Louisiana · NEW ORLEANS JAZZ TOURS

The 15 Best Jazz Tours & Cruises in New Orleans

41 tours  ·  from $20 a head

Steamboat jazz cruises, Frenchmen Street music walks and the history of the city that invented the form. The 15 below are priced and timed, with a note on which ones include dinner.

New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise with Dinner Option - Out on the Mississippi after dark
Cruises & Boat Tours, Dining Experiences, Dinner Experiences, New Orleans Jazz Tours, New Orleans Riverboat Cruises, New Orleans Tours, Tour Reviews

New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise with Dinner Option

1.New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise with Dinner Option

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 7,533 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $58Our pick

Board at Toulouse Street in the French Quarter for an evening on a traditional paddlewheel riverboat. Explore the ship, hear its calliope, and cruise the Mississippi with live jazz from the Dukes of Dixieland or another scheduled New Orleans jazz act. Add a Southern-style buffet dinner, with Creole dishes and vegetarian choices available.

“The dinner cruise was wonderful from several standpoints. The food and service were great. I am an engineer and the ship itself was fascinating to me. We cruised on a very cold night so we had to stay inside to avoid the weather. I want to do the cruise again in warm weather to enjoy the night views along the river. Highly recommend”

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New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise - The first part of the ride: settling in and getting underway
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New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise

2.New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 5,334 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $43

Cruise the Mississippi for about two hours aboard the Steamboat Natchez, or its sister vessel when the Natchez is away. You’ll hear live jazz from the Steamboat Stompers, get river commentary from the captain, and pass the Chalmette Battlefield. Add a buffet lunch with Louisiana dishes, or buy drinks and snacks on board.

“Great fun and a must do activity in New Orleans. Easy to access and music and food delicious. Booking is easy and confirmed by email with vouchers .”

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New Orleans: Evening Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Dinner - Boarding at 6pm, sailing at 7pm
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New Orleans: Evening Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Dinner

3.Evening Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 4,548 reviews · 2 hours · from $58

Board in the French Quarter for a two-hour evening cruise on the Mississippi. Expect live New Orleans jazz, captain’s narration, indoor and outdoor decks, and bars serving drinks for purchase. A Creole buffet is available with the dinner option. The boat may be the Riverboat CITY of NEW ORLEANS or Steamboat NATCHEZ, depending on the date.

“Great tour, beautiful scenery, great jazz music. My only regret is that i didn’t purchase the diner on the boat; i didn’t have time to dine in town prior. Otherwise great little adventure.”

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New Orleans: Daytime Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Lunch - Two hours on a river that is still at work
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New Orleans: Daytime Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Lunch

4.Daytime Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Lunch

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

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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Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Jazz Dinner Cruise in New Orleans - The optional buffet: Creole comfort food, with caveats
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Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Jazz Dinner Cruise in New Orleans

5.Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Jazz Dinner Cruise in New Orleans

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 1,469 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $107

Board the Creole Queen at 1 Poydras St for a two-hour evening cruise on the Mississippi. Live jazz plays as you pass the New Orleans waterfront, with an optional Creole buffet served in a Victorian-style dining room. Bring your confirmation for ticket redemption, arrive early, and pack a layer for the promenade deck.

“It was a chilly evening in New Orleans when we took this river cruise, but there was plenty of space inside where it was warm, the live music was great & the food exceeded our expectations! It would have been nice to sit up top & enjoy the lights more, but that is obviously outside the control of the riverboat folks. Given how windy & cold it was, I think every one of us enjoyed our time more than we were expecting as we were thinking about this excursion during the day. Great job, would recommend & would do it again.”

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New Orleans: Evening Jazz Boat Cruise with Optional Dinner - Boarding at the Poydras Street Dock
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New Orleans: Evening Jazz Boat Cruise with Optional Dinner

6.Evening Jazz Boat Cruise with Optional Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 1,024 reviews · 2 hours · from $60

Cruise the Mississippi aboard the Creole Queen, a sternwheeler paddleboat, for two hours of New Orleans skyline views and live jazz from Sullivan Dabney Jr. and the Muzik Jazz Band. Choose the optional Creole dinner, then enjoy the music and river air from the deck. Drinks are sold onboard.

