The 13 Best Jazz Cruises & Concerts in New Orleans

1.New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise with Dinner Option

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 7,533 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $58Our pick

Board at 400 Toulouse Street for a three-hour evening aboard Steamboat NATCHEZ or Riverboat CITY of NEW ORLEANS. Enjoy a calliope concert, narration, Mississippi views, and live Dukes of Dixieland jazz. Add the buffet for gumbo, crawfish étouffée, fried chicken, and bread pudding.

“It was wonderful, beautiful night and the dinner was scrumptious. But having to leave a long review isn't the best.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 5,334 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $43Best value

Board the Steamboat Natchez at 400 Toulouse Street for a roughly two-hour Mississippi River cruise. You’ll hear live jazz from the Steamboat Stompers, enjoy onboard commentary, and pass Chalmette Battlefield. Add a Southern-style buffet lunch, or buy drinks and snacks during the cruise.

“Great music and great experience out on the water. We did not do the food option so not input there.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.New Orleans: Evening Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 4,548 reviews · 2 hours · from $58

Board at 6pm for a two-hour evening cruise from the French Quarter area, sailing 7pm to 9pm. Hear live New Orleans jazz, enjoy captain’s narration, walk four decks, and buy drinks onboard. Dinner is optional, with a Creole buffet served fresh on the boat.

“Great experience, very well organised. Tasty food and plenty of different options to try. Well worth the money”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.New Orleans: Daytime Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 4,164 reviews · 2 hours · from $43

Cruise the Mississippi for two hours aboard the Riverboat CITY of NEW ORLEANS, currently filling in for the Steamboat NATCHEZ. Hear the Steamboat Stompers, catch the captain’s narration, explore four decks, visit the engine room, and add a plated Creole lunch if you want a fuller outing.

“The whole experience was amazing, from start to finish!”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Jazz Dinner Cruise in New Orleans

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 1,469 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $107

Spend an evening on the Mississippi aboard the Creole Queen, with live jazz, a Creole buffet if selected, a cash bar, and city views from the promenade deck. Arrive by 6:30 p.m. for the 7 p.m. departure. The boat returns around 9 p.m., and dinner, drinks, and music shape the night.

“Entertainment was not great… They didn’t discuss nothing of the cruise just ride and no good entertainment”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.New Orleans: Evening Jazz Boat Cruise with Optional Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 1,024 reviews · 2 hours · from $60

Board the Paddlewheeler Creole Queen at Riverwalk for a two-hour evening cruise with live music from Sullivan Dabney Jr. and the Muzik Jazz Band. Choose the dinner option for Creole dishes, then dance, sip a cocktail, and watch Jackson Square and the city lights pass by.

“The atmosphere was awesome, great for a couple looking for a date idea. Staff during dinner could be more friendly and inviting. The food was good and drink prices were reasonable.”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Sunday Jazz Brunch Cruise in New Orleans

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 889 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $43

Board at Toulouse Street in the French Quarter for a two-hour Sunday cruise with live jazz, river narration, and optional buffet brunch. Expect gumbo, shrimp and grits, pain perdu, bananas Foster, and cinnamon rolls, plus outdoor decks, indoor seating, and a bar.

“Good Food & Great Music! Went with girlfriends for a 50th birthday trip. We all had a great time! Thank you!”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.VIP Jazz Dinner Cruise with Private Tour and Open Bar Option

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 838 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $190

Board near the French Quarter for a three-hour VIP evening on the Mississippi. You get early boarding, front-row seats for the Dukes of Dixieland, Champagne, a Louisiana buffet, a private boat tour, souvenirs, and an optional open bar. Hosts such as Marlon and Alex add personal attention.

“We had a wonderful time on board the paddle boat. Marlon took care of all our needs. It was nice to not have to rush to get decent seating for the music and dinner. Our tour with the captain was very interesting. We would recommend to friends.”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.New Orleans Jazz History and Music Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 477 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $60

Walk about 1.5 miles through Tremé and the French Quarter with a local guide such as Kristi or Adam. Learn how Congo Square, Louis Armstrong, and Creole culture shaped jazz, then visit one or two live music venues with a complimentary drink.

“Really informative and wonderful way to learn some history, see some sights and listen to some jazz! Highly recommended!”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.New Orleans: Sunday Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Brunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 470 reviews · 2 hours · from $43

Board the Riverboat CITY of NEW ORLEANS near the French Quarter for a two-hour Sunday cruise with live jazz by the Steamboat Stompers, captain’s narration, four decks, and Mississippi views. Add the Creole brunch for gumbo, shrimp and grits, cinnamon rolls, king cake, and more.

“A very nice intimate quiet brunch...employees and staff were friendly n very helpful...good memories with my daughter....I had experienced this with my mother for the lunch brunch...it was a great memory for me and now I am passing it on...”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.New Orleans City Tour and Steamboat Natchez Harbor Jazz Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 446 reviews · 6 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $88

Pair a three-hour New Orleans coach tour with a two-hour Mississippi River cruise from Toulouse Street. Expect the French Quarter, Jackson Square, a historic cemetery, City Park, the Garden District, live jazz, and optional Louisiana lunch. Guide assignments vary, with Harris, Robert, and Katherine among the praised guides.

“A must do! Such a great way to experience New Orleans unique features! Our guide, Robert, and driver Dwayne, were excellent. We love everything about The Natchez!”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.New Orleans: ‘Court of Two Sisters’ Jazz Brunch Buffet

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 409 reviews · 1 day · from $51

Reserve a guaranteed courtyard seat at Court of Two Sisters, show your GetYourGuide voucher, and enjoy an all-you-can-eat Louisiana brunch with a mimosa and live jazz. Morning dishes run from 9 to 11:30, followed by lunch favorites, desserts, and New Orleans classics.

“The food was so delicious and varied. The restaurant with its patio and jazz band were the best. Definitely recommended.”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.Court of Two Sisters Live Jazz Brunch Buffet with Mimosa

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 289 reviews · 1 to 2 hours (approx.) · from $47

Settle into New Orleans’ Court of Two Sisters for a two-hour Creole brunch buffet, one complimentary mimosa, wine, Champagne, or coffee, and live jazz. Choose the historic dining rooms or the large Royal Street courtyard, where your table location can make a big difference in how well you hear the trio.

“The whole experience was wonderful. The food was excellent and our server was the best. Sitting in the court yard with soft live jazz band just made you forget you were sitting in the middle of a major city.”

Check availability →Read our full review