Quick answer: New Orleans has one pass worth discussing: Go City New Orleans, sold as an Essentials (3 picks from 7, from ~$79) and an All-Inclusive (1–5 days from ~$84 for one day, 27 attractions). The All-Inclusive is one of Go City’s better-value products because the city’s big-ticket items are on it: The National WWII Museum (~$35), a swamp tour (~$45–70), the Creole Queen paddlewheeler (~$40–50), a cooking demo with meal (~$40), the city bus tour and the ghost, vampire and cemetery walks (~$30 each). A 2-day All-Inclusive breaks even at roughly four of those; a 1-day pass pays if you do the WWII Museum plus a cruise plus a night tour. The French Quarter itself, Frenchmen Street, the streetcar and the parks cost next to nothing, so a pass is only for visitors who want the organised experiences.
New Orleans Passes at a Glance
| Pass | Price (2026) | Validity | What it covers | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Go City New Orleans Essentials | from ~$79 (3 picks from 7) | 30 days | Creole Queen paddlewheeler cruise, Ultimate Swamp Adventures, St. Louis Cathedral self-guided tour, Adventures in New Orleans bus tour, Ghost & Vampire combo tour, Longue Vue House | A weekend with three obvious picks — but no WWII Museum |
| Go City New Orleans All-Inclusive | from ~$84 (1 day); 2, 3, 4, 5-day options | Consecutive days | 27 items: all of the above plus The National WWII Museum, New Orleans School of Cooking demo with meal, a Southern meal at MRB, Cajun Pride swamp tour by boat, cemetery and Garden District walks, bike hire, Mardi Gras museums | 2–3 day trips stacking a museum, a boat and a walk per day |
| Individual tickets | WWII Museum ~$35; swamp tour ~$45–70 (with transport); Creole Queen ~$40–50; cooking demo ~$40; ghost/cemetery walks ~$25–35; city bus tour ~$45; streetcar $1.25 a ride / $3 day pass | — | Book swamp tours and cemetery tours ahead (St. Louis No. 1 requires a licensed guide) | Slow trips built around food and music |
Prices checked September 2026; Go City discounts 4- and 5-day passes often. Two details matter here: swamp-tour inclusions differ in whether transport from the French Quarter is included (the pickup is what makes a $30 boat ride a $70 tour), and the All-Inclusive counts days, so a swamp morning plus a WWII afternoon plus a ghost walk is the pace that makes it pay. The Steamboat Natchez, Mardi Gras World and the Audubon Aquarium were not on the list at the time of checking — verify in the app.
Top-Rated New Orleans Tours & Skip-the-Line Tickets
What the Main Attractions Cost — and Whether the Pass Covers Them
| Attraction | Adult ticket (2026, approx.) | In the pass? | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| The National WWII Museum | ~$35 | All-Inclusive only | Half a day minimum; the best museum in the South |
| Swamp tour by boat (with French Quarter pickup) | ~$45–70 | Both (selected operators) | Confirm transport is included in the pass version |
| Creole Queen paddlewheeler (history cruise) | ~$40–50 | Both | Jazz dinner cruise is a separate ticket |
| New Orleans School of Cooking demo with meal | ~$40 | All-Inclusive | A lunch that doubles as a class |
| Ghost & Vampire combo walking tour | ~$30 | Both | Night; 2 hours |
| St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 (guided only) | ~$25–30 | Selected tours on the pass | Licensed guide required by the archdiocese |
| Garden District walking tour | ~$25–30 | All-Inclusive | Take the St. Charles streetcar there |
| City bus tour (3 hours) | ~$45 | Both | Covers the Ninth Ward and City Park |
| Longue Vue House & Gardens | ~$20 | Both | Quiet; 90 minutes |
| Mardi Gras World | ~$25 | Check the list | Float warehouse; kids like it |
| Audubon Aquarium / Insectarium | ~$35 combined | Check the list | Riverfront |
| French Quarter, Jackson Square, Frenchmen Street, streetcar, City Park | Free / $1.25 | — | The heart of the trip costs nothing |
New Orleans has one $35 museum and a shelf of $30–70 tours; nothing costs $50 on its own except a swamp tour with pickup. The All-Inclusive pays because it stacks those tours, not because any single inclusion is expensive — so it rewards visitors who like a programme and punishes those who want to wander.
