Free Tours by Foot is proud to now offer our free New Orleans food tours. Learn about the city's great foods, including gumbo, jambalaya, po-boys, beignets and so much more.
While on these tours, you'll learn about what to eat in New Orleans, including all the must-eat food to try in the Crescent City.
We are a local tour company offering own own unique food tours led by local tour guides, like Kayla, who breaks down the top foods to try in New Orleans in the video below.
Our food tours were designed by our tour guides, who together have decades of experience leading visitors through the streets of New Orleans.
We know the shop owners, the chefs, and the staff in some of New Orleans' most interesting eateries.
Excellent4.9★★★★★ Based on 1701 reviews from review us onKyle ★★★★★ Priest Robi and the Voodoo tour was fantastic.Sherita B. ★★★★★ We went on the Voodoo tour, and it was not at all what I expected. Instead of the normal hoopla and folklore, it was a true history lesson based on facts not fiction. This was one of the best and MOST informative tours I have EVER been on, and Sandy was absolutely PHENOMENAL!!! She has a plethora of knowledge, and is an absolute delight!! I HIGHLY recommend anyone (who wants factual information) take this tour with Sandy.Hayley F. ★★★★★ Sandy was hilarious and knowledgeable. She answered all the questions well. Very enjoyable and informative.Lucia W. ★★★★★ Robi was beyond amazing! His knowledge, personality and genuine love of all people is obvious. I wish I could hang with him for a long while, and would enjoy “picking his brain” on all the interesting facets of his experiences. VERY highly recommend!Tina T. ★★★★★ I love their videos on you tube. We recently visited New Orleans, unfortunately some mobility issues prevented me from doing a tour by foot with them, but the videos were invaluable to helping plan the trip. The guides are knowledgeable and fun.Tan ★★★★★ I did the voodoo tour with Robi, and im not even kidding, he was the sweetest, most pleasant person ive met in a long time.The tour was amazing. I got to ask so many questions, and he was very open minded, and full of energy.Luis G. ★★★★★ Sandy was great and the tour was amazing!! Definitely worth it!!Eglė S. ★★★★★ Amazing Vodou tour, guided by priest Robi. Super interesting, super informative, super fun.Lin M. ★★★★★ Today we did the Voodoo tour with Robbie. An absolute must do.Informative, humorous and it was just wonderful to learn all aspects of Voodoo culture as well as dispelling the inaccuracies.We came away enlightened, calmer and filled with joy.Alexandria F. ★★★★★ Take this tour if you’re visiting New Orleans!Our guide Sandy was funny, smart, friendly, and engaging. I’ve taken this tour in the past and learned so many additional things with Sandy. I also appreciated that she was very considerate and conscious of passersby and businesses and always made sure we weren’t blocking anyone.Thanks again Sandy!Deb D. ★★★★★ Sandy was a phenomenal tour guide! Fun, funny, informative and just plain awesome! The tour was so interesting and the history was discussed beautifully. I definitely finished the tour with a great understanding of the history of Voodoo and to be honest, a new love of the true meaning of the Voodoo religion. 5 stars! 100% recommended. If you do this tour, hope you get Sandy as your guide. You won’t be disappointed.Richard D. ★★★★★ We did the voodoo tour yesterday with Sandy. What a fantastic experience! Sandy was so knowledgeable and funny. We learned so much and was not what I expected. I would highly recommend!!Cornelia V. ★★★★★ Very interesting tour about the “voodoo” religion!William S. ★★★★★ Sandy had Excellent knowledge and loved her personality! Lovesbtge tour and highly recommended!Melanie F. ★★★★★ We booked the 10am French Quarter Tour at Nov10. Sandy has been a wonderful tour guide. So much knowledge and the presentation at the various stations have been very entertaining and very easy to understand. It was a pleasure to listen to the short lessons. Highly recommend this company - and especially Sandy.Iain P. ★★★★★ Excellent French Quarter tour with Sandy! Really informative and FUN! Sandy has a great sense of humour! Highly recommendedPaul O. ★★★★★ I took the Free