New Orleans Airboat Ride
Recommended by 93% of travellers
Badge of Excellence
New Orleans, USA
- 2 to 4 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Offered in: English
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Overview
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.
- A must for any nature-lovers in New Orleans
- Pick a morning or afternoon departure to suit your schedule
- Choose one of the small-group options for a more intimate experience
- Optional hotel pickup and drop-off available with select bookings
What's Included
- Airboat ride
- Local guide
- Roundtrip transportation (if option with transport is selected at time of booking.)
- Ear protection
- Small storage space under seat
- Unobstructed views
- Gratuities
- Food and drinks (gift shop and bar available on site)
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Itinerary
Choose a morning or afternoon tour and meet your airboat at the embarkation point in the town of Lafitte, an historic fishing village named for notorious 19th‐century pirate and privateer Jean Lafitte, located approximately 30 miles (48 km) from New Orleans. Prearranged coach pickup is also available from your downtown New Orleans or French Quarter hotel. Hotel pickups begin 75 minutes prior to your chosen tour time.
Upon arriving at the airboat launch site, board a large airboat holding 15 to 25 passengers or a small airboat limited to six to eight passengers. Hold on tight as your airboat takes off into the tidewater cypress swamp near Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve. Enjoy close proximity to the water from your seat in the flat‐bottomed airboat. As you zip through the bayou, check out signature cypress trees dripping with moss and massive tupelo‐gum tree rising straight from the water.
Depending on the season, you may spot alligators basking in sun on the shore or lurking in the water. Rest assured that the swamps are teeming with wildlife year‐round. Spot turtles, snakes, raccoons, nutria and many native birds – you may even spot a bald eagle!
Your airboat tour ends at the embarkation point. Before leaving this iconic Cajun town, pop into the local albino alligator exhibit or grab a delectable shrimp Po' boy to go (own expense). Then drive or board your coach back to New Orleans. Note: This tour does not include hotel pick‐up or drop‐off unless hotel pickup and drop‐off is selected at checkout. If you have selected hotel pickup and drop‐off please specify your hotel details at the time of checkout or advise the local operator directly after booking.
Upon arriving at the airboat launch site, board a large airboat holding 15 to 25 passengers or a small airboat limited to six to eight passengers. Hold on tight as your airboat takes off into the tidewater cypress swamp near Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve. Enjoy close proximity to the water from your seat in the flat‐bottomed airboat. As you zip through the bayou, check out signature cypress trees dripping with moss and massive tupelo‐gum tree rising straight from the water.
Depending on the season, you may spot alligators basking in sun on the shore or lurking in the water. Rest assured that the swamps are teeming with wildlife year‐round. Spot turtles, snakes, raccoons, nutria and many native birds – you may even spot a bald eagle!
Your airboat tour ends at the embarkation point. Before leaving this iconic Cajun town, pop into the local albino alligator exhibit or grab a delectable shrimp Po' boy to go (own expense). Then drive or board your coach back to New Orleans. Note: This tour does not include hotel pick‐up or drop‐off unless hotel pickup and drop‐off is selected at checkout. If you have selected hotel pickup and drop‐off please specify your hotel details at the time of checkout or advise the local operator directly after booking.
New Orleans (Pass By)
1
Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve
1 hour 45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for travellers with back problems
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Not recommended for pregnant travellers
- Most travellers can participate
- Operates in all weather conditions (sunny or rainy); please dress appropriately
- Minimum age is 5 years
- Reservations booked separately will NOT be guaranteed to be on the same boat
- Taxi & Ride Share services not available in our area
- We offer a full refund in case of inclement weather that is unsafe to operate tours (lightening/ thunderstorms/ high wind). We still operate in the rain.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travellers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveller Photos
Featured review
Jenna_B
This was one of the highlights of the trip!! We got to see a lot of gators, and the bayou is absolutely beautiful! Highly recommend for anyone wanting to have a bit of a nature break form the busy city. Also our tour guide, Corey, was phenomenal!
