Two rivers below, one city turning, the light shifting slow.
Hand-picked by our editors — only the best 6 tickets from 240 reviewed.
Verified partners for Vue Orleans tours, free cancellation where available, and instant confirmation on every booking.
2 hr 30 min
Cook gumbo, jambalaya & pralines in a historic French Quarter warehouse, then feast on your creations.
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2 hr
Hunt for the paranormal across haunted New Orleans cemeteries by night, EMF reader in hand.
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2 hr
Drift down the Mississippi at dusk with live jazz, river views, and an optional Creole buffet.
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5 hr 40 min
Race through Louisiana's swamps at up to 35 mph, spotting gators and bald eagles with a local captain.
ReservePrices from verified partners. Availability updates in real time at checkout. Free cancellation policies apply where shown.
The Mississippi River bends so sharply around New Orleans that the city earned its nickname, the Crescent City, from a single curve seen from above.
Vue Orleans, perched atop the Four Seasons on the 33rd and 34th floors, turned that vantage into an attraction in 2021, offering the first indoor-outdoor observation deck over the historic riverfront.
The building itself once housed the 1984 World's Fair pavilion, a civic landmark reborn as a cultural anchor. Today the appeal is less about height than orientation: from here, the French Quarter, the Crescent City Connection bridge, and four parishes resolve into a legible map. Visitors weighing vue orleans skip the line entry, vue orleans fast track passes, or a vue orleans guided tour come for the same reason early travelers climbed levees — to read the delta whole, and to understand why the river made the city.
"From here the delta resolves into a legible map, and the river explains the city."
A step-by-step walkthrough of Vue Orleans tickets — what you'll see, how long each stage takes, and the details that matter.
You arrive at 2 Canal Street near opening, ideally between 10:00 and 10:30, before the midday heat softens the glass. You scan your mobile voucher, ride the elevator past the 33rd-floor galleries, and step out onto the open-air deck.
You circle the railing slowly, picking out the Superdome, the bridge, the brown ribbon of the Mississippi folding back on itself.
You linger at the binoculars, then drop one floor to the immersive exhibits — the scent stations, the music wall, the stories of jazz and trade that built the streets below. With a vue orleans priority access ticket you skip the queue entirely. Most guests spend roughly 90 minutes here. You leave with the city's geography finally making sense, the river no longer abstract but mapped beneath your feet.
Explore the touchless cultural exhibits including the Music Station (with giant gramophone speakers featuring Louis Armstrong and Big Freedia), the Story Café hosted by Chef Kevin Belton and Poppy Tooker covering 12 iconic New Orleans dishes, and the Dress for the Fest costume builder.
Take a seat in the panoramic Vue River Theatre for an immersive short film narrated by Grammy-winning Irma Thomas, presented in Van Gogh-style painted animation, tracing how the Mississippi River shaped New Orleans.
Board the state-of-the-art elevator lined with large LED screens that play a different animated show on the way up and the way down — a 60-second ride to the 33rd floor.
Use the digital Vue Finders to identify hundreds of points of interest across the skyline, including the French Quarter, Algiers Point, and the Mississippi River bend.
Step onto the open-air rooftop for 360-degree views, sample cocktails or local bites at the Vue Orleans Café, and pilot the Working River interactive ship-docking table.
The landmarks, rooms, and views travelers on Vue Orleans tours remember — all visible on a single visit.
A panoramic immersive cinema where Grammy-winning artist Irma Thomas narrates a Van Gogh-style animated film tracing how the Mississippi River shaped New Orleans over 300 years — one of nine original films in the venue.
A full-surround exhibit built around giant gramophone horn speakers where visitors step inside and explore every genre born in New Orleans — from Louis Armstrong's traditional jazz to Big Freedia's bounce — with audio pulled from original recordings.
A digital café exhibit co-hosted by PBS chef Kevin Belton and food journalist Poppy Tooker that walks visitors through the origins of 12 iconic New Orleans dishes, including gumbo, jambalaya, red beans and rice, and king cake.
Swivel-mounted digital viewer stations on the indoor 33rd-floor observatory that overlay real-time neighborhood data onto 360-degree panoramic views — covering landmarks from the French Quarter and Algiers Point to Uptown and Chalmette.
The only open-air 360-degree rooftop viewing platform in New Orleans, situated atop the former World Trade Center building at the bend of the Mississippi River, with the Vue Orleans Café serving cocktails and snacks 33 stories above Canal Street.
Every Vue Orleans tour side-by-side — duration, what's included, how you redeem.
| Experience | From | Duration | Transfers | Pickup | Lunch | Tax inc. | Free cancel. | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Skip-the-line Most popular
New Orleans Cajun & Creole Cooking Class
|
— | 2 hr 30 min | — | — | — | — | ✓ | €35 | Book → |
|
Luxury / Private
New Orleans After-Dark Cemetery Bus Tour with Exclusive Access
|
— | 2 hr | — | — | — | — | ✓ | €32 | Book → |
|
Standard Entry
New Orleans Evening Steamboat Jazz Cruise with Optional Dinner
|
— | 2 hr | — | — | — | — | ✓ | €50 | Book → |
|
Premium Combo
New Orleans High-Speed 16-Passenger Airboat Swamp Tour
|
— | 5 hr 40 min | — | — | — | — | ✓ | €56 | Book → |
All prices from verified partners. Availability and exact terms confirmed at checkout.
