Orion Couling

New Orleans

Tour Guide

Orion Couling: Tour Guide, Storyteller, Magic-Maker

Orion Couling is a passionate tour guide with a degree in theatre and a focus in history and social change. Storytelling has always been at the heart of his life’s work. From working at historical landmarks like Fort Mackinac to crewing traditional tall ships, he has spent his career immersed in the rich tapestry of global heritage.

Drawing on his Irish roots and a deep belief in the goodness of humanity, Orion weaves thrilling, thoughtful, and unforgettable narratives. His tours don’t feel like lessons—they feel like adventures where you learn without even realizing it.

In New Orleans, Orion leads tours for New Orleans Ghost Adventures, Tour Orleans, Buzz Nola Bike Tours, and Hex. Come ready to be enchanted.

Orion's tour schedule is available the Thursday before each week.

Want to book a public tour with Orion? Reach out via email: orion.couling@gmail.com

Follow Orion on Instagram: @nawlins_crawlins

For insight into all things New Orleans, check out Orion's blog here!

Click here to listen to Orion Couling's ghost story podcast - Shadow Carriers!

Public Tours

For the majority of New Orleans visitors, these are the tours you're looking for! Public tours are a cost-effective way to experience Orion as your tour guide. Get that world-class storytelling experience at a startlingly low price by booking directly with Orion for the New Orleans Ghost Adventure and Tour Orleans tours.

To book one of these public tours at a discounted rate, contact Orion at orion.couling@gmail.com.

Classic Ghost Walk:

Ghost Adventures

Haunted Tour

By far, Orion’s most popular tour! Join the experience guests from all over the world have raved about in reviews. A blend of poetry, history, and folk stories, told only the way a person of Irish descent can weave a tale. From ghosts to vampires, this tour drips with complex history and mesmerizing performance. This tour is offered at 5PM and 8PM nearly 4 nights a week. Check Orion’s instagram on Thursdays to get next week's public schedule.

You can book through the company website - or email Orion (orion.couling@gmail.com) to book it for you with his exclusive discount.

Cost: $32 per person ($27 if booked through Orion)

Rating: PG-13

To learn more, click here.

Voodoo Queen:

Ghost Adventures

Voodoo Tour

Misunderstood by most, this deeply rich religion has been demonized by Hollywood and othered by bigotry. Step into the history and culture around the legendary Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau as we unpack the affects of this persecuted faith and explore magnificent rise of a religion actively practiced in our city.

You can book through the company website - or email Orion (orion.couling@gmail.com) to book it for you with his exclusive discount.

Cost: $32 per person ($27 if booked through Orion)

Rating: PG

To learn more, click here.

Vampires, Vicious Killers, and Dark Magic:

Ghost Adventures

Combo Tour

This tour ambitiously ties stories of Pirate Lore, Vampires, Witches, Ghost, Murder and unpacks the mystery around Voodoo in one tour. If you’ve been on Orion’s classic tour, this tour will bring you a few tales that will be new to you. This is a packed 1.5-hour tour that must start on time and encouraged for the guest who enjoys a brisk walk. (Contrary to the website's description, Orion does not tell any scary stories about the active religion of Voodoo.)

You can book through the company website - or email Orion (orion.couling@gmail.com) to book it for you with his exclusive discount.

Cost: $32 per person ($27 if booked through Orion)

Rating: PG

To learn more, click here.

America's Prettiest Neighborhood:

Tour Orleans'

Garden District Tour

The New Orleans Garden District boasts the world’s largest collection of 19th-century American Southern-style mansions. On this special walking tour, you'll view the unique architecture of New Orleans' most famous residences, visit the gates of an ancient cemetery, and see homes of famed celebrities. Join us on New Orleans’ best Garden District Tour.

You can book through the company website - or email Orion (orion.couling@gmail.com) to book it for you with his exclusive discount.

Cost: $32 per person ($27 if booked through Orion)

Rating: PG

To learn more, click here!

Private Tours

Looking for something unique? Want to walk off the beaten path? These creative tours are just the thing for a small group or a discerning larger group! Only bookable by contacting Orion via social or email at orion.couling@gmail.com.

Stationary Spirits:

An immersive ghost story experience

Join veteran and fifth-generation ghost storyteller, Orion Couling, as he brings you a Salon des Fantômes! Reclaiming the old use of a salon being “a gathering of people under the roof of an inspiring host, held partly to amuse one another and partly to refine the taste and increase their knowledge of the participants through conversation". Sit back and enjoy a professional multimedia presentation of New Orleans's finest ghost, vampire, and horror lore - without leaving the comfort of your hotel or chair. Think of it as a haunt-TED talk!

