Covered boat492 reviews
1.5 - 3 hNew Orleans: Swamp Tour on Covered Pontoon Boat
★ 4.6 · 492 reviews
- 1.5 to 3 hours, Louisiana swamps and waterways
- Shaded, spacious pontoon boat
- Must book at least 3h in advance
- Free cancellation
Out of the city
Day trips from New Orleans: plantations, airboats and the combos
Day trips from New Orleans on this site start at $75 for a 5.5-hour guided Oak Alley trip that leaves from the city, and run to 8.5 hours for the Oak Alley and airboat combo at $160, which includes entry tickets and pickup. Ten listings are compared here: three plantation visits, four combos that add an airboat, and three swamp boats from $31. Plantations suit a day of history, the swamp boats a shorter outing, the combos both in one day.
Quick answer
The short answer. For a plantation alone, Oak Alley costs $75 for 5.5 hours and Whitney $89 with transportation. For a house and a bayou on the same day, the Oak Alley combo at $160 carries the most reviews of the seven plantation listings: 1,060 at 4.8. For a few hours on the water, the swamp boats start at $31.
Ten day trips from New Orleans at a glance
- Lowest price, plantation
- $75Oak Alley, 5.5 hours
- Lowest price, swamp boat
- $31covered pontoon, 1.5 – 3 hours
- Longest day
- 8.5 hoursOak Alley plus airboat, $160
- Shortest combo
- 5.5 hoursDestrehan plus airboat, $179
- Most-reviewed plantation trip
- 1,060 reviewsthe Oak Alley combo, rated 4.8
- Most-reviewed listing of the ten
- 2,879 reviewsthe 16-passenger airboat, rated 4.9
- Plantations named in the listings
- FourOak Alley, Whitney, Laura, Destrehan
- Combos with an airboat
- Fourfrom $152
- Reviews across the ten
- 6,786live listings
- Free cancellation
- On all tenper the listings
Every trip, current fare
Ten trips out of the city, side by side
Sorted by price. The cost per hour is blank where a listing gives a range of lengths rather than one figure.
| Tour | Length | Price | What you get | Cost per hour | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans: Swamp Tour on Covered Pontoon BoatShaded, spacious pontoon boat | 1.5 - 3 h | $31 | Louisiana swamps and waterways | — | 4.6 · 492 |
| 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 |
| From New Orleans: Oak Alley Plantation TourGuide in traditional dress | 5.5 h | $75 | to Oak Alley Plantation | $13.64 | 4.5 · 539 |
| New Orleans: Whitney Plantation Tour with TransportationMuseum dedicated to history of slavery | 5 h - 465 min | $89 | to the Whitney Plantation museum | — | 4.7 · 736 |
| 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 |
| From New Orleans: Whitney and Laura Guided Plantation TourStories of those who lived there | 5.5 h | $159 | to Whitney and Laura Plantations | $28.91 | 5.0 · 39 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
Book direct
Book a day trip: the ten listings
Three swamp boats, three plantation visits and four combos, cheapest first.
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
2,879 reviews16 seats
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
Bestseller539 reviews
5.5 hFrom New Orleans: Oak Alley Plantation Tour
★ 4.5 · 539 reviews
- 5.5 hours, to Oak Alley Plantation
- Guide in traditional dress
- Bestseller
- Free cancellation
$75$13.64 / hour
Check availability→ 
Bestseller736 reviews
5 h - 465 minNew Orleans: Whitney Plantation Tour with Transportation
★ 4.7 · 736 reviews
- 5 hours - 465 minutes, to the Whitney Plantation museum
- Museum dedicated to history of slavery
- Bestseller
- Free cancellation
72 reviewsWhitney + airboat
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→ 
Rated 5.039 reviews
5.5 hFrom New Orleans: Whitney and Laura Guided Plantation Tour
★ 5.0 · 39 reviews
- 5.5 hours, to Whitney and Laura Plantations
- Stories of those who lived there
- Guided tour from New Orleans
- Free cancellation
$159$28.91 / hour
Check availability→ 
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→ 
16 reviewsOak Alley or Laura
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→ Plantation only
Three plantation visits, and what each listing describes
Oak Alley for the lowest price, Whitney for the history of slavery, both for two in one day.
