Top Louisiana Day Trips

Discover a different side of New Orleans—and admire a new perspective from the water's edge—on this steamboat tour down the Mississippi River. Board the historic riverboat—either the Steamboat Natchez or her sister vessel—for a morning or afternoon tour. Stroll the deck, admire the iconic paddlewheel, enjoy live music, and snap photos of the picturesque shoreline. This family‐friendly excursion offers an optional lunch (additional expense).

Enjoy an only-in-New-Orleans experience when you embark on a paddle-wheel boat tour of the mighty Mississippi River. In the evening, hop aboard the Steamboat Natchez or her sister vessel, the Riverboat City of New Orleans, and admire views of the city from the water's edge. This cost-saving package additionally includes a Creole‐inspired dinner (if option selected), plus live jazz music to set the mood.

Gain a deeper understanding of American history on this visit to Louisiana’s only museum dedicated to enslaved people. After you are collected from your New Orleans hotel in a luxurious air-conditioned van, your driver will take you westwards towards the Whitney Plantation. On the way, expect to hear an overview on the history of American plantations before arriving to this impactful landmark.

Experience the rich history and vibrant culture of New Orleans from two perspectives on a city tour and steamboat cruise that lets you escape the land-based crowds. Enjoy a narrated coach tour of historic landmarks, including the French Quarter, Jackson Square, and the Garden District. Then, step aboard Steamboat NATCHEZ (or its sister vessel) for a journey along the mighty Mississippi River, complete with live jazz and optional Creole dining.

Experience different sides of Louisiana and its complicated history on this plantation tour and swamp boat ride from New Orleans. On this full-day journey, visit Oak Alley Plantation or Destrehan Plantation (depending on the time chosen), where you learn about antebellum life. 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.

Gain a deeper understanding of Louisiana—and combine two experiences in one—on this tour of the Whitney Plantation and a ride in the Manchac Swamp from New Orleans. Visit the plantation museum, view exhibits with an audio guide, and uncover the legacy of enslaved people as you explore. Afterward, ride a pontoon boat through a cypress swamp, look out for wildlife, and learn about Cajun culture from local guides.

Visit the Whitney Plantation Museum—a former indigo and sugar plantation that is now dedicated to promoting an understanding of enslavement in Louisiana—on this hassle-free trip from New Orleans. Round-trip transit and admission tickets are included for your convenience. Upon arrival, learn about the brutal realities of plantation life through museum exhibits and an audio guide as you explore the site independently. You can also choose to upgrade your experience to include a 90-minute swamp tour.

Visit a former plantation and ride through the swamp during this two-in-one tour. Start with a visit to Oak Alley Plantation for a tour of the antebellum mansion. Follow the oak-shaded paths to the blacksmith shop during your free time. Lunch is available to purchase at the restaurant on-site. Next, head to the dock for your swamp tour. Search for alligators and other wildlife and stop for photo ops while aboard an airboat. Round-trip hotel transport provided from New Orleans.

Experience the grandeur of New Orleans’ antebellum south on a half-day tour of Oak Alley Plantation. Journey through time to the manicured estate and into the gorgeous home, built in 1839. View stunning architecture, oak-lined esplanades, and enduring sugar cane fields while learning about the plantation’s fascinating – and often somber – histories from local guides. Upgrade your experience to include a pontoon swamp tour.

Gain deep, meaningful insights into American history on this combination full-day tour. After being collected from your New Orleans hotel in an air-conditioned van, you’ll arrive at the Whitney Plantation and tour Louisiana’s only museum dedicated to enslaved people with an audio guide. Afterwards, head back to the city and join the Soul of New Orleans tour, for a deep dive into the move from plantation to city life, showing how enslaved people turned their struggle into the powerful music, food, and culture that still defines the city today.

Gain a deeper understanding of American history on this two-in-one visit to Oak Alley Plantation and a Louisiana swamp tour on this day-long trip from New Orleans. You’ll pass other notable sites including Evergreen, Laura, and St. Joseph Plantations before exploring Oak Alley Plantation at your own pace. Afterward, join an airboat swamp tour and pass the site of the 1811 German Coast Uprising of enslaved people.

