Shaded, spacious pontoon 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
Seven swamp trips compared
Swamp tour New Orleans: seven boat trips compared
A swamp tour New Orleans visitors can book here starts at $31 for 1.5 to 3 hours on a shady, spacious covered pontoon boat, and tops out at $179 for a 5.5-hour day that pairs Destrehan Plantation with a 2-hour airboat ride. In between sit two standalone airboat rides, $50 from Lafitte in Bayou Barataria and $65 for the 16-passenger ride, and three more plantation days that end on an airboat. The boat ride is what you pay for; the plantation days add a house visit, and the Oak Alley combo names entry and pickup. Covered boat for shade and room, airboat for speed, combo for a whole day.
Quick answer
The short answer. For the lowest price take the covered pontoon at $31, rated 4.6 from 492 reviews. For the most-reviewed boat take the 16-passenger airboat at $65, rated 4.9 from 2,879 reviews. For a full day with a plantation, the Oak Alley combo at $160 is the one whose description includes entry tickets and pickup.
Swamp tour New Orleans options at a glance
- Swamp trips compared
- 7 listingsthree boat rides, four plantation days
- Lowest price
- $31covered pontoon, 1.5 – 3 hours
- Cheapest airboat
- $50from Lafitte, Bayou Barataria
- Most reviewed
- 2,879 reviewsHigh Speed 16 Passenger Airboat, 4.9
- Top rating with 20+ reviews
- 5.0Destrehan combo, 28 reviews
- Longest day
- 8.5 hoursOak Alley combo, $160
- Listings that name alligators
- 3 of 7pontoon, Lafitte airboat, Destrehan
- Pickup in the description
- 1 of 7the Oak Alley airboat combo
- Reviews across the seven
- 5,472from 16 to 2,879 per listing
- Cancellation
- Free cancellationon all seven listings
What you are choosing between
Three kinds of swamp trip, and what separates them
Same swamps, three very different days. Price follows the length of the day.
A covered boat, $31. The pontoon listing describes a shady, spacious boat on Louisiana swamps and waterways, and says you can observe the birds and alligators that live there. It is listed at 1.5 to 3 hours, rated 4.6 from 492 reviews, and it is the lowest price of any swamp trip on this site.
A standalone airboat, $50 or $65. The Lafitte ride glides over the wetlands of Bayou Barataria, south of the city, looking for alligators, turtles and native birds; 925 reviews at 4.8. The High Speed ride carries up to 16 passengers through pristine waterways and is the most reviewed swamp trip here, 2,879 reviews at 4.9. Both are listed with a range of times, from 100 or 105 minutes up to 4 hours.
A plantation day with an airboat, $152 to $179. Four listings put the boat after a plantation: Oak Alley, Whitney, a choice of Oak Alley or Laura, and Destrehan. They run 5.5 to 8.5 hours. The plantation and swamp combos have their own page, with the houses compared.
By price
New Orleans swamp tour prices, from $31 to $179
Seven listings, cheapest first. Ratings and review counts are the live figures.
- Covered pontoon — $31, 1.5 to 3 hours
The only swamp trip here under $50. Shade and space are what the listing sells; birds and alligators are what it says you can observe. 492 reviews at 4.6.
- Airboat from Lafitte — $50, 105 minutes to 4 hours
A bayou swamp tour New Orleans listings place south of the city, in Bayou Barataria: turtles, native birds and alligators are what the listing says you look for. 925 reviews at 4.8.
- High Speed 16 Passenger Airboat — $65, 100 minutes to 4 hours
The listing promises an exhilarating ride through pristine waterways and wildlife up close. 2,879 reviews at 4.9, the most of any swamp trip on this site.
- Whitney Plantation and airboat — $152, 8 hours
Whitney with an audio guide, its historic slave cabins and memorials, then an airboat ride through Louisiana swamps later in the day. 72 reviews at 4.7.
- Oak Alley Plantation and airboat — $160, 8.5 hours
A guided day at Oak Alley, then an airboat in the Barataria Basin; entry tickets and pickup are included, the description says. 1,060 reviews at 4.8.
- Oak Alley or Laura, plus a small airboat — $175, 8 hours
Your choice of house, then a small airboat on private property. Rated 4.8, but on 16 reviews, the fewest of the seven.
- Destrehan Plantation and airboat — $179, 5.5 hours
The shortest plantation day, with a 2-hour airboat ride into secluded Cajun Country bayous. Rated 5.0 from 28 reviews.
