Covers the big American cities at night: monuments, skylines, night buses and how to get back to the hotel.
Updated
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Ask what Americans do with a night out on vacation and this list answers: they go looking for ghosts.
Ten of the fifteen are ghost tours, and three of the rest are pub walks. That says less about our taste than about the market. The US has a huge, well-reviewed, reasonably priced ghost-walk trade in its old Southern and colonial towns, and almost nothing in the way of night food tours or city-lights buses that rates well. So the list is mostly New Orleans, Savannah, Charleston, Salem and Gettysburg, with Washington, DC as the big exception.
We drew on 128 tours across our 12 US cities, all read on their own Viator or GetYourGuide pages on October 26, 2026. Eight cities made it. The top two tie on 7.8 and are split by review count.
At a glance
Best overall
Streets of Sin's adults-only true crime walk, New Orleans, 7.8
Best non-ghost
See DC Today's small-group National Mall night tour, 7.8
Best inside access
Spirits of Jennie Wade, Gettysburg, $20 (€17.90)
Most reviewed
History and Hauntings of Salem, 16,502 reviews
Seasonal pick
Dyker Heights holiday lights, late November to late December
Not on the list
Chicago, San Francisco, Las Vegas, St. Augustine
On this page
The ranking
Every tour we scored in our US cities, in Night Score order, at most 2 per city. Night Score = 30% rating, 10% review count, 20% price per hour, 40% how much the night is the point. How we score
A tie at the top, broken on reviews. This walk and the DC van tour below both score 7.8, and New Orleans takes it with 2,164 reviews against 1,729, at a perfect 5.0. Streets of Sin leans on true crime as much as ghosts, told around the French Quarter from the Jackson Square fence. No buildings are entered. There are several start times a night and check-in is 30 minutes before. 17 and up, $38 (€34).
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%10.0
Review countData · 10%8.7
Price per hourData · 20%7.7
After darkEditors · 40%6.0
What it is: An adults-only true-crime and ghost walk by Streets of Sin, meeting at the Jackson Square fence opposite St. Louis Cathedral.
Good to know: Ages 17 and up; intoxicated guests are turned away. Drinks are sold at the last stop, no buildings are entered, and the tour is rescheduled for bad weather; up to 28 per group.
After dark: Murder and ghost stories told on dark French Quarter streets land harder than the same stops by day.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
The best non-ghost night tour in the country by our numbers, and it sells something you can have for free. The Park Service keeps the memorials open 24 hours. What See DC Today adds is a 12-seat van that parks close, a guide and ten stops in three hours, which on a cold night with tired feet is worth paying for. $99 (€88), tips included, from the Grand Hyatt on H Street. Some stops are drive-by only.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%8.5
Review countData · 10%8.4
Price per hourData · 20%6.0
After darkEditors · 40%8.0
What it is: See DC Today's small-group night tour by van, with a guide and 10 stops around the National Mall, starting at the Grand Hyatt on H Street.
Good to know: Maximum 12 guests per van (up to 48 across vans); gratuities included. U.S. Capitol admission is extra and some stops are drive-by only; runs rain or shine. Also on GetYourGuide (t214173, 4.7 from 146 reviews, $99); we keep Viator for the review base.
After dark: Ten stops timed for the floodlit memorials, in a van small enough to park close to each one.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
3,565 reviews at 4.9, the deepest base of any Savannah tour in our data. Savannah History & Haunts carries candles from Chippewa Square on West McDonough Street through the squares to the gates of Colonial Park Cemetery. You stop at the gates. Reviewers mention 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. departures. $39 (€35) with kid rates, up to 30 people, and tips aren't included. Get there 15 minutes early.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%8.8
Review countData · 10%9.5
Price per hourData · 20%7.0
After darkEditors · 40%6.5
What it is: A candlelit 90-minute ghost and history walk by Savannah History & Haunts from Chippewa Square (17 W McDonough Street) to Colonial Park Cemetery.
