New Orleans · NEW ORLEANS JAZZ AND LIVE MUSIC TOURS

The 15 Best Jazz & Live Music Tours in New Orleans

26 tours  ·  from $30

Frenchmen Street, the deck of a steamboat, or a walk through the streets the music came out of. The 15 below cover the bands, the venues and the history, with prices and how late each one runs.

New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise with Dinner Option - Two hours on the Mississippi after dark
Cruises & Boat Tours, Dining Experiences, Dinner Experiences, New Orleans Jazz and Live Music Tours, New Orleans Steamboat and River Cruises, Tour Reviews

New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise with Dinner Option

1.New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise with Dinner Option

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 7,533 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $58Our pick

Board the Steamboat Natchez at Toulouse Street in the French Quarter for a 3-hour evening on the Mississippi. Enjoy a calliope concert, narration, city views, and live jazz from the Dukes of Dixieland. Add a Southern buffet with gumbo, crawfish etouffee, fried chicken, and bread pudding.

“The dinner cruise was wonderful from several standpoints. The food and service were great. I am an engineer and the ship itself was fascinating to me. We cruised on a very cold night so we had to stay inside to avoid the weather. I want to do the cruise again in warm weather to enjoy the night views along the river. Highly recommend”

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New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise - The skyline, the port, and the view from the water
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New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise

2.New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 5,334 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $43

Board the Steamboat Natchez at Toulouse Street for a two-hour Mississippi River cruise with live jazz by the Steamboat Stompers, onboard narration, and views toward Chalmette Battlefield. Add the Southern-style buffet if you want red beans and rice, jambalaya, fried fish, and bread pudding.

“Everything was very smooth. I walked over in ~8 minutes from my Q&C Hotel. I went on a 55 degree January weekday and the boat was nowhere near full which was nice and spacious with plenty of seating. The narration was well done and had some jokes. The band was okay a nice addition. The lunch was very tasty and for $20 extra a great deal in New Orleans. They will provide you 2nds if you ask. I recommend getting first meal because the boat does not leave port for the first 45 minutes which is boring otherwise. 2nd meal you will miss most the scenery. The ride is 45…”

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New Orleans: Evening Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Dinner - The Riverboat CITY of NEW ORLEANS takes over evening duty
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New Orleans: Evening Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Dinner

3.Evening Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 4,548 reviews · 2 hours · from $58

Board at 6pm for a 7pm to 9pm Mississippi River cruise aboard the Riverboat CITY of NEW ORLEANS. Hear live jazz from the Grammy-nominated Dukes of Dixieland, listen to the captain’s narration, explore four decks, and add a Creole buffet dinner if you wish.

“This was such a fun, relaxing, and educational experience. The staff was super friendly and engaging, the jazz band was great and had fun with the crowd, and I loved getting to hear a little bit of history and facts about the buildings and sites we saw down the river. I think reminders or announcements that there are bars on all the levels would help. The third floor’s bar had continuously long lines, but the bottom floor’s bar was empty. That’s an easy fix with reminders and signage. Loved the experience overall!!”

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New Orleans: Daytime Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Lunch - A slow trip along the Mississippi
Cruises & Boat Tours, Lunch Experiences, New Orleans Jazz and Live Music Tours, New Orleans Steamboat and River Cruises, Tour Reviews

New Orleans: Daytime Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Lunch

4.Daytime Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 4,164 reviews · 2 hours · from $43

Spend two hours on the Mississippi aboard the Riverboat CITY of NEW ORLEANS, currently filling in for the Steamboat NATCHEZ. Hear the Steamboat Stompers, listen to live narration, inspect four decks and the paddle wheel, and add a plated Creole lunch if you want catfish, jambalaya, red beans and rice, and bread pudding.

“Steam organ the jaz band and the narrators I felt safe and the ride was very informative I would definitely recommend this tour”

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Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Jazz Dinner Cruise in New Orleans - Dinner in the Victorian-style dining room
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Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Jazz Dinner Cruise in New Orleans

5.Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Jazz Dinner Cruise in New Orleans

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 1,469 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $107

Board the Creole Queen at 1 Poydras Street for a 7 p.m. Mississippi River cruise with live jazz, optional Creole buffet, and city views from the promenade deck. Expect a friendly, festive evening, but arrive early because the boat leaves promptly and narration is not provided.

