13 Self-Guided Tours in New Orleans to Build a Day Around

1.Ghosts of New Orleans: Self-Guided Haunted Audio Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 32 reviews · 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes (approx.) · from $6Our pick

Walk New Orleans’ French Quarter from LaLaurie Mansion to Fritzel’s European Jazz Pub with the WalknTours GPS audio app. You’ll hear stories of ghosts, vampires, Civil War suffering, pirates, and old buildings. Pause for photos, food, or shopping, then continue whenever you like. No human guide or interior admissions are included.

“Great experience with an amazing tour guide! Loved that it would give specific directions of how to get to the next stop! Even through a freak thunderstorm and pouring rain, it was a great adventure! Ponchos saved the day! My entire group had a blast! Loved that we could pause and go at our own pace while checking out the shops along the way! Highly recommend!”

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2.Walking the Tremé: A Self-guided Audio Tour of New Orleans

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 24 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $9

Walk Tremé at your own pace with a one-hour VoiceMap audio tour. GPS-triggered stories lead you from 801 N Rampart Street past Saint Augustine Church, the Backstreet Cultural Museum, Mahalia Jackson Theater, Louis Armstrong Park, and key moments in local Black history.

“Tour would not play at the start location. Tried 15 times and it was frozen on the "download" page. Cell had full service, so it cannot be blamed on that. Never got to enjoy the tour.”

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3.Self Guided Walking Tour of New Orleans’ Historic Garden District

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 13 reviews · 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes (approx.) · from $7

Use the VoiceMap app to walk from The Rink Shopping Center to Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, following GPS-triggered narration through New Orleans’ Garden District. Hear about Buckner Mansion, the Seven Sisters, indoor plumbing, film locations, and local architecture while stopping whenever you like.

“Approx 90 minute walk with plenty of stops - flat ground. Not strenuous at all. Meri, our guide, was FABULOUS! Lost of local lore mixed with great tips for the weekend traveler.”

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4.Self-Guided Walking Tour French Quarter In New Orleans

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 13 reviews · 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $9

Use the WalknTours app to explore New Orleans’ French Quarter without a guide or fixed schedule. Follow GPS narration from Joan of Arc to Central Grocery, pausing for beignets, drinks, shops, and photos. Expect about 60 to 90 minutes, with stories on voodoo, pirates, jazz, food, and local landmarks.

“We loved that you go at your pace and could leave and join as you wished, we also loved the interactive tip with the vampire speakeasy!!! We would recommend using earbuds and taking a phone charger.”

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5.Self Guided Audio Ghost Tour in New Orleans in 6 Languages

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 12 reviews · 7 days · from $5Best value

Use your smartphone to follow a self-guided route through New Orleans and hear high-quality stories about ghosts, poltergeists, voodoo, and local scares. Audio comes with background music in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Hindi, Mandarin Chinese, and Japanese. Activate at GhostTour.fun.

“Es la única actividad que hemos encontrado en español y que se adaptara a nosotros ya que la puedes hacer a tu ritmo. Por el precio tampoco está mal aunque muy básica.”

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6.A Walk in the Park: City Park New Orleans Audio Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 12 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $9

Use the VoiceMap app to follow a one-hour, self-guided walk through New Orleans City Park. Start at Beauregard Circle, hear about the Museum of Art, Botanical Garden, and mature trees, and pause or stop whenever you like.

“Such a beautiful park. It was great having the audio tour. We really liked that it knew where we were on the route.”

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7.Metairie Cemetery Stories: A Self-Guided Audio Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 12 reviews · 35 minutes (approx.) · from $8

Use the VoiceMap app to follow Faith & Courage: Metairie Cemetery Stories, a private, self-guided tour of New Orleans’ Metairie Cemetery. The 35-minute route uses GPS, works offline, and lets you pause, drive, walk, or revisit the stories at your own pace.

“Great Tour. You can take as much time as you need and stop anytime the audiogide. Downloading and starting the Tour is super easy”

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8.City Park Exploration Game and Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 10 reviews · 1 hour 10 minutes (approx.) · from $7

Use the Questo app to explore New Orleans City Park at your own pace. Solve clues from the New Orleans Museum of Art to the Botanical Gardens and Singing Oak while learning about park art and history. The game runs offline, lasts about 70 minutes, and has no physical guide.

“I would've given this a 5-star review however there were several clues that were impossible to solve due to the changes to the area. If this was updated regularly, it would make for a fantastic way to experience City Park. I've been going to New Orleans for over 10 years and had no idea what the park had to offer. I will most definitely be going back to experience all of the amazing fun things to do!! I do recommend this but be prepared to be a little frustrated.”

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9.New Orleans Self-Guided Kayak Bayou Swamp Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · 1 to 2 hours (approx.) Top rated

Escape New Orleans for a self-guided paddle through Bayou Bienvenue in Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge. Becks helps with setup and route basics, while guides such as River and Nick are available on guided outings. Expect calm water, birds, alligators, turtles, and a possible Swamp Swing photo stop.

“Our guide River was AMAZING!! The company all round was amazing!! Highly recommend. Our 1st time but definitely not our last”

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10.New Orleans Self-Guided French Quarter Stolen Art Adventure Walk

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 7 reviews · 1 hour 56 minutes to 2 hours 26 minutes (approx.) · from $5

Use your phone to follow a stolen-art mystery through ten French Quarter stops, including Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral, Café du Monde, and Central Grocery. The self-guided game costs $5.99 per person, takes about two hours, and lets your private group set its own pace between challenges.

“This was SO MUCH FUN. You get to go to some really cool places and learn things you didn’t know! We had an absolute blast! Now we want to try them in other places!”

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11.New Orleans Esplanade Ridge: A Self-Guided Audio Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 5 reviews · 1 hour 15 minutes (approx.) · from $9

Walk New Orleans from 2023 Esplanade Avenue to Grand Route Saint John with a native narrator guiding you through Faubourg St. John, the Garden District, and St. Louis Cemetery #3. The VoiceMap app works offline, pauses when you wish, and gives you lifetime access for $9.99.

“We are locals and this is one of our favorite spots in the city - but to really dive in and intently walk the streets of the Esplanade Ridge was absolutely incredible! We learned so very much and at our own pace could really digest the intricacies and fascinating history of the area. We loved the small details, folklore and stories that really brought the area alive for us. You could imagine the residents in each house sipping a cognac and telling tales in the parlor ! We celebrated at the incomparable Cafe Degas and we simply cannot recall a more pleasant Saturday afternoon! The rich history is brought to…”

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12.Whitney Plantation Audio Tour with Transfers

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 3 reviews · 6h 30m · from $81

Travel about 70 miles from New Orleans to Whitney Plantation, Louisiana’s only museum devoted to the lives of enslaved people. Your audio-guided visit covers slave cabins, Freedmen’s Church, plantation work areas, the 1790 owner’s house, and a memorial, with hotel pickup, drop-off, and 30 minutes of free time.

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13.St Louis Cemetery No.3 New Orleans Burial Tradition Audio Guide

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 3 reviews · 45 minutes to 1 hour (approx.) · from $6

Explore St. Louis Cemetery No. 3 at your own pace with a GPS audio tour covering its 1852 origins, former leprosy-colony site, above-ground tombs, and varied designs. Bring a charged smartphone and headphones. Playback also works remotely, with offline maps and audio included.

“Could not get voiceapp to work - guess us older people don't know how to use this new technology. Followed instructions, had Bluetooth ear buds, still didn't work”

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