Good to know: Arrive 15 minutes early; gratuities are not included. Children with an adult, kid rates; up to 30; runs in all but severe weather.
After dark: Carried by candlelight through the squares, it needs the dark, and it ends at the gates of Colonial Park Cemetery.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
The only pub walk in the top five, and really a ghost walk with bar stops. Nightly Spirits checks you in outside Henry's at 54 N Market Street and spends two and a half hours between historic bars, ending on Vendue Range. Costumed guide, 14 people at most, gratuities included, 21 and up with ID. Budget for drinks: the overview says cocktails are on you, whatever the inclusions list says. $39 (€35).
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%8.5
Review countData · 10%8.3
Price per hourData · 20%8.9
After darkEditors · 40%6.0
What it is: A 2.5-hour costumed-guide ghost walk with bar stops by Nightly Spirits, checking in outside Henry's, 54 N Market Street.
Good to know: 21 and up with ID; maximum 14. Gratuities included; the overview says cocktails are at your own expense even though drinks appear in the inclusions.
After dark: A night of ghost stories between historic bars, ending on Vendue Range.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
Ghost hunting with gear. The 9 p.m. tour meets at the southwest corner of Madison Square and hands out K2 EMF meters for two hours. Whether you believe the readings is your business. The format does need the dark, and it scores a 7 for it, a point above most walks on this page. Sixteen and up, no exceptions, 16 per group, $35 (€31). No alcohol on the tour.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%7.9
Review countData · 10%7.1
Price per hourData · 20%8.5
After darkEditors · 40%7.0
What it is: A two-hour ghost walk and hunt from the southwest corner of Madison Square, using the operator's K2 EMF meters.
Good to know: 16 and up, no exceptions; maximum 16. Guide tips and entry to homes, cemeteries or museums are not included; no alcohol or animals.
After dark: A 9 p.m. ghost hunt with K2 EMF meters, which only makes sense in the dark.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
DC's second spot, and a near twin of the See DC Today tour: a 12-seat van, a live guide and a 7:00 p.m. start, here from One CityCenter on 10th Street. The difference is headsets, so you actually hear the guide at each memorial, plus water and Wi-Fi. It's $10 (€8.90) cheaper at $89 (€80) and rated a perfect 5.0, on just 353 reviews. Some paths are poorly lit, and it isn't wheelchair accessible.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%8.2
Review countData · 10%6.0
Price per hourData · 20%6.5
After darkEditors · 40%8.0
What it is: Heart of DC Tours' small-group night tour by van with a live guide, starting from One CityCenter downtown.
Good to know: Maximum 12 travelers; water, Wi-Fi, headsets and gratuities included. White House and Capitol entry not included and Ford's Theatre is a drive-by. Not wheelchair accessible; some walking on poorly lit paths.
After dark: A guided loop of the memorials after they are lit, in a 12-seat van with audio links so you hear the guide at each stop.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
Salem's best-scoring tour is mostly not about the witch trials. Spellbound Tours does voodoo, vampires and ghosts on a 90-minute walk from the Revere Bell outside the Visitor Center on New Liberty Street. Evening departures daily, plus weekend afternoons. Gratuities are included and you can cancel free up to 24 hours ahead, which in Salem is rarer than it should be. $28 (€25) here; GetYourGuide sells it for $25 (€22). Up to 40 per group.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%8.6
Review countData · 10%8.7
Price per hourData · 20%8.3
After darkEditors · 40%6.0
What it is: A 90-minute ghost, vampire and voodoo walk by Spellbound Tours from the Revere Bell outside the Salem Visitor Center, 2 New Liberty Street.
Good to know: Gratuities included; free cancellation up to 24 hours. Children must be with an adult; up to 40 per group. GetYourGuide sells the same tour from $25 with fewer reviews.
