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This is a collaborative post.
New Orleans is one of the most haunted cities in America. From shadowy French Quarter alleyways to centuries-old cemeteries and voodoo legends, there’s no shortage of paranormal history here.
But not all ghost tours were created equal. Some feel rushed, overcrowded, or scripted. Others fully immerse you in the city’s eerie past with expert storytelling and unforgettable stops.
If you want a tour that’s actually spooky, informative, and worth your time, here’s what to look for when choosing the best ghost tour in New Orleans.
A haunted ghost tour – Copyright US Ghost Adventures
A Local Guide Makes All the Difference at Ghost Tours
A great ghost tour starts with a great guide. You don’t want someone reciting facts from a script. You need a guide who lives and breathes New Orleans.
Local guides bring firsthand knowledge of the city’s history, personal stories and legends you won’t find online, and an authentic passion for the great city of New Orleans.
Companies like US Ghost Adventures employ knowledgeable locals who know the hidden history behind every corner of the French Quarter and every shadowy alley. That authenticity turns a simple walk into an unforgettable experience.
Small Groups for a Better Atmosphere
It’s easy to get lost in the crowd when you’re on a tour with 40–50 other people. It can feel more like being part of a herd of cattle than exploring haunted history. It’s easy to get separated from the guide and lose track of the flow.
Not only can it be difficult to hear the guide, but large groups feel touristy and ruin the intimacy of the experience. A ghost tour isn’t supposed to feel rushed and impersonal, but immersing yourselves in them by walking in the footsteps of those before you.
With smaller groups, you can even get a chance to ask the guide questions about the places you visit.
Daily Availability (Multiple Time Slots)
If you’re only in New Orleans for a few days, you probably have a packed schedule. There’s just so much to see and do in the Big Easy, that fitting it all in is often easier said than done.
The best tour companies offer flexible time slots so you don’t have to rearrange your trip. New Orleans Ghosts by US Ghost Adventures runs tours at 6 PM and 8 PM, and there’s even a late-night tour at 9 PM for those who are occupied earlier in the evening. Not only that, but its haunted pub crawls run at 5:45 PM, 6:30 PM, and 7 PM.
If evenings don’t work for you, there are also other tours that run in the afternoon. While ghost tours are best taken in the shadows of dusk, New Orleans Ghosts runs its Voodoo and Vampires True Crime Tour at 12 PM, 5 PM and 7 PM. It also offers a Tombs and Mansions of the Rich and Famous tour at 2 PM and 4 PM.
Regardless of your schedule and whether you’re free in the early afternoon, late afternoon, evening, or night, you can find a haunted experience in New Orleans that fits your schedule.
Choose a Ghost Tour Company With Tour Variety
If you’re spending multiple nights in the city, why repeat the same type of tour?
Ghost tours are awesome, but if you’ve already taken a ghost tour before, or if you have a few evenings available for paranormal experiences, you may want to switch things up a bit. Some companies only offer ghost tours, but New Orleans Ghosts offers a variety of tours to help spice things up.
Whether you want to combine a pub crawl with a paranormal experience for the ultimate haunted night out or prefer exploring tombs and cemeteries, there’s something that meets everyone’s crazy.
Ghost Hunting Equipment Adds Extra Fun
Do you know what’s better than a ghost tour? A ghost tour with ghost hunting equipment!
Some ghost tours offer the use of an EMF detector – usually at a small additional rental fee – to help you detect the presence of ghosts and spirits in the area. An EMF detector, also called an EMF reader, detects changes in the electromagnetic field around you.
While many things can cause changes in this field, it’s often believed that the active presence of ghosts and their activity causes disruptions to the field.
To use an EMF detector to detect ghosts, you will need to first establish a baseline of activity in the area. Walk around for a bit and note the lowest and highest activity levels over a duration of 5–10 minutes. Take the average of these two measurements – this is your baseline.
Any activity that is then 1.5 points higher than the baseline can be a sign of paranormal activity, especially if it is detected in buildings or spots that are known to have paranormal presence.
To ensure you get the most accurate readings, try to kep the detector away from microwaves, electrical wiring, power lines, and other things that can cause interference with your readings.
The Best Ghost Tours Are Kid-Friendly
Not all ghost tours are kid-friendly, and if you’re traveling with young children or teens, it’s important to make sure you choose one that is.
It’s a common misconception that all ghost tours are not family friendly. Of course, some aren’t. If it employs jump scares that can easily frighten your young ones, it’s probably not for you.
However, US Ghost Adventures’ ghost tours are all designed to be kid-friendly and family-friendly. Ghost stories focus on the historical legends and local lore about the haunted sites visited, and if kids are attending, special care is given to ensure they are age appropriate.
Not only that, but kids under six years old can attend for free, without any limits, as long as there’s an accompanying adult! Tickets for children and teens under the age of 16 are also heavily discounted to make it easier for families to attend as a group.
And Even Pet Friendly!
If you would like to bring your furry friend along on a ghost tour, make sure it is pet friendly and can accommodate your dog. Some ghost tours either don’t allow pets or don’t appreciate them and aren’t trained to accommodate them.
The Ghost Tour Itinerary Matters Most
Finally, the places you visit matters! A quality ghost tour should take you to verified haunted locations with documented hauntings, historic landmarks, iconic sites like cemeteries and mansions, and places with real stories — not filler stops.
At US Ghost Adventures, each tour stop is carefully selected and the itinerary carefully curated, allowing you to experience the haunted side of a city in all of its glory.