Reviews
4.7
based on 5,071 reviews
John_O, May 2026
The airboat ride itself was a lot of fun. The guide was excellent. He was both knowledgeable and entertaining. I would definitely encourage others to consider this experience.
Christine_M, May 2026
Brilliant day out on the bayou. Tour guide Jay was the very best guide. Extremely knowledgable about the either swamp area
Carolyn_Y, May 2026
This was one of the best excursions we have taken! Steve, our airboat guide provided a wonderful description of the swamp area and took our boat up close and personal with the alligators and wildlife. This area seemed like a maze but Steve knew every inlet and outlet and after an hour and a half he returned us to the dock safely. It was an amazing adventure! I highly recommend it!
Gary_B, May 2026
Our guide/driver was named "tic tok". Very experienced, lived nearby. The best guide we could have had. Really took care to see we had a good experience.
Juliana_M, May 2026
Excellent activity to take in the beauty of the swamps of New Orleans, the guide/driver is very knowledgeable and the team at airboat is working hard to keep the environment protected. What i liked the most is the respect to the wildlife, no attempts to feed the animals for pictures but treating nature with respect. Thanks for a great day!
Stephanie_R, May 2026
Jake, our tour guide, was hilarious and clearly very passionate about the alligators and the area overall. He made jokes, made us feel safe and kissed an alligator. Who does that?!
Tracie_D, Apr 2026
We did this as a party of 8 from WI. The tour guide, Captain Adam, was phenomenal. He provided history which was much a. Captain Adam was knowledgeable on the alligators and shared his expertise with us.
Roxanne_P, Apr 2026
Our tour guide was Jay and he was AMAZING! More than AMAZING! He lives on the island near our tour area which provided personal insight and passion for his home! He was knowledgeable, witty and as he said “like family during the tour”. Seeing all the alligators was a plus, but our tour guide, Jay, was the true star of the tour!
Laura_L, Apr 2026
Super fun! Saw a ton of alligators- Captain Larry even fed and had fed hundred year old, 12 foot long, blind Leroy! Gliding under the Spanish moss filled trees was magical. Thanks Captain Larry!
Amy_H, Apr 2026
We had an interesting experience learning about alligator lifestyles and habitat. It completely changed my opinion about these reptiles. The guide was knowledgeable and even pet one of the alligators on her throat. She clearly was comfortable w him. He said he gives her plenty of space on the bank once she lays her eggs each year.
James_H, Apr 2026
This was a lot of fun. We saw a ton of alligators! The airboats were a blast and our guide was very knowledgeable and a fun guy. Really enjoyed the tour.
Leslie_R, Apr 2026
We did the 4pm airboat tour and it was amazing! Our guide Jay was the best and super knowledgeable about the area and all the gators we saw. We even got to feed them and have them do me close up on the boat.
Jackie_R, Apr 2026
What fun 😁
Larry our tour guide had great stories and information about area 👍 😀 👍👍👍👍👍👍😁😁
Savannah_W, Apr 2026
We had a wonderful experience with our guide and fellow passengers. There are wildlife experiences you can't plan - on our trip, we watched an owl dive in front of our boat to hoot at another one in a nearby tree. That alone was worth the whole experience. We saw plenty of local flora and fauna.
Our guide was safe, considerate, knowledgeable, and fun to ride with. We were able to ask questions throughout. Our guide went above any beyond when my hat blew off - he circled the boat around and managed to fish it from where it had fallen.
My advice - bring a light jacket for the breeze, and hold on to your hats!
Jesseca_B, Apr 2026
We had a blast! Our guide was knowledgeable and hilarious. I would definitely to this again. I highly recommend.
Jane_M, Apr 2026
Great guide, he was extremely knowledgeable and great personality. So many alligators and he knew right where to go
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for recommending Airboat Adventures. We're happy to hear that your Captain showed you a good time on your swamp tour!
Robyn_B, Apr 2026
Amazing experience all around! From the ride there to the time on the boat was perfect. We highly recommend our guide, Ronnie! He’s the real deal.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for recommending Airboat Adventures. We're happy to hear that Captain Ronnie showed you a good time on your swamp tour!
