New Orleans Jazz Walking Tour

Deeply insightful and highly engaging walking tour. Harris is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about jazz and New Orleans and has the ability to share in a truly engaging way. We learned so much and had a great time with him. Highly recommended!

This was by far the best tour we had in New Orleans. We wanted to learn about the importance of jazz to the history and culture of New Orleans. Harris gave us all of that more, really put it all in context that was both an eye opener and just plain fun. To us he truly embodied what New Orleans is all about. Thank you Harris!

Harris was phenomenal. It was like walking (and talking) with an old friend. We hit every bullet the tour promised and so much more. Absolutely fantastic.

Harris sent a picture of himself at the meeting point while we enroute and that was very helpful. Google maps took us into the wrong gate and we were wandering aimlessly in Congo Square - and then we saw the guy in the picture. Harris was absolutely phenomenal. The tour was more like a walk (and talk) with an old friend. Yet he hit every bullet on the list and then some. We had a great evening. So much interesting information in such a short time. Thank you Harris

Our guide was the best ever. His knowledge and ability to make it fun and interesting was amazing. Love the side quest info on architecture. Don’t miss this one.

Such a great tour. I learned so much and loved the architecture side quest. My teen loved it too.

Mr. Harris is truly an amazing ambassador of the great city of New Orleans! He brought history to life. We lightly danced from place to place in the park, popping into a boutique hotel and visiting the Louis Armstrong Room at one of the other hotels ( outside in the hallway of course; as the room did have a tenant in it) and ended the tour walking the stretch of Frenchmen Street. Mr. Harris's way of connecting with us was exceptional. His casual, conversational and caring way of delivering all of his knowledge made you feel the rhythm; the living pulse of Crescent City! Thank you Mr. Harris for all your time and energy you gave to provide such an outstanding and unforgettable tour. We Fam now! ( and Mr.Harris if you are reading this, we do recommend Adolfo's. Whatever you do get. Make sure it is smothered in their signature Ocean Sauce!) P.S I recommend if you plan on visiting the Jazz Museum, to do it after this tour. I found that I went in with a deeper appreciation, of which made the experience all the more richer.

Great music and jazz history tour! Harris is a New Orleans local and a wealth of knowledge on the history and musical history of the area. We ended the night on Frenchman street where he gave recommendations on which clubs to visit as well as food, etc in the area. Highly recommend!

Great music and jazz history tour! Harris is a New Orleans local and a wealth of knowledge on the history and musical history of the area. We ended the night on Frenchman street where he gave recommendations on which clubs to visit as well as food, etc in the area. Highly recommend!

Not only did I learn about jazz, I learned about the history of New Orleans as well. VERY well rounded perspective of NOLA music, culture and more!

Our guide was Harris Parson, a NOLA native. He was very passionate and knowledgeable, not only about the music history of NOLA, but many other facets of the city's history. We really enjoyed the time with him and this tour, and recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about the long history of NOLA and it music! My wife and I were the only ones on the tour, but Harris spent over 2 hours with us on this tour!

We had an amazing experience with our tour guide Harris! From the beginning, he was friendly and knew a lot about the Jazz culture. He shared interesting facts and local history that made the tour both fun and educational. I recommend Harris if you’re interested in taking the Jazz walking tour! Thank you for making a memorable moment for me and my daughter! Etonia Charlotte NC

We couldn't have asked for a kinder, more knowledgeable tour guide - Harris was AWESOME! We learned so much about the history, neighborhoods, & people of New Orleans in addition to lots of jazz history! We started in Congo Square/Louis Armstrong Park and wandered throughout the French Quarter where Harris pointed out places where musicians recorded & lived. He also spoke about the architecture & some of the homes in the area - it was so obvious that Harris was not only a wealth of knowledge but that he truly loves his city of New Orleans. We walked through Hotel St. Pierre and ended on Frenchman St. We would recommend this tour to anyone who loves jazz music & simply wants to learn more about the history & music of the Crescent City! Thanks Harris!

The tour was amazing! Harris is a great story teller and his knowledge of Jazz and the area is vast.

If you’re going to New Orleans, you NEED to do a jazz tour with Harris. This guy is a legend. He’s a true local through and through, and the way he breaks down jazz history is next level, like, meticulous but never boring. You can tell he actually loves this stuff. It didn’t feel like some tour script, he totally personalized it for us. 10/10, would do it again. Go find Harris!

