New Orleans French Quarter Voodoo Walking Tour
Uncover Voodoo history and hidden stories on a French Quarter walk
Duration
1.5–2 hours
Includes
Narrated tour, licensed guide
Highlights
Explore New Orleans Voodoo history on an outdoor French Quarter walk led by a licensed professional guide. Hear stories of Marie Laveau, Congo Square, Storyville, and Jackson Square, with a midway refreshment and restroom break.
- Discover the history and mysteries of the Voodoo religion
- Explore sites that may include Jackson Square, Congo Square, and the former Storyville area
- Follow a master storyteller through eras of New Orleans history
- Capture photos and videos along the route
What's Included
- Narrated storytelling tour with a licensed professional guide
- Curated list of restaurants, shops, and activities
Important details
- Arrive 30 minutes before departure for check-in; late arrivals cannot be accommodated
- Children under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian
- Wear comfortable walking shoes and bring water
- Bring your own drinks in plastic containers only; glass is not allowed
- Expect an outdoor walking tour that operates rain or shine unless weather is dangerous
- Note that this tour is not recommended for travelers with mobility issues
- Expect groups of more than 10 to likely split into separate groups
Cancellation Policy
Refunds may be approved with at least 24 hours' notice before departure. Late arrivals and no-shows are not eligible for refunds.
Product ID: 2X3XCF
FAQs
Yes. All ages are welcome, and children 5 and under are free. Children under 18 must be with a parent or guardian.
No. This is an outdoor walking tour and does not enter any buildings.
Bring comfortable walking shoes, water, sunscreen, and a charged phone. You may bring drinks in plastic containers.
Meeting details
Witches Brew Gallery, 311 Exchange Place
More about Congo Square
Congo Square sits at the spiritual heart of New Orleans, a shaded patch of ground inside Louis Armstrong Park where enslaved Africans once gathered on Sundays to drum, dance, trade, and keep their ancestral traditions alive. On this Voodoo and French Quarter walking tour, Congo Square becomes more than a stop on a map. It becomes the place where the story of New Orleans Voodoo truly begins, the meeting point of West African spirituality, Haitian influence, and Catholic ritual that shaped the city's unique religious identity. Walking onto Congo Square, you stand on the same earth where rhythms that birthed jazz first rang out, and where the seeds of Marie Laveau's practice took root generations later.
Your guide brings Congo Square to life with stories of the bamboula drummers, the call and response chants, and the secret ceremonies that survived under the watchful eye of the colonial authorities. You will hear how the gatherings here connected directly to the rise of Voodoo queens in the French Quarter, and how the spiritual practices that flourished in Congo Square spilled into the streets, courtyards, and tombs you will visit later on the walk. The contrast is striking, the open, leafy expanse of Congo Square gives way to the wrought iron balconies, candlelit shops, and shadowed alleys of the Quarter, but the thread of Voodoo ties every step together.
This part of the tour is perfect for curious travelers who want history with depth, for music lovers tracing the African roots of jazz, and for anyone drawn to the mystical side of New Orleans. Families, couples, and solo explorers all find something resonant at Congo Square, whether it is the hush of standing on sacred ground or the thrill of understanding how this single patch of earth shaped a city's soul. Begin your Voodoo journey at Congo Square, and the French Quarter will never look the same again.