After dark: Run as a daily evening walk, when the old houses around the Common are dark and the stories carry.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
Inside, after hours, with the lights off. Gettysburg Battlefield Tours spends 45 minutes in the Jennie Wade House, home of the only civilian killed in the battle, cellar included, then 45 minutes outdoors. That night-only interior earns an 8 on after dark. $20 (€17.90), cheaper for children, ten people per tour, starting at 778 Baltimore Street. Reviewers say it repeats the daytime house tour, so do one, not both.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%5.8
Review countData · 10%6.1
Price per hourData · 20%9.6
After darkEditors · 40%8.0
What it is: A night ghost tour by Gettysburg Battlefield Tours that spends 45 minutes inside the Jennie Wade House, the home of the only civilian killed in the battle, then 45 minutes outdoors.
Good to know: Capped at 10; Jennie Wade House admission included. Starts at 778 Baltimore Street, not at the Jennie Wade gift shop; steps inside the house, not wheelchair accessible. Reviewers say it repeats the daytime house tour, so do one or the other.
After dark: You go inside the Jennie Wade House after hours, down to the cellar with the lights switched off, something a daytime museum visit does not give.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
16,502 reviews, the most of any tour in our US data, at 4.9. Witch City Walking Tours walks two hours from Old Town Hall in Derby Square to the Witch Trials Memorial. Only the lantern-light departure is really a night tour; the daytime version covers the same ground, which is why it gets a 5 on after dark. $36 (€32). Non-refundable, rain or shine, and people book about 29 days ahead on average.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%9.0
Review countData · 10%10.0
Price per hourData · 20%8.4
After darkEditors · 40%5.0
What it is: A two-hour witch trials and hauntings walk by Witch City Walking Tours from Old Town Hall in Derby Square to the Witch Trials Memorial.
Good to know: Non-refundable and non-changeable, rain or shine; groups up to 40 at busy times. Gratuities are listed as included; the Witch House is not entered. Booked about 29 days ahead on average.
After dark: The lantern-light night departure turns a strong history walk into a ghost walk; the daytime version covers the same ground.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
The other night-only door in Gettysburg. At 7 p.m. the same company takes ten people into the cellar of the National Soldiers' Orphanage with the lights off, then out to East Cemetery Hill. $20 (€17.90) for 90 minutes. It often sells out about 25 days ahead. The basement stairs are narrow and steep, and reviewers are split on under-12s. I'd leave younger kids out of this one.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%5.6
Review countData · 10%5.9
Price per hourData · 20%9.6
After darkEditors · 40%8.0
What it is: A 7 p.m. ghostly-encounter walk by Gettysburg Battlefield Tours into the National Soldiers' Orphanage, including its cellar, plus East Cemetery Hill.
Good to know: Capped at 10, often sells out about 25 days ahead. Narrow, steep basement stairs, not wheelchair accessible; reviewers are split on bringing children under 12.
After dark: The evening slot takes you into the National Soldiers' Orphanage cellar with the lights off, a night-only interior.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
Holy City Walks keeps it small: 12 on paper, 13 or 14 in practice by the host's own account. It leaves from the oak-tree square on the north side of the Old Exchange at 122 E Bay Street and sticks to the oldest streets, which feel tightest after dark. Hosts mention 9 p.m. tours. $32 (€28) on sale, down from $35 (€31). Water included, tips optional.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%8.2
Review countData · 10%7.6
Price per hourData · 20%7.8
After darkEditors · 40%6.0
What it is: A 90-minute small-group ghost walk by Holy City Walks from the oak-tree square on the north side of the Old Exchange, 122 E Bay Street.
Good to know: Sale price $31.50 (was $35, 10% off). Bottled water included, tips optional. Capped at 12, though the host says groups run 13 to 14.
After dark: A capped small-group night walk from the Old Exchange through the oldest streets, which feel closest after dark.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
The one tour on this list that gets you into a cemetery at night. New Orleans Ghost Adventures drives from 620 Decatur Street past Cypress Grove and Greenwood, then walks you through one, usually Odd Fellows Rest on Canal Street, for about 35 minutes with EMF readers. A 4.7 rating is what pulls it down to 12th. $56 (€50) on the product page, though the listing showed $45 (€40) the same day.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%5.2
Review countData · 10%8.5
Price per hourData · 20%6.7
After darkEditors · 40%8.0
What it is: A two-hour air-conditioned bus tour by New Orleans Ghost Adventures from 620 Decatur Street, with a walk inside a cemetery at night and EMF readers.
