Dead of Night Ghosts & Cemetery Bus Tour — A Hauntingly Memorable Ride
If you’re looking for a ghost tour in New Orleans that goes beyond walking the French Quarter, the Dead of Night Ghosts & Cemetery Bus Tour on Viator delivers a blend of haunted history, eerie landscapes, and comfort.
If you’re looking for a ghost tour in New Orleans that goes beyond walking the French Quarter, the Dead of Night Ghosts & Cemetery Bus Tour delivers a blend of haunted history, eerie landscapes, and comfort. This tour is a superb mix of storytelling, local lore, and real history — perfect if you want to explore New Orleans’ darker corners without putting in all the steps of a walking tour.
What the Tour Is & Where It Takes You
- Duration & Format: It’s about 2 hours long and is conducted by bus. You’ll get dropped off or paused at certain locations, but much of the eerie ambiance is preserved through narration, stops, and some cemetery visits.
- Stops & Sites: The tour includes multiple cemeteries (above-ground burial sites, mausoleums), historic parks, and ends at the Katrina Memorial, all punctuated with ghost stories, architectural symbolism, and local legends.
- Guide & Storytelling: Reviewers consistently praise the guide (often named Christian or Shannon depending on the evening) for being passionate, informative, engaging, and able to balance historic fact with spine-tingling stories.
What People Like — And What to Expect
Pros:
- For those who want a paranormal atmosphere without walking great distances, the bus format is a strong plus. Viator
- The stories are well-researched. Tour guide Christian (and others) bring out little-known history, urban legends, burial practices, symbols in mausoleums — all of which deepen the experience rather than making it just ghost-trail hype.
- Good value: many feel the price is fair for the length, the variety of stops, and the mix of history + ghost lore. If you like your ghost stories grounded in culture and architecture, this meld works well.
Cons / Things to Know:
- It’s not ultra-scary or deeply paranormal for everyone. Several reviewers mention it’s more haunting history & tragedy than ghost hunt or “supernatural interactions.” If you expect a full-blown horror show, this may feel tamer.
- Some disappointment arises when people hoped for more cemetery time, more “ghost activity,” or more stops inside haunted buildings. Viator
- As with many nighttime tours, weather and comfort matter: dress appropriately, bring layers, and expect it could be cooler or damp. The bus helps mitigate exposure, but parts of the tour involve getting off at certain spots.
Practical Details & Tips
- Price: Around $55 per person.
- Booking & Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the tour starts on most dates. Book in advance (especially around Halloween or other peak times) to secure a spot.
- Accessibility: The bus format helps people who have mobility issues or who don’t want a long walking tour. Still, some stops require getting off the bus and walking a bit.
- What to Bring: Comfortable shoes (for when you get off the bus), something warm, perhaps a small flashlight, a camera if you want photos — sometimes you’ll get glimpses of mausoleums and old cemeteries that can be very atmospheric.
Who This Tour Is Best For
- You enjoy your ghost stories paired with genuine history and cultural context.
- You prefer comfort (bus + fewer long walking legs) but still want to visit cemeteries, haunted sites, and hear chilling tales.
- You’re okay with moderate “scariness” rather than full paranormal or horror-style experiences.
- Good for all ages (though younger children might not enjoy every detail if stories get dark), or for groups where some prefer less walking.
Final Take
The Dead of Night Ghosts & Cemetery Bus Tour is one of the better ghost-history hybrids in New Orleans. It combines the spooky with the factual, and gives you a broader sense of the city’s supernatural reputation — the things that haunt it, yes, but also the tragedies, the culture, the architecture. If you want haunted tours but want to avoid sore feet, this is a strong pick.
Viator’s reviews, especially for Christian and Shannon as guides, reflect a high level of satisfaction with storytelling, pacing, and historical richness. Book ahead, dress for the night, and let the streets, crypts, and old stone walls tell their stories.
