The New Orleans holiday season splits into two halves. Evenings belong to Celebration in the Oaks, Réveillon dinners, caroling in Jackson Square, and New Year’s Eve fireworks over the river. Daytime belongs to the city’s historic sites, and the 55-minute guided tour of St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is one of the few that fits between commitments.
New Orleans does the holidays without borrowing anyone else’s script. There is no snow to wait for and no reason to stay indoors. What the city has instead is a run of traditions you cannot get anywhere else, most of them happening after dark, which leaves a question most visitors do not think about until they arrive: what do you do with the daylight?
What Is There to Do in New Orleans During the Holiday Season?
Evenings belong to lights, music, and long dinners: Celebration in the Oaks in City Park, Réveillon menus at restaurants across the city, caroling in Jackson Square, bonfires on the levee. Daytime belongs to the things that reward attention rather than energy, including historic sites and guided walking tours.
Understanding that split is the whole trick to planning a good holiday trip here. Book the evenings early, because they sell out. Then fill the days deliberately, because an unplanned afternoon in late December turns into wandering Canal Street looking for somewhere to sit.
What Are the Biggest Holiday Events in New Orleans?
Celebration in the Oaks fills City Park with over a million lights and runs November 27 through January 1, with walking, driving, and bike options. NOLA ChristmasFest brings indoor ice skating and rides to the Convention Center in late December. The Patio Planters of the Vieux Carré hold their annual candlelight caroling in Jackson Square.
A few more worth knowing about. Réveillon dinners revive a centuries-old Creole Christmas Eve tradition as prix-fixe menus at restaurants throughout December. Christmas Eve bonfires burn along the Mississippi levees upriver to light Papa Noël’s way. And on December 31, Jackson Square hosts the New Orleans Eve concert ahead of the Crescent City Countdown fireworks over the river.
Dates and hours shift year to year on all of these, so confirm on the organizers’ own pages before you build a night around one. New Orleans & Company keeps a running list.
What Can You Do in New Orleans During the Day Over the Holidays?
Daytime is when the city’s historic sites are open, uncrowded, and pleasant to walk. The Daytime Walking Tour of St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 runs from 9 AM to 4 PM with departures every 15 minutes and takes about 55 minutes. Adults start at $29, children 3 to 12 start at $22, and children two and under enter free.
An hour is the useful part. Most New Orleans experiences worth having want a half day. This one wants one hour, and it gives you the context that makes the rest of the trip legible: who built this city, how they buried their dead, why the tombs sit above ground.
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 was established in 1789 and is the oldest cemetery still standing in New Orleans. Marie Laveau, Homer Plessy, Étienne de Boré, and Bernard de Marigny are all interred here, alongside historic society tombs like Dieu Nous Protège. It is also still an active burial ground, and it has been closed to unguided visitors since March 2015, so the official guided tour is the only way in.
Check in at Basin St. Station Visitor Information Center, 501 Basin Street, 15 minutes before your departure to collect wristbands and gate passes. Basin St. Station is Stop 5 on the Hop-On Hop-Off route, and the Park First lot next door runs $5 to $10 for 10 hours.
Are Cemetery Tours Available Over the Holidays?
Daytime tours run daily throughout the season, including December 31, when operations close early at 3 PM. The Nighttime Walking Tour operates on select nights, with available dates published on the booking calendar at cemeterytourneworleans.com. Check there for the specific dates you are looking at.
On New Year’s Eve specifically, that 3 PM close makes a morning or early-afternoon departure the move. A 10 AM slot finishes before 11:15 AM and leaves the entire evening untouched, which is exactly what you want on a day the city gets loud after dark.
Christmas through New Year’s is a premium demand window in New Orleans, and group size holds at 20 guests per departure through the busiest travel week of the year, which is why holiday slots are the ones that go first. A departure cannot add seats the way a restaurant adds a table.
