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For a long weekend in the French Quarter

New Orleans Essentials Pass 2026

Three sights of your choice, from a paddlewheeler on the Mississippi to an evening walk through the French Quarter.

Adults $79 · Children (3–12) $59

Up to $56 less than separate tickets

Buy Essentials Pass What's included?
St. Louis Cathedral on Jackson Square in New Orleans

The New Orleans Essentials Pass at a glance

The New Orleans Essentials Pass has no groups. You choose three entries freely: the Creole Queen paddlewheeler cruise on the Mississippi, a swamp tour with Ultimate Swamp Adventures, the Adventures in New Orleans city tour, the St. Louis Cathedral tour on Jackson Square, the Longue Vue house and gardens, or one of the two evening walking tours by French Quarter Phantoms, one about ghosts and vampires, the other about history and voodoo.

There is no Explorer Pass in New Orleans. Besides the Essentials Pass, Go City only sells the All-Inclusive Pass, which also contains every sight in the Essentials Pass. Only that pass includes the National WWII Museum, the Cabildo and Presbytère on Jackson Square, the jazz museum at the Old U.S. Mint and the New Orleans School of Cooking.

The pass is valid for 30 days from the first scan. You can return it to Go City free of charge for up to 90 days after purchase, as long as you have not used it.

The attractions you can choose from

For the Creole Queen, the swamp tour, the bus tour and the two French Quarter Phantoms walking tours you reserve a time in the Go City App. Only the cathedral and Longue Vue work without a reservation.

Choose 3 of 7

  • Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Cruise
    Paddlewheeler Creole Queen CruiseWithout pass: $47Reservation required
  • Ultimate Swamp Adventures
    Ultimate Swamp AdventuresWithout pass: $35Reservation required
  • St. Louis Cathedral Self Guided Tour
    St. Louis Cathedral Self Guided TourWithout pass: $17
  • Longue Vue House Tour and Gardens
    Longue Vue House Tour and GardensWithout pass: $27
  • French Quarter History / Voodoo Tour by French Quarter Phantoms
    French Quarter History / Voodoo Tour by French Quarter PhantomsWithout pass: $25Reservation required
  • Adventures in New Orleans Bus TourWithout pass: $53Reservation required
  • Ghost & Vampire Combo Tour by French Quarter PhantomsWithout pass: $25Reservation required

Adult prices without a pass, as listed by Go City. Checked: 09.10.2026.

Work out your own selection

Tick what you want to visit. The calculator shows what the same entries would cost if bought separately.

Choose 3 attractions

Separate tickets
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Essentials Pass
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Difference
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Based on the adult prices Go City lists for each attraction.

How to use the New Orleans Essentials Pass

  1. Buy online

    You book with Go City and receive a confirmation by email.

  2. Set up the app

    Download the Go City App, enter your confirmation code, and the pass is on your phone. Setting it up does not activate it yet.

  3. Reserve time slots

    You need a set time for Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Cruise, Ultimate Swamp Adventures, Adventures in New Orleans Bus Tour and a few other places, among others. The list above shows which ones. Reservations are made in the app at no extra cost.

  4. Scan at the entrance

    Your first scan starts the 30 days of validity.

Go City multi-attraction passes for New Orleans

Go City sells several passes in this city. The Essentials Pass is the smallest of them.

Essentials Pass

from $79

  • 3 attractions of your choice
  • Valid for 30 days from your first visit
  • For a short trip with a clear wish list
Buy Essentials Pass

All-Inclusive Pass

from $84

  • 1–5 consecutive days, as many attractions as you like
  • For full sightseeing days with lots of stops
See All-Inclusive Pass

What the New Orleans Essentials Pass does not cover

  • Public transport: you pay for RTA streetcars and buses separately, including the St. Charles Avenue streetcar.
  • The National WWII Museum is only in the All-Inclusive Pass, as are the Cabildo, the Presbytère, the jazz museum at the Old U.S. Mint and the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum.
  • The Cities of the Dead cemetery tour, the Cajun Pride swamp tour and the Garden District walking tour also belong only to the All-Inclusive Pass.
  • The cooking class with a meal at the New Orleans School of Cooking is not in the Essentials Pass either.

When the pass is not worth it

The one-day All-Inclusive Pass costs only a little more than the Essentials Pass and includes the same sights plus the WWII Museum. If you can fit your plans into one day or want to visit the WWII Museum, take that one. You also save nothing with the Essentials Pass if you only pick the cheaper sights: the cathedral and the two French Quarter Phantoms tours cost less together when bought separately than the pass.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the New Orleans Essentials Pass valid?

It runs for 30 days from your first visit. Buying it and setting it up in the app does not start the clock.

Can I cancel the pass for free?

Yes, with Go City within 90 days of purchase, as long as you have not used the pass. After the first scan there is no refund.

Which sights need a time slot?

The Creole Queen, the swamp tour, the bus tour and both French Quarter Phantoms walking tours. You reserve in the Go City App at no extra cost. You can visit the cathedral and Longue Vue without a booking.

Is the National WWII Museum in the pass?

No, the museum is only in the All-Inclusive Pass. If it is on your list, the one-day All-Inclusive Pass is the obvious choice.

Is the pass worth it?

You save the most with the bus tour, the Creole Queen and the swamp tour. With the cathedral and the evening walking tours you pay more with the pass than separately. The calculator above shows your selection.

What do children pay?

Children aged 3 to 12 get their own, cheaper pass; from 13 the adult price applies. On the Creole Queen and the bus tour children pay much less for single tickets, while on the swamp tour, at the cathedral, at Longue Vue and on the walking tours they pay the same as adults. Those sights get more out of the child pass.

Can I take both French Quarter Phantoms tours?

Yes, the ghost and vampire tour and the history and voodoo tour count as two different sights. You will not save much that way, though, as both are among the cheaper entries.

Are streetcars and buses included?

No, public transport is not included in any of the passes Go City sells for New Orleans. You pay for RTA streetcars separately.

River, swamp or city tour

Take at least one of the sights that cost the most on their own, meaning the Creole Queen, the swamp tour or the bus tour, and reserve the slot right after buying. You can then save the last entry for an evening in the French Quarter or an afternoon at Longue Vue.

Adults $79

Buy Essentials Pass

Essentials Pass in other cities