New Orleans Small Group Tours & Trip Packages

New Orleans Small Group Tours & Trips

42 New Orleans trips. Tours from 23 tour companies. 69 reviews. 4.8/5 avg rating.

17 trips exactly matchall of the the filters you selected.
My selections:
Small Group Tour
Benin and Togo Voodoo Discovery
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4/5 Great
100+ reviews
Small Group Tour
Why we love them
They explore a place beyond the typical tourist traps and offer exciting activities that bring the “wow factor” intrepid travelers want.
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Strenuous

Visits

Atakora, Benin, Fes, Ganvie, Lome, New Orleans, Ouidah, Sokode, Tofino, Togo

Highlights

  • Discover tribal lands, proud cultures and striking landscapes through Togo and Benin
  • Travel through this culturally diverse region and encounter the spiritual home of voodoo
  • Witness a fire dancing ceremony and meet the Somba people in the Atakora mountains

Themes

Cultural, Hiking & Walking

Trip dates & details
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Health Safety +

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Southern Soul: New Orleans to Nashville
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4.7/5 Excellent
100+ reviews
Small Group Tour
Why we love them
With a huge range of trip styles and themes, they cater to basically every type of traveler out there- even those with super specific interests.
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Moderate

Visits

Memphis, New Orleans

Highlights

  • Spend three nights in New Orleans and the colourful music scene of Bourbon Street
  • Uncover Cajun culture and cuisine on a Mississippi riverboat dinner cruise
  • Explore Memphis including Elvis' Graceland and Sun Studio
  • Discover Nashville, the country music capital

Themes

Cultural

What travelers are saying

"Discover Costa Rica is a great itinerary, covering varied habitats around the country and staying 2 nights each at 6 centres. Their birdwatching specials are led by local experts who really know their stuff."

Trip dates & details
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Health Safety +

Generous cancellation

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Music Cities USA: Nashville, Memphis, New Orleans
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4.4/5 Great
100+ reviews
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Moderate

Visits

Memphis, Nashville, New Orleans

Highlights

  • I’m comfortable with some walking throughout the day
  • I expect to get on and off of a coach, and I’m ready to stroll through cities and to stand for a few hours when we’re learning in museums

Themes

Culinary & Wine, High Adventure, Hiking & Walking, Nature & Wildlife, Train & Rail Journeys

What travelers are saying

"Our family of four, including two adult children, took the Bicycling: Day Trips to Paradise in Canada. This trip is entirely outsourced to the owners of the inn, there are no Road Scholar employees involved in the trip. Two of us have taken bicycle trips all over the world and the bicycling component of this trip was disorganized, haphazard and almost unsafe. We all filled out forms giving details regarding our bicycle fitting months before the trip. On the first day, the leader Stephen, went around the room and asked the same questions and said everyone would get fitted in the morning before we began the first ride. The morning brought a rack of bikes, all different types in various levels of readiness. There were road bikes, hybrid bikes, mountain bikes and e-bikes. The rides were all on paved surfaces and the mountain bikes were heavy and the additional suspension added weight. The bike I received had rust on the chain and rear sprocket. When I asked about it, was told they were waiting for another van to show up with tools and equipment. Once it arrived, they gave me the lubricant to spray on the rust. My wife’s bike would not shift into the high gear on the front sprocket. Instead of adjusting the derailleur, they suggested spraying it with lubricant. Our one son is over six feet and needed a larger frame bike, even though he detailed it in the bike form months ago, there was no bike to fit him. One of the guides, then went home and brought a larger bike that was a full suspension mountain bike for him. The bike was very heavy, hard to control on the road and he felt unsafe. After two days, one of the guides convinced Stephen that they could adjust a hybrid bike to fit him. Clearly there was no work done to prepare the bikes for the trip. Many of the bikes needed adjusting and all needed lubricant to function easily. For every day, there was a tray of snacks placed out for us to take along the ride. None of the bikes had any baskets or attached bags, so if you didn’t bring a small day pack, there was no way to carry the snacks. For lunch on the rides, they brought exactly one sandwich for each rider. Since most of us get hungry while doing a day of exercise, it would have been helpful to have a few extras. On one day, they ran out of sandwiches and one of the leaders that were riding with us did not get lunch. Do NOT take this trip if you are expecting it to be a bicycling trip. We have used VBT and Discovery Bicycle Tours many times over the past 25 years and they are excellent bike tour companies. Lastly, after sharing these details with Road Scholar after the trip, their response was weak at best. After doing the full reviews and having to call them, their response was to give us $200 credit after spending $8000 on this trip. Not only was that insulting, they assumed that I would take another trip with their organization."

