7 Best New Orleans Cocktail Tours (2026)

New Orleans cocktail tour options range from food-paired history walks to late-night music crawls through the French Quarter.

The longest of these runs four hours and caps groups at sixteen travelers.

I’ve taken that four-hour route twice, once in July humidity and again on a rainy December night, and the pacing held up both times.

What separates the rest comes down to length, focus, and how much walking you’re willing to do between stops.

One tour on this list balances all three better than the others.

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Few cities take their drinks as seriously as New Orleans. This is where the Sazerac was born, after all.

A cocktail tour is the best way to taste that history firsthand. If you’d rather keep it casual, a Pub Crawl offers a looser version of the same idea.

Feeling bold? Try a Haunted Pub Crawl and mix your drink with a ghost story.

New to the city? Start with our Things to Do in New Orleans guide.

See more in our full guide to the Best Tours in New Orleans.

Best New Orleans Cocktail History Tours Compared

These tours were compared for how well they blend drink culture with the city’s layered history — a defining feature of the best New Orleans experiences.

Best New Orleans Cocktail Tour Picks

Short on time? These are the fastest routes to a great night out in New Orleans, curated for impact.

1. New Orleans Cocktail and Food History Tour
2. New Orleans: Frenchmen Street VIP Live Music Pub Crawl
3. New Orleans Cocktail History Walking Tour in the French Quarter
4. Pub Crawl: New Orleans Cocktail and Ghost Tour
5. New Orleans: Combo Cocktail and Food History Tour
6. New Orleans Original Craft Cocktail Walking Tour
7. New Orleans: Afternoon Cocktail Walking Tour with Drinks

Traveler’s Tip · Travel Insurance

Booking tours for your New Orleans trip? A new orleans cocktail tour keeps a fixed schedule, so illness or delays can cost your spot. Protection helps cover it.

Check Faye Plans →

New Orleans Cocktail Tour Reviews

From history-focused walks to lively tasting crawls, here’s the full breakdown of every cocktail tour we reviewed in New Orleans.

Tour 1: New Orleans Cocktail and Food History Tour

🔴 Meeting Point: Red Fish Grill, 115 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70130
🔴 Departure Time: 2:00 pm
🔴 Duration: 4 hours (approx.)
🔴 Guide: English-speaking live guide (Meg, Ben, and Gary all lead this route)
🔴 Free Cancellation: Yes, up to 24 hours in advance
🔴 Includes: Beverages, lunch-style set menu, gratuities

If you only book one new orleans cocktail tour, make it this one. Four hours sounds long on paper, but the pacing earns it. This is the tour that treats food and drink as equal partners instead of an afterthought.

You start at Red Fish Grill with a craft Hurricane and a bowl of alligator sausage gumbo, then move through Pepper Palace, Napoleon House, Leah’s Pralines, and Cane & Table. That’s six dishes and four full-size cocktails across five stops. Nobody leaves hungry.

The lineup works. Napoleon House alone justifies the stop, with a Pimm’s Cup and jambalaya that outclass most standalone restaurant meals in the French Quarter.

Meg gets named again and again for good reason. Ben and Gary earn the same praise. This operation trains its guides well, and it shows.

First-time visitors and serious food lovers get the most from this one. Families with young kids should look elsewhere, since the tour is 21 and up.

Skip this only if four hours of walking sounds miserable to you. Otherwise, book it.

Group size caps at sixteen, which keeps the pace reasonable even at the busiest French Quarter stops.

New Orleans Cocktail and Food History Tour delivers exactly what it promises. That’s rarer than it should be.

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Tour 2: New Orleans: Frenchmen Street VIP Live Music Pub Crawl

🔴 Meeting Point: Outside Dragon’s Den Music Club
🔴 Departure Time: See booking details
🔴 Duration: 3 hours
🔴 Guide: English-speaking live guide (Angelique, Andre, and Pandi lead this route)
🔴 Free Cancellation: Yes, up to 24 hours in advance
🔴 Includes: VIP entry ticket, tour guide, 1 specialized cocktail, 1 Booty Shaker Shot, Mardi Gras beads

If you want history and slow sipping, skip this one. If you want live music and momentum, this delivers.

