Top New Orleans Water Tours

Journey back in time to when New Orleans was a budding port town that dazzled visitors with its colorful Creole culture. Board the historic riverboat for a morning or afternoon float down the mighty Mississippi. Stroll the deck, admire the iconic paddlewheel, enjoy live music, and snap picturesque shots of the beautiful urban shoreline. This family‐friendly excursion offers an optional buffet lunch (additional expense).

Journey through time on a paddle-wheel boat ride along the mighty Mississippi. Stroll the deck, cozy up with family and friends, and delight in the sparkle of the urban shoreline at dusk. This excursion includes a Creole‐inspired dinner (if option selected) and live jazz music.

Immerse yourself in the rich culture and natural splendor of New Orleans’ mystifying swamps and wetlands on a New Orleans swamp tour and wetlands adventure. Relax in the luxurious interior of a New Orleans swamp tour boat as you cruise past cultural highlights like a Cajun cemetery, an Indian burial mound and a traditional fishing village. Scour the scenery for fascinating flora and fauna like snakes, turtles and alligators while listening to interesting commentary from your professional guide.

Sail down this Mississippi River on a classic Paddlewheeler boat on this New Orleans river cruise. Enjoy illuminating narration from a licensed historian and stop part-way through the trip to learn about the Battle of New Orleans. Then, get back aboard the vessel and enjoy a cash bar while admiring the views.

Explore one of Louisiana’s last protected wetlands on a 2-hour boat tour that includes round-trip transport from New Orleans. Depart in the morning or afternoon for Honey Island Swamp, a wildlife preserve teeming with critters such as 'gators, wild boar, snakes and birds. Ride through the swamp dripping with lush foliage and visit a boat-accessible Cajun village with an informative local guide who sheds light on the area’s inhabitants.

Experience the civilized and the wild on a plantation tour and educational swamp boat ride from New Orleans. On this full-day journey, visit Oak Alley Plantation or Destrehan Plantation (depending on time chosen) where you'll learn about antebellum life. At Oak Alley, stroll down its iconic tree-lined esplanade. Next, head into the marshy swampland for a boat ride and some wildlife spotting. Enjoy guided commentary as you snap photos of alligators, raccoons, snakes and native birds.

Nowhere is Louisiana’s wildlife more abundant than in the swamps and bayous of New Orleans. Take a boat ride through these swamps and bayous and be on the lookout for alligators, raccoons, snakes, turtles and native birds. Hear stories from your guide about local Cajun culture and the mysteries of the swamps and bayous.

Uncover the mysteries of the swamps surrounding New Orleans on an exhilarating airboat tour of the area, led by a professional guide. Cruise along the picturesque waterways in search of ferocious alligators and other rare wildlife while listening to illuminating commentary from your guide. Feel your adrenaline levels surge as your driver accelerates to high speeds, and capture fantastic photographs during regular stops. Enjoy the convenience of round-trip transportation by comfortable, air-conditioned coach.

Experience the iconic New Orleans swamplands during a small-group airboat tour, led by a professional guide. Alternate between adrenaline-fuelled high speeds and gentle cruising as you sail past fascinating flora and fauna. Capture fantastic photographs of alligators in their natural habitat, and relish the intimate atmosphere of a small-group, limited to only nine passengers. Enjoy the convenience of round-trip transportation by comfortable, air-conditioned coach from your hotel in Downtown New Orleans.

Go for a sunset cruise aboard the Paddlewheeler Creole Queen on this boat trip. Listen to an on-board jazz band and choose to add on a Creole-style dinner buffet as the boat sails along the Mississippi River. Take in the views from the promenade deck and sip New Orleans-inspired cocktails.

Lose yourself in the atmospheric depths of the New Orleans swamps and wetlands on an exhilarating 2-hour boat tour, led by a professional guide. Cruise past ancient wonders and listen to legends surrounding a 2000-year-old Indian burial mound and an atmospheric Cajun cemetery. Scour the Barataria Swamps for sightings of fascinating wildlife such as snakes, turtles and ferocious alligators, and learn about the area’s history and geology from your knowledgeable guide. Enjoy the convenience of round-trip transportation by luxury vehicle fro your New Orleans hotel.

