New Orleans Ghost ToursNOLA GhostRiders Bus Tour: Cemetery and Ghost BYOB Night Ride
The NOLA GhostRiders bus tour costs $30 per person and runs 2 hours at night, taking you by bus to actual graveyards after dark with a driver-guide giving live commentary on board. It is a BYOB tour, so you bring your own drinks rather than buying them along the way. This page covers what the price covers, what the listing does not promise, the meeting point on Decatur Street and who should book a different format. If you would rather compare it against every other option first, start with ghost tours New Orleans.
About This Tour
NOLA GhostRiders runs this 2 hour night bus tour from a tavern on Decatur Street in the French Quarter. A driver-guide gives live commentary as the bus travels to actual graveyards after dark, and the talk covers above-ground burial practices. It is BYOB, so the drinks are whatever you carry on.
The listing gives no stop list, which means the exact cemeteries visited depend on the night. Groups can reach 56 people and departures run at 5pm, 8pm and an 11pm special. Cancel free up to 24 hours before departure, and the operator offers cancellation for bad weather.
$30 per person on Viator. BYOB, so drinks are not included and there is no bar stop in the price.
2 hours. Departures at 5pm, 8pm and an 11pm special. Arrive 30 minutes before your tour time for check-in.
VooDoo Tavern and Poboys, 1140 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70116. Pickup and drop-off are from designated meeting points and there is no hotel pickup.
Up to 56 guests. The commentary is in English and no other languages are stated. Infants sit on an adult's lap.
Bus transport, the driver-guide and live commentary on board. No building entry, no drinks and no museum admission are included. Gratuities are not included either.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund. Cancellation for bad weather is offered.
Check Dates and Availability
Departures run at 5pm, 8pm and an 11pm special. Check the widget for open dates and current prices before you commit.
You'll confirm the exact date and time on the secure booking page.
Quick answer The short answer
The NOLA GhostRiders bus tour costs $30 per person, lasts 2 hours and departs at 5pm, 8pm or 11pm from VooDoo Tavern and Poboys at 1140 Decatur St.
Key takeaways
- It is BYOB: bring your own drinks, drink responsibly, and budget a tip because gratuities are not included.
- Groups go up to 56, so if you want a small group instead, look at the small-group Royal Street ghost walk.
- The listing names no cemeteries, and St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is guide-only since 2015.
- Want a bus tour with a different price point? Compare the Dead of Night cemetery bus tour at $45.
What the Price Actually Covers
The $30 fare is for the seat, the driver-guide and the commentary. Everything else is on you, so here is the honest split straight from the listing.
Included in the $30
The inclusions list is short and clear. You get pickup and drop-off from designated meeting points, a driver and guide in one person, and live commentary on board while the bus visits graveyards after dark. The talk covers above-ground burial procedures, which is genuinely useful context in a city where the high water table made in-ground burial unreliable and oven tombs and family tombs became the norm by the 1820s.
What is not included is just as clear. Gratuities are excluded. No drinks are included because the tour is BYOB. No entry ticket to any building or cemetery interior is included, and the listing states none. Infants must sit on an adult's lap, and Viator lists children from age 6.
What You May Pay on the Day
Three things. First, arrive 30 minutes before tour time at VooDoo Tavern and Poboys on Decatur Street for check-in. Second, bring your own drinks in unbreakable containers, because glass bottles are prohibited on New Orleans streets and the drinking age in Louisiana is 21. The operator asks guests to drink responsibly and says disruptive guests will be asked to leave. Third, a tip for the driver-guide, since gratuities are excluded from the fare.
The listing states no mandatory extras. The table below sets out each line.
The Fare Line by Line
Every line here comes from the Viator listing for this tour, with nothing added from other operators.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bus seat and transport | Yes | Pickup and drop-off from designated meeting points |
| Driver and guide | Yes | One person driving and commentating |
| Live commentary on above-ground burials | Yes | Told as the bus visits graveyards after dark |
| BYOB drinks | No | Bring your own in unbreakable containers, 21 and over |
| Gratuities | No | Excluded, so budget for a tip |
| Entry to St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 | No | Not included, and that cemetery is guide-entry-only since 2015 anyway |
| Bad weather cancellation | Yes | Offered by the operator, plus free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure |
Sources: Jean Lafitte National Historical Park, National Park Service, French Quarter on Wikipedia
Above-ground tombs in a New Orleans cemetery. Photo: MusikAnimal, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Route, Stop by Stop
The listing gives no stop list, so this section describes the shape of the night honestly: where you meet, what the commentary covers and what happens at the graveyards.
