New Orleans

Small-Group Laura and Whitney Plantation Tour from New Orleans

Name: Small-Group Laura and Whitney Plantation Tour from New Orleans
Brand: Tours by Isabelle
SKU: 2292WEST
Price: 145.00 USD
Rating: 4.5 (343 reviews)

Badge of ExcellenceNew Orleans, USA

Small Group Tour of Whitney and Laura Plantation from New Orleans

6 hours
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Experience the grandeur of New Orleans’ rich and conflicted past on a small‐group plantation tour. Take a journey through Laura Plantation and Whitney Plantation, spying other historic plantations as you travel the Great River Road. View stunning architecture and enduring sugar cane fields while learning about the plantations’ fascinating—and somber—histories from expert guides.

Guided tour of Laura and self-guided tour of Whitney plantations from New Orleans
Tour the gardens and historic slave quarters at Laura Plantation
At Whitney Plantation, hear raw historical facts and witness the harsh realities of a dark side of American history

What's Included

Transport by air-conditioned 14-passenger van, with exact pick up time provided
Self-guided tour of Whitney Plantation
Guided tour of Laura Plantation
Fun and historical live narration by our great driver-guide to prepare you for your experience

Gratuities
Food and drinks

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Start time

11:00 AM

Pickup details

Please specify hotel at time of purchase. We pick up in New Orleans at any hotel, Bed & Breakfast or select Airbnbs, uptown (close to St. Charles Ave.), in (or close to) the French Quarter, and on the Westbank. We do not pick up by the airport, in New Orleans East, in Slidell, or on the North Shore. Supplier will contact you the day before your tour to give you an exact pick up time.

What To Expect

Start your tour with pickup from your downtown New Orleans hotel. Once aboard the bus, settle into a comfortable seat and prepare for a journey back to the antebellum south, before the American Civil War shook the foundation of plantation life. Enjoy lively onboard commentary from your guide as you trace the shoreline of Lake Ponchartrain and Great River Road en route to Whitney Plantation.

At Whitney Plantation, hear raw historical facts and witness the harsh realities of a dark side of American history. On your self-guided audio walking tour, you will see slave cabins, a freedmen’s church, detached kitchen and a 1790s owner’s house. Witness narratives and see memorials honoring people enslaved on the grounds of a historical sugar, rice and indigo plantation established in 1752. Visit Whitney Plantation's Museum of Slavery, learn about the lives of people held in bondage for over 100 years.

Next, a short ride through sugar cane fields brings you to Laura Plantation, a Creole plantation with distinctive and colorful architecture. Accompany your guide on a tour of the mansion, outbuildings and slave quarters, soaking up stories of Creole culture and West African folktales, said to be the inspiration for Br'er Rabbit stories. Meander through vibrant flower and vegetable gardens and marvel at the surrounding sugarcane fields—a lush backdrop and stark reminder of the site’s dramatic past.

Your tour ends with a drop‐off at your point of origin in the mid‐afternoon or evening.

Lake Pontchartrain (Pass By)

Whitney Plantation

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Oak Alley Plantation

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Laura Plantation: Louisiana's Creole Heritage Site

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Child rate applies to all children and infants
Service animals are permitted. Please advise at time of booking to arrange accommodations
Not wheelchair accessible
Tour cannot accommodate wheelchairs of any kind

Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
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.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.5

343 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 343 reviews

Everyone should go on these tours they were enlightening!

Beth_C, Mar 2024

Perfect tour to do solo, you can really hear and learn about the plantations real history schools do not teach!

Interesting experience

Gregg_B, Mar 2024

The plantations were thought-provoking the guide Renee was fabulous. Isabella was helpful and was prompt to return any messages

We really like the Laura...

Chelsie_W, Feb 2024

We really like the Laura Plantation— lots of interesting history and our guide, Crystal, was super knowledgeable.

Our Driver, Ellen was...

Christa_C, Feb 2024

Our Driver, Ellen was very knowledgeable and funny. The tour guides at both plantations did a great job talking about the families that called the plantation home.

Fun and interesting tour!

Susen_L, Dec 2023

Giselle was an excellent tour guide and shared many fun stories about New Orleans with the group. St. Joseph’s Plantation was a wonderful stop with a 7th generation family member leading a tour of the mansion. This stop also included a video that explained how sugar cane is processed and harvested. I would definitely take another tour on my next visit!

Great Experience!

Matthew_R, Oct 2023

Our driver Stephen was the absolute best. On the way to and from, he provided very knowledgeable history about New Orleans and the state of Louisiana as well as Cajun and Creole culture and history. Both the Laura and St. Joseph plantations were cool places to visit and provided a vast history of ownership and sugar farming from the guides. What I was most impressed with was the St. Joseph plantation’s current owner being there and taking us on a tour around the house and property and providing us information about her family’s history there and getting to see all of their photos through the years starting from the beginning, to the most recent generation. Also, she did note that her family rents the plantation for venues, which I will keep in mind for the future!

No much history to see!