“Enjoyable. Liked the idea of keeping assigned table all night with the ability to come and go as desired. Food and music were nice. Would do it again”

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Sunday Jazz Brunch Cruise in New Orleans - Jazz, narration, and a relaxed pace
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Sunday Jazz Brunch Cruise in New Orleans

7.Sunday Jazz Brunch Cruise in New Orleans

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 889 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $43

Board at Toulouse Street in the French Quarter for a two-hour Mississippi River cruise with live jazz and shoreline narration. Choose the buffet brunch option for dishes such as gumbo, shrimp and grits, French toast, and bread pudding. You can listen from the indoor cabin or stroll the decks; drinks beyond coffee and tea cost extra.

“Anyone booking this trip should know to make sure you book brunch. The food was amazing and the waiters were very helpful and exciting.. The musical was great and the knowledge of the Mississippi river was surprising.”

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VIP Jazz Dinner Cruise with Private Tour and Open Bar Option - Front-row Dixieland jazz on the Mississippi
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VIP Jazz Dinner Cruise with Private Tour and Open Bar Option

8.VIP Jazz Dinner Cruise with Private Tour and Open Bar Option

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 838 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $190

Board at Toulouse Street for Champagne, a reserved seat near the Dukes of Dixieland, and a guided tour of the riverboat with its captain. Then cruise the Mississippi for two hours with jazz, a Louisiana-style buffet, and an optional open bar. VIP hosts have included Marlon, Alex, and Brittany, though assignments can vary.

“VIP well worth the extra money. Marlon was the best guide we have ever had and we were extremely well taken care. The private boat tour was amazing. Simply an awesome experience!”

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Frenchmen Street VIP Live Music Pub Crawl in New Orleans - The included drink and what it covers
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Frenchmen Street VIP Live Music Pub Crawl in New Orleans

9.Frenchmen Street VIP Live Music Pub Crawl in New Orleans

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 613 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $52

Meet your guide at Stellar on Frenchmen Street, collect a VIP wristband, then visit live-music clubs for jazz, funk, blues, R&B, and more. One Louisiana cocktail is included. Guides such as Andre, Pandi, Angelique, and Quay have led tours, sharing music stories and helping you find your feet on a lively night out.

“A truly special experience. Our guide was a jazz musician herself who knew about every band playing in every bar. We saw some Grammy winners and Grammy-nominated musicians. I HIGHLY recommend this tour.”

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New Orleans Jazz History and Music Walking Tour - Hear about Bourbon Street, Frenchmen Street, and the clubs
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New Orleans Jazz History and Music Walking Tour

10.New Orleans Jazz History and Music Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 477 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $60

Walk about 1.5 miles through Tremé and the French Quarter with a local music guide. You’ll visit Louis Armstrong Park and Congo Square, hear how jazz grew from the city’s many cultural influences, and stop at a live music venue chosen for the evening. Groups are capped at 12, and one drink is included.

“Amazing tour. Our guide, Kristi, knew so much and was so exited to share her knowledge with us. If you want to know the history of jazz in New Orleans and do a tiny deep dive into Louis Armstrong, listen to some great music & LEARN about the Creole influence on the City, at the same time, this is your tour!”

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New Orleans: Sunday Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Brunch - Choosing your riverboat
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New Orleans: Sunday Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Brunch

11.Sunday Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Brunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 470 reviews · 2 hours · from $43

Spend two hours on the Mississippi aboard the Riverboat CITY of NEW ORLEANS or, depending on the date, the Steamboat NATCHEZ. Hear live jazz from the Steamboat Stompers, listen to the captain’s narration, and take in the city from four decks. Choose the optional Creole brunch buffet, with dishes such as gumbo, shrimp and grits, and cinnamon rolls.

“The buffet was excellent, views were incredible, and steamboat was lovely.”