Great tour and our tour guide Harris Parson was amazing!! He knew his stuff about Jazz!! Very interesting tour and kept all of us asking questions and wanting more info about the Jazz influences from New Orleans.

First time taking a jazz history tour and our group left feeling like we learned so much. Our tour guide was amazing, very knowledgeable and welcoming. This was one of the highlights of our trip to New Orleans!

My wife and I were the only ones on tour. Learned a lot about New Orleans jazz and its beginnings. Viewed present Jazz Museum and site of new one being built. I wanted to visit some actual clubs and hear jazz if only for 10 to 15 minutes at each club.

We loved our walking history of jazz tour with Harris Parsons as the guide, he was great. We learned so much and had a super fun time

We did the walking jazz tour and it was wonderful. Our guide was Harris Parsons and he was great. So much history! We loved it. Harris knees the area and the music amwhich made it so fun to hear all the inside stories that made it come alive. Highly recommend Harris as a guide for this tour.

Tour guide Harris Parson: knowledgeable, perceptive, thoughtful, thorough. When you complete a walking tour with Harris, you really feel you've come to know the artists, culture, and social realities which birthed jazz, not to mention key facts about the history and architecture of New Orleans... Outstanding. Paul F., Chicago

Harris was an amazing tour guide! Very personable and inspiring. He knew all the hot spots to go to see live music. His after the tour text had all the stuff we talked about and a lot of useful information. The only thing I wish we did, not negative, was to do the tour when we first go here, not the night before we left. 😊 (we will just have to go to the places he mentioned in the tour on our next visit)

Harris was excellent! We learned so much about the history of New Orleans and jazz! Was a really interesting walking tour.

Harris is a wealth of information. As a native New Orleans resident he enthusiastically shares his love of the city. If you go on his tour you won’t be disappointed.

Very Informative tour. Our guide, Harris, did a great job of explaining the history of Jazz. He was engaging with the group and left us with a lot of info and links to follow up on.

The tour was fantastic, Harris Parson was our guide and he made our day! He was born in New Orleans, he is a musician, makes music instruments, he’s an ambassador of local culture and history, and you could tell all of this by the way he guided us for two hours in a very knowledgeable and compelling manner. He was also super friendly and gave us tips of what to visit and where to eat, and not only! I would definitely recommend, and ask for Harris ;)

Harris Parson was our excellent guide. He shared so much knowledge not only about jazz artists and history but also NOL history in general. This two hour tour was time well spent.

Harris is truly a master guide. He is engaging, knowledgeable, passionate about music, history, his city (New Orleans) and his people. He is an excellent teacher, full of important and more trivial but interesting information and really made our tour very special. One of the best I’ve experienced and I have travelled widely,

Charles is a historian and an educator. We learned so much about how jazz came to be. Would have liked to hear more live music as part of the tour.

Harris, our tour guide, was informative, passionate about jazz, and answered questions with detail and patience. 100% recommend.

Harris was wonderful! We got that first taste of New Orleans from him that we wanted. As people who knew very little about jazz, we enjoyed learning about it and walking the streets to see the landmarks connected to jazz. Also, we learned some history and interesting facts! Harris was extremely generous with his time and resources! After the tour we received a text from him with great information about additional readings and resources on jazz, places to visit for best jazz, where to eat and more! We also enjoyed Harris's warm, welcoming, and fun personality! We would definitely recommend this tour with Harris!!!

We had a great experience. Harris Parson was a great guide with a lot of knowledge. We enjoyed the history conversation and the linking of sights with the history.

It didn't happen and I was not notified till long after the meeting time. I had only registered that day and had no reason to think that it would not be happening.

It is worth every penny to take the time to go on this tour. It’s not just about jazz, it’s about the history leading up to jazz and it’s about the evolution of the city, its people, and all the influences that created the music of this city! It's a 2 hour tour. The warmth of the tour guide. He created such a inclusive experience and was and had a soul of compassion. This tour is for everyone to locals to tourists. The size of the tour is about 2-10 people. Worth it! ♥️♥️♥️♥️

Harris was very knowledgeable and personable. We learned a lot and had a great time. Wonderful tour for Louis Armstrong fans.