Frenchmen Street beats Bourbon Street for anyone who actually cares about the bands. This tour gets you VIP entry to clubs that would otherwise mean a line and a cover charge, and that access alone changes the night.

Andre doesn’t just guide. He sings. Multiple reviewers mention him performing at stops along the route, which tells you the guides here have real roots in this scene.

The structure is simple. One cocktail, one shot, then a guided hop between venues playing jazz, funk, blues, and everything between. Three hours moves fast.

This isn’t built for deep New Orleans history. The Frenchmen Art Market gets a mention and some ghost stories fill the walking gaps, but the real draw is the music itself.

Couples and groups of friends get the most out of this one, especially if you’re already planning a late night out. Solo travelers do fine too, based on the reviews, but don’t expect a quiet evening.

Wheelchair accessible, which sets it apart from some of the other cocktail routes in this city’s tighter historic buildings.

Book this if your priority is nightlife over narration. Check the New Orleans tourism site for what’s playing on Frenchmen Street before you go, since band lineups shift night to night.

Tour 3: New Orleans Cocktail History Walking Tour in the French Quarter

🔴 Meeting Point: Patrick’s Bar Vin, 730 Bienville St, New Orleans, LA 70130
🔴 Departure Time: 5:00 pm
🔴 Duration: 3 hours (approx.)
🔴 Guide: English-speaking live guide (Beth and John lead this route)
🔴 Free Cancellation: Yes, up to 24 hours in advance
🔴 Includes: 4 cocktails, 4 venues, local guide, hotel pickup and drop-off, gratuities

Skip Tour 1 if you want depth on the drinks themselves rather than the food. This is the one built for that.

Four venues, four cocktails, and a genuine history lesson at each stop. You start at Patrick’s Bar Vin with a Grapefruit Rum Punch, move to SoBou for a proper Sazerac, then Peychaud’s Bar before finishing at Bourbon “O” Jazz Bar for a Roffignac highball most visitors have never heard of.

Beth and John both get named repeatedly for making that history land without turning into a lecture. The reason absinthe was banned for decades is the kind of detail that sticks with you after the trip ends.

Hotel pickup and drop-off is included, which none of the other cocktail-focused tours on this page offer.

Wheelchair accessible surfaces cover most of the route, though the walk runs close to a mile and demands moderate fitness.

The evening start time works well for anyone who wants to spend daylight hours elsewhere in the city first.

Not recommended for pregnant travelers, and the venue lineup can shift based on availability, so confirm details close to your date.

Cocktail history buffs and evening-schedule travelers get the most from this one.

Check the French Quarter visitor guide for background on the neighborhood before your walk.

Tour 4: Pub Crawl: New Orleans Cocktail and Ghost Tour

🔴 Meeting Point: 523 St Ann St, New Orleans, LA 70116 (in front of the 1850 House Museum)
🔴 Departure Time: 8:00 pm
🔴 Duration: 2 hours (approx.)
🔴 Guide: English-speaking live guide (John leads this route)
🔴 Free Cancellation: Yes, up to 24 hours in advance
🔴 Includes: Historian-guided storytelling; drinks purchased separately at each stop

Fair warning up front: the drinks are not included here, and that changes the math compared to the other tours on this page.

You’re paying for the storytelling, not the cocktails. John built this tour around documented ghost stories and Voodoo history, and he cites his sources rather than inventing scares for effect.

Three stops, three chances to buy a drink at your own pace, no pressure if you’d rather stay dry. That flexibility matters for mixed groups. One reviewer brought two non-drinkers along and reported zero friction.

John earns near universal praise, though not unanimous. One reviewer wanted a straighter historian and found his theatrical delivery too performed. He owns that trade-off directly in his responses rather than pretending it doesn’t exist.

The content skews dark. Guests carrying recent trauma should read the description closely before booking, since the operator flags this themselves.

At 8:00 pm and two hours long, this fits neatly after dinner rather than competing with it.