“We throughly enjoyed the meal, music and experience cruising on the river in an old style river boat”

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New Orleans: Evening Jazz Boat Cruise with Optional Dinner - A two-hour cruise with room to wander
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New Orleans: Evening Jazz Boat Cruise with Optional Dinner

6.Evening Jazz Boat Cruise with Optional Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 1,024 reviews · 2 hours · from $60

Spend two hours aboard the Paddlewheeler Creole Queen with live jazz from Sullivan Dabney Jr. and the Muzik Jazz Band. Add a buffet-style Creole dinner, dance after the meal, then head to the promenade deck for cocktails and views of Jackson Square, the French Quarter, and the city lights.

“Amazing team, food, music. Well put together and the views amazing. Bring a jacket or sweater does get cold at night.”

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Sunday Jazz Brunch Cruise in New Orleans - Live jazz, narration, and the sound of the river
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Sunday Jazz Brunch Cruise in New Orleans

7.Sunday Jazz Brunch Cruise in New Orleans

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 889 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $43

Board at Toulouse Street in the French Quarter for a two-hour Sunday cruise with live jazz, river narration, and an optional buffet of gumbo, shrimp and grits, pain perdu, bananas Foster, and bread pudding. Expect casual dress, indoor seating, outdoor decks, bars, and a smooth ride aboard a historic riverboat.

“Good trip & the dining room staff was very attentive. The brunch itself was pretty basic. It could use more local flavors. We missed most of the narrative as it began while we were still eating at a table without a view.”

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VIP Jazz Dinner Cruise with Private Tour and Open Bar Option - Champagne, Shrimp Cocktail, and a Louisiana Buffet
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VIP Jazz Dinner Cruise with Private Tour and Open Bar Option

8.VIP Jazz Dinner Cruise with Private Tour and Open Bar Option

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 838 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $190

Board near the French Quarter for a three-hour VIP evening on the Mississippi. You’ll get a Champagne cocktail, reserved front-row seating for the Dukes of Dixieland, a Louisiana buffet, souvenirs, and a private boat tour. Hosts such as Marlon and Alex are known for attentive service, but the vessel may be the City of New Orleans instead of Natchez.

“Dwayne and Captain Mitchell were phenomenal. The 2 downsides were the amount of stairs for my husband and not having a seat before departing, was alot of walking/standing for him. Otherwise the experience was incredible.”

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Frenchmen Street VIP Live Music Pub Crawl in New Orleans - Starting at Bar Stellar near the Old U.S. Mint
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Frenchmen Street VIP Live Music Pub Crawl in New Orleans

9.Frenchmen Street VIP Live Music Pub Crawl in New Orleans

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 613 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $52

Spend three hours on Frenchmen Street with guides such as Pandi, Andre, Angelique, or Quay. Use VIP wristbands for quicker entry, hear jazz, funk, blues, R&B, and hip-hop, enjoy one Louisiana cocktail, browse the art market, and finish with a dance contest.

“We had so much fun with this tour. We loved listening to Jazz in the clubs and bands found outside on Frenchman Street. Tour guide provided history and made sure we were taken care of through the night.”

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New Orleans Jazz History and Music Walking Tour - Walking Into the French Quarter
Historical Tours, New Orleans Jazz and Live Music Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours

New Orleans Jazz History and Music Walking Tour

10.New Orleans Jazz History and Music Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 477 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $60

Walk about 1.5 miles through Tremé and the French Quarter with a local music guide such as Adam, Kristi, or Andre. Learn how jazz grew from African, Caribbean, Creole, and European roots, then visit one or two live music venues, with a drink included.

“This was a very informative tour about jazz in NOLA. Our tour guide Adam was very knowledgeable on the subject and there were only 4 guests in our group which made it even more fun. We went to a couple great jazz spots in the French quarter and had a great time. Quite a bit of walking involved so wear some comfy shoes.”

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New Orleans: Sunday Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Brunch - The two-hour route and river views
Cruises & Boat Tours, New Orleans Jazz and Live Music Tours, New Orleans Steamboat and River Cruises, Tour Reviews

New Orleans: Sunday Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Brunch

11.Sunday Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Brunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 470 reviews · 2 hours · from $43

Spend two hours on the Mississippi aboard the Riverboat CITY of NEW ORLEANS, or the Steamboat NATCHEZ when scheduled. Expect live jazz by the Steamboat Stompers, captain’s narration, four decks to explore, and an optional Creole brunch with gumbo, shrimp and grits, biscuits, and king cake.

