Top New Orleans Day Trips

New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise

2 hoursFree Cancellation

New Orleans City Tour: French Quarter, Garden District & Cemetery

3 hoursFree Cancellation

New Orleans City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour

(2,575)

from $40

Travelers enjoy views of iconic St.Louis Cathedral from the open top of a double-decker bus.

1 dayFree Cancellation

4.3

(5,137)

from $51

New Orleans Swamp and Bayou Boat Tour with Transportation

Explore one of Louisiana’s last protected wetlands on a 2-hour boat tour that includes round-trip transport from New Orleans. Depart in the morning or afternoon for Honey Island Swamp, a wildlife preserve teeming with critters such as 'gators, wild boar, snakes and birds. Ride through the swamp dripping with lush foliage and visit a boat-accessible Cajun village with an informative local guide who sheds light on the area’s inhabitants.

New Orleans Swamp and Bayou Boat Tour with Transportation

5 hoursFree Cancellation

4.9

(6,434)

from $70

Whitney Plantation (Guided Tour) with Bus Ride To & From N. O.

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.

Whitney Plantation (Guided Tour) with Bus Ride To & From N. O.

5 to 6 hoursFree Cancellation

5.0

(107)

from $93

Special Offer

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.

Swamp Boat Ride and Oak Alley Plantation Tour from New Orleans

7 hours 45 minutesFree Cancellation

Likely to Sell Out

Whitney Plantation Tour with Transportation from New Orleans

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.

Whitney Plantation Tour with Transportation from New Orleans

5 hours 25 minutesFree Cancellation

4.6

(1,425)

from $89

Travelers cruise through a cypress swamp on a flat-bottomed airboat.

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.

2 to 4 hoursFree Cancellation

New Orleans Airboat Ride

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.

(5,132)

from $59

Special Offer

Oak Alley Plantation Tour with Transportation from New Orleans

5 hours 30 minutesFree Cancellation

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.

New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise with Dinner Option

3 hoursFree Cancellation

4.1

(7,951)

from $58

New Orleans Sightseeing City Tour

2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutesFree Cancellation

Price varies by group size

(3,247)

from $50

Likely to Sell Out

Swamp Boat Ride and Whitney Plantation Tour from New Orleans

This tour combines the private Manchac Swamp with Whitney Plantation. A decade ago Whitney Plantation, circa 1752, opened its doors to the public for the first time in its history as the only plantation museum in Louisiana completely dedicated to the history of slavery. The experience at Whitney is a self-paced audio tour. Visitors to Whitney will gain a unique perspective on the enslaved people who lived and worked here through museum exhibits, restored historic outbuildings, and hundreds of first-person narratives. Then it's a short ride to a privately-owned wildlife refuge within the Manchac Swamp, where homegrown Cajun captains will take you on a journey back to the early days of swamp exploration. They'll guide the covered pontoon boat through the mystical cypress swamp while showing off the American Alligator and abundant wildlife. Learn the history of the town of Frenier and the Cajun culture of fishing, hunting, and trapping. Get the camera ready gators leaping up for a snack!

Swamp Boat Ride and Whitney Plantation Tour from New Orleans

7 hours 45 minutesFree Cancellation

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.

(24)

from $131

New Orleans City Tour and Steamboat Natchez Harbor Jazz Cruise

New Orleans City Tour and Steamboat Natchez Harbor Jazz Cruise

6 hours 30 minutesFree Cancellation

4.2

(470)

from $88

Adults-Only New Orleans Ghost, Crime, Voodoo, and Vampire Tour

If you're looking for no-holds-barred frights in New Orleans, explore the city’s dark history on this adults-only tour. Set off after nightfall to discover a new perspective on the city, and steel yourself for gruesome tales and fearsome encounters: Your guide saves the most grisly true-crime stories, voodoo legends, and paranormal frights for this tour, and takes you past the French Quarter's most supposedly haunted locations.