To book, contact Orion at orion.couling@gmail.com

Cost: $200 minimum, $50 per person

Rating: PG-PG13

Min/ Max: 2 to 20 (can expand for conferences)

French Quarter Footsteps:

A Historic French Quarter Walking Tour

This two-hour saunter will paint a vivid picture of the long and rich multi-cultural landscape of New Orleans. Find out the reasons for Beignets to Bywater as we explore by foot this two-hour walking tour in the heart of the French Quarter and along the Mississippi. Dress for the weather and bring your most comfortable shoes as we explore the Vieux Carre!

To book, contact Orion at orion.couling@gmail.com

Cost: $150 minimum, $50 per person | Peak Pricing is after 5 pm. Tours after 5 pm have a 4-person $200 minimum.

Rating: G-PG

Min/ Max: 2 to 20

Supernatural Saunter:

A Haunted French Quarter Walking Tour

New Orleans is considered the most haunted city in North America. On this walking tour, you'll uncover not only the tales but why they are told. Bringing history and cultural perspective, Orion will guide you into the shadow, and out again.

To book, contact Orion at orion.couling@gmail.com

Cost: $200 minimum, $50 per person

Rating: PG-PG13

Min/ Max: 4 to 20

Cocktails and Crypt Tales:

A Drinks & Haunts French Quarter Walking Tour

The New Orleans cocktail scene is equally as legendary as its ghost stories. In this tour, curated by Orion upon your alcoholic or mocktail preferences, you’ll hear chilling stories while drinking a chilled New Orleans classic cocktail. Meant for the guest who wants to enjoy the drink on the way to a pleasant buzz rather than getting drunk. 21 and up only.

To book, contact Orion at orion.couling@gmail.com

Cost: $210 minimum, $70 per person | Peak Pricing is after 5 pm. Tours after 5 pm have a 4-person $280 minimum.

Rating: PG13

Min/ Max: 2 to 20

Live Oaks and Living History:

An electric bike tour

Once you ride beneath the arches of our avenues of Oaks, you’ll never forget it. Join Orion on one of the most unique tours he offers. You’ll rent electric bikes from Buzz Nola (helmets and sobriety required) and then be guided to half a dozen (or more) culturally significant trees and hear their tales. From branches where sword fights were fought beneath to songs they literally sing, these trees weave a powerful legend.

To book, contact Orion at orion.couling@gmail.com

Cost: $150 minimum, $50 per person

Rating: G-PG

Min/ Max: 2 to 8

Notes: E-bike rental fees not included. Can be done by traditional bike too

Cemetery/Voodoo Tour

Two tours in one!

Join Orion for two separate tours in two hours! (Must have access to your own vehicle.)

First Stop:

The history and culture of Voodoo and Congo Square in Louis Armstong Park.

Misunderstood by most, this deeply rich religion has been demonized by Hollywood and othered by bigotry. Step into the history and culture around the legendary Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau as we unpack the effects of this persecuted faith and explore the magnificent rise of a religion actively practiced in our city.

Second Stop:

St Louis #3 Cemetery Tour.

Let Orion guide you through the noted Cemetery St Louis Number 3. Explore these hallowed grounds learning details of our burial customs, symbols, and noted graves.

Please remember to bring a sun umbrella and alcohol is not allowed on this tour.

Total time: 2 hours and 15 Minutes

To book, contact Orion at orion.couling@gmail.com

Cost: $200 minimum, $50 per person

Rating: PG

Min/ Max: 2 to 20

Car required. Orion DOES NOT provide transportation.

Sensitive Spirits

A PG Paranormal Walk for Curious & Cautious Souls

This one-and-a-quarter-hour walking tour is designed for the gentle spirit—those curious about the paranormal, with minimal gore or fright. You'll touch and explore ghost-hunting tools, learn how to identify spirits, and hear stories that chill without traumatizing.

While not exclusively a kids’ tour, it’s perfect for the young and the young at heart.

Tour Details:

Cost: $150 minimum | $50 per person
Peak Pricing (after 5 PM): $200 minimum for 4 guests
Rating: G–PG
Group Size: 2–20 guests

Queer History Tour:

Bon Temps Les Triaudes

We live in exciting times! The Queer history of New Orleans is finally coming to light! Take a walk with us and celebrate its glory! It’s a hour and half stroll through the French Quarter uncovering forgotten stories, cultural icons, and perseverance of the Queer community.