Tours By Foot - Voodoo Tour on Monday 11/6, 3pm. Our tour guide was High Priest Robi and he was The BEST!!I came into the tour not knowing much about Voodoo at all. Robi gave us an honest, intimate and down to earth look at what Voodoo really is, its essence and what the religion means to his family. The historical context of New Orleans and the journey of Voodoo from Africa to various parts of the world via slavery was fascinating! High Priest Robi was kind, knowledgeable, entertaining and funny too! I highly recommend this tour…one of the highlights of my trip to New Orleans!!!Ashley O. ★★★★★ Dam good tour with High Priest Robbi Very thought provoking, not for ppl who are easily offended!Kathryn A. ★★★★★ We did the food tour with Kayla and loved it. Kayla was very knowledgeable about New Orleans and the history of local food dishes. She also provides a list of restaurants which we are looking forward to trying in our own time. Would recommend!Pippa S. ★★★★☆ We did the food tour and Kayla was great - very knowledgable and passionate about food. She told us loads of info and kept us well entertained. It would have been good if we could have tried / gone to more food places - with such a big group that would have been hard. We waited 30 mins at Johnny Po’Boys which wasn’t actually the greatest place (dirty & slow service). Sweet Saint ice cream was the highlight. I’d recommend Katie & the tour for an overview, but if you’re a true foodie you’ll probably not see as much as you’d like.Chandi ★★★★★ Sandy led an informative, interesting tour and explained so much about the roots of voodoo. It was not what I expected, in a great way!Bobby W. ★★★★★ Sandy was amazing!! We learned so much and she was so witty! Highly recommend getting a tour by Sandy!Vicky M. ★★★★★ Daniel was a great guide! Super informative and fun, highly recommend!Ley T ★★★★★ The tours I took were memorable and commendable for the high quality of the guides. Each person infused their lovely personality and love of the city/topic into their presentation. Sandy (French Quarter) is hilarious and has a lot to say about life in New Orleans past and present. High Priest Robi (Voodoo) is passionate about his heritage and correcting every misconception about the religion. Evian (Treme) is a gentle soul with incredible knowledge of and respect for local history and life. Mari (ghost) is funny and infuses her tour with the all the Southern charm of her ancestors. FANTASTIC guides who helped me fall in love with New Orleans.Elizaveta B. ★★★★★ Erica T. ★★★★★ I have never taken a better tour than the Voodoo Tour with High Priest Robi. He was knowledgeable, passionate, and animated about Voodoo and the history of his ancestors in New Orleans. If you take no other tour take this one!! 1000/10!!Kathryn B. ★★★★★ Evian was our tour guide and they did an amazing job. The ghost stories were very well told and we enjoyed our time immensely! Definitely book a tour if you want some well told stories and history!Jessejames ★★★★★ Joanne Clary A. ★★★★★ Just finished a ghost tour by Randy. Randy has fabulous story-telling abilities. Gory stories well told with lots of energy and group engagement. Really enjoyed it ! Thanks Randy.Amanda A. ★★★★★ Randy was amazing! Every minute of the tour was as informative as it was entertaining!ribkarib P. ★★★★★ Randy Reid was awesome! If I ever visit NOLA and redo the ghost tour again, I'd request for Randy again. Love the enthusiasm and energy when sharing his personal connection to the ghost stories.Jade R. ★★★★★ did a voodoo tour with Priest Robi - he was such a fun energy and so informational. we learned a lot and had a great time doing it. would recommend this tour specifically but also FTBF as a company - we had a different tour scheduled and there was an emergency for our tour guide and the company was great reaching out and offering solutions. overall a great experience!BlueUte ★★★★★ Priest Robi is thoroughly knowledgeable & provided a rich context to understand this religion. I highly recommend this tour to anyone. Robi may change the way you think about the world… & it’s all good.Vera lasheras N. ★★★★★ Thank you Sandy for the tour! Amazing all the knowledge she has and how fun she did the tour! I highly