Trip dates & details
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History Along the Mississippi: From St. Paul to New Orleans
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4.4/5 Great
100+ reviews
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Moderate

Visits

Memphis, New Orleans, St. Louis

Highlights

  • I’m comfortable with some walking throughout the day
  • I expect to get on and off of a coach, and I’m ready to stroll through cities and to stand for a few hours when we’re learning in museums

Themes

Culinary & Wine, High Adventure, Hiking & Walking, Nature & Wildlife, Train & Rail Journeys

What travelers are saying

"Our family of four, including two adult children, took the Bicycling: Day Trips to Paradise in Canada. This trip is entirely outsourced to the owners of the inn, there are no Road Scholar employees involved in the trip. Two of us have taken bicycle trips all over the world and the bicycling component of this trip was disorganized, haphazard and almost unsafe. We all filled out forms giving details regarding our bicycle fitting months before the trip. On the first day, the leader Stephen, went around the room and asked the same questions and said everyone would get fitted in the morning before we began the first ride. The morning brought a rack of bikes, all different types in various levels of readiness. There were road bikes, hybrid bikes, mountain bikes and e-bikes. The rides were all on paved surfaces and the mountain bikes were heavy and the additional suspension added weight. The bike I received had rust on the chain and rear sprocket. When I asked about it, was told they were waiting for another van to show up with tools and equipment. Once it arrived, they gave me the lubricant to spray on the rust. My wife’s bike would not shift into the high gear on the front sprocket. Instead of adjusting the derailleur, they suggested spraying it with lubricant. Our one son is over six feet and needed a larger frame bike, even though he detailed it in the bike form months ago, there was no bike to fit him. One of the guides, then went home and brought a larger bike that was a full suspension mountain bike for him. The bike was very heavy, hard to control on the road and he felt unsafe. After two days, one of the guides convinced Stephen that they could adjust a hybrid bike to fit him. Clearly there was no work done to prepare the bikes for the trip. Many of the bikes needed adjusting and all needed lubricant to function easily. For every day, there was a tray of snacks placed out for us to take along the ride. None of the bikes had any baskets or attached bags, so if you didn’t bring a small day pack, there was no way to carry the snacks. For lunch on the rides, they brought exactly one sandwich for each rider. Since most of us get hungry while doing a day of exercise, it would have been helpful to have a few extras. On one day, they ran out of sandwiches and one of the leaders that were riding with us did not get lunch. Do NOT take this trip if you are expecting it to be a bicycling trip. We have used VBT and Discovery Bicycle Tours many times over the past 25 years and they are excellent bike tour companies. Lastly, after sharing these details with Road Scholar after the trip, their response was weak at best. After doing the full reviews and having to call them, their response was to give us $200 credit after spending $8000 on this trip. Not only was that insulting, they assumed that I would take another trip with their organization."

Trip dates & details
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New Orleans at a Slower Pace: A City of History, Culture and Celebration
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4.4/5 Great
100+ reviews
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Moderate

Visits

New Orleans

Highlights

  • You know what moves me? Exercising my mind
  • Let’s keep walking to a minimum and avoid stairs when we can

Themes

50 plus, Culinary & Wine, Education / Learning, National Parks, Nature & Wildlife, Photography, Holy Land