Mariorl_C, Oct 2023

My sister and I did the tour of the Laura and Joseph plantations. Laura was great and the guide who walked us around there was phenomenal — so engaging and knowledgeable. We then went on to Joseph plantation — that one was a bit too slow paced for me (pretty boring TBH), but the outdoor greenery and trees are beautiful. Ellen was our driver round trip, and she was incredible! As a local, she is so well versed in all things New Orleans history and she made the long drive very engaging. Would definitely recommend it!

Worth your time

GARY_H, Sep 2023

Our tour guide Rene was prompt, informative about what we would see and about the history of the area as we headed to the plantations. They were beautiful properties, excellent guides who were very knowledgeable. The tours were not rushed. The smart group vans were very roomy and comfortable.

Go on this must do tour. You will not regret it. it. Such an interesting and fun tour. Thanks

Wanda_C, Apr 2023

The whole trip from pick up to drop off was great . Our driver Giselle was well educated and fun. She knew her “stuff” and you could tell loved her job

Grand Plantation Mansions

Vincent_M, Apr 2023

I enjoyed the beauty and grandness of both Antebellum mansions and the lovely landscaping. The emphasis seemed to be more on the history of the owners which was o.k. but I would have preferred more information on the architecture. The driver for this tour (4/18) was an older man who possessed a wealth of valuable information and was articulate and very pleasant. I have taken tours on and off with Tours by Isabelle over the years and do so because she is reputable and very accessible. If you have any special requests, concerns, or questions, she will promptly return your call and do her best to ensure that you are satisfied. You do not get this individualized service from the impersonal big operators. I will likely be booking a tour with her next year during my annual visit to NOLA. I urge readers to contact Isabelle about planning a visit to some of the lesser-known and toured plantations as they are every bit as good as the 3 or so that everyone seems to visit. If there is enough interest in touring some of these plantations (i.e., San Francisco, Madewood, Houmas House, etc.), she will likely organize a tour. Finally, thanks for the group photos that were e-mailed to me.

Very knowledgeable guide....

Kristen_P, Mar 2023

Very knowledgeable guide. Pre and post trip communication was very good! Tour guide was very chatty!

Fabulous Tour

SUSAN_W, Jan 2023

Tour with Isabelle was incredible! She was so prompt & personable. So knowledgeable about the area & provides a wonderful experience visiting New Orleans. Definitely recommend!!!

Rene was wonderful! He...

TRACY_M, Nov 2022

Rene was wonderful! He was very entertaining. The van was clean. We had a nice time and learned a lot about New Orleans history.

Amazing NOLA plantation experience

Risa, Nov 2022

Had a fantastic tour with Steve. He gave us a lot of good info on our ride out to the plantations. Laura plantation was amazing, learned a ton from the local guide who did our tour. This is a must for anyone visiting NOLA.

Response from Host, Nov 2022

Thank you so much Risa. I will share this with our Dirver-Guide: Steve, and with the staff at Laura Plantation! Please come back to NOLA soon! Happy Thanksgiving to you. Isabelle C.

Great insight into history and this area of Louisiana!

Peggy_M, Aug 2022

Isabelle was a great tour guide! She was very knowledgeable about the history of the area and also very friendly and accommodating on the tour!

Both plantations were...

Gregory_G, Aug 2022

Both plantations were quite beautiful. The guides were very knowledgeable and informative. The stories associated with the plantations were fascinating.

One of the best tour companies!

fierceta, Jul 2022

This has probably been one of the best tours I have ever been on in any city hands-down. Gisele was beyond a treat to spend the day with. She was one of the most knowledgeable tour guides I’ve ever met, and I have been on quite a few tours. She gave us so much information about New Orleans, the area surrounding, and just so much history about Louisiana. The plantations we visited, Laura and Saint Joseph, were nice to see as well. Laura plantation was with a larger group at a steady pace. Saint Joseph was a lot more laid-back which was nice. Giselle also gave us some terrific options to visit for dinner during our stay. This tour company & her are highly recommended!

Amazing History Lesson and Well Worth The Time and Money

Mia_D, Apr 2022

What a great way to spend the day! We booked with Tours by Isabelle and John was our driver and guide for the day, he was the BEST! John made the whole experience educational, lighthearted and really made the day such a fun time. Crystal at the Laura Plantation was AWESOME- she was so knowledgeable on everything from the grounds to the generations of people owning and working this plantation. St. John was also very interesting from the perspective of the buildings and the history of harvesting sugar cane. The only tip is that's it's a long day with no food or snacks, would be a great idea to pack something to nibble on for your party. It's a missed opportunity for the tour co. or the plantations to not offer a boxed lunch or something for guests to add to their package.

Both tour guides were...

Bill_F, Mar 2022

Both tour guides were perfect for the job, friendly and informed. One of the guides was a retired professor and the second was a local resident. They made the entire tour come alive.

A memorable plantations tour!

Matthew_P, Nov 2021

Today, we did a plantations tour with Ellen. She picked us up in a new, spotlessly clean van and gave us a great overview commentary of NOLA and the areas that we passed through. She also offered recommendations and answered all the questions we had regarding restaurant recommendations in the French Quarter and beyond. Merci bien, Isabelle and Ellen, for making our tour a fun and memorable day!

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