Good to know: The cemetery stop is about 35 minutes; the bus passes Cypress Grove, Greenwood and the Katrina Memorial. Gratuities included; up to 42 per bus, and the listing page showed a $45 sale price on 26 October while the product page showed $56.
After dark: It includes after-dark entry to a cemetery (usually Odd Fellows Rest on Canal Street), which is closed to the public at night.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
Boston's only spot. Boston Crawling pairs Revolutionary history with pints in the taverns around Faneuil Hall, starting at the Sam Adams statue. The page lists three daily start times without saying which are in the evening, so book the latest. 21 and up with ID, 12 people at most, $60 (€54). You buy every drink at the bar, and food isn't included.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%8.2
Review countData · 10%7.6
Price per hourData · 20%6.9
After darkEditors · 40%6.0
What it is: Boston Crawling's guided crawl of historic pubs near Faneuil Hall with Revolutionary history between pints.
Good to know: 21+ with ID; maximum 12; drinks bought at each bar, food not included. The page does not say which of the three daily start times are evening.
After dark: Revolutionary-era taverns along the Freedom Trail are at their liveliest in the evening.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
Holiday season only (roughly late November to late December); the page lists no dates
Seasonal: roughly late November to late December, and the page gives no dates. Scatto a New York buses you from 10th Avenue and 41st Street to Dyker Heights in Brooklyn, where you walk about an hour past the house displays, then stops at Bryant Park on the way back. The 4.6 rating is the weak spot. Buses can't enter the neighborhood, so it's narrow streets on foot, rain or shine. $63 (€56).
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%3.5
Review countData · 10%8.9
Price per hourData · 20%8.9
After darkEditors · 40%8.0
What it is: Scatto a New York's bus tour from Manhattan to Brooklyn's Dyker Heights, with a guided walk past the Christmas light displays and a stop at Bryant Park.
Good to know: Buses cannot enter Dyker Heights, so expect about an hour on foot on narrow streets; runs rain or shine. Children up to 3 ride free on a lap.
After dark: The over-the-top house displays only exist lit up after dark in the holiday season.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on GetYourGuide on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
Three Midtown speakeasies and the Prohibition story, from One Worldwide Plaza on Eighth Avenue. The $40 (€36) covers the guide and the door, not the drinks, and the page itself quotes $18 (€16.10) to $25 (€22) for wine or cocktails. 21 and up with photo ID, which means a passport if you aren't American. Smart dress: no sandals, no sleeveless shirts.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%6.2
Review countData · 10%6.7
Price per hourData · 20%9.6
After darkEditors · 40%6.0
What it is: NiteTables Experiences' three-hour walk to three Midtown speakeasies with Prohibition storytelling and preferred entry.
Good to know: 21+ with photo ID (passport for non-US visitors). Drinks are not included: the page quotes about $10 to $14 for beer and $18 to $25 for wine or cocktails. Smart dress code, no sandals or sleeveless shirts.
After dark: Hidden bars are a night-time thing, and getting in with a guide beats queueing at a door with no sign.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on GetYourGuide on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
Reserve links go to GetYourGuide or Viator. Booking through them can earn us a commission at no cost to you; it never changes a score or a rank. How we make money
How the US list works
Every tour carries a Night Score out of 10, built from traveler rating, review count, price per hour and our after-dark score, weighted 30, 10, 20 and 40. We take the top 15 across our 12 US cities, two per city at most, so New Orleans and Savannah can't fill the page. The formulas are on how we score night tours.
