter more depth than a simple list of haunted addresses. You see how real spiritual practices became mixed with rumor, fear, tourism, and popular culture. The stories about Marie Laveau also show how one person can become both a historical figure and a legend.

Expect a lively interpretation rather than a scholarly seminar. Your guide may add personal observations and unusual facts, and the exact balance between documented history and local legend can depend on the person leading your group.

Ghosts, vampires, and the most haunted house

The paranormal part of the tour asks where the French Quarter’s most predictable ghosts and vampires are said to appear. You visit a house described as one of the most haunted in the city and hear accounts connected with ghosts, voodoo, and vampires.

A paranormal device may be used during the walk. It adds a playful activity for the group, but you should treat it as entertainment, not proof of the supernatural. The tour is at its best when it lets you enjoy the story while leaving room for your own judgment.

The haunted-house stop has been a highlight for many groups, but the experience depends on the guide’s storytelling and the mood of the street. You are not entering every location, and you should not expect a staged haunted attraction. Much of the fun comes from standing outside an old building while hearing what is said to have happened there.

The tour also asks you to think about why certain stories survive. A violent past, an unusual building, a famous resident, or a good rumor can all turn a place into a legend. That is more interesting than simply asking if a ghost is real.

Pirates, prostitutes, and convicted felons

The tour’s history reaches beyond polite colonial names. You hear how pirates, prostitutes, and convicted felons connect with the founding and early development of New Orleans.

That material gives the city a less polished and more believable shape. New Orleans was not built only by governors, merchants, and church officials. Its growth also involved people living outside respectable society, people pushed into hard work, crime, forced movement, or survival on the margins.

Your guide may present these stories with humor, but the subject matter can be dark. The experience works best if you are comfortable with tales of violence, exploitation, crime, and unusual punishments. Families with older children may enjoy it, but the drinking-focused setting and mature stories make it more naturally suited to adults.

The guide’s personality matters here. Coty, also spelled Cody in some booking details, is repeatedly singled out for making odd facts entertaining and for answering questions in a direct, conversational way. Other guides named in past departures include Donna and Ashli. The company’s tone appears to favor guides who tell stories rather than recite a script.

Historic bars and the optional drinking stops

The tour passes dozens of bars, and you may stop at one or two. Drinks are not included in the $28 price, so budget separately for anything you order.

You are free to refill your cup during the walk, but moderation is important. A drink at every possible stop would make it hard to finish a two-hour walking tour, and the supplier can refuse service to anyone who is already intoxicated. There is no refund if you are removed because of extreme intoxication.

I like the way the bar stops fit the subject. New Orleans history is closely tied to social life, music, celebrations, and old drinking places. A historic bar can make the stories feel less distant, especially when the guide explains the history of the place as well as the drink menu.

Still, do not book this expecting a dedicated pub crawl. The main activity is walking and storytelling. The stops are pauses along the route, not the whole purpose of the evening.

If minors are part of your group, the guide waits outside while adults go inside for refills. That makes the arrangement clearer, but the overall atmosphere remains adult-oriented.

Why the guides matter so much

The strongest part of this experience is the guide’s delivery. The same building can feel ordinary or memorable depending on how its story is told.

Coty is praised for humor, personal stories, local facts, and an ability to keep answering questions without losing the group. Some departures have been very small, with only two visitors and the guide, creating an almost private walk. Other groups have included larger private parties.

That flexibility can be a plus. A small group gives you more room to ask about historical women of New Orleans, local bars, voodoo, or anything else that catches your attention. A larger group may feel more social and lively.

You should also expect some variation. A tour guide’s personal style shapes the evening, so one guide may lean more toward ghost stories while another spends more time on history, bars, or strange facts. The common thread is an informal, funny presentation rather than a formal lecture.

Price, value, and who should book

At $28 per person, this is fairly priced for a two-hour guided walk in the French Quarter. The price includes the guide and walking tour, but not drinks. If you buy a drink, your total cost rises quickly, so decide in advance whether the bar stops are part of your budget.

The value is strongest if you want several subjects in one outing: landmarks, burial customs, voodoo, ghosts, vampires, local crime, and nightlife. Booking separate tours for each topic would cost more and may give you less variety.

The value is weaker if you want detailed architectural history, a quiet cemetery visit, or a careful academic account of voodoo. This is a social tour with entertainment at its center. It uses legends because legends are part of New Orleans’ appeal.

I would choose it for:

• First-time visitors who want a quick introduction to the French Quarter
• Adults who enjoy history mixed with ghost stories and bar stops
• Repeat visitors who want unusual details about familiar streets
• Solo visitors who prefer exploring at night with a guide
• Private groups celebrating a birthday or starting a night out

I would look elsewhere if you dislike crowds, drinking culture, supernatural stories, or walking on busy streets for two hours.

Practical advice for a smoother evening

Wear comfortable shoes. That is the one item you should not ignore, since you will be walking for the full tour.

Arrive early at the Lafitte’s meeting point and wait outside at the courtyard gate. Do not rely on the bar staff to direct you, and do not plan to join the group at another location.

Keep your phone put away during the storytelling. Guides do not use their phones during the tour out of respect for the group, and video recording is not allowed. You are also responsible for your own belongings and safety.

The supplier can reschedule because of bad weather. A departure can also be canceled if there are not enough participants, with notice in the hour before the start and an offer of another tour or a full refund. Booking terms state that you can cancel up to 24 hours ahead for a full refund, but no refund applies after that point or if you are removed for intoxication.

If paranormal equipment is lost or damaged, a $250 fee applies. That is easy to avoid: handle any equipment as instructed and keep track of it.

Should you book the New Orleans Drunk History Walking Tour?

Book it if you want a funny, adult-oriented introduction to the French Quarter that moves between real history and local legend. The combination of Marie Laveau, above-ground tombs, haunted houses, old bars, pirates, and vampires gives you a broad look at the city in just two hours.

The best reason to choose it is the guide-led storytelling, especially if Coty is leading your departure. The most important caution is to keep your expectations clear: this is not a serious research lecture or a full bar crawl. It is a lively walking tour where drinks are optional and the stories do most of the work.

At $28, I think it earns its place in a New Orleans itinerary, particularly on your first evening in the French Quarter. Wear good shoes, arrive at the correct sidewalk meeting point, and pace yourself if you stop for a drink.

FAQ

How long is the Drunk History Walking Tour?

The tour lasts two hours. Check the available departure times when booking.

Where does the tour meet?

It meets on the sidewalk in front of Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar at 941 Bourbon Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70116. Wait at the gate of the attached courtyard, not inside the bar.

Are drinks included in the tour price?

No. The $28 price includes the guide and walking tour, but drinks are purchased separately.

Do I have to drink alcohol?

No. Drinking is optional. You can take part in the history and ghost stories without ordering a drink.

What subjects does the tour cover?

It covers New Orleans history, voodoo, Marie Laveau, burial rituals, above-ground vaults, ghosts, vampires, pirates, prostitutes, convicted felons, historic buildings, and French Quarter bars.

Is the tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes, the activity is listed as wheelchair accessible.

Is the tour available as a private group?

Yes. A private group option is available.

Can I cancel my booking?

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. The supplier can also reschedule for bad weather or cancel if there are not enough participants, in which case you may be offered another tour or a full refund.