The Break-Even Maths
| Itinerary | Individual tickets | Pass | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-Inclusive 1-day: WWII Museum + Creole Queen + ghost walk | ~$105 | 1-day ~$84 | Pass wins by ~$20 |
| All-Inclusive 2-day: above + swamp tour with pickup + cooking demo + Garden District walk | ~$215 | 2-day ~$130 | Pass wins by ~$85 |
| Essentials 3: swamp tour + Creole Queen + ghost & vampire walk | ~$135 | Essentials ~$79 | Pass wins by ~$55 — the best cheap option |
| 3-day pass at a relaxed pace: 4 items | ~$150 | 3-day ~$170 | Individual tickets win |
| Food-and-music trip: one cemetery tour + streetcar | ~$33 | Any pass | No pass |
The Essentials is a surprisingly strong buy for exactly three tours; the All-Inclusive pays from about three items a day; and anyone whose New Orleans is beignets, jazz and walking should skip both. The WWII Museum alone is not a reason to buy a pass — it is $35 at the door.
| Tour | From | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Premier Ghost, Voodoo and Vampire Walking Tour | $38 | ★ 4.5 (13,765 reviews) |
| New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise with Dinner Option | $58 | ★ 4.1 (8,175 reviews) |
| New Orleans Swamp and Bayou Boat Tour with Transportation | $76 | ★ 4.9 (7,131 reviews) |
| New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise | $37 | ★ 4.3 (6,026 reviews) |
| New Orleans City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour | $51 | ★ 4.3 (5,221 reviews) |
| New Orleans Airboat Ride | $50 | ★ 4.7 (5,218 reviews) |
Who Should Buy It
Buy the Essentials if you want a swamp tour, a river cruise and a night walk over a weekend. Buy the 2-day All-Inclusive if you also want the WWII Museum, the cooking demo and a Garden District or cemetery walk and will keep a three-a-day pace. Families with older children do well on the All-Inclusive, since the swamp tour, the cruise and the museum all suit them.
Who Should Skip It
Skip both if your trip is food, music and neighbourhoods with one cemetery tour — that is $30 in tickets. Skip the All-Inclusive if you are visiting for a festival or Mardi Gras, when you will not have time for three tours a day, and skip the Essentials if the WWII Museum is your priority — it is not on that tier.
How to Get the Most Out of It
Start with the WWII Museum at opening on day one (it takes four hours if you let it), take the Creole Queen at 2 pm, and do the ghost walk after dinner. Put the swamp tour on the morning of day two and book its pickup slot the moment you activate. Use the St. Charles streetcar to reach the Garden District walk rather than the pass’s bus tour.
Guided Alternatives
A small-group swamp tour, a licensed St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 walk and a Creole food tour are the three most-booked New Orleans experiences on Viator; see private vs small-group tours in New Orleans for the format choice. For passes and tickets in general, see best sites for attraction tickets and timed-entry tickets explained. Everything else New Orleans: our New Orleans tours hub, what tours cost in New Orleans, 48 hours in New Orleans.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a New Orleans city pass?
Yes — Go City New Orleans, sold as Essentials (3 picks from 7, from ~$79) and All-Inclusive (1–5 days from ~$84). There is no municipal pass.
Does the New Orleans pass include the WWII Museum?
The All-Inclusive does; the Essentials does not. The museum costs about $35 at the door.
Is the Go City New Orleans pass worth it?
Yes for tour-heavy trips: the Essentials pays for three tours, and the All-Inclusive pays at about three items a day. For a food-and-music trip with one cemetery walk, skip it.
Are swamp tours included in the New Orleans pass?
Yes, from selected operators on both tiers; check whether the pass version includes transport from the French Quarter, which is most of the cost.
Can I visit St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 without a tour?
No — the archdiocese requires a licensed guide. Tours cost about $25–30 and several are on the Go City list.
Kratos Review is reader-supported. We may earn a commission when you book through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Prices and policies were checked on 28 September 2026 and can change.
Related: New Orleans Weekend Itinerary: 48 Hours in New Orleans (2026)
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