recommend this tour if you are interested about the culture of NolaTravis B. ★★★★★ Perfect walking tour to better understand how New Orleans past has shaped the present. Sandy was the best.Jonathan S. ★★★★★ My three travel companions and I could not resist the opportunity to take the Tours by Foot New Orleans Voodou tour in the historic French Quarter. Our guid Sandy, was wonderful! She painted a picture of historic and cultural relevance, a champion of tolerance of the Afro Caribbean cultural and traditional spiritual modalities. Enlightening and engaging with a pleasant combination of humor and reverence. Thank you Sandy for a wonderful tour experience, take note Tour Guides!dannyhila B. ★★★★★ Great tours with Daniel in the French quarter and also in the garden district. Daniel is super knowledgeable in Louisiana History and gives a very informative, interesting and fun tour.Saskia G. ★★★★★ Our tour was lead by Randy - such a hoot! He was fabulous and told us so many excellently gruesome stories about the French quarter. Great way to find your feet and learn some grizzly history. Beware of trunks and check yer ovens for body parts....Georgina K. ★★★★★ Visiting New Orleans for the second time (and second time taking this ghost tour)!) - our evening tour with Randy was so much fun. He was delightful and informative! Would recommend to anyone coming into town, and a great way to learn some spooky history while getting your bearings in the French quarter. Beware of Henrys and stay away from trunks!Michala ★★★★★ We had such a great tour with Randy! He was so funny, informative, engaging and entertaining. 10/10 recommend the ghost tour with Randy 👻Jessica S. ★★★★★ Randy was awesome! Very animated and funny, and clearly does his best to cater to his guest’s interests while providing historically accurate infoPZ C ★★★★★ Randy was a spirited, enthusiastic and passionate guide. He doesn't sensationalise events but gives a more factual, historically-accurate account of what happened on the streets of New Orleans. A very informative and entertaining experience. Thank you for the wonderful experience!!Joy Hensley G. ★★★★★ Randy was a great tour guide! His stories were great and his enthusiasm and humor really made this a special tour. I'm so glad we ended up with Randy! Not sure another tour guide could top him!Megan B. ★★★★★ So much fun! Randy was fabulous! Not my first FTBF, definitely not my last. One of the best ghost tours I’ve done. Thanks Randy!Christian P. ★★★★★ Just did a tour with Randy, he was a great story teller. Worth far more than the price of admition!Hector M. ★★★★★ Randy was amazing! Such a great tour and he had the best historical facts. Loved his personality and would definitely take his tour again!David D. ★★★★★ Brianna G. ★★★★★ Evian was very knowledgeable about a wide range of topics from political, social, and cultural history to the history of local cocktails. Evian was also courteous, moving the tour if the location was uncomfortable for guests (i.e. moving into the shade, or away from high mosquito area, and made sure everyone was able to take stairs before taking the tour on that route. Evian also seemed very familiar and involved with the local community. After our tour of Treme we went to Lil Dizzy for lunch, and the food was wonderful.
We also use input from the roughly 40k members of our popular New Orleans Travel Tips Facebook group.
The group consists of locals, including our tour guides, veteran visitors, as well as newbies to New Orleans.
You don't need to be a member to read the posts, comments, and recommendations, so check the group out once you are done reading is post.
The majority of New Orleans culinary tours are offered in the French Quarter.
So, there are several options to consider if you’re interested in learning more about the types of meals you can enjoy a taste of this neighborhood.
In this section, we’ll provide information about our own free New Orleans food tour and a few additional outings you may want to consider as an alternative.
Free French Quarter Food Tour
Like our neighborhood walking tours, our New Orleans food & history tours are free to take, giving you the opportunity to determine what a tour was worth after the tour is over – even free!
