Bestseller925 reviews
105 min - 4 hFrom Lafitte: Swamp Tours South of New Orleans by Airboat
★ 4.8 · 925 reviews
- 105 minutes - 4 hours, over the Lafitte swamps by airboat
- Bayou Barataria wetlands
- Bestseller
- Free cancellation
Six airboat rides compared
Airboat swamp tour New Orleans: six rides compared
An airboat swamp tour New Orleans visitors can book here starts at $50: the ride from Lafitte over the wetlands of Bayou Barataria, listed at 105 minutes to 4 hours and rated 4.8 from 925 reviews. The High Speed ride for up to 16 passengers is $65 and the most reviewed, 2,879 at 4.9. Four more put an airboat at the end of a plantation day, from $152 at Whitney to $179 at Destrehan, where the airboat part is 2 hours. The ride is what you pay for; the plantation days add a house visit, and the Oak Alley combo names entry and pickup. For people who came for speed.
Quick answer
The short answer. Two airboat swamp tour New Orleans rides run on their own: $50 from Lafitte and $65 for the 16-passenger ride. Pick Lafitte for the lower price and a named bayou, the High Speed ride for the review count. Add a plantation and the day becomes 5.5 to 8.5 hours at $152 to $179.
Airboat swamp tour New Orleans options at a glance
- Airboat rides compared
- 6 listingstwo on their own, four with a plantation
- Cheapest airboat
- $50from Lafitte, 105 minutes – 4 hours
- Most reviewed
- 2,879 reviewsHigh Speed ride, rated 4.9
- Largest boat stated
- 16 passengersHigh Speed ride, $65
- Small airboat
- $175Oak Alley or Laura combo, 16 reviews
- Airboat time stated
- 2 hoursDestrehan combo, $179
- Plantation combos
- $152 – $1795.5 to 8.5 hours
- Reviews across the six
- 4,980from 16 to 2,879 per listing
- Cancellation
- Free cancellationon all six listings
In the listings’ own words
What an airboat ride here actually is
Speed and open water: that is the promise, in the listings’ own words.
The six listings describe the same kind of boat from different angles. The Lafitte ride says you glide over the swamps and see the bayou landscape “like never before”. The High Speed ride calls itself exhilarating and promises pristine waterways and wildlife up close. The Oak Alley or Laura combo uses a small airboat on private property. The Destrehan combo gives the one exact airboat time on this page, 2 hours, into secluded Cajun Country bayous, weather permitting.
What none of them describes is shade or a covered deck. If that matters more than speed, the covered pontoon is the other boat, at $31.
An airboat swamp tour New Orleans operators sell on its own is listed with a range of times: 105 minutes to 4 hours at Lafitte and 100 minutes to 4 hours on the High Speed ride. The live listing shows which option your price covers.
Large or small
Boat size: 16 seats or a small airboat
Only two listings say anything about the size of the boat. Here is what they say.
- The big one: up to 16 passengers, $65
For a large airboat swamp tour New Orleans has one listing that states its size: the High Speed ride, 16 passengers. 2,879 reviews at 4.9.
- The small one: inside a plantation day, $175
The one small airboat swamp tour New Orleans listings describe is part of the Oak Alley or Laura combo, on private property. Rated 4.8, on 16 reviews.
- Group size elsewhere: not stated
For a New Orleans small group airboat swamp tour, no description here gives a number besides the 16-seat ride. Read the group size on the live listing.
Book direct
Every airboat swamp tour New Orleans listing, ready to book
Two airboats on their own, four plantation days that end on one. Live prices and ratings.
Rated 4.92,879 reviews
100 min - 4 hNew Orleans: High Speed 16 Passenger Airboat Ride
★ 4.9 · 2,879 reviews
- 100 minutes - 4 hours, Airboat ride through the waterways
- Up to 16 passengers aboard
- Must book at least 2h in advance
- Free cancellation
Bestseller1,060 reviews
8.5 hNew Orleans: Oak Alley Plantation & Airboat Swamp Combo Tour
★ 4.8 · 1,060 reviews
- 8.5 hours, to Oak Alley Plantation
- Hotel pickup available
- Bestseller
- Free cancellation
$160$18.82 / hour
Check availability→ 
Historic slave cabins and memorials72 reviews
8 hFrom New Orleans: Whitney Plantation and Airboat Tour Combo
★ 4.7 · 72 reviews
- Eight hours, to Whitney Plantation with audio guide
- Historic slave cabins and memorials
- Airboat ride through Louisiana swamps
- Free cancellation
$152$19.00 / hour
Check availability→ 
Small airboat on private property16 reviews
8 hNew Orleans: Oak Alley or Laura Plantation Plus Airboat Tour
★ 4.8 · 16 reviews
- Eight hours, to Oak Alley or Laura Plantation
- Small airboat on private property
- Plantation history and grounds
- Free cancellation
$175$21.88 / hour
Check availability→ 
Rated 5.028 reviews
5.5 hNew Orleans: Destrehan Plantation & Swamp Airboat Combo Tour
★ 5.0 · 28 reviews
- 5.5 hours, to Destrehan Plantation from New Orleans
- Airboat ride, weather permitting
- Secluded Cajun Country bayous
- Free cancellation
$179$32.55 / hour
Check availability→ Every trip, current fare
Each airboat swamp tour New Orleans listing, side by side
Price, listed length and rating with review count. The plantation days include the house as well as the boat.