Kimberly_Y, Apr 2026
great combo of a fast ride, alligator feeding and slow cruising to take in nature. Tic tok was awesome
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Wow, thanks for such a great review! Please come again!
Elana_T, Apr 2026
This ended up being one of the highlights of our trip. Jake is a sleeper hit, what a great captain. Highly recommend
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for recommending Airboat Adventures. We're happy to hear that Captain Jack showed you a good time on your swamp tour!
Brett_C, Apr 2026
Great adventure. Anyone looking to see alligators in the swamps, this is the place to go. I do however, recommend the smaller 6 person boats.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
We're happy to hear that you got to see so many alligators! Thanks for leaving your review!
Kerri_B, Apr 2026
We were not able to request the tiered boat. The low boat was difficult to enter and exit. Our guide was knowledgeable but should have been louder.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
We're sorry to hear the tour didn't quite meet your expectations. Please email us at info@airboatadventures.com so that we can correct this issue. We hope this does not deter you from visiting our company again in the future! Thank you for leaving your feedback!
Randi_W, Apr 2026
Highlight of our trip! Our local guide was amazing and knowledgeable. We saw several alligators and beautiful wildlife. The scenery is very beautiful and peaceful. Highly recommend!
Response from Host, Apr 2026
We're happy to hear that your captain showed you a good time on your swamp tour!
Thank you for letting Airboat Adventures show you the beauty of Louisiana!
Jennifer_S, Apr 2026
My mom and I went on the swamp tour with Airboat Adventures and it was the highlight of our NOLA trip! Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about the swamp and surrounding areas. I learned so much from him about alligators and was glad to hear they didn’t eat anything that won’t fit whole in their stomach! The process of registering and claiming our tickets was easy and efficient - overall very professional service. The 10 person boat was clean and fun. Highly recommend Airboat Adventures.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for recommending Airboat Adventures. We're happy to hear that your Captain showed you a good time on your swamp tour!
David_T, Apr 2026
Wow! Absolutely fantastic. Everything about it. 100% worth the money. I'll recommend this to EVERYONE I know.
& to our guide, J, thankyou!!!
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for recommending Airboat Adventure!
We're happy to hear that your Captain showed you a good time on your swamp tour. Come back and visit us soon!
Ross_A, Apr 2026
Great way to see the bayou country and the wildlife there. In warm weather you will see lots of gators. We did the small boat experience and it was worth it.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for recommending Airboat Adventure.
We're happy to hear that you got to see so many alligators!
Susan_F, Apr 2026
The check in was quick and easy. Our guide was fun and informational. The alligators performance was spot on!!!
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thanks for such a great review, Susan!
We're happy to hear that your Captain showed you a good time. Come back and visit us soon!
Kara_B, Apr 2026
What an awesome tour! Tons of alligators and what majestic beauty and hospitality! Our guide was awesome! We were boat #17 on 4/16/26! Thank you!
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for recommending Airboat Adventure.
We're glad to hear that your party had a great time on your swamp tour. Be sure to come back next time you're in New Orleans!
Virginia_F, Apr 2026
The scenery was amazing! Lush trees with Spanish moss hanging from the branches. We also saw areas with no trees, and tall grass. There were lots of alligators that came close to the boat. Our guide was friendly and knew a lot about the swamp, but it was sometimes difficult to hear him from the front row. This was a wonderful experience!
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for recommending Airboat Adventure. We're happy to hear that you got to see so many alligators!
Allison_H, Apr 2026
Thought I booked a boat that had graduated seats but they were all flat! Thought I wouldn’t like the ride but it was FANTASTIC! Enjoyed the whole ride had a blast! Great guide!
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Wow, thanks for such a great review! Please come again!
KATHERINE_L, Apr 2026
Great time. Lots of gators and a great guide. He played with the bulls and didn't get bit. Mainly the ride was fast and smooth enough to take great videos.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for recommending Airboat Adventures. We're happy to hear that your Captain showed you a good time on your swamp tour!
From US$59.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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