10 Lunch Experiences in New Orleans to Fit Into Your Trip

1.Daytime Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Lunch

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

Board the Riverboat CITY of NEW ORLEANS at the French Quarter waterfront for a two-hour Mississippi cruise with live jazz from the Steamboat Stompers, a calliope concert before boarding, and narration about New Orleans and the river. You can roam the decks and add a plated Creole lunch. The Natchez is currently off duty, so its sister vessel is filling in.

“loved narration and historical fact sharing. loved the veiw from the water. loved you could get food and drinks”

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2.Airboat and Plantations Tour with Gourmet Lunch from New Orleans

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,246 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $279

Spend about nine hours outside New Orleans, with hotel pickup, a small-group van ride, a Cajun-led airboat trip, Laura Plantation, and lunch and a guided tour at Houmas House. Guides such as Gisele, Robert, and Rene have been praised for lively local history. The airboat is not suitable for children under five, pregnant people, or anyone with certain back or neck concerns.

“wonderful day! our guide Giselle, was charming and so informative. the airboat was so much fun with lots of alligators, birds and fauna. both plantations were different and fascinating. great lunch also. i highly recommend Isabells’s tours and Giselle.”

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3.Creole Queen History Cruise with Optional Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 1,112 reviews · 2h 30m · from $47

Board the Creole Queen at the Riverwalk/Canal Street Dock for a 150-minute Mississippi River trip, with a local narrator and a one-hour stop at Chalmette Battlefield. Guides have included Charles and Dr. Lauren T. Choose the optional buffet for Creole dishes, or buy drinks at the onboard cash bar. The boat is wheelchair accessible, but the battlefield is not.

“Need bigger sign, it was hard to find. Make it easier for the handicapped. We took my blind aunt and we loved it after we got on boat but it was tough getting to the boat.”

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4.French Quarter Boozy Lunch Crawl with Seafood Boil

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 199 reviews · from $72

Walk the French Quarter with a guide, sampling six to seven New Orleans dishes and cocktails before finishing with a seafood boil. Expect classics such as gumbo, muffuletta, chargrilled oysters, and beignets, plus local food stories and history. Guides have included Leah, DJ, Scott, John, and Geoff. The two-hour tour starts and ends at Bon’s New Orleans Street Food.

“Our tour leader (Leah) was wonderful. She was so knowledgeable about New Orleans and the food as well. Not to mention how sweet she was. We're all over 70 and she was kind enough to let us go at our pace. No judgement. We had heard horror stories about the town, Read more”

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5.Small-Group Louisiana Plantations Tour with Gourmet Lunch from New Orleans

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 135 reviews · 7 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $219Top rated

Travel by air-conditioned van from New Orleans to Destrehan Plantation and Houmas House, with a group capped at 12. Hear about plantation life and the 1811 slave revolt, tour Houmas House’s antiques-filled rooms, and enjoy an included buffet lunch. Guides vary, with Gisele, Rene and Stephen among those who have led the route.

“Wonderful tour of two plantations, with local guides at each location. Lunch was buffet style and delicious. Our guide Ellen provided a lot of history of New Orleans and the area. Isabella provided excellent service before the tour. Cannot say enough good about our experience.”

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6.Swamp Airboat, 2 Plantation Tours & Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 73 reviews · 9 hours · from $279

Travel from New Orleans in a 13-seat van with a local historian-guide, then ride a fast airboat through the bayous, tour Laura Plantation and Houmas House, and eat lunch at the latter. The day also includes oak-lined River Road views and stops near historic plantations.

“Steven was a great driver and was very informative and knowledgeable throughout the whole drive. Zach was our airboat driver and he was awesome he took us to places that we would be able to see some gators and even got to feed them. Both plantations were excellent and very neat to see and the brunch we got was great food. Thank you Isabelle for this awesome tour and I would suggest others to try it.”

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7.Private Airboat Ride and Plantations Tour with Gourmet Lunch from New Orleans

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 50 reviews

From New Orleans, a private guide takes your group of up to 12 to a Cajun swamp, Laura Plantation, and Houmas House for a narrated airboat ride, plantation tours, and a seated gourmet Cajun lunch. Guides such as Steve, Rene, Giselle, and Ellen have led this route. Expect a full nine-hour day, with one plantation tour potentially shared.

“We’ve used Isabelle Tours for the last 15 years and her tours AND tour guides are fabulous - John was excellent, knowledgeable and fun to be with. You can’t go wrong.”

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8.Private Louisiana Plantations Tour with Gourmet Lunch from New Orleans

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 19 reviews

Leave central New Orleans at about 8:30 a.m. in a private, air-conditioned van for a plantation visit and Houmas House, where a guided tour, gardens, river views, and an included buffet lunch await. Depending on the schedule, the first stop may be San Francisco or Destrehan Plantation. Guides associated with the tour include Stephen, Rene, Giselle, Nancy, John, and Isabelle.

“Both plantations were very interesting. Houmas House and its gardens are gorgeous. The lunch was wonderful. Giselle was a wonderful guide and I loved her French accent. It was such a fun day.”

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9.Destrehan Plantation, Houmas House & Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · 7h 30m · from $219

Spend 7.5 hours upriver from New Orleans in a small group of up to 13. A historian driver-guide introduces Louisiana’s sugar country, then leads you to Destrehan Plantation and Houmas House for mansion visits, gardens, and a gourmet Creole lunch. Guides on this tour have included Renee, Gisele, Rene, and Steve.

“Our tour guide Gisele was the absolute BEST and both plantations were gorgeous, interesting, and very informative. The lunch was fantastic at Houmas House. A lovely buffet with a great variety and it really was delicious. Again, our tour guide Gisele was engaging, friendly, very knowledgeable and made our day extremely pleasant. It felt like we were hanging out with a friend. Highly recommend this tour and any tour with Tours by Isabelle!”

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10.Private Art and Street Art Tour of New Orleans with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · 3 to 4 hours (approx.) · from $270

Visit Magazine Street studios, Warehouse District galleries, Banksy’s Rain Girl, and French Quarter artist spaces with a private English-speaking guide. Door-to-door transport and lunch are included. The tour lasts about three to four hours and costs $270 per person; alcoholic drinks cost extra.

“Amazing tour! Great art and food! Extremely knowledgeable about New Orleans and worth the time and money spent for the tour! Highly recommended!”

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