Two practical notes. Parties larger than 20 must split across separate departure times, which is far easier to arrange in advance than at the desk. And infants under two are the only guests not counted toward the cap.
How Is the Night Tour Different From a Ghost Tour?
It is the same 55 minutes and the same licensed guides, told straight. Greek Revival tomb architecture, society tombs, and ironwork read differently after dark, and the tour stays reflective rather than theatrical. Night tickets start at $49. No invented legends, and no standing outside the gates.
That last part matters more than it sounds. Most New Orleans tours that mention this cemetery never enter it, because they cannot. Tour guides here are locally licensed and specially trained to lead tours on behalf of New Orleans Catholic Cemeteries. The team draws the distinction out fully in cemetery night tour vs. ghost tours.
Rahsaan, one of the guides, puts it this way: “It is a privilege to be able to tell the stories of the legendary people who made this city famous.”
If you want a sense of what makes winter visits worthwhile, the team has written about why winter is ideal for visiting, and about the human stories behind the tombs.
Can You Give a New Orleans Tour as a Holiday Gift?
Yes. Gift cards are available for both the daytime and nighttime experiences, and the recipient picks their own departure date later. That solves the usual problem with gifting an experience, which is not knowing when someone can actually go.
It works especially well for former residents, history readers, and the relative who has already been given every book about New Orleans. Existing bookings can be adjusted through Manage My Booking if plans change.
How Do You Reserve a Holiday Tour?
Book online at cemeterytourneworleans.com. Choose your date and departure time, then check in at the Cemetery Tour Desk inside Basin St. Station, 501 Basin Street, 15 minutes early. Tickets are also sold at the desk when seats remain, though holiday availability is never guaranteed.
Pick the date first and work the rest of the day around it. With 20 seats per departure and demand concentrated into one week, the slot you want in late December is the one you reserve now rather than the one still open when you land. Browse the photo gallery or the full FAQ before you go.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to do in New Orleans between Christmas and New Year’s?
Evenings are full: Celebration in the Oaks in City Park, Réveillon dinners, caroling in Jackson Square, and fireworks over the river on December 31. Daytime is quieter, which makes it the best window for historic sites and guided walking tours before the city shifts into its evening programming.
Are walking tours open during the holidays in New Orleans?
Yes. The Daytime Walking Tour of St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 runs daily from 9 AM to 4 PM with departures every 15 minutes, including on December 31, when operations close early at 3 PM. Night tour dates appear on the booking calendar. Booking online is the only way to guarantee a time slot.
How cold is New Orleans in December?
Mild. NOAA’s 1991 to 2020 climate normals put December average highs in the low to mid 60s Fahrenheit, roughly 16 to 18 Celsius, with lows near 50 Fahrenheit, about 10 Celsius. Bring a light jacket and comfortable closed-toe shoes, since the cemetery’s pathways include uneven surfaces.
How far in advance should I book for the holidays?
As early as you can. Each departure caps at 20 guests including children, and the stretch from Christmas through New Year’s is one of the year’s strongest demand windows. Same-day tickets are occasionally available at the Cemetery Tour Desk at Basin St. Station, but availability is never guaranteed.
Can I visit St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 on my own?
No. The Archdiocese of New Orleans closed the cemetery to unguided visitors in March 2015 following repeated vandalism. Entry is only possible through the official guided tour. Private family visitation is authorized separately with a Family Pass through the New Orleans Catholic Cemeteries Office.
Is the tour suitable for children and grandparents?
Yes. Children 3 to 12 start at $22 and children two and under enter free. Strollers, wheelchairs, and scooters are all permitted, and the interior pathway is straightforward to navigate. The tour is educational rather than frightening, which makes the daytime departure the better fit for mixed-age groups.
What happens if the weather turns?
Tours proceed rain or shine, and there is no protection from rain inside the cemetery. If severe weather creates unsafe conditions, departures may be cancelled, with either a full refund or the option to reschedule. The guide or company representative makes the final call on the day.