Choose your ticket, select your date, and reserve in under two minutes. Secure checkout handled by our verified partner.
Instant confirmation by email, with a mobile voucher you can save offline. No printing, no queuing at a collection desk.
Arrive at the entrance, show your voucher on your phone, and walk in. Most tickets include priority or skip-the-line access.
Practical details for Vue Orleans tickets straight from our verified partners — hours, access, rules, and how to get there.
2 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70130
Entrance is to the left of the Four Seasons Hotel main lobby doors; look for Vue Orleans signage on Canal Street.
Open in Google MapsTake the Canal Streetcar (Route 47 or 48) to the foot-of-Canal terminal stop, steps from 2 Canal St. The Riverfront Streetcar also stops near Woldenberg Park, a 3-minute walk away.
Drive to the WTC Garage at 100 Poydras St, New Orleans, LA 70130; present your parking ticket at the Vue Orleans box office for a $5.00 validation discount.
From the French Quarter (Jackson Square area), walk west along Decatur St to Canal St, then cross to 2 Canal St — entrance to the left of the Four Seasons Hotel.
Request a rideshare to "2 Canal Street, New Orleans" or "Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans"; drop-off is directly outside.
No specific dress code is enforced at vue orleans. Comfortable, casual clothing is suitable year-round. In summer, light breathable layers are advisable as the outdoor 34th-floor deck can be exposed to heat and wind.
Bags, packages, and luggage must be no larger than 25" x 17" x 9" to be admitted. Vue orleans has no lockers or coat-check facilities on site, so oversized baggage must be left elsewhere before arrival. All guests and bags are subject to security screening at entry.
Personal photography and video for non-commercial use is permitted throughout the indoor exhibits and on the outdoor observation deck at vue orleans. Tripods and monopods are not mentioned as permitted; handheld devices including smartphones are fine. Drone use is not permitted from the observation deck.
Vue orleans is fully wheelchair accessible, and disability assistance equipment including wheelchairs, walkers, canes, and electric scooters is permitted. All guests must use elevators to access the 33rd and 34th floors — refunds are not issued to guests who cannot use an elevator. Guests needing auxiliary aids or other assistance should call 504-285-3600 in advance.
Mobile phones are welcome throughout the experience. Showing your ticket on a smartphone screen at the box office entrance is accepted. The interactive Vue Finders and exhibits are touchless, so phones can be kept handy for photos throughout the visit.
Children aged 17 and under must be accompanied by an adult at all times; unattended minors are not permitted entry. Youth and student groups require at least one adult escort per 10 children. The interactive exhibits — including the costume builder, music station, and Working River ship-docking game — are well suited to families. Guests arriving at 17:00 or later will have limited time to complete all exhibits before the 18:00 close, so families with young children should plan to arrive well before then.
The Vue Orleans Café on the 34th-floor outdoor deck serves cocktails, local beers, wine, and light snacks. Combo and All-Inclusive ticket holders receive one complimentary signature drink included with their admission. Outside food and beverages are not permitted inside the attraction.
Animals are not permitted inside vue orleans at any time. Exceptions apply to certified service animals and service animals in training (must be at least 12 months old), as well as police or other certified assistance animals accompanied by a qualified handler on official duty.
A $5.00 parking discount is available at the WTC parking lot at 100 Poydras Street; bring your parking ticket to the box office for validation (one validation per ticket). The outdoor 34th-floor observation deck is subject to weather-related closures without prior notice; the 33rd-floor indoor deck remains open in inclement weather and no refunds are issued for outdoor-deck-only closures.
2 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70130
Entrance is to the left of the Four Seasons Hotel main lobby doors; look for Vue Orleans signage on Canal Street.
Get directionsBest time to go, insider tips, nearby landmarks, and the cancellation fine print — flip through to skim what matters to you.
How crowds, weather, and events shift across the year.
Mild temperatures and lower humidity make outdoor deck time comfortable; Jazz Fest in late April–early May draws large crowds on weekends.
Hottest and most humid months; the indoor exhibits provide air-conditioned relief, but the outdoor deck can be intense midday — arrive at 10:00 for best comfort.
Humidity drops noticeably by October; crowds thin after Labor Day and the skyline visibility is often at its clearest.
Coolest and least crowded period outside of Mardi Gras season; French Quarter Festival and holiday events add weekend foot traffic in December.
Small details that turn a good visit into a great one.
Timed-entry tickets sell out on busy weekend mornings; booking via the official site at vueorleans.com guarantees your entry window and avoids the box-office queue.