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New Orleans City Tour and Steamboat Natchez Harbor Jazz Cruise - French Quarter and Jackson Square: a quick orientation
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New Orleans City Tour and Steamboat Natchez Harbor Jazz Cruise

12.New Orleans City Tour and Steamboat Natchez Harbor Jazz Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 446 reviews · 6 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $88

Spend about six and a half hours seeing New Orleans by coach and riverboat. A guide leads you past the French Quarter, Jackson Square, a historic cemetery, City Park and Garden District mansions, then you cruise the Mississippi with narration and jazz. The buffet costs extra, and a sister boat may replace the Natchez.

“Excellent from start to finish. Our guide, Robert, was fantastic and the Beignets were amazing! The Mississippi steamer was a highlight. Highly recommend this tour.”

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New Orleans: 'Court of Two Sisters' Jazz Brunch Buffet - Save room for dessert, especially bananas Foster
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New Orleans: ‘Court of Two Sisters’ Jazz Brunch Buffet

13.‘Court of Two Sisters’ Jazz Brunch Buffet

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 409 reviews · 1 day · from $51

Settle in for a buffet brunch at the Court of Two Sisters, where a live jazz band plays as you sample Louisiana favorites, breakfast classics, and later lunch dishes. The $51 booking includes one mimosa, guaranteed seating, and the tip. Check in with the hostess using your GetYourGuide voucher. Transportation is not included.

“The buffet was delicious with so many options to choose from!”

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Private Arrival Transfer from Louis Armstrong New Orleans Airport - The ride itself: direct, private, and driver-dependent
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Private Arrival Transfer from Louis Armstrong New Orleans Airport

14.Private Arrival Transfer from Louis Armstrong New Orleans Airport

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 334 reviews · 1 hour (approx.)

Arrange a private ride from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport to your New Orleans, Kenner, Metairie, or Slidell address. Your driver meets you after baggage claim, then takes your group directly to your accommodation. Choose a sedan for up to three people or a minivan or SUV for up to five. Service runs 24 hours a day.

“It made getting to our hotel a breeze!! Our driver was great!. The process of meeting the driver was easy peasy!”

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Private Transfer to/from Louis Armstrong Intl Airport and NOLA - International arrivals need a separate plan
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Private Transfer to/from Louis Armstrong Intl Airport and NOLA

15.Private Transfer to/from Louis Armstrong Intl Airport and NOLA

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 298 reviews · 30 minutes (approx.) · from $50Top rated

Book a private, air-conditioned ride between MSY, New Orleans, hotels, rentals, or the cruise port. Your chauffeur meets airport arrivals with a name sign, helps with luggage, and drives directly to your destination. Vehicles range from sedans to Sprinters, and drivers such as Derrick, Daniel, Joseph, and Wyatt are known for sharing useful city tips.

“Driver was very nice, And the ride was very comfortable and the vehicle was very clean. The driver handled all our luggage for us also.”

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New in New Orleans Jazz Tours

★ 5.0The Soul of New Orleans: Jazz History Private TourFrom $1114 reviews
★ 4.5Small-Group New Orleans Jazz TourFrom $20416 reviews
★ 5.0Private Round-Trip Transfer New Orleans and Louis Armstrong MSYFrom $10028 reviews
★ 4.5Private VIP Frenchmen Street Live Music Pub Crawl New OrleansFrom $23517 reviews
★ 4.5New Orleans Music TourFrom $2535 reviews
★ 4.5New Orleans Music TourFrom $2565 reviews
★ 4.0New Orleans Music Walking TourFrom $2517 reviews
★ 5.0Private Transfer: Louis Armstrong Airport MSY to New Orleans in Luxury SUVFrom $1265 reviews
★ 5.0Private New Orleans Music and Culture Tour with Bar StopFrom $7510 reviews
★ 4.5Music Party Bike RideFrom $4846 reviews
★ 4.0Cruise Port Transfer New Orleans and Louis Armstrong Intl MSYFrom $5011 reviews
★ 4.0Creole Queen Weekend Jazz Brunch Cruise on the Mississippi RiverFrom $806 reviews
★ 4.5New Orleans from or to Louis Armstrong Airport Private Transfer6 reviews
★ 4.8Second Line Tour & Music ExperienceFrom $2021 reviews
★ 5.0Jazz Walking TourFrom $344 reviews

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