From New Orleans: Swamp Airboat, 2 Plantation Tours & Lunch

Louisiana Swamp Airboat and Plantation Tour from New Orleans

This guided small-group tour departs from New Orleans, combining an airboat ride in the Louisiana swamps with visits to two historic plantations. It suits travelers interested in local history, nature, and authentic Cajun culture.

Highlights

• Ride a fast airboat through Louisiana swamps
• Tour two plantation mansions with historical narration
• Enjoy an elegant Cajun lunch at Houmas House Plantation
• Stroll under oak trees aged 300 years
• Learn Cajun and Creole culture from a historian guide

Description

Your tour begins with hotel pickup in a 13-seater high-roof van by an enthusiastic historian driver-guide. Travel out of New Orleans on a narrated scenic drive, crossing the Mississippi River via a high bridge to a remote swamp area.

Board a small airboat captained by a Cajun guide and glide comfortably over marshes and secluded bayous. Spot alligators, turtles, and exotic birds as you explore the swamp’s diverse flora and fauna.

Continue upriver through sugar cane fields to Laura Plantation, a Creole estate dating back to 1804. Enjoy a guided tour focusing on the plantation’s history, including the lives of the West-African enslaved people who worked there. Visit the onsite museum exhibit dedicated to “Slavery on Laura Plantation” located in a restored overseer’s cottage.

On the old River Road route back, pass Felicity Plantation, a filming location for '12 Years A Slave,' and St Joseph Plantation, featured in the 'Queen Sugar' TV series. Stop briefly outside Oak Alley Plantation to view its row of century-old oak trees.

Cross the Mississippi River again via the Sunshine Bridge to arrive at Houmas House Plantation, known as the “Sugar Palace.” Dine in the elegant plantation dining room with authentic Cajun cuisine, followed by a guided mansion tour led by a guide in Antebellum costume. Afterward, enjoy free time to explore the gardens before returning to New Orleans.

Sample Lunch Menu (subject to seasonal changes)

Luncheon includes home-baked bread and butter, iced tea or soft drink, dessert, and coffee.

Entree Choices:

• Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad (gluten-free without croutons): Tender romaine lettuce, croutons, parmesan cheese
• Crown Jewel Hamburger: 7oz grilled burger with cheese, bacon, mayo, ketchup, lettuce, tomato, onion, served with French fries
• Shrimp Po Boy: Crispy fried shrimp on New Orleans French bread with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and Creole mayonnaise
• Breast of Chicken (gluten-free without grits): Skin-on chicken breast with stone-ground grits, roasted vegetables, and rum-spiked Houmas House honey glaze
• Vegetarian Pasta: Veggies and baby heirloom tomatoes with fettuccine and parmesan cheese

Dessert Choices:

• White Chocolate Bread Pudding
• Turtle Creole Cream Cheese Cheesecake

Includes

• Hotel pickup and drop-off
• Roundtrip transportation
• Historian driver-guide
• Small airboat swamp tour
• Entrance fees to two plantation mansions
• Gourmet lunch with soft drinks, coffee, and tea
• Taxes

Excludes

• Alcoholic drinks
• Tips

Important Information

• Small group tour limited to 13 people
• Departs rain or shine; ponchos and umbrellas provided if needed
• Vans cannot accommodate non-collapsible wheelchairs, but collapsed wheelchairs and walkers can be carried on board
• Tour includes limited walking around the two plantations

Cancellation Policy

Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.

Book early to secure your spot. Wear comfortable shoes and bring sunscreen and insect repellent for the swamp portion. Morning departures are recommended for cooler temperatures and better wildlife sightings.