“I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised by the buffet. It was Easter Sunday and we really enjoyed the options that were offered to us. Usually buffets are quite disappointing but this one was quite good.”

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New Orleans City Tour and Steamboat Natchez Harbor Jazz Cruise - French Quarter buildings and Jackson Square
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New Orleans City Tour and Steamboat Natchez Harbor Jazz Cruise

12.New Orleans City Tour and Steamboat Natchez Harbor Jazz Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 446 reviews · 6 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $88

Spend about six and a half hours seeing New Orleans by narrated coach and paddle wheeler. Visit Jackson Square, St. Louis Cemetery No. 3, City Park, and the Garden District, then hear live jazz on the Mississippi. Guides such as Harris, Robert, and Katherine are known for adding local detail.

“Excellent from start to finish. Our guide, Robert, was fantastic and the Beignets were amazing! The Mississippi steamer was a highlight. Highly recommend this tour.”

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New Orleans: 'Court of Two Sisters' Jazz Brunch Buffet - How the buffet unfolds from 9 a.m. onward
Buffet Experiences, New Orleans Jazz and Live Music Tours, Tour Reviews

New Orleans: ‘Court of Two Sisters’ Jazz Brunch Buffet

13.‘Court of Two Sisters’ Jazz Brunch Buffet

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 409 reviews · 1 day · from $51

Reserve a guaranteed courtyard table at Court of Two Sisters, then work through breakfast and lunch dishes, Louisiana classics, a mimosa, salad bar, and desserts while a live jazz band plays. Check in with the hostess using your voucher. Indoor seating may be used in rainy weather.

“Court of two sisters restaurant in New Orleans on Royal Street, was excellent. Our waiter was very well informed and very professional. Food was excellent and the red beans and rice were extremely good, fried catfish, the most important thing that was delicious. Was banana foster over a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. It was a fun place to take my husband who had never been at court of two sisters. We were on our vacation and we had an excellent time there.”

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Court of Two Sisters Live Jazz Brunch Buffet with Mimosa - Save room for the dessert table
Buffet Experiences, New Orleans Jazz and Live Music Tours, Tour Reviews

Court of Two Sisters Live Jazz Brunch Buffet with Mimosa

14.Court of Two Sisters Live Jazz Brunch Buffet with Mimosa

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 289 reviews · 1 to 2 hours (approx.) · from $47

Book a table at Court of Two Sisters on Royal Street for a Creole buffet, one included mimosa or similar drink, and live jazz. Choose an elegant dining room or New Orleans’ largest courtyard. Plan for about two hours and request courtyard seating if music matters most.

“It’s best restaurant for French Qtr dining experience. Food was perfect Cajun cuisine. Whitney, our server was 2nd to none. Drink and tip was included but we did leave some cash for her fun attitude.”

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New Orleans: Frenchmen Street VIP Live Music Pub Crawl - Four music stops, with a different feel at each
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New Orleans: Frenchmen Street VIP Live Music Pub Crawl

15.Frenchmen Street VIP Live Music Pub Crawl

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 249 reviews · 3 hours · from $49

Join a three-hour Frenchmen Street night out with guides such as Pandi, Andre, or Maurice. Expect VIP entry to several live music clubs, a Louisiana cocktail, a Booty Shaker Shot, the Frenchmen Art Market, local music stories, and plenty of chances to dance.

“We had an awesome time and Pandi was a great guide! Enjoyed all the music venues and bands she had picked out for the night - great time!”

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New in New Orleans Jazz and Live Music Tours

★ 5.0Jazz Walking TourFrom $344 reviews
★ 5.0Dew Drop Inn Guided Tour with Live Blues ShowFrom $785 reviews
★ 5.0New Orleans VIP City Tour w/ a Jazz Musician + Pro PhotosFrom $664 reviews
★ 4.4City Tour & Steamboat Daytime Jazz Cruise ComboFrom $10473 reviews
★ 5.0New Orleans Culture Second Line Tour in NOLAFrom $3075 reviews

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