What travelers are saying

"Our family of four, including two adult children, took the Bicycling: Day Trips to Paradise in Canada. This trip is entirely outsourced to the owners of the inn, there are no Road Scholar employees involved in the trip. Two of us have taken bicycle trips all over the world and the bicycling component of this trip was disorganized, haphazard and almost unsafe. We all filled out forms giving details regarding our bicycle fitting months before the trip. On the first day, the leader Stephen, went around the room and asked the same questions and said everyone would get fitted in the morning before we began the first ride. The morning brought a rack of bikes, all different types in various levels of readiness. There were road bikes, hybrid bikes, mountain bikes and e-bikes. The rides were all on paved surfaces and the mountain bikes were heavy and the additional suspension added weight. The bike I received had rust on the chain and rear sprocket. When I asked about it, was told they were waiting for another van to show up with tools and equipment. Once it arrived, they gave me the lubricant to spray on the rust. My wife’s bike would not shift into the high gear on the front sprocket. Instead of adjusting the derailleur, they suggested spraying it with lubricant. Our one son is over six feet and needed a larger frame bike, even though he detailed it in the bike form months ago, there was no bike to fit him. One of the guides, then went home and brought a larger bike that was a full suspension mountain bike for him. The bike was very heavy, hard to control on the road and he felt unsafe. After two days, one of the guides convinced Stephen that they could adjust a hybrid bike to fit him. Clearly there was no work done to prepare the bikes for the trip. Many of the bikes needed adjusting and all needed lubricant to function easily. For every day, there was a tray of snacks placed out for us to take along the ride. None of the bikes had any baskets or attached bags, so if you didn’t bring a small day pack, there was no way to carry the snacks. For lunch on the rides, they brought exactly one sandwich for each rider. Since most of us get hungry while doing a day of exercise, it would have been helpful to have a few extras. On one day, they ran out of sandwiches and one of the leaders that were riding with us did not get lunch. Do NOT take this trip if you are expecting it to be a bicycling trip. We have used VBT and Discovery Bicycle Tours many times over the past 25 years and they are excellent bike tour companies. Lastly, after sharing these details with Road Scholar after the trip, their response was weak at best. After doing the full reviews and having to call them, their response was to give us $200 credit after spending $8000 on this trip. Not only was that insulting, they assumed that I would take another trip with their organization."

Trip dates & details
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Signature City New Orleans
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4.4/5 Great
100+ reviews
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Moderate

Visits

New Orleans

Highlights

  • I’m comfortable with some walking throughout the day
  • I expect to get on and off of a coach, and I’m ready to stroll through cities and to stand for a few hours when we’re learning in museums

Themes

Culinary & Wine, High Adventure, Hiking & Walking, Nature & Wildlife, Train & Rail Journeys

What travelers are saying

"Our family of four, including two adult children, took the Bicycling: Day Trips to Paradise in Canada. This trip is entirely outsourced to the owners of the inn, there are no Road Scholar employees involved in the trip. Two of us have taken bicycle trips all over the world and the bicycling component of this trip was disorganized, haphazard and almost unsafe. We all filled out forms giving details regarding our bicycle fitting months before the trip. On the first day, the leader Stephen, went around the room and asked the same questions and said everyone would get fitted in the morning before we began the first ride. The morning brought a rack of bikes, all different types in various levels of readiness. There were road bikes, hybrid bikes, mountain bikes and e-bikes. The rides were all on paved surfaces and the mountain bikes were heavy and the additional suspension added weight. The bike I received had rust on the chain and rear sprocket. When I asked about it, was told they were waiting for another van to show up with tools and equipment. Once it arrived, they gave me the lubricant to spray on the rust. My wife’s bike would not shift into the high gear on the front sprocket. Instead of adjusting the derailleur, they suggested spraying it with lubricant. Our one son is over six feet and needed a larger frame bike, even though he detailed it in the bike form months ago, there was no bike to fit him. One of the guides, then went home and brought a larger bike that was a full suspension mountain bike for him. The bike was very heavy, hard to control on the road and he felt unsafe. After two days, one of the guides convinced Stephen that they could adjust a hybrid bike to fit him. Clearly there was no work done to prepare the bikes for the trip. Many of the bikes needed adjusting and all needed lubricant to function easily. For every day, there was a tray of snacks placed out for us to take along the ride. None of the bikes had any baskets or attached bags, so if you didn’t bring a small day pack, there was no way to carry the snacks. For lunch on the rides, they brought exactly one sandwich for each rider. Since most of us get hungry while doing a day of exercise, it would have been helpful to have a few extras. On one day, they ran out of sandwiches and one of the leaders that were riding with us did not get lunch. Do NOT take this trip if you are expecting it to be a bicycling trip. We have used VBT and Discovery Bicycle Tours many times over the past 25 years and they are excellent bike tour companies. Lastly, after sharing these details with Road Scholar after the trip, their response was weak at best. After doing the full reviews and having to call them, their response was to give us $200 credit after spending $8000 on this trip. Not only was that insulting, they assumed that I would take another trip with their organization."