Adults-Only New Orleans Ghost, Crime, Voodoo, and Vampire Tour

1 hour 45 minutesFree Cancellation

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.

(6,964)

from $40

New Orleans Premier Ghost, Voodoo and Vampire Walking Tour

New Orleans Premier Ghost, Voodoo and Vampire Walking Tour

1 hour 45 minutesFree Cancellation

4.5

(13,494)

from $36

Likely to Sell Out

New Orleans Swamp Boat Tour with Shuttle Service

4 to 5 hoursFree Cancellation

Oak Alley Plantation Tour with Pickup from New Orleans

(23)

from $60

4 to 5 hoursFree Cancellation

Soak up the atmosphere of the bayou on this 8-hour cultural tour from New Orleans. Visit the Oak Alley Plantation House, dating from 1837, and view the stately row of 28 evenly spaced mature oaks that line the driveway. Follow your guide, dressed in period costume, through the mansion, the blacksmith shop and the onsite restaurant. You'll also learn about life in the bayou's waterways aboard a swamp and wetlands boat tour. See the amazing variety of flora and fauna native to the area and hear about life in the Barataria Swamps from your native guides. Round-trip transportation from New Orleans is included.

(84)

from $87

Oak Alley Plantation and Swamp Boat Tour from New Orleans

Oak Alley Plantation and Swamp Boat Tour from New Orleans

8 hoursFree Cancellation

4.4

(401)

from $130

Whitney Plantation and Manchac Swamp Kayak Tour Combo

8 hoursFree Cancellation

5.0

(44)

from $199

Witness black history that can’t be erased.

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.

Whitney Plantation and Soul of New Orleans City Tour Combo

8 to 9 hoursFree Cancellation

5.0

(13)

from $129

Whitney Plantation & Museum Tour | Pickups from New Orleans

4 to 5 hoursFree Cancellation

4.6

(78)

from $75

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.

Oak Alley Plantation and Large Airboat Swamp Tour from New Orleans

8 hoursFree Cancellation

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.

(739)

from $160

New Orleans City, Cemetery and Swamp Full-Day Tour

New Orleans City, Cemetery and Swamp Full-Day Tour

7 hours 30 minutesFree Cancellation

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.

(197)

from $110

Laura Plantation Half-Day Tour from New Orleans

Laura Plantation Half-Day Tour from New Orleans

5 to 6 hoursFree Cancellation

4.9

(14)

from $87

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What are people saying about New Orleans

New Orleans Swamp and Bayou Boat Tour with Transportation

Kellie_C, Jun 2026

Solo traveler

I had a blast! This swamp tour exceeded my expectations and I'm so glad I went. The boat captain i had (Captain Barry D.) was super funny and knowledgeable. The bus driver (Cornell) was very knowledgeable about the history of the area and had a few jokes a well. Pick up and drop off were smooth. One thing to note, you do not need to get off at the same place you got on at.

Oak Alley Plantation and Swamp Boat Tour from New Orleans

Joey_M, Jun 2026

The plantation tour was...

The plantation tour was very informative. The house and grounds are beautiful. The swamp tour was my favorite part. Our guide, Captain Bobby, was amazing. He was very knowledgeable and gave us quite the show with feeding marshmallows to the alligators, petting them, kissing one on the head, and picking up a baby gator. He’s the guide you want if you do this tour.

Oak Alley Plantation Half-Day Tour from New Orleans

Patti_F, May 2026

Great experience but lots of walking. I was not disappointed.

It is a beautiful place. I am glad we went. Unfortunately I couldn't make it to the house tour. They had told me that it was not wheelchair friendly I had hoped that I could do it with my walker. Nope but I sent my son to the house tour and I just enjoyed the beauty of the grounds. It was still worth the trip.

Oak Alley Plantation Tour with Pickup from New Orleans

David_M, May 2026

A great tour by an excellent tour guide.