| Tour | Length | Price | What you get | Cost per hour | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From Lafitte: Swamp Tours South of New Orleans by AirboatBayou Barataria wetlands | 105 min - 4 h | $50 | over the Lafitte swamps by airboat | — | 4.8 · 925 |
| New Orleans: High Speed 16 Passenger Airboat RideUp to 16 passengers aboard | 100 min - 4 h | $65 | Airboat ride through the waterways | — | 4.9 · 2,879 |
| New Orleans: Oak Alley Plantation & Airboat Swamp Combo TourEntry tickets and pickup included | 8.5 h | $160 | to Oak Alley Plantation | $18.82 | 4.8 · 1,060 |
| From New Orleans: Whitney Plantation and Airboat Tour ComboHistoric slave cabins and memorials | 8 h | $152 | to Whitney Plantation with audio guide | $19.00 | 4.7 · 72 |
| New Orleans: Oak Alley or Laura Plantation Plus Airboat TourSmall airboat on private property | 8 h | $175 | to Oak Alley or Laura Plantation | $21.88 | 4.8 · 16 |
| New Orleans: Destrehan Plantation & Swamp Airboat Combo TourAirboat ride, weather permitting | 5.5 h | $179 | to Destrehan Plantation from New Orleans | $32.55 | 5.0 · 28 |
On its own or with a house
Airboat alone, or a plantation day around it
On its own. Two listings sell an airboat swamp tour New Orleans visitors take without a plantation: Lafitte at $50 and the High Speed ride at $65. Between them they carry 3,804 of the 4,980 reviews on this page.
With a plantation. Whitney at $152 adds an audio-guided visit to its historic slave cabins and memorials. Oak Alley at $160 adds a guided visit, entry tickets and pickup. Oak Alley or Laura at $175 lets you choose the house. Destrehan at $179 is the shortest day, 5.5 hours.
Which house to pick is a separate question, answered on the plantation and swamp combos page.
Which one if…
Which airboat fits your day
Matched to the listing descriptions and the live numbers.
- …you want the lowest price
Lafitte at $50: the cheapest airboat here, rated 4.8 from 925 reviews.
- …you trust the crowd
The best airboat swamp tour New Orleans has by review count is the High Speed ride: 2,879 reviews at 4.9.
- …you want a named bayou
Lafitte for Bayou Barataria, or Destrehan for Cajun Country bayous.
- …you want transport sorted
The Oak Alley combo at $160: its description includes pickup.
- …you have half a day, not a whole one
Destrehan, 5.5 hours, the shortest plantation day with an airboat.
- …you want a smaller boat
Oak Alley or Laura at $175, with its small airboat. Only 16 reviews so far.
Reviews, read properly
New Orleans airboat swamp tour reviews, in numbers
Two of the six airboat swamp tour New Orleans listings have big samples: the High Speed ride, 2,879 reviews at 4.9, and the Oak Alley combo, 1,060 at 4.8. Lafitte follows with 925 at 4.8.
The other three are rated on far fewer people. Whitney has 72 reviews at 4.7, Destrehan 28 at 5.0, and Oak Alley or Laura 16 at 4.8. A 5.0 from 28 reviewers is good news, but it is not the same evidence as a 4.9 from 2,879.
Is it worth it?
Is an airboat worth the extra over the pontoon?
New Orleans airboat swamp tour prices start $19 above the covered pontoon ($31). For that, Lafitte gives a rating of 4.8 against 4.6. The High Speed ride, $34 above the pontoon, is rated 4.9.
Inside a plantation day the boat is part of a bigger price. Oak Alley alone is $75 on this site and the High Speed ride $65, so $140 bought separately against $160 for the combo with pickup.
An airboat swamp tour New Orleans travellers pick for speed is worth it if speed is the point. For shade and a slower look, the pontoon costs less.
Not sure the airboat is right? All seven swamp trips, including the covered pontoon, on one page.
Every swamp trip→Common questions
Airboat rides, answered
What does an airboat swamp tour New Orleans ride cost here?
$50 from Lafitte and $65 for the High Speed ride. Inside a plantation day the airboat comes with the house, from $152 to $179.
Will we see alligators on the airboat?
On a New Orleans airboat swamp tour alligator sightings are not promised. Lafitte says you look for alligators, turtles and native birds; Destrehan says watch for alligators. The others mention wildlife without naming it.
Is there an airboat swamp tour near New Orleans?
The Lafitte ride is titled “south of New Orleans”, in Bayou Barataria. The High Speed ride is titled under the city itself. The descriptions do not give distances.
How long is the airboat swamp tour in New Orleans?
Lafitte is listed at 105 minutes to 4 hours, the High Speed ride at 100 minutes to 4 hours. Destrehan states a 2-hour airboat ride inside a 5.5-hour day.
Is the airboat small group?
The High Speed ride states up to 16 passengers; the Oak Alley or Laura combo uses a small airboat. The others do not give a group size in their descriptions.
Which is better, airboat or covered pontoon?
Airboat for speed and open water, pontoon for shade and space, at $31. The pontoon is rated 4.6, the two standalone airboats 4.8 and 4.9.
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