Meeting Point on Decatur Street
Check-in happens at VooDoo Tavern and Poboys, 1140 Decatur St, in the French Quarter. The listing asks you to arrive 30 minutes before your departure time. Pickup and drop-off are from designated meeting points, and there is no hotel pickup at any price.
The Commentary on the Ride Out
Once aboard, the driver-guide gives live commentary on above-ground burials. This is the spine of the tour. New Orleans buries people in tombs rather than the ground because the water table is high between the Mississippi, Lake Borgne and Lake Pontchartrain, and a tomb cannot be reopened for at least a year and a day, with earlier remains moved to a receiving vault at the bottom of the tomb.
Expect the guide to explain the oven tombs and family tombs you will see, and to tell graveyard stories as legends rather than documented fact.
The Graveyards After Dark
The listing says the bus visits actual graveyards after dark but names none of them, and gives no stop list or time at each. That means two things for you. You cannot know in advance which cemetery you will see, and you should not book this expecting to walk inside St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, the oldest cemetery in the city, founded in 1789, which since 1 March 2015 admits only relatives, scholars and visitors with a guide registered with the Archdiocese.
Bring a camera as the listing suggests, and treat any ghost stories as stories.
The Finish
The bus returns you to the designated meeting points at the end of the 2 hours. The listing states no exact return time.
Who This Tour Rules Out
A 56-seat BYOB night bus is a specific format, and it fits some travellers much better than others.
If You Want Small Groups or a Quiet Guide
With up to 56 people aboard, you will not get an intimate storytelling session. If 56 sounds like a crowd, the Ghosts of New Orleans walking tour caps groups at 9 with 6 per booking, and the Dead of Night cemetery bus tour is the other bus option at $45.
If You Want to Enter a Cemetery
The listing promises graveyard visits after dark and names no cemetery. If standing among the tombs matters to you, book the St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 official walking tour, which includes cemetery access with a registered guide and a Cemetery Tour Access Pass at check-in for $25.
If You Are Travelling with Very Young Children
Viator lists children from age 6 and infants must sit on an adult's lap, and an 11pm graveyard ride is a stretch for most kids. Families do better with the family-friendly French Quarter ghost walk, a 1.5 hour stroll from St. Louis Cathedral. Adults who want darker material should look at the adults-only true crime and ghost tour, 17 and over, rated 5.0.
If You Want Walking or Wheelchair Details
The listing says the tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels, but it states no wheelchair accessibility. That is a gap, not a yes, so contact the operator before booking if you need step-free access. Dress code is smart casual, service animals are allowed, and the language of the commentary is English.
Could You Do It Without a Tour?
Partly, yes. Here is the honest DIY picture, what it costs and where a guide is the only way in.
What You Can Do Free
Most open city cemeteries are open without a guide on weekdays 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturdays 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., closed Sundays. A self-guided evening in the French Quarter costs nothing. The trade-off is that you get no commentary on above-ground burial customs, which is exactly the subject this bus tour teaches.
What You Cannot Do Alone
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 has been closed to unaccompanied visitors since 1 March 2015 after vandalism that included pink paint on the reputed tomb of Marie Laveau. Entry is limited to relatives, scholars and visitors with a guide registered with the Archdiocese, so no amount of DIY gets you through that gate. The official way in is the St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 walking tour at $25.
Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 in the Garden District reopened for guided tours only on 1 October 2026 after a seven-year closure, so read the Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 guide before planning a visit.
When Walking Alone Is Enough
If you mainly want atmosphere, skip the bus and do the haunted places you can see free on foot: the LaLaurie Mansion at 1140 Royal Street is a private residence visible from the street, and the stories are told on the Marie Laveau tomb and New Orleans cemetery tours pages. The bus earns its $30 when you want a guide, a ride and a drink in hand, or when dark streets alone do not appeal.
Your Evening, Step by Step
The departures come from the listing. Everything else is the stated shape of the night.
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Arrive 30 minutes early
Check in at VooDoo Tavern and Poboys
Get to 1140 Decatur St half an hour before your departure for check-in. Departures are at 5pm, 8pm and the 11pm special.
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Boarding
Take your seat with your drinks
Bring your own drinks in unbreakable containers. The operator asks everyone to drink responsibly and says disruptive guests will be asked to leave.