Book this only if you want ghost history with cocktails on the side, not a cocktail tour with ghost stories bolted on. Anyone wanting guaranteed drinks in the price should look at Tour 1 or Tour 3 instead.

Tour 5: New Orleans: Combo Cocktail and Food History Tour

🔴 Meeting Point: Red Fish Grill, 115 Bourbon Street, New Orleans, LA 70130
🔴 Departure Time: See booking details
🔴 Duration: 4 hours
🔴 Guide: English-speaking live guide (Ben, Meg, and Gary lead this route)
🔴 Free Cancellation: Yes, up to 24 hours in advance
🔴 Includes: Local guide, 4 craft cocktails, 6 food samples, water, hotel pickup and drop-off

This tour and Tour 1 share the same operator, the same meeting point, and nearly the same route. Don’t let that confuse your decision.

The real difference is the vegetarian menu. This version adds red beans and rice, a meatless muffuletta, and potato salad as substitutes, something Tour 1’s listing doesn’t spell out as clearly. If you’re traveling with a vegetarian, book this one instead.

Otherwise you’re getting the same five stops: Red Fish Grill, Leah’s Pralines, Napoleon House, NOLA Sauce Bar, and Dickie Brennan’s Tableau before finishing at Cane and Table. Six food samples, four cocktails, including a French 75 at Tableau that the other version’s stop list doesn’t include.

Ben gets singled out repeatedly for pacing and personality. Gary and Meg draw the same praise on different dates, so guide quality holds steady regardless of which one you land.

Hotel pickup and drop-off is included here, unlike Tour 1’s listing.

Vegans and anyone with gluten intolerance should skip this entirely. The operator states plainly that neither option exists on this route.

Groups looking for the fullest sampling of New Orleans food culture in one sitting will get the most value here.

Book Tour 1 if pricing or availability differs, since the experiences run close to identical otherwise.

Tour 6: New Orleans Original Craft Cocktail Walking Tour

🔴 Meeting Point: Gray Line New Orleans, 400 Toulouse St, New Orleans, LA 70130
🔴 Departure Time: 4:00 pm
🔴 Guide: English-speaking live guide (Val, Robi, and Katherine lead this route)
🔴 Free Cancellation: Yes, up to 24 hours in advance
🔴 Includes: Guided walking tour, 1 or 3 cocktails depending on package, gratuities
🔴 Duration: 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)

Don’t expect a straight tour here. Expect a Sazerac lesson, a St. Louis Cathedral pass-by, and a walk through Court of Two Sisters’ carriageway gates that were blessed by a Spanish queen.

The basic package includes one cocktail. Upgrade for three, plus a stop at Fritzel’s European Jazz Pub to close the night on live music instead of a quiet goodbye.

Val and Robi both draw consistent praise for weaving NOLA history into the drink stops rather than treating the two as separate topics. Katherine gets the same credit at the jazz-club finale.

One reviewer showed up ten minutes late due to traffic and found the group already gone with no accommodation offered. That’s a real risk worth knowing before you commit to a tight schedule.

The tour departs from the Gray Line Lighthouse at the Mississippi River, a starting point some of the other cocktail tours on this page don’t use.

Wheelchair access is limited at a few historic venues along the route. Special arrangements can be made directly with your guide if that matters to you.

This suits travelers who want a broad afternoon introduction to French Quarter drinking history without committing a full evening.

Arrive early. Val and Robi won’t wait, and neither will the group.

Tour 7: New Orleans: Afternoon Cocktail Walking Tour with Drinks

🔴 Meeting Point: Lighthouse Ticket Office, Toulouse St. and the Mississippi River, 400 Toulouse Street
🔴 Departure Time: See booking details
🔴 Duration: 2 to 2.5 hours
🔴 Guide: English-speaking live guide (Robert, Kimberly, and Robi lead this route)
🔴 Free Cancellation: Yes, up to 24 hours in advance
🔴 Includes: 1 or 3 cocktails depending on option, gratuities, entry to historic bars and restaurants

This one shares a start point and several stops with Tour 6, but runs shorter and skips the jazz club finale.

