Top Louisiana Day Trips

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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).

Visiting New Orleans' plantations and swamps in one day means coordinating drives out of the city, plantation entries, and airboat bookings across the river parishes. This tour combines all three into a single itinerary with hotel pickup, stops at Laura, Evergreen, and Whitney plantations, and an airboat ride through Bayou Segnette State Park, where alligators and other wildlife are commonly spotted.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 (6 languages available) as you explore the site independently. You can also choose to upgrade your experience to include a 90-minute swamp tour.

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.

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.

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.

An easy day trip to take when in New Orleans, this tour takes you for a small airboat experience and Oak Alley Plantation tour. The exclusive tour site is the closest to the plantation, minimizing travel time. Ride in our small boat that accommodates up to nine passengers, ensuring an intimate experience away from idle zones and noise ordinances. No other boats are allowed in the private swamp, guaranteeing a serene and uninterrupted journey.

Discover several of the New Orleans area’s key natural and historical landmarks—and learn more about the area’s past—on this multi-stop tour. In the morning, meet your guide in New Orleans and set off via air-conditioned vehicle. You’ll stop at highlights like the Louisiana Swamp and Lake Pontchartrain before heading to the Laura Plantation. There, embark on a self-guided tour of the grounds and learn about the enslaved people who lived there.

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.

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.

Swap the bustle of New Orleans and gain a deeper understanding of American history on this two-in-one experience, with a visit to the Oak Alley Plantation and a Louisiana swamp tour with round-trip, air-conditioned transportation from your hotel. At the plantation, view exhibits and discover the powerful legacy of enslaved people—the setting offers context and understanding beyond what any guidebook can provide. Then, explore the swamp on a pontoon boat and look out for alligators and other wildlife.

Visit Oak Alley Plantation, nestled in the heart of Louisiana’s historic sugarcane region. Famous for its breathtaking canopy of centuries-old oak trees, the site offers a powerful glimpse into the layered history of the American South. Tour the stately Greek Revival home and learn about the lives of the enslaved people who built and maintained the plantation. Knowledgeable guides share stories that reflect the stark realities of plantation life from multiple perspectives. This tour provides meaningful insight into one of the region’s most iconic estates. Gain a deeper understanding of the wealth it generated and the people whose forced labor made it possible. It’s a thought-provoking look at a legacy that still resonates today.

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.

Get an overview of New Orleans, and visit a classic plantation and cemetery, on this full-day driving tour. Explore Oak Alley Plantation, about an hour from downtown New Orleans, on a guided tour; visit St. Louis Cemetery No. 3 and learn about the city's above ground burial practices; and discover New Orleans, including areas affected by Katrina, on a driving tour with convenient hotel pickup and drop-off.