Of the day trips from New Orleans that stay with one plantation, Oak Alley at $75 is the lowest price. It is a guided tour from New Orleans lasting 5.5 hours: plantation life explained, antique farm equipment on display, and a guide in traditional dress. It carries 539 reviews at 4.5, the lowest rating of the seven plantation listings, which is worth knowing before you book on price alone. The three Oak Alley options are compared on the Oak Alley page.
Whitney at $89 is a museum visit, not a house tour. The listing describes Whitney as a plantation museum in Louisiana completely dedicated to the history of slavery, open to the public since 2014. Transportation is in the title, the length runs from 5 hours to 465 minutes, and 736 reviews at 4.7 make it the most-reviewed plantation visit without an add-on. The three Whitney trips have their own comparison.
Whitney and Laura together cost $159. Two plantations in 5.5 hours on a guided tour from the city, rated 5.0 across 39 reviews. That is a perfect score on a small number of reviews, so read it next to the 736 behind the Whitney-only trip.
Plantation plus airboat
Four combos that add an airboat to a plantation
Day trips from New Orleans that put a house and a bayou on one booking.
Oak Alley and airboat, $160, 8.5 hours. A full-day combo with an airboat tour in the Barataria Basin; the listing states that entry tickets and pickup are included. With 1,060 reviews at 4.8, it has the most evidence behind it of any plantation trip on this page.
Whitney and airboat, $152, 8 hours. Whitney with an audio guide, historic slave cabins and memorials, and later in the day an airboat ride through the Louisiana swamps. Rated 4.7 across 72 reviews, and the lowest price of the four combos.
Oak Alley or Laura and airboat, $175, 8 hours. You choose one of the two plantations, then ride a small airboat through swamps on private property and look for wildlife. It has 16 reviews at 4.8: too few to lean on.
Destrehan and airboat, $179, 5.5 hours. A tour of historic Destrehan Plantation, then a 2-hour airboat ride into secluded Cajun Country bayous, which the listing marks “weather permitting”. It is the shortest combo and the priciest, rated 5.0 across 28 reviews. Combos are set side by side on the plantation and swamp page.
Swamp boats
Three swamp boats for a shorter trip out of town
The shorter day trips from New Orleans: a few hours on the water.
The covered pontoon at $31 is the lowest price of the ten. A shaded, spacious pontoon boat through Louisiana swamps and waterways, 1.5 to 3 hours. The listing says birds and alligators live in the swampland; it does not promise a sighting. 492 reviews at 4.6.
The airboat from Lafitte at $50 goes into Bayou Barataria. The listing describes looking for alligators, turtles and native birds in the wetlands, with 925 reviews at 4.8. Its length is listed as 105 minutes to 4 hours.
The 16-passenger airboat at $65 has 2,879 reviews at 4.9. That is the largest review count among these ten day trips from New Orleans, for a ride through the waterways listed at 100 minutes to 4 hours. More swamp boats are compared on the swamp tours page.
Which one if
Which day trip fits the day you have
The best guided day trips from New Orleans depend on what you want from the day. Six common cases, matched to the listings above.
- You want a plantation at the lowest price — Oak Alley at $75
5.5 hours with a guide in traditional dress. Rated 4.5 across 539 reviews.
- You want the history of slavery told directly — Whitney from $89
A museum the listing describes as dedicated to that history. 736 reviews at 4.7.
- You want a house and a bayou on one day — the Oak Alley combo at $160
8.5 hours with entry tickets and pickup included, and 1,060 reviews at 4.8.
- You have half a day — Destrehan and airboat at $179
The shortest combo at 5.5 hours, or a swamp boat from $31.