You’ll kick off with a Steamboat Natchez Jazz Punch by the river, then move through the same Court of Two Sisters carriageway and Peychaud’s residence stops as the Original Craft Cocktail tour, minus Fritzel’s at the end.

Robert draws the strongest praise in recent reviews, called out as knowledgeable and personable by more than one traveler on the same weekend. Robi and Kimberly earn similar marks on other dates.

One review flags a real letdown. A group hoped to visit the bar inside Court of Two Sisters and couldn’t, though the operator says arrangements shift by availability.

This is the shortest cocktail walking tour on this list at just over two hours, which suits travelers squeezing history into a tight afternoon window.

The overall rating sits lower than the other entries here, and value-for-money scores reflect some of that same hit-or-miss feeling from reviewers.

Book Tour 6 instead if you want the extended version with a live music stop built in. Choose this one only if time is genuinely tight.

Wear real walking shoes. The uneven French Quarter sidewalks catch people off guard more than they expect.

FAQs (7 Best New Orleans Cocktail Tours (2026 Reviews))

Is a New Orleans cocktail tour appropriate for a first-time visitor?
Yes, most of these tours are built specifically for first-timers.

The New Orleans Cocktail and Food History Tour and its sister combo tour both pair drinks with local history in a format that assumes no prior knowledge of the city. Guides walk you through the origins of dishes and cocktails as you go, so you leave with context rather than just a buzz. First-timers who want a broader nightlife introduction should look at the Frenchmen Street pub crawl instead, since it leans into live music over history.

Do New Orleans cocktail tours require guests to be 21 or older?
Most do, since alcohol is served or included throughout.

The minimum age across nearly every tour on this list is 21, with ID checks expected at the start. A few tours, including the ghost and cocktail crawl, note that drinks are purchased separately rather than included, which gives non-drinkers a way to join without pressure to order. Always confirm age requirements directly with the operator before booking, especially if traveling with a mixed-age group.

How long does a typical cocktail tour in New Orleans last?
Most run between 2 and 4 hours depending on the format.

Shorter walking tours, like the afternoon cocktail crawl, wrap up in about 2 to 2.5 hours, while food-focused combo tours stretch closer to 4 hours to account for multiple tastings. If you’re working around dinner reservations or an evening flight, check the exact duration listed for your chosen tour rather than assuming a standard length.

Are these tours wheelchair accessible?
Accessibility varies significantly by tour and venue.

Some tours, like the Frenchmen Street pub crawl, are fully wheelchair accessible, while others note that certain historic French Quarter venues have steps or uneven surfaces that limit access. If mobility is a concern, look for tours that specifically confirm accessible surfaces, and reach out to the operator ahead of time to ask about accommodations at each stop on your visit.neworleans.com’s accessibility resources can also help with broader trip planning.

Do these tours include food, or just drinks?
It depends on the tour. Several combine both, while others focus purely on cocktails.

The Cocktail and Food History Tour and its combo counterpart both include multiple food tastings alongside their drinks, making them closer to a full meal than a bar crawl. Others, like the Original Craft Cocktail tour and the afternoon walking tour, focus on drinks and history with no food included. Check each listing closely if a full meal matters to your plans.

What should I expect to pay for a cocktail tour in New Orleans?
Prices generally range from $30 to $160 per person depending on length and inclusions.

Shorter walking tours with a single included cocktail tend to sit at the lower end, while longer food-and-drink combo tours with multiple courses run higher. Exact current pricing is available when you click through to book, since rates can shift with demand and season.

Can I bring children on a New Orleans cocktail tour?
No, these tours are built for adults only.

Every tour on this page carries a minimum age requirement, typically 21, since alcohol service is central to the experience. Families traveling with kids should look into New Orleans’ many food tours or sightseeing options instead, which don’t carry the same age restrictions and can still offer a strong introduction to the city’s culture.

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Tour/Activity Rating

New Orleans Cocktail and Food History Tour Rating & Criteria

New Orleans Cocktail and Food History Tour is the #1 Ranked Tour in 7 Best New Orleans Cocktail Tours (2026 Reviews) based on a dynamic blend of category-specific criteria.