New Orleans

Small-Group Manchac Swamp Kayak Tour with Local Guide

Badge of ExcellenceNew Orleans, USA

From $93.00

Select Date and Travelers

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

2 hours
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Overview

Escape the city for an afternoon to experience life on the Louisiana bayou with a kayak tour of Manchac swamp. Just a short drive from New Orleans, the swamp offers a sleepy southern landscape of cypress trees, bird calls, alligators, and slow-moving currents that are perfect for beginning paddlers. No kayaking experience is necessary, and pickup from central New Orleans makes it convenient to take a nature break from the Big Easy.

Get outdoors and explore the Manchac swamp by kayak
Look for Louisiana wildlife such as birds, turtles, frogs, and alligators
Learn the history of the wetlands and bayou once used as a logging waterway
Includes pickup and drop-off from a central New Orleans location

What's Included

Tour escort/host
Professional guide
Pickup and drop-off from designated meeting points
Driver/guide
All activities

Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

732 N Rampart St, New Orleans, LA 70116, USA
Guests shuttle instructions: 732 N Rampart St. New Orleans, LA 10:15AM tour - pickup is for 9AM 1PM tour - pickup is for 12:00PM 4PM tour - pickup is for 3PM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Children must be accompanied by an adult
A maximum of 14 people per booking
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed

Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
Most travelers can participate
For transportation Uber is ok but not recommended
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 14 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Alexandra_B

Absolutely incredible experience. Ryan, the guide, was so laid back and made the whole kayak experience calm and thoroughly relaxing. Would highly recommend; the amount of flora and fauna we saw (and Ryan explained) was more than we expected! Thank you!

Reviews

5.0

412 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 412 reviews

Great fun

cinda_s, May 2024

Excellent tour, a must do for anyone coming to the area. You’ll definitely learn about the area & spend a great day in the outdoors getting exercise.

Great tour!

Eleanor_A, Apr 2024

This tour was great - absolutely stunning scenery, a very knowledgeable guide and a lot visible wildlife, including alligators.

Amazing

Holly_T, Apr 2024

Absolutely spectacular. Al was an excellent tour guide with his own local history which added to the experience.

Must Do!

Daniele_S, Apr 2024

We got to kayak about 2 to 2.5 miles out into the swamp. We saw alligators, turtles, birds, and a snack. A frog hopped onto our kayak and joined us on our trip. The guide told us about the animals and plants we were seeing and the area's history. This tour is a must!

Highlight of my 3rd trip to NOLA!

DianePhamLe, Apr 2024

Wow, I have so much more respect & compassion for those who lived in the swamps back then and those who currently fish there and take care of Louisiana's history! My boyfriend and I had an absolute blast and enjoyed our guide, Terry. Transportation to and from the swamp area was smooth and our entire group was good for the most part. We would totally do this again in a heartbeat. Suggestions for the Wild Louisiana Kayak: (1) Please find a way for everyone to be able to hear the information the guide gives. As much as Terry was knowledgeable and taking care of us, at times it was difficult to hear him. (2) I believe there should be some pre-requisites to going on this tour, especially to have prior kayaking experience (maybe at least 5-10 times) and/or is currently active (gym/running/ etc). There were some areas that were hard to get through with our kayak (and we're both physically active and kayaked before), so if someone is new they might not enjoy that very much. Moreover, there were two ladies in our group who were on the much larger side who slowed the tour down, hence the delay of going back to the city on time. They paired up, however I think incorrectly on the kayak so that delayed us further. *FYI the muscle should be in the back, while the person in front steers more. Terry did what he could to help these ladies. There were some other people in the group who slowed down purposely to help these ladies. I understand this experience is open to all, however I think it'd be a good idea to be mindful of other people during this tour too. Suggestions for those who plan on going: (1) Don't do any crazy workouts before. Rest, eat well, & hydrate (2) Bring water (3) Wear something comfy and protective from the sun, sunnies & a hat are a must (4) Be open to the water and everything surrounded by you and your kayak

Great tour! Would recommend!