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Departure
The bus pulls out
A driver-guide takes the wheel and starts the live commentary as the bus leaves the designated meeting point. There is no hotel pickup.
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First part of the ride
Above-ground burial talk
The guide explains why New Orleans buries above ground, the high water table, oven tombs and family tombs, and why a tomb waits a year and a day before reopening.
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Middle of the night
The graveyards after dark
The bus visits actual graveyards. The listing names no stops, so treat the specific cemetery as a surprise.
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Last stretch
Ghost stories and the ride back
The commentary turns to the storied past as the bus heads back. Bring a camera if that is your thing, as the listing invites.
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After the tour
Drop-off on Decatur Street
You are returned to the designated meeting points after the 2 hour tour.
What Works and What Does Not
An honest reading of the listing, the price and the format.
What we genuinely like
- Listed at $30 for 2 hours, against $45 for the 2 hour Dead of Night bus tour
- BYOB means you control the drinks budget instead of paying bar prices
- Three departure times, 5pm, 8pm and an 11pm special, fit early dinners and late nights alike
- A 4.5 rating across 2,849 verified Viator and Tripadvisor reviews is a large base
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure, plus bad-weather cancellation offered
The honest downsides
- Up to 56 people aboard, so expect a big group
- No stop list means you cannot know which graveyards you will see until you are on the bus
- No cemetery entry ticket is listed, and St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is not part of it
- The 11pm special is a late finish to plan around
- Wheelchair accessibility is not stated, so ask the operator before booking if you need it
Who it's NOT for: Travellers who want a small group, guaranteed cemetery entry or a family-paced evening should book a walking tour or the official St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 visit instead.
The Night Bus Tours Side by Side
The night bus listings on this site take a bus to the cemeteries after dark. The tours differ on price, drinks and how many people ride.
GhostRiders Against the Dead of Night Bus
The table compares the night bus tours with every figure taken from the operators' own listings on Viator and GetYourGuide.
| Tour | Price | Length | Departures | Drinks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GhostRiders BYOB bus | $30 | 2 hours | 5pm, 8pm and 11pm | Bring your own |
| Dead of Night bus | $45 | 2 hours | 7:00 PM and 9:30 PM | Not included |
Which Bus Fits
The GhostRiders bus costs $30, seats up to 56 and lets you bring your own drinks, with check-in 30 minutes before departure at VooDoo Tavern on Decatur Street. The Dead of Night bus from Haunted History Tours costs $45, is air-conditioned and leaves North Rampart Street at 7:00 PM or 9:30 PM, with arrival 20 minutes early. Neither listing names the cemeteries it visits.
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is entered only with a registered guide, and the official walk at $25 is the listing on this site that takes you inside.
Questions About This Tour
How much does the NOLA GhostRiders bus tour cost?
$30 per person on Viator, with children listed from age 6 and infants sitting on an adult's lap. Gratuities and drinks are extra. See how that sits against the others on ghost tours New Orleans.
What time does the NOLA GhostRiders bus tour start?
Departures run at 5pm, 8pm and an 11pm special, and you must arrive 30 minutes before tour time for check-in at VooDoo Tavern and Poboys on Decatur Street. Verify the option you want when you check availability.
Does this tour go inside St. Louis Cemetery No. 1?
No. The listing promises graveyard visits after dark with no stop list and no entry ticket included, and St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 has admitted only Archdiocese-registered guides since 2015. The way inside is the official St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 walking tour at $25.
Can I bring my own drinks on the bus?
Yes, the tour is BYOB, so the drinks are whatever you carry on in an unbreakable container, since glass is banned on New Orleans streets and the drinking age is 21. The operator asks you to drink responsibly and will remove disruptive guests. Read more in what the price covers.
How big are the groups?
Up to 56 guests. If that sounds like too many, the Ghosts of New Orleans tour caps groups at 9 people.
What happens if it rains?
The operator offers cancellation for bad weather, and separately you can cancel free up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund. The same 24-hour rule applies to most listings on the site, including the Dead of Night cemetery bus tour.
Is this tour suitable for children?
Viator prices children 6 to 11 and adults 12 to 99, and infants must sit on an adult's lap, but a graveyard ride at 8pm or 11pm is a late ask for young kids. Families usually prefer the family-friendly French Quarter ghost walk, which starts and ends at St. Louis Cathedral.
Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
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