Trip dates & details
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French Quarter Music Festival
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
4.4/5 Great
100+ reviews
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Moderate

Visits

New Orleans

Highlights

  • I’m comfortable with some walking throughout the day
  • I expect to get on and off of a coach, and I’m ready to stroll through cities and to stand for a few hours when we’re learning in museums

Themes

Culinary & Wine, High Adventure, Hiking & Walking, Nature & Wildlife, Train & Rail Journeys

What travelers are saying

"Our family of four, including two adult children, took the Bicycling: Day Trips to Paradise in Canada. This trip is entirely outsourced to the owners of the inn, there are no Road Scholar employees involved in the trip. Two of us have taken bicycle trips all over the world and the bicycling component of this trip was disorganized, haphazard and almost unsafe. We all filled out forms giving details regarding our bicycle fitting months before the trip. On the first day, the leader Stephen, went around the room and asked the same questions and said everyone would get fitted in the morning before we began the first ride. The morning brought a rack of bikes, all different types in various levels of readiness. There were road bikes, hybrid bikes, mountain bikes and e-bikes. The rides were all on paved surfaces and the mountain bikes were heavy and the additional suspension added weight. The bike I received had rust on the chain and rear sprocket. When I asked about it, was told they were waiting for another van to show up with tools and equipment. Once it arrived, they gave me the lubricant to spray on the rust. My wife’s bike would not shift into the high gear on the front sprocket. Instead of adjusting the derailleur, they suggested spraying it with lubricant. Our one son is over six feet and needed a larger frame bike, even though he detailed it in the bike form months ago, there was no bike to fit him. One of the guides, then went home and brought a larger bike that was a full suspension mountain bike for him. The bike was very heavy, hard to control on the road and he felt unsafe. After two days, one of the guides convinced Stephen that they could adjust a hybrid bike to fit him. Clearly there was no work done to prepare the bikes for the trip. Many of the bikes needed adjusting and all needed lubricant to function easily. For every day, there was a tray of snacks placed out for us to take along the ride. None of the bikes had any baskets or attached bags, so if you didn’t bring a small day pack, there was no way to carry the snacks. For lunch on the rides, they brought exactly one sandwich for each rider. Since most of us get hungry while doing a day of exercise, it would have been helpful to have a few extras. On one day, they ran out of sandwiches and one of the leaders that were riding with us did not get lunch. Do NOT take this trip if you are expecting it to be a bicycling trip. We have used VBT and Discovery Bicycle Tours many times over the past 25 years and they are excellent bike tour companies. Lastly, after sharing these details with Road Scholar after the trip, their response was weak at best. After doing the full reviews and having to call them, their response was to give us $200 credit after spending $8000 on this trip. Not only was that insulting, they assumed that I would take another trip with their organization."

Trip dates & details
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Jazz, Jambalaya and Joie de Vivre in New Orleans
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4.4/5 Great
100+ reviews
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Moderate

Visits

New Orleans

Highlights

  • I like to spend much of the day exploring
  • Whether walking through historic neighborhoods at a moderate pace or out and about on a coach, I prefer to keep my days full
  • Stairs don’t bother me, and I love to keep up with the group

Themes

Culinary & Wine, National Parks, Nature & Wildlife, Relaxing Retreats, Yoga, Meditation & Wellness, Photography, Holy Land

What travelers are saying

"Our family of four, including two adult children, took the Bicycling: Day Trips to Paradise in Canada. This trip is entirely outsourced to the owners of the inn, there are no Road Scholar employees involved in the trip. Two of us have taken bicycle trips all over the world and the bicycling component of this trip was disorganized, haphazard and almost unsafe. We all filled out forms giving details regarding our bicycle fitting months before the trip. On the first day, the leader Stephen, went around the room and asked the same questions and said everyone would get fitted in the morning before we began the first ride. The morning brought a rack of bikes, all different types in various levels of readiness. There were road bikes, hybrid bikes, mountain bikes and e-bikes. The rides were all on paved surfaces and the mountain bikes were heavy and the additional suspension added weight. The bike I received had rust on the chain and rear sprocket. When I asked about it, was told they were waiting for another van to show up with tools and equipment. Once it arrived, they gave me the lubricant to spray on the rust. My wife’s bike would not shift into the high gear on the front sprocket. Instead of adjusting the derailleur, they suggested spraying it with lubricant. Our one son is over six feet and needed a larger frame bike, even though he detailed it in the bike form months ago, there was no bike to fit him. One of the guides, then went home and brought a larger bike that was a full suspension mountain bike for him. The bike was very heavy, hard to control on the road and he felt unsafe. After two days, one of the guides convinced Stephen that they could adjust a hybrid bike to fit him. Clearly there was no work done to prepare the bikes for the trip. Many of the bikes needed adjusting and all needed lubricant to function easily. For every day, there was a tray of snacks placed out for us to take along the ride. None of the bikes had any baskets or attached bags, so if you didn’t bring a small day pack, there was no way to carry the snacks. For lunch on the rides, they brought exactly one sandwich for each rider. Since most of us get hungry while doing a day of exercise, it would have been helpful to have a few extras. On one day, they ran out of sandwiches and one of the leaders that were riding with us did not get lunch. Do NOT take this trip if you are expecting it to be a bicycling trip. We have used VBT and Discovery Bicycle Tours many times over the past 25 years and they are excellent bike tour companies. Lastly, after sharing these details with Road Scholar after the trip, their response was weak at best. After doing the full reviews and having to call them, their response was to give us $200 credit after spending $8000 on this trip. Not only was that insulting, they assumed that I would take another trip with their organization."