The first two hours after opening are consistently the least crowded for the New Orleans observation deck experience; views are also clearer before midday haze builds.
The venue's own recommendation is 1.5 hours to cover all exhibits; guests arriving at 17:00 or later will be rushed through before the 18:00 close.
The 34th-floor rooftop closes during poor weather with no refund; call 504-285-3600 or check vueorleans.com on the day if conditions are uncertain.
Both attractions sit within a 5-minute walk of each other along the riverfront, making a natural half-day combination for families.
Route 47 and 48 terminate at the foot of Canal Street, placing you less than a minute's walk from the box office entrance — no parking fees required.
Non-bookable sights within a short walk — free to visit, easy to pair.
Aquarium on the riverfront at 1 Canal St featuring Gulf of Mexico sea life, penguins, and a sea otter exhibit.
Linear park along the Mississippi River with sculptures, benches, and open river views between the French Quarter and the CBD.
Large casino and entertainment complex at the foot of Canal Street, one block from the Four Seasons.
Open riverside plaza donated by Spain, featuring a central fountain and mosaic tiling, regularly used for outdoor events.
Historic heart of the French Quarter, framed by the St. Louis Cathedral, artists, and street performers.
Flexible, no hidden fees.
Tickets purchased directly through Vue Orleans are non-refundable and may only be exchanged for a new date and time if you are unable to visit due to health concerns, with rescheduling requested before your ticket time. Third-party bookings (e.g. GetYourGuide, Viator) allow free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience start time for a full refund.
Hand-picked options within walking distance — pick a district for vibe, or a specific hotel for convenience.
Vue Orleans is housed within this landmark hotel; guests enjoy immediate access to the box office entrance.
Large convention hotel adjacent to the Riverwalk Marketplace on Poydras Street.
Convention-connected hotel at 601 Loyola Ave with skyline views and a rooftop pool.
Reliable mid-range option on Convention Center Boulevard near the Warehouse District.
Arts-and-gallery neighborhood with several boutique hotels and guesthouses near the WWII Museum.
Vue orleans is open Thursday through Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00. The attraction is closed every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Guests arriving at 17:00 or later will have limited time before the 18:00 close, so earlier arrival is recommended.
General admission for adults starts at $29.95 per person for the standard entry ticket. Upgraded combo and all-inclusive options are also available at higher price points, with the all-inclusive tier including a guided tour and a complimentary rooftop drink.
No — vue orleans is closed every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. The New Orleans rooftop attraction operates Thursday through Sunday only, from 10:00 to 18:00.
The best arrival window for the vue orleans observation deck is between 10:00 and 12:00. Arriving at opening keeps you ahead of midday crowds and lets you enjoy the outdoor deck before summer heat peaks. Weekday Thursdays and Fridays tend to be quieter than weekends.
Take the Canal Streetcar (RTA Route 47 or 48) to the foot-of-Canal terminal, which is steps from 2 Canal St. Alternatively, walk from the French Quarter in about 10–12 minutes along Decatur Street and Canal Street. The entrance to vue orleans is to the left of the Four Seasons Hotel.
Yes — vue orleans is fully wheelchair accessible. Wheelchairs, walkers, canes, and electric scooters are all permitted. All visitors must use the elevators to reach the 33rd and 34th floors; guests who cannot use elevators are not eligible for a refund. For assistance, call 504-285-3600 before your visit.
Bags and packages must be no larger than 25" x 17" x 9" for admission to the New Orleans observatory. Vue orleans has no lockers or storage facilities, so oversized luggage must be stored elsewhere before arrival.
The experience at the New Orleans cultural observatory includes the Music Station (giant gramophone exhibit featuring jazz and bounce legends), the Story Café hosted by Chef Kevin Belton and Poppy Tooker showcasing 12 iconic dishes, the Vue River Theatre film narrated by Irma Thomas, the Dress for the Fest costume builder, digital Vue Finders on the 33rd floor, and the outdoor 34th-floor deck with the Vue Orleans Café.
Personal photography and video recording for non-commercial use is welcome throughout the vue orleans experience, including on the outdoor observation deck. Drones are not permitted, and throwing any object from the deck is strictly prohibited and may result in criminal prosecution.
Tickets purchased directly through vue orleans are non-refundable but can be exchanged for a new date if you are unable to visit due to health concerns — contact the attraction before your ticket time at 504-285-3600. Tickets booked via third-party platforms such as GetYourGuide or Viator can typically be cancelled up to 24 hours before the experience start time for a full refund.
Children aged 17 and under are welcome but must be accompanied by an adult at all times; unattended minors are not admitted. For group vue orleans tours involving students, a minimum of one adult escort per 10 children is required. There is no minimum age requirement.
The Audubon Aquarium of the Americas is a 5-minute walk along the riverfront at 1 Canal St. Woldenberg Riverfront Park is 3 minutes away on foot. Jackson Square and the French Quarter are about 12 minutes away on foot, making it easy to combine a New Orleans landmarks tour with your visit.