During our French Quarter Food Tour, we will combine delicious food, history, and storytelling so that you have the education under your belt to be the most discerning foodie in one of the best culinary cities in the world.
As you travel from stop to stop, your tour guide will explain the dishes that highlight New Orleans’ food identity and will share personal anecdotes about some of the city’s most famous restaurants and chefs.
Walk with us past famous landmarks such as the St. Louis Cathedral and Jackson Square.
Your personable guide will describe the beautiful architecture and intriguing history of New Orleans.
This outing is a great way to learn about what to eat in New Orleans.
Some of the food choices discussed (and possibly sampled) include:
Seafood Gumbo
Red Beans &Rice
Muffulettas
Jambalaya
Hot sauces
Seasonal Gulf Coast Seafood
PoBoys
crawfish/seafood boil
Pralines
Beignets
Please note: Unlike other food tours, the dishes on our tour aren’t complimentary and must be paid for by the guests (average $10-15/person).
However, with traditional food tours charging $65 and up (plus tip), that’s at least a $50 difference per person.
Cost:name-your-own-price tour. Groups of 6-9 must prepay $10/person. Groups of 10 or more must organize a private tour and can read about our options for groups.
The suggested amount to bring for snacks is $12-15, depending on your appetite!
Other French Quarter Food Tours
Disclosure: While we think you should take our free tour, we understand it may not work for everyone, so we offer you some alternative options. While our recommendations are always unbiased, we may receive a small share of sales through some of the links below at no cost to you. See the full text.
There are several other French Quarter food tours you may want to consider.
Some of these outings cover the history of various cuisines in the neighborhood while others will include a lot of great New Orleans food.
No matter which tour you choose, you can expect to sample anywhere from 3-6 types of food in New Orleans.
Most outings include at least one example of both creole and cajun dishes, so a lot of Louisiana cuisine.
These trips typically last for 2-3 hours, giving you plenty of time to become acquainted with some of the best restaurants and meals in the city.
Sidewalk Tours and Urban Adventures currently offer two of the most popular French Quarter food tours which include dishes such as po boys, gumbo, oysters, muffulettas, and even beignets.
If you’re more interested in learning about the culinary history of the Garden District, there are multiple New Orleans food tours available that cover this neighborhood of the Big Easy.
Since these outings typically include more unique dishes, you can expect ticket prices to range from around $70 - $100 on average.
As with other food tours in this city, you can expect to sample 3-6 different meals while on this outing, and you can expect at least one variation on creole/cajun food.
Each trip runs for about 2-3 hours on average, so you’ll have plenty of time to sit down at each stop and enjoy the dishes prepared for you.
Although often overlooked by tourists, these outings include some of the best food to try in New Orleans.
If you want to learn how to prepare some of these dishes in addition to eating them, there are cooking classes you can take while in New Orleans which include instructions from professional chefs.
These classes will help you learn how to make traditional Cajun and Creole food, which are some of the most historic New Orleans cuisines.
After completing a 4-course meal, you’ll have the opportunity to eat what you’ve prepared and take the recipes home at the end of the day.
Dishes included with these classes include some of the best New Orleans food, such as Gumbo, Jambalaya, Pralines, and more. You’ll also have the chance to drink a local brew!
Tickets range from $30-$75 depending on what is included, and you can expect the class to take 2 - 2 ½ hours on average.
Sarah first moved to New Orleans in 2001 to work for the American Red Cross of Southeast Louisiana. While working in the communities of New Orleans she fell in love with the unique culture of the Big Easy; it's food, music, architecture, wildlife, and most of all history.
Sarah began her career with FTBF, first as a guide, then as an owner/operator. She believes every day is a good day if she gets to impart her love of her beloved New Orleans with Free Tours By Foot guests. She especially likes to convert new Who Dat Saints Fans!