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Small Group Tour

New Orleans Reviews & Ratings

4.8/5  Excellent
69  Reviews
See all New Orleans tour reviews
Excellent
89
Great
23
Average
1
Disappointing
1
Terrible
0
T

Trusted Customer

Apr 2024

Written on

Benin and Togo Voodoo Discovery

It’s a shame I can’t give this 5 stars as the itinerary is incredible and the local guides worked really hard Noah and Ben … so my score is not fair on them. But I...

T

Trusted Customer

Feb 2024

Written on

Benin and Togo Voodoo Discovery

One must temper their expectations when traveling in countries without an established tourism industry, however the value of booking through Explore! is meant to be ...

P

Patricia

Feb 2024

Written on

Benin and Togo Voodoo Discovery

A great trip for experienced travellers. The mask ceremonies were brilliant and there were lots of opportunities to interact with local people. The stay at Ganvie s...

R

Robert

Feb 2024

Written on

Benin and Togo Voodoo Discovery

Generally very well run trips The highlight was the day at the stilt village..

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Additional details

Weather in New Orleans 

New Orleans weather can range from the mid 40s to low 90s depending on the time of year. From June into September highs are in the 80s to low 90s.

Average humidity year round is 73% with not much variation, so if you’re visiting during the summer, be prepared. Skies will also be cloudy with July being the rainiest. More than 6 inches fall over an average of 15 days.

June and August can also be rainy with over 5 inches falling during those months. You’ll find it most pleasant in March, April, May, and October with less rainfall and temperatures in the 70s to low 80s. 

Best Time to Go

The best time to go to New Orleans depends on what draws you to NOLA. If you’re going for Mardi Gras, festivities start January 6th, the Twelfth Night and Feast of Epiphany. Celebrations continue, culminating on Fat Tuesday, the day before Lent. 

So when is Fat Tuesday? Fat Tuesday is always the day before Ash Wednesday, a day of holy prayer and fasting. Fat Tuesday can be any Tuesday between February 3rd and March 9th depending on when Easter falls. So be sure to check the Tuesday Fat Tuesday falls on before you plan your trip. And plan well in advance, up to a year in advance if possible. For fewer crowds and a bit less spend, go during carnival which starts January 6th but avoid Fat Tuesday and the weekend that leads up to it. 

If you aren’t going for Mardi Gras, visit New Orleans in March after Fat Tuesday (if it falls in March), April, May, October, and November for fewer crowds and the most comfortable weather conditions. The Jazz & Heritage Festival occurs after Mardi Gras so check that date as well if you’d like to avoid crowds as its date changes each year, too. Finally, the hurricane season runs June 1st through November 30th with the riskiest time falling between mid-August and October. 

Go in July, August or September if you are budget conscious but be prepared for heat. 

Is New Orleans safe? 

Generally, New Orleans is not considered to be one of the safer cities in the US. Violent crime and property crime is above average. Murder rates have come down in recent years but they remain about 8 times higher according to the Louisiana State University School of Public Health.

Why is crime so high in New Orleans? Historic and institutional practices as well as policies have created many inequalities. Gentrification of some neighborhoods has compounded the inequalities which creates a bad environment for crime. 

Despite its reputation for crime, New Orleans was in the top five 2019 US destinations according to a well known annual publication. Historically, in fact, it’s been a top destination. And so, do go, but be smart: don’t travel with valuables, avoid poorly lit streets, keep your wits about you, and walk with purpose especially if traveling solo.

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