Jazz Fest 2026 runs April 24 through May 4. Here's how to fill the mornings, evenings, and mid-week days when you're not at the Fairgrounds.
You've Got More Free Time Than You Think
Jazz Fest runs two weekends with a full week in between. Nobody spends every day at the Fairgrounds. Even on fest days, gates don't open until 11am and music wraps up around 7pm.
That leaves your mornings wide open. Your evenings too. And if you're in town for the whole stretch, you've got Monday through Thursday with nothing on the calendar.
Most people figure this out after they arrive and end up wandering around the Quarter looking for something to do. The ones who plan ahead have a better trip.
Morning: Swamp Tour Before the Music Starts
The first swamp tour of the day departs at 9:45am, with hotel pickup at 8:30am. The launch sites are about 30 minutes south of the city in Jean Lafitte and Westwego. You'll be back around 12:30pm, which means you miss the first hour or so after gates open but arrive in time for the afternoon headliners.
Worth the trade. Starting your day on an airboat in the bayou is a completely different experience from anything you'll get at the Fairgrounds. Alligators, cypress trees, a Cajun captain who grew up on the water. Then you show up to Jazz Fest with a story that has nothing to do with music.
There are also 12pm, 2pm, and 4pm departures if you want to skip a fest day entirely and spend the afternoon on the water.
TrendingNew Orleans Super-Sized Airboat Swamp Tour
Super-Sized Value, Super-Sized ThrillsAbout 1 hour 45 minutes
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TrendingSignature 16-Seat New Orleans Airboat Swamp Tour
The classic New Orleans airboat experience.About 1 hour 45 minutes
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TrendingNew Orleans Covered Pontoon Boat Swamp Tour
The Swamp Tour Everyone Can EnjoyAbout 90 minutes
See AvailabilityEvening: Ghost Tour After the Last Set
Jazz Fest ends around 7pm. Most ghost tours start at 8pm. That timing works out perfectly.
You walk out of the Fairgrounds, grab dinner somewhere in Mid-City or the Quarter, and then spend two hours hearing real history about murders, hauntings, and vampire legends in the French Quarter. It's the best thing to do after a long day of music and festival food, especially if you're not trying to go to bed at 8pm.
The Haunted Pub Crawl has an 8:15pm option if you want drinks at every stop. Wicked History starts at 7pm if you can get out of the fest a little early. The Paranormal Ghost Hunt runs at 8pm for the more adventurous crowd.
TrendingFrench Quarter Ghost & Vampire Walking Tour
Our Most Popular Ghost Tour!1 hour 45 minutes
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TrendingADULTS ONLY Ghost & Vampire French Quarter Walking Tour
18+ Uncensored Supernatural HistoryAbout 1 hour 45 minutes
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Apparitions & Libations Haunted Pub Crawl
The French Quarter's Most Haunted Bars, After DarkAbout 1 hour 45 minutes
See AvailabilityThe Mid-Week Days Are the Real Opportunity
Monday through Thursday between the two Jazz Fest weekends is when New Orleans is still buzzing with festival energy but the Fairgrounds are closed. This is when you do the stuff that doesn't fit on a fest day.
Do a swamp tour in the morning and a ghost tour that night.
That's a full day. You're on the bayou by 10am, back in the Quarter by lunchtime, explore the city all afternoon, and walk through the haunted French Quarter after dark.
Visit Oak Alley Plantation.
The 10am departure gets you out to the River Road and back in time for a late afternoon in the city. It's about an hour west of New Orleans and it's one of those things you should do at least once.
Just walk the city.
The Garden District walking tour leaves at 10am. Magazine Street is an easy afternoon. The Bywater and Marigny neighborhoods are walkable from the Quarter. You don't need a tour for everything, but you also don't want to spend a Tuesday sitting in your hotel room.
Book Before You Get Here
Jazz Fest brings tens of thousands of people to New Orleans. The smaller airboats (6-seat and 10-seat) sell out first. The more popular ghost tour times go next. If you already know your dates, lock in your spots now. You can always call or text us to change things later.
We put together a full Jazz Fest 2026 guide with day and night tour options, a week planner, and FAQs. Check it out if you want the full picture.
About the Author
Leonard Crist is co-owner and founder of Gators and Ghosts, a New Orleans concierge tour agency specializing in swamp, ghost, and city tours. He works part time a couple nights a week as a tour guide in the French Quarter (you can find him occasionally leading the Ghost and Vampire French Quarter Walking Tour). In the day, he's often giving advice and booking reservations at Gators and Ghosts' one-stop tour shop located at 728 St. Louis Street in the French Quarter. He has a degree in journalism, plays guitar (badly), and loves hanging out with his kids.
Leonard Crist
Co-Owner & Operations
Leonard Crist is the co-owner of Gators & Ghosts in the French Quarter. Born in Louisiana and raised up north, he has a degree in journalism and a law school dropout story that ended with him moving to New Orleans in 2013 to help his aunt Charlotte grow the business. He also works as a ghost tour guide and is still trying to get on Jeopardy.