To book, contact Orion at orion.couling@gmail.com

Cost: $150 minimum, $50 per person

Special Pride and Decadence week pricing $120 minimum, $40 per person

Rating: PG-PG13

Min/ Max: 2 to 20

Up in Smoke:

A Cigar Tour

Enjoy a curated experience trying several cigars paired with specific drinks as you uncover the challenging and complex history of tobacco and the water of life in the Crescent City. We’ll stop by the Cigar Factory to watch the old-school style of handmade cigars and enjoy an experience that is meant to elevate rather than inebriate. Whether it’s your first stick or you are a connoisseur, you’ll find something romantic, tragic and ultimately satisfying in the smoke of our stories.

Cost: $210 minimum, $70 per person | Peak Pricing is after 5 pm. Tours after 5 pm have a 4-person $280 minimum.

Rating: PG13

Min/ Max: 2 to 20

There Will Be Blood: Vampires in New Orleans

Sharpened teeth, opening coffins, and an insatiable thirst… Join Orion as he dives into the dark vampire lore of New Orleans. Expect thrilling tales of lust, danger, and blood as you visit exterior filming locations from The Originals, Vampire Diaries, Renfield, and Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe.

Stop by the Apothecary to see a coffin from True Blood, then wrap up your journey at the Vampire Café next to the Vampire Boutique. Orion is happy to play photographer and may even lead the tour in full vampire attire—schedule permitting.

Booking Info:

Contact: orion.couling@gmail.com
Cost: $200 minimum | $50 per person
Rating: PG-13 to R

Group Size: 4–20 guests

Ghosts of Greater

New Orleans

A Luxury VIP & Accessibility-Focused Driving Tour

Black car service and pitch-black ghost stories—what more could you want? This tour begins with the classic hauntings of the French Quarter and then expands outward like the yawning of a coffin. Explore the ghost lore of New Orleans without the strain of walking the entire time.

Join Orion in climate-controlled luxury as your tour winds through the French Quarter, Bayou St. John, City Park, and the Garden District. You’ll hear eerie stories that other guides can’t take you to—but Orion and NOLA VIP can.

Important Considerations:

This is not a bar crawl or party bus. A luxury vehicle calls for civilized behavior.
We do not offer partial bookings or match guests to split the fare. The flat rate is fixed and does not include gratuity.
There is minimal walking involved, but several stops encourage guests to step out and explore briefly (typically a block at a time).

Tour Details:

Length: 2.5 hours
Rates (4 PM – 10 PM): $600 total (2–5 guests)

Rates (10:00 PM – 12:30 AM or 1 AM): $700 total (2–5 guests)

NOLA VIP Tour(3).mov

St Louis Cemetery #3 Tour

Metairie Cemetery is the final resting place of legends—both the modern rich and famous and the heroes and villains of the past. Join Orion on an unforgettable tour of discovery. Uncover the mysteries of secret societies, admire evocative statues, and hear tales of eerie hauntings. Choose to have Orion narrate from the comfort of your air-conditioned car, or follow him stop by stop on a hybrid driving/walking tour—getting out whenever you'd like to explore and take photos.

Cost: $160 minimum, $40 per person

Rating: PG

Min/ Max: 2 to 20

Coming Soon...

These private tours are currently in the works!

The Dueling History of New Orleans:

A Historic Walking Tour of the French Quarter

This thrilling tour explores the legends and customs of New Orleans' obsession with duels. With stops by locations that directly influenced the tradition of the duel and ending with a staged reenactment of a sword duel where you’ll pick the winner.

Rating: PG

Canines of the Crescent City:

A Dog-focused Walking Tour of the French Quarter

Imagine walking your dog or a shelter dog through the French Quarter as you hear the tales of our tails! This hour and half walking tour features charming antidotes of the dogs we like to dote on as it unpacks our history from a four legged perspective! This tour is being built with hopes of partnering a local shelter and getting people to meet dogs who are looking for a home. A portion of each ticket will be donated to the local shelters

Rating: G-PG

Cigar and Whiskey Tour:

The discerning walking tour for the guest of leisure

Enjoy a curated experience trying several cigars paired with specific drinks as you uncover the challenging and complex history of tobacco and the water of life in the Crecent City. We’ll stop by the Cigar Factory to watch the old-school style of handmade cigars and enjoy an experience that is meant to elevate rather than inebriate. Whether it’s your first stick or you are a connoisseur, you’ll find something romantic, tragic and ultimately satisfying in the smoke of our stories.

Rating: PG13

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