Book direct
Every swamp tour New Orleans listing here, ready to book
Three boat rides and four plantation days with an airboat. Live prices and ratings.
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
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 swamp tour New Orleans listing, side by side
Price, listed length and rating with review count. Ranges are the times the listings give.
| 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 |
| 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 |
Which one if…
Which swamp trip fits your day
Matched to what each listing actually says, not to what we would guess.
- …you are bringing the family
For a new orleans swamp tour family groups can share in the shade, the covered pontoon at $31 is the one listing that describes its boat as shady and spacious.
- …you want alligators named in the listing
Three descriptions mention them: the pontoon, the Lafitte airboat and the Destrehan combo. On any alligator swamp tour New Orleans listings promise looking, not sightings.
- …you want the most-reviewed boat
The High Speed 16 Passenger Airboat at $65: 2,879 reviews at 4.9, more than the other six swamp trips put together.
- …you want transport in the price
For a new orleans swamp tour with transportation written into the description, take the Oak Alley combo at $160: entry tickets and pickup included.
- …you have one whole day
If the ultimate swamp tour New Orleans can give you means the longest day, it is the Oak Alley combo: 8.5 hours, a house and an airboat in the Barataria Basin.
- …you want a bayou by name
For a swamp and bayou tour New Orleans listings describe clearly, take Lafitte for Bayou Barataria, or Destrehan for “secluded Cajun Country bayous”.
Set on speed rather than shade? The six airboat rides compared, large and small.
Airboat rides compared→What the listings do not offer
Private, at night, close to town: straight answers
Private. None of the seven is described as a private swamp tour New Orleans groups can book for themselves alone. The nearest thing is the Oak Alley or Laura combo, whose small airboat runs on private property: private land, not a private boat.
At night. There is no night swamp tour New Orleans listing among the seven, and none gives an evening departure in its description. The evening trips on this site are the jazz boats on the river, in the cards on the home page.
Close to town. A swamp tour near New Orleans, by the listing titles, is the Lafitte ride, “south of New Orleans”, or the pontoon and the High Speed airboat, both titled under the city itself. None of the seven descriptions states the distance.
Cajun Country. The Cajun swamp tour New Orleans travellers ask about is, on this site, the Destrehan combo: its airboat heads into “secluded Cajun Country bayous”, weather permitting, for 2 hours.
Is it worth it?
Is a swamp tour worth the money? The numbers
At $31 for up to 3 hours, the pontoon is the cheapest way onto the water here, and 492 reviewers rate it 4.6. Paying $19 more for the Lafitte airboat buys a rating of 4.8 from nearly twice as many reviews; $34 more buys the High Speed ride and its 4.9 from 2,879.
The plantation days cost more because they are whole days. On this site Oak Alley on its own is $75 and the 16-passenger airboat is $65: $140 together, against $160 for the combo, which adds the pickup its description includes.
There is no single best swamp tour New Orleans answer in these numbers. There is a cheapest, a most reviewed and a longest, and each is a different day.
Want shade and room to move instead? How the covered pontoon compares with the airboats, boat by boat.
Covered boat or airboat?→Common questions
Swamp tours, answered
How much does a swamp trip cost here?
From $31 for the covered pontoon to $179 for the Destrehan combo. The two standalone airboats are $50 and $65; the plantation days with an airboat run $152 to $179.
How long is a swamp tour New Orleans listings offer?
The pontoon is listed at 1.5 to 3 hours, the Lafitte airboat at 105 minutes to 4 hours and the High Speed airboat at 100 minutes to 4 hours. The plantation days run 5.5 to 8.5 hours.
Will we see alligators?
The listings use looking words, not promises. The pontoon says you can observe birds and alligators, the Lafitte airboat says you look for them, and the Destrehan combo says to watch for them. None of them promises a sighting, and a new orleans gator swamp tour is the same trip by another name.
Which swamp tour New Orleans listing includes pickup?
Only one description says so: the Oak Alley airboat combo at $160, with entry tickets and pickup included. For the others, read the meeting point on the live listing before you book.
What is the best swamp tour in New Orleans for a first visit?
By reviews, the High Speed 16 Passenger Airboat: 2,879 at 4.9 for $65. By price, the covered pontoon at $31. By length, the Oak Alley combo at 8.5 hours.
Can I combine the swamp with a plantation?
Yes, four listings do: Whitney, Oak Alley, Oak Alley or Laura, and Destrehan, from $152 to $179. All four put an airboat after the house.
Can I cancel?
All seven swamp listings show Free cancellation. Check the exact deadline on the listing you pick.
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