Cruise through the wild wetlands of Honey Island Swamp on a 2-hour boat tour. Located on the marshy shores of Lake Ponchartrain just north of New Orleans, this protected nature reserve is home to an array of southern wildlife, from egrets and herons soaring above to otters and alligators lurking below the water’s surface. Hear tales of swamp pirates, fishermen’s lore and mysterious creatures from your captain as you glide past hanging moss and swooning cypress trees.

Delve into the atmospheric beauty of New Orleans’ vast swamplands on an exciting 2-hour small-group tour by airboat. With a knowledgeable guide, cruise past fascinating flora and fauna, scouring the picturesque scenery for sightings of alligators and other rare creatures. Experience the exhilaration of traveling at high velocity as your driver alternates between gentle cruising and high-speed bursts. Receive personalized attention from your guide on this small-group tour, limited to only 9 passengers.

Louisiana’s wild backcountry is known for its cypress swamps that are home to alligators, snakes, and turtles. Explore this area in a safe and fun way in a flat-bottomed boat that travels through the marshes. Learn more about local wildlife from the guide and look out for herons, hawks, owls, and bald eagles too.

Experience the Jean Lafitte National Park and Preserve on this shaded pontoon excursion. Your tour guide, who was born and raised in the bayou, will teach you about Southern Louisiana’s distinctive ecology as you cruise past magnificent cypress trees and watch for native wildlife like gators and egrets.

Travel through Cajun Country on this full-day New Orleans city tour and swamp adventure. Journey with your professional guide in a comfortable air-conditioned minibus as you learn about the history, culture and highlights of southern Creoles. You'll see major city highlights, plus areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. Afterward, you'll head to the bayou for your choice of a leisurely tour boat ride or thrilling airboat ride.

Experience Louisiana’s wild bayou country on an exciting, family-friendly airboat tour. This tour includes a ride on a small airboat (maximum 13 passengers) that zips through the tree‐lined marshes at speeds up to 45 mph (72 kph). While onboard, enjoy lively commentary from your guide as you view lush scenery and local wildlife, including alligators, nutria, and native birds. Pickup and drop-off from downtown New Orleans and French Quarter hotels included.

Enjoy a classic New Orleans experience of a lovely jazz brunch aboard a historic riverboat! Journey through time on this cruise along the mighty Mississippi. Stroll the deck, admire the iconic paddlewheel, and snap picturesque shots of the beautiful urban shoreline. This family‐friendly excursion includes a delectable optional brunch loaded with famous Louisiana dishes and live music from a local jazz trio.

Trade in the urban bustle for the bayou on a half-day trip from New Orleans to the wilds of the Honey Island Swamp. Relax on the ride from your downtown or French Quarter hotel, and then cruise beneath hanging moss and cypress trees while a wetland ecologist shares tall tales and fun facts about this protected nature reserve on the shores of Lake Ponchartrain. Learn about Louisiana’s long-standing fishing industry, and keep an eye out for native critters like otters, turtles, egrets, and alligators lurking beneath the surface.

Go beyond the French Quarter and discover the unique Cajun and Creole cultures of New Orleans during this full-day swamp and plantation tour. Venture deep into the bayous, with a small group limited to 12, to see Cajun living and spot wildlife like alligators and pelicans on your high-speed airboat ride. Then, admire the beautiful architecture and learn about the history of Houmas House and Laura Plantation. Gourmet, unlimited buffet lunch at Houmas House is included.

Experience New Orleans’ wild bayou country on an exciting airboat tour. This fun-filled tour includes a ride on the boat plus admission to an albino alligator exhibit and transportation from New Orleans. While on-board, enjoy lively commentary from your guide as you spot local wildlife, including alligators, nutria, and native birds, and visit the secluded fishing village of Jean Lafitte, the infamous 19th‐century smuggler.

Discover one of Louisiana’s last preserved wetlands on a Honey Island Swamp boat tour. After making a short drive to Slidell, travel deep into the secluded swamp across Lake Pontchartrain to view native wildlife and witness a remote Cajun village only accessible by boat. Enjoy guided commentary on Cajun culture and the lush swamps as you spot alligators, wild boar, snakes, and native birds. This tour does not include transportation.

A self guided adventure just minutes from the French quarter on Bayou Bienvenue. The area is teeming with wildlife; from birds, herons, docile alligators, turtles, and more.