- You want the most reviews behind your booking — the airboat at $65
2,879 reviews at 4.9, the largest count of the ten.
- You want shade on the water — the covered pontoon at $31
A covered, spacious boat, 1.5 to 3 hours, 492 reviews at 4.6.
Worth it?
Are day trips from New Orleans worth the price?
Cost per hour, combos against separate bookings, and the review counts behind the ratings.
By the hour, the two Oak Alley day trips from New Orleans cost $13.64 to $18.82. Oak Alley alone is $75 for 5.5 hours; the Oak Alley combo is $160 for 8.5. Whitney and Laura works out at $28.91 an hour for two plantations.
A combo costs up to $20 more than two bookings. Oak Alley at $75 plus the 16-passenger airboat at $65 comes to $140, $20 less than the combo; but the combo lists entry tickets and pickup as included, and the $75 listing does not say whether entry is. Whitney at $89 plus the same airboat is $154; the Whitney combo is $152.
Which are the best day trips from New Orleans by the numbers? Ratings across the seven plantation listings run from 4.5 to 5.0, and they carry 2,490 reviews between them. Ranked by review count, the top day trips from New Orleans here are the 16-passenger airboat (2,879), the Oak Alley combo (1,060) and the Lafitte airboat (925). The perfect 5.0 scores sit on 39 and 28 reviews, which is a thinner base than 4.7 on 736.
All ten are one day trips from New Orleans. The longest listing is 8.5 hours, so none needs a night away, and each carries free cancellation per the listings. If you would rather stay in town, the 33 tours compared on the home page start at $25.
Deciding between the two plantations people book most? The three Oak Alley trips, compared by price, length and reviews.
Oak Alley compared→Common questions
Day trips from New Orleans, answered
How much does a day trip from New Orleans cost?
On this site, from $31 for a covered swamp boat and from $75 for a plantation. The four plantation-and-airboat combos cost $152 to $179.
How long are the plantation trips?
Oak Alley alone and Whitney with Laura are 5.5 hours each. Whitney with transportation is listed at 5 hours to 465 minutes. The combos with an airboat run 5.5 hours (Destrehan), 8 hours (Whitney, and Oak Alley or Laura) and 8.5 hours (Oak Alley).
Can I see a plantation and a swamp on the same day?
Yes. Four listings combine them: Oak Alley at $160, Whitney at $152, Oak Alley or Laura at $175 and Destrehan at $179, each with an airboat ride.
Which plantation trip focuses on the history of slavery?
Whitney. Its listing describes a plantation museum in Louisiana completely dedicated to the history of slavery, open to the public since 2014. You can book it alone at $89, with Laura at $159 or with an airboat at $152.
Can I take a day trip without a car?
Yes. Oak Alley at $75 and Whitney with Laura at $159 are guided tours from the city, Whitney at $89 has transportation in its title, and the Oak Alley combo at $160 states that pickup is included.
Will I see alligators on an airboat?
No listing promises it. The Lafitte airboat describes looking for alligators, turtles and native birds, and the Destrehan combo says to watch for alligators and other swamp wildlife. Treat sightings as possible, not certain.
Go deeper
More guides to New Orleans
Swamp tours
Swamp tours
New Orleans swamp tours compared: covered boats, airboats and the combos with a plantation, by price and length.
Airboat toursAirboat tours
Airboat swamp tours from New Orleans compared: price, ride length and the combos with a plantation.
Swamp boat toursSwamp boat tours
Covered swamp boats from New Orleans compared: pontoon and tour-boat cruises, price and length.
Ghost toursGhost tours
New Orleans ghost tours compared: French Quarter story walks, voodoo and vampire tales, and a cemetery bus at night.
Cemetery toursCemetery tours
New Orleans cemetery tours: inside St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, a cemetery at night and a city-and-cemetery bus.
Walking toursWalking tours
New Orleans walking tours compared: French Quarter stories, the Garden District, cemeteries and food walks.