Explore the rich culinary heritage of New Orleans' French Quarter on this half-day food tour. Sample traditional NOLA dishes such as gumbo, po-boys, jambalaya, and pralines while learning about the area's history. Your expert guide will lead you through local hotspots, offering cultural insights and tips on where to eat next. Upgrade to a small-group tour for a more intimate setting. Food offerings are subject to availability.

Get access to a privately owned wildlife refuge on the Manchac Swamp on this day tour from New Orleans. Step aboard a boat and embark on a wildlife tour to a pristine area where no other boats can go; you'll see and learn about swamp flora and fauna. Round-trip transportation from downtown New Orleans makes this trip an easy option to get out of the city for the day.

Put New Orleans in context without the self-drive hassles on this enriching full-day tour. First, immerse in the city’s dark history on a self-guided tour of the Whitney Plantation, with time to explore the museum independently. Next, pass by the Evergreen Plantation, where Django Unchained was filmed, and board an airboat for a high-speed swamp adventure. Your package includes small-group transfers from most New Orleans hotels.

Experience New Orleans’ wild bayou country first-hand on an exciting, family‐friendly airboat ride. This boat tour winds through the mossy cypress swamp near Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, named for the 19th-century pirate and smuggler. While onboard, enjoy lively commentary from a local guide as you admire lush, forested shoreline and spot local wildlife. Gators appear most commonly in the summer months, so keep your eyes peeled.

Exploring New Orleans in the evening can seem like an intimidating quest on your own, but this ghost, voodoo, and vampire walking tour takes you to the city’s eeriest sights at night in the safety of a group led by a guide. Stop by top attractions such as the LaLaurie Mansion and New Orleans Pharmacy Museum while listening to your guide’s detailed stories of the paranormal and beyond.

Leave New Orleans behind for a half-day excursion to Laura Plantation—with all the driving and logistics taken care of. After being picked up from your hotel, travel to Laura Plantation to learn about what life was like on an old sugar plantation, both for owners and enslaved people. Hear the history and culture of Louisiana Creole women. On the roundtrip drive you’ll see several other plantations as well as scenic Lake Pontchartrain.

Learn more about a side of Louisiana’s history that should never be forgotten. Tour plantations with a guide who can share more about what life was like for enslaved people in the South. Admission to Oak Alley Plantation is included, and you can feel free to pick your guide’s brain about the things you see on the tour.

Tour the Oak Alley Plantation, named for the alley of centuries-old oaks leading up to the antebellum Big House. Follow the oak-shaded paths to the blacksmith shop and a souvenir shop during your free time. Alcoholic drinks and lunch are available to purchase at the restaurant on-site, with round-trip hotel transport provided from New Orleans. Upgrade your experience to include a 3-hour city tour of New Orleans with a stop to tour the above ground tombs at St. Louis Cemetery No. 3.

The Whitney Plantation Museum is known for being the site where one of the biggest slave rebellions in the United States occurred. Find out about the history of slavery and the stories of those who lived on the plantation by going on this self-guided tour. To help you save time traveling on public transport and get to the museum with ease, pickup is included from New Orleans.

Exploring outside the city limits of New Orleans can be difficult without a car. With this private tour, visit two of the best-preserved antebellum plantations—Oak Alley and Laura—without worrying about navigating or dealing with crowded tour buses. Take a docent-led tour at each site to learn about the complex and often dark history of the rural South, including the impact of enslavement in Louisiana.

The Laura Plantation was once a 12,000-acre (4,850-hectare) sugar plantation belonging to the Duparc family and lies an hour’s drive from New Orleans. With this tour, be picked up from your New Orleans hotel, travel out to the rural heritage site, and join a tour of the plantation with an official guide.

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, areas affected by Hurricane Katrina, and tour the inside of a cemetery to see the above-ground tombs. Afterward, you'll head to the bayou for your choice of a leisurely pontoon boat ride or thrilling airboat ride.