Top New Orleans Day Trips

New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise

2 hoursFree Cancellation

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

(6,587)

from $76

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

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

1 dayFree Cancellation

4.3

(5,149)

from $51

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

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

3 hoursFree Cancellation

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.

(2,597)

from $40

Likely to Sell Out

Whitney Plantation Tour with Transportation from New Orleans

Whitney Plantation Tour with Transportation from New Orleans

5 hours 25 minutesFree Cancellation

4.6

(1,427)

from $89

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

(110)

from $93

Special Offer

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.

Oak Alley Plantation Tour with Transportation from New Orleans

5 hours 30 minutesFree Cancellation

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

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.

(6,975)

from $40

Captivating views of the New Orleans skyline

New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise with Dinner Option

3 hoursFree Cancellation

4.1

(7,981)

from $58

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

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!

(5,137)

from $59

Likely to Sell Out

Swamp Boat Ride and Whitney Plantation Tour from New Orleans

Swamp Boat Ride and Whitney Plantation Tour from New Orleans

7 hours 45 minutesFree Cancellation

New Orleans Sightseeing City Tour

(24)

from $131

2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutesFree Cancellation

Price varies by group size

(3,252)

from $50

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

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.

(740)

from $160

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

(472)

from $88

New Orleans Premier Ghost, Voodoo and Vampire Walking Tour

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.

New Orleans Premier Ghost, Voodoo and Vampire Walking Tour

1 hour 45 minutesFree Cancellation

4.5

(13,521)

from $36

Likely to Sell Out

New Orleans Swamp Boat Tour with Shuttle Service

4 to 5 hoursFree Cancellation

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.

(23)

from $60

Witness black history that can’t be erased.

Whitney Plantation and Soul of New Orleans City Tour Combo

8 to 9 hoursFree Cancellation

5.0

(13)

from $129

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.

Whitney Plantation and Airboat Tour from New Orleans

8 hoursFree Cancellation

Whitney Plantation and Manchac Swamp Kayak Tour Combo

(232)

from $152

8 hoursFree Cancellation

5.0

(44)

from $199

Whitney Plantation & Museum Tour | Pickups from New Orleans

4 to 5 hoursFree Cancellation

4.6

(78)

from $75

Laura Plantation Half-Day Tour from New Orleans

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.

Laura Plantation Half-Day Tour from New Orleans

5 to 6 hoursFree Cancellation

4.9

(14)

from $87

Oak Alley or St. Joseph Plantation with Shuttle From New Orleans

5 hours 30 minutesFree Cancellation

4.2

(6)

from $75

Oak Alley Plantation Half-Day Tour from New Orleans

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.

Oak Alley Plantation Half-Day Tour from New Orleans

5 hours 30 minutesFree Cancellation

4.3

(175)

from $75

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What are people saying about New Orleans

Oak Alley Plantation and Swamp Boat Tour from New Orleans

Nikki, Jun 2026

Excellent experience!

Both parts of the tour were great. Wish we could have seen more of the Oak Alley house. The swamp tour with Captain Ernie was terrific! You could tell he knows the ecology and biology of the area. Very educational, and fun. He explained why May-September are the best months for this tour if you want to see alligators. I will never look at a swamp or bayou the same way again. The only thing I would improve on is making sure guests know that the pick-up time is a 30 minute window.

New Orleans Swamp and Bayou Boat Tour with Transportation

Ahriel_H, Jun 2026

We had an amazing time on...

We had an amazing time on our swamp tour in New Orleans this weekend! Ricky, our bus driver, and Hunter, our tour guide, were both incredibly knowledgeable and shared so much interesting information about the history of New Orleans and the surrounding swamps. Hunter made the tour fun and educational, and Ricky kept us entertained on the ride with fascinating local facts.

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.

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 and Airboat Tour from New Orleans

Sandi_R, Apr 2026

Highly recommend this tour!

This was such a great and informative tour! We were picked up at our hotel and our tour guide driver (I can’t remember his name) was a wealth of information! He talked about Hurricane Katrina, the swamps, the history of many different people that make up New Orleans and the different plantations in the area. The plantation tour was self guided and very informative! We were able to explore at our own pace. We even saw a baby alligator in the property while we were walking around! There is a gift shop on the plantation that has items made by women in Ghana. They had some beautiful jewelry, fans, headbands and many other items. My favorite gift store item is a small book of quotes from the children of the Whitney Plantation. There are many statues of children who lived on the plantation and the quotes are from those children. I highly recommend this tour!!

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.

Small-Group Laura and Whitney Plantation Tour from New Orleans

Christine_C, Apr 2026

Laura and Whitney Plantation Tour

Spending the day touring Laura and Whitney Plantation just outside of New Orleans was both beautiful and deeply moving. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect—warm sunshine and a gentle breeze. Both plantations offer rich, detailed insight into Louisiana’s history, but what stood out most was how thoughtfully the stories were told. Walking through the grounds, listening to the guides, and seeing the preserved structures made the past feel very real. The Whitney Plantation in particular does an incredible job of centering the lives and voices of the enslaved people who lived there, which adds a powerful and necessary perspective. Overall it was a wonderful experience filled with history and knowledge that stays with you long after you leave.

Whitney Plantation & Museum Tour | Pickups from New Orleans

Sophia_Y, Apr 2026

Whitney plantation

Basic but extremely informative. Timely. No bells and whistles so use a different tour if you want someone to explain it all. The plantation is very interesting. And has incredible sculptures and written explanations. The audio tour was excellent and our bus and guide, who was sweet, was timely.

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

CLAUDIA_V, Apr 2026

Swamp Tour did not disappoint

Plantation tour was a bit disappointing. The grounds were beautiful and the oak tree canopy cover drive was majestic. Tour information was not very detailed about the actual workings and history of the plantation itself. Felt the information provided was a bit generic and also lacking any real substance, mostly fluff about unimportant details. The Swamp tour was fun, interesting extremely informative, our boat tour guide was Amazing and the gators did not disappoint. We also spotted a bald eagle. It was very enjoyable!

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

Samantha_D, Jan 2026

Best alligator tour!

This was the BEST tour. It was so much fun and we learned some fun facts. Our airboat captain, Captain Bebop was awesome. He was funny and nice. We toured end of December so chances of seeing alligators was slim. He found us 2. We also got to hold a baby. It was so exciting. He was personable, polite but damn he was funny. We had the best time.