Nicole_C, Mar 2024

The tour guide, Josh, was knowledgable and entertaining. Not only was he a great tour guide, but included information about the area and the Louisiana wetlands. The tour was great. We had great weather and were able to see the area and some wildlife.

Beautiful tour

Rochel_K, Feb 2024

The kayak tour was a beautiful way to get out of the hustle and bustle of the city for a while. Although we were still able to catch glimpses of multiple animals we would recommend coming a little later into spring to see the fully bloomed floral landscape. Our guide Josh was lively, did well participating with every member of the group and knew his history well.

A sunny winter paddle

James_V, Jan 2024

Zack was an excellent guide and we had a wonderfull paddle. He was very knowledgeable and answered our questions and showed us interesting flora of the bayou.

boo hiss

lisa_e, Dec 2023

I am not a fan of writing so-so reviews but since I just wrote a glowing one for another tour it seems only fair. Although I asked what clothing to bring, no one told us how wet, cold and uncomfortable we would be. Would have been helpful to tell us to bring a change of clothing, waterproof clothing and gloves. I’m an experienced kayaker but for those unaccustomed the guide moved too quickly and there was very little information shared. All experienced/excursions have their value but this was physically uncomfortable and well, boring — hard to believe I know. The van was also crammed too tight with people and getting into the van with cold wet clothing, the guide kept the AC running. My son and other male customers were asked to load up the kayaks. Not a fan. Sorry.

Wouldn’t recommend

James_V, Dec 2023

We could hear the noise of the highway the entire time. Besides seeing a few birds, it was uneventful.

Fun Swamp Adventure

Jami_B, Nov 2023

So fun! Lots of cool facts and moments. We had an amazing time and Terry, our guide, was so great and knowledgeable!

Josh is a great tour guide!

David_B, Oct 2023

Alligators! All the information that Josh, our tour guide, was sharing. Comfortable kayaks and helpful paddling guidance. We learned so much about the swamp and dikes and climate.

Incredible Adventure -Speed, History, Wildlife

Jason_A, Oct 2023

This was my husbands pick, but I ended up absolutely loving it! Ian (and his mascot Chubbs!) was a fantastic guide. He was incredibly knowledgeable about the animals, the history, and the swamp life. Flying across the water was both exhilarating and terrifying (in a good way!). I always felt Ian was in control (boat ride was so much smoother than expected) and hope I get a chance to take my kids. Incredible!

Fantastic!

Lisa_S, May 2023

Our guide, Smitty, was awesome! He was knowledgeable, funny, and engaging with the whole group. He took the time to get to know everyone, and made you feel like you were with friends. Highly recommend!!

Beautiful Bayou Float

Natalie_S, May 2023

Our kayak float was beautiful. Our guide, Warren, did an amazing job of pointing out wildlife and telling us about the plant life in the bayou. This is an easy float and can be done with no kayak experience.

Excellent

Ginger_J, Apr 2023

This was amazing. The swamp is so beautiful. We saw several alligators in their natural habitat. The tour guide talked about different plants and animals in the swamp. I would definitely do this again.

The area was great for...

Christine_L, Apr 2023

The area was great for kayaking and Warren was very knowledgeable. We highly recommend this trip!We saw about 10 gators. 3 owls. A limp kin

Love it

PeiShanWu, Apr 2023

Very worthy experience, saw the wild animals those I expected. My husband and I very enjoyed it, highly recommend!

Gaters and the elusive beaver sharks!

Andrine_L, Apr 2023

This was the highlight of our visit to Louisiana. We saw more wildlife than I had hoped for, and our guide was knowledgeable and friendly. I would definitely do this tour again.

Recommend!

Elizabeth_S, Mar 2023

Smitty was an excellent guide! Knows a ton about the local flora and fauna & he’s funny, too. We did 3 miles round-trip in the kayaks ‘ everyone in the group of varied ages/fitness was able to manage it just fine. We caught a beautiful sunset on the way back, too. Great experience overall.

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