Why it's mostly ghost tours
Because they're good value and they need the dark. A Gettysburg cellar tour costs $20 (€17.90) for 90 minutes. A Savannah candle walk is $39 (€35). Compare a three-hour DC van tour at $99 (€88). On price per hour the ghost walks win almost every time.
And the old towns are built for it. Charleston's churchyards lock at dusk, Savannah's Colonial Park has set hours, and Gettysburg's park closes to the public from sunset to sunrise. So the guides tell their stories at gates and on porches, which sounds like a drawback and mostly isn't.
Want more of them? The US ghost list runs three per city and goes 15 deep.
DC: the tour versus the free walk
Two DC tours make the list, and both sell transport and a guide, not access. The National Park Service says the sites of the National Mall and Memorial Parks can be visited 24 hours a day, and it lists nighttime walks with a park ranger among its programs. So you can do the Lincoln, the war memorials and the Jefferson on foot for nothing.
It's a long walk. Honestly, if you have kids, bad knees or one night, the van is worth it. If you have two nights and good shoes, walk the first one and decide. Our DC monuments page has the route.
Runners-up the two-per-city rule cut
Savannah and DC had the most depth. Nightly Spirits' Savannah Booze and Boos walk scored 7.5 and the Savannah Supernatural walk 7.3. In DC, USA Guided Tours' glass-roof night coach (7.4, with 7,276 reviews and a $58 (€52) fare) and Intrepid's open-air eCruiser (7.4) both cleared the cutoff of 6.9 easily. They rank on the Savannah page and the DC page.
Just under the line: St. Augustine's 9 p.m. haunted history walk and Chicago's Booze and Boos ghost pub walk, both on 6.9 and both edged out on review count.
What's missing, and why
Hawaii, Florida's lagoon and Puerto Rico. The Mauna Kea stargazing trip and two bioluminescent paddles outscore everything here, but they're outside the 12 cities this list covers. Find them on the world list, stargazing tours and bioluminescent tours.
Alcatraz at night. The real thing is the official Night Tour, $60 (€53) for an adult on the Park Service fee table, sold through the authorized ferry. The reseller ticket in our data scores 5.7. Book direct.
Chicago, San Francisco and Las Vegas. Their best tours score 6.9, 6.6 and 6.5. Chicago's night inventory is mostly boats, San Francisco has no night bus or food tour that clears our bar, and Las Vegas has no strong ghost-walk scene. New York's best all-year option is the speakeasy walk; its candlelit catacombs tour runs through the day, and we couldn't confirm an evening start.
If you're going in October
October is peak season for half this list. Destination Salem says more than a million people come for Haunted Happenings, and the Witch City Walking Tours products are non-refundable and booked weeks out. Halloween 2026 falls on a Saturday. Gettysburg reviewers report crowded October groups, and a Savannah host calls Halloween the busiest night of the year. Book before you book the hotel.
The Dyker Heights lights start once October is over. Different crowd, same advice.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best night tour in the US?
Two tie on 7.8: Streets of Sin's adults-only true crime and ghost walk in New Orleans, and See DC Today's small-group National Mall night tour. New Orleans ranks first on review count. If you don't want ghosts, take the DC one.
Which US city is best for night tours?
Savannah has the most depth: two tours on the list and at least two more that would have made it without our cap. New Orleans, Charleston, Salem, Gettysburg and DC also fill two spots each.
Are DC night tours worth it if the memorials are free?
For one night with tired legs, yes. The memorials are open 24 hours and you can walk them free, but the distances are long. The two vans here cost $89 (€80) and $99 (€88) and cap groups at 12.
How far ahead should I book a ghost tour in Salem in October?
Weeks. Witch City Walking Tours' History and Hauntings is booked about 29 days ahead on average and can't be refunded or changed. Spellbound's Voodoo, Vampires and Ghosts walk allows free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Are any of these night tours good for kids?
Several take children with an adult: the Savannah candlelit walk has kid rates, the Jennie Wade tour has child prices, and both DC vans are fine for families. Skip the 17+, 21+ and 16+ ones. Our family list filters for you.