I booked this Jazz Walking Tour for me, my husband, and two kids ages 9 and 11 and it was a wonderful experience! Our guide, Harris Parsons, was delightful, knowledgeable, and tailored the experience to us. At the beginning of the tour, he asked if we had specific questions or things we'd want to focus on and then he made it happen. As he taught us about the history of jazz, he played examples of the artists for us and he added many anecdotal tips and trivia about the city and neighborhoods as we walked. I asked if he could give my kiddos a little bit of background knowledge so they could better understand what he was talking about and he really included them and their experiences in his information. It was phenomenal and easily one of the best parts of our trip. He even texted a follow up of more things to listen to and read, as well as a summary of the things we covered so we could remember. Book this tour and definitely ask for Mr. Parsons!

Robin was our guide. Her historical knowledge of the city and music was extensive and her passion extraordinary. She was lovely, classy, and personable. Because she used music to highlight the different times and genres, that helped bring it all to life. We highly recommend this tour and Robin..

This was an excellent and thoroughly enjoyable experience. The New Orleans Jazz Walking Tour offered a rich, engaging introduction to the city’s jazz heritage, thoughtfully connecting music, history, and place. The guide was exceptionally knowledgeable and conveyed a genuine passion for New Orleans culture, bringing the stories of early jazz musicians and neighborhoods vividly to life. The tour was well-paced and well-organized, with each stop adding meaningful context rather than feeling rushed or superficial. I especially appreciated how the guide situated jazz within the broader social and cultural history of New Orleans, which deepened my understanding of the music beyond well-known narratives. However, I would have appreciated more live music elements or deeper engagement with specific musicians or venues. Overall, this tour exceeded my expectations and provided a memorable, educational, and enjoyable way to experience the city. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in jazz, local history, or New Orleans culture more broadly.

Our guide Robin is really knowledgeable about Jazz and New Orleans. I learned a lot from her. It was great that she played pre-recorded pieces of jazz music from her speaker while she introduced us to several Jazz pioneers such as Sidney Bechet. We visited Hotel St. Pierre — Jazz Museum and Robin also showed us around part of the French Quarter. She made this a pleasant and a great learning experience for all of our family.

Awesome tour. Well explained, engaging, and never boring. The stories were interesting and gave great context about the city and its music. The guide was very friendly passionate, and full of knowledge. Definitely recommend it

Harris is the best Tour Guide in all of New Orleans!!!! If you’re reading this review drop everything a book him right now! Rain or shine he is committed to teaching you about the history of Jazz and New Orleans. He will forever be a core memory in our trip and part of our family ❤️. - Jimmy + Justina

Terrific tour! We thoroughly enjoyed our time with Harris. He is a very knowledgeable and engaging tour guide. A great way to learn a bit of the city’s history.

This was an interesting tour. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable about the history of the city. He included a lot of anecdotal information that made it even more interesting.

We had an amazing experience on the jazz walking tour! Harris was incredibly knowledgeable and engaging. He brought the rich history of New Orleans jazz to life with fascinating stories and insights. You could tell he truly loves what he does, and that made the tour even more enjoyable. Highly recommend this tour!

This was a fantastic tour ! Harris brought the history of Jazz and the vieux quartier together in a dynamic and enthralling fashion . He is a wonderful story teller and we thoroughly enjoyed the 2 hours we spent with him .

I had no idea nor any clue what was jazz about, so thats why I decided to take this learn. Harris, had explained to us how jazz came about and its rich history. Highly recommended!

We didn’t take the tour as the guide evidently got ill but Viator did not notify us… we showed at the meet point and then had to call to the booking number as the guide was unable to be there… extremely disappointed with the poor excuse that they tried to reach us but no record of a call, email, or text… not ok😥

My wife and I went on the tour led by Harris Parson. it far exceeded our expectations. I know a fair bit about jazz history, having grown up in a musical family, and I was surrounded by music as long as I can remember. Harris showed me so much that I didn't know and filled in a lot of blanks in my jazz knowledge. He also connected the art form of the music to the physical locations in New Orleans where the art developed. I want to keep this review spoiler-free, so I wont' mention the specifics of what I learned from Harris - I'll leave that for you to find out when you book a tour with him. I'll just say that when you take this tour, you will learn a lot and you will also make a new friend. Harris is not just an incredible tour guide. He is also a wonderful soul who clearly loves what he does, and he expresses his love of the music to everyone he encounters.

Harris Parson was our guide. His knowledge of jazz was remarkable. He went above and beyond bringing the history and culture of jazz to life.