Kin was an excellent tour guide. Not only did he give us a lot of information about the plantation, he also provided us with a lot of information about other local attractions and restaurants. The plantation itself was amazing. The facility and grounds were very well maintained. We can't recommend this tour enough.

Whitney Plantation and Airboat Tour from New Orleans

Anne_W, May 2026

Very cool experience and day trip!

Plantation was interesting, educational and humbling. So very sad to see the history of the treatment the slaves, even children, endured. The air boat was also cool, our guide was great! We had 2 awesome bus drivers, one was in training. They were informative, polite and very nice gentlemen.

Whitney Plantation Tour with New Orleans Hotel Pickup

Anna_S, Apr 2026

The best and most informative tour ever!

First, pick a nice day. You'll be outside 95% of the time. Second, pick your tour package carefully. Some may just be a ride, others, like mine with Crescent City Tours, was fun filled and very informational not only on where we were going but what has happened in the area. Being at the plantation was an amazing experience. To be able to see and walk among where so many had been before and learn what actually happened to them and not some watered down version was very impactful. The last stop in the church was the hardest for me. When I was in there and everyone had left, the weight of the place came down on me and I was not able to stay longer. If you are at all sensitive to the blight of others, this will have a profound affect on you and your outlook on life from thereafter.

Whitney Plantation (Guided Tour) with Bus Ride To & From N. O.

John_S, Apr 2026

Great Experience!

Kindrell gave us a great tour! He is very knowledgeable and passionate about the subject matter and the day was very well planned including the lunch stop! The experience at Whitney plantation helped us to better understand not only the history of enslavement in America but also its’ legacy. I highly recommend this experience as it really focuses on the perspectives of the enslaved people themselves.

Oak Alley Plantation and Large Airboat Swamp Tour from New Orleans

Terrah_A, Apr 2026

The guide was very...

The guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. The staff at Oak Alley answered all of my questions and educated my group about life on the plantation. My large airboat swamp tour was incredibly fun. We saw many alligators. I also learned that alligators like marshmallows and have an excellent memory. I felt safe the whole time and had an excellent day. It was definitely worth the money and I will take the tour again if I'm ever back.

Swamp Boat Ride and Whitney Plantation Tour from New Orleans

O_m, Apr 2026

Whitney Plantation/Swamp tour.

Our guide Kimberly and our driver Alton were awesome. Kimberly shared she has a background in education and it shows. She was thorough and interactive and knew how to work a crowd! She was a delight and we followed her protip... I got a muffalata to travel with and it was soooo good! I would recommend the tour based on our experience with your team!

Oak Alley Plantation and Small Airboat Tour from New Orleans

Laura_M, Mar 2026

Oak Alley Plantation is...

Oak Alley Plantation is beautiful. The grounds are lovely. It seems funny to mention this but the public restrooms are the cleanest I've been in. The Best part of the tour was the Airboat ride. Rocky, our guide, was amazing. He got us up close to gators and let us touch a baby one. It was awesome. I would definitely recommend.

Oak Alley Plantation Tour with Transportation from New Orleans

Robin_P, Mar 2026

Excellent experience....

Excellent experience. Stacy our bus driver shared lots of history with us on the drive. We also watched a video talking about the history of one sugar plantation (not the one we visit) which was full of information. At the plantation we had a guided tour of “the big house” and were able to explore the grounds on our own. Slave cabins (rebuilt renderings) were displayed to show what they would have looked like. Well worth the trip and enjoyable to get out of the city for a few hours.

New Orleans City, Cemetery and Swamp Full-Day Tour

Dan_S, Dec 2025

City Cemetery and Swamp Tour

Excellent tour. We went on this tour December 3rd. Our bus driver was amazing. He was warm and friendly and knew everything about the City. The tour goes all over the City so you see a lot and get to know the lay of the land. This was great for our first time in NOLA. It was a little too cold for the swamp tour, but again we had a great guide which made it fun. We also saw one alligator swimming around, which was special since they are should hibernating now. I loved the tour but would recommend the swamp portion in warmer weather.