Top New Orleans Eco Tours

Experience New Orleans’ wild bayou country on an exciting, family‐friendly airboat ride. This boat tour winds through the mossy cypress swamp close to Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, named for the 19th‐century pirate and smuggler. While onboard, enjoy lively commentary from a native guide as you admire lush, forested shoreline and spot local wildlife. Both self-drive and hotel pickup options are available, and hotel pickups begin 75 minutes prior to tour time.

Experience the iconic New Orleans swamplands during a small-group airboat tour, led by a professional guide. Alternate between adrenaline-fuelled high speeds and gentle cruising as you sail past fascinating flora and fauna. Capture fantastic photographs of alligators in their natural habitat, and relish the intimate atmosphere of a small-group, limited to only nine passengers. Enjoy the convenience of round-trip transportation by comfortable, air-conditioned coach from your hotel in Downtown New Orleans.

Uncover the mysteries of the swamps surrounding New Orleans on an exhilarating airboat tour of the area, led by a professional guide. Cruise along the picturesque waterways in search of ferocious alligators and other rare wildlife while listening to illuminating commentary from your guide. Feel your adrenaline levels surge as your driver accelerates to high speeds, and capture fantastic photographs during regular stops. Enjoy the convenience of round-trip transportation by comfortable, air-conditioned coach.

Immerse yourself in the rich culture and natural splendor of New Orleans’ mystifying swamps and wetlands on a 2-hour New Orleans swamp tour and wetlands adventure. Relax in the luxurious interior of a New Orleans swamp tour boat as you cruise past cultural highlights like a Cajun cemetery, an Indian burial mound and a traditional fishing village. Scour the scenery for fascinating flora and fauna like snakes, turtles and alligators while listening to interesting commentary from your professional guide.

Delve into the atmospheric beauty of New Orleans’ vast swamplands on an exciting 2-hour small-group tour by airboat. With a knowledgeable guide, cruise past fascinating flora and fauna, scouring the picturesque scenery for sightings of alligators and other rare creatures. Experience the exhilaration of traveling at high velocity as your driver alternates between gentle cruising and high-speed bursts. Receive personalized attention from your guide on this small-group tour, limited to only 9 passengers.

The Steamboat NATCHEZ is taking some time off, but her sister vessel will be taking her place. You’ll get the same authentic riverboat experience, journeying back in time to when cotton was king and New Orleans was a budding port town that dazzled visitors with its colorful Creole culture. Board the historic riverboat for a morning or afternoon float down the mighty Mississippi. Stroll the deck, admire the iconic paddlewheel, enjoy live music, and snap picturesque shots of the beautiful urban shoreline. This family‐friendly excursion offers an optional tableside lunch (additional expense).

Nowhere is Louisiana’s wildlife more abundant than in the swamps and bayous of New Orleans. Take a boat ride through these swamps and bayous and be on the lookout for alligators, raccoons, snakes, turtles and native birds. Hear stories from your guide about local Cajun culture and the mysteries of the swamps and bayous.

The Steamboat Natchez is taking some time off, but her sister vessel will be taking her place. You’ll get the same authentic experience of New Orleans at night on this romantic riverboat cruise! Journey through time on a paddle-wheel boat ride along the mighty Mississippi. Stroll the deck, cozy up with family and friends, and delight in the sparkle of the urban shoreline at dusk. This excursion includes a Creole‐inspired dinner (if option selected) and live jazz music.

The Steamboat NATCHEZ is taking some time off, but her sister vessel will be taking her place. You’ll get the same authentic riverboat experience while you step up the luxury on this Viator VIP dinner cruise. Your experience begins with a complimentary Champagne cocktail while you take a guided tour of the boat’s authentic fixtures and spaces such as the pilot house. In the dining room, you’ll have a reserved table where you can relax, indulge in a sumptuous tableside dinner and enjoy a live jazz performance. If you want to go all out, upgrade to a full‐bar option.

The Steamboat NATCHEZ is taking some time off, but her sister vessel will be taking her place. You’ll get the same classic New Orleans experience of a lovely jazz brunch aboard a historic riverboat! Journey through time on this cruise along the mighty Mississippi. Stroll the deck, admire the iconic paddlewheel, and snap picturesque shots of the beautiful urban shoreline. This family‐friendly excursion includes a delectable brunch loaded with famous Louisiana dishes and live music from a local jazz trio.

Experience the Jean Lafitte National Park and Preserve on this pontoon excursion led by a local guide. After a convenient, optional pickup from your accommodation, learn about Southern Louisiana’s distinctive ecology while cruising past magnificent cypress trees and watch for native wildlife like gators and egrets. Enjoy flexible timing and opt for a delicious lunch at Restaurant Des Familes with the 10 a.m. tour.

Trade in the urban bustle for the bayou on a half-day trip from New Orleans to the wilds of the Honey Island Swamp. Relax on the ride from your downtown or French Quarter hotel, and then cruise beneath hanging moss and cypress trees while a wetland ecologist shares tall tales and fun facts about this protected nature reserve on the shores of Lake Ponchartrain. Learn about Louisiana’s long-standing fishing industry, and keep an eye out for native critters like otters, turtles, egrets, and alligators lurking beneath the surface.

Cruise through the wild wetlands of Honey Island Swamp on a 2-hour boat tour. Located on the marshy shores of Lake Ponchartrain just north of New Orleans, this protected nature reserve is home to an array of southern wildlife, from egrets and herons soaring above to otters and alligators lurking below the water’s surface. Hear tales of swamp pirates, fishermen’s lore and mysterious creatures from your captain as you glide past hanging moss and swooning cypress trees.

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. Then, 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.

Go beyond the French Quarter and discover the unique Cajun and Creole cultures of New Orleans during this full-day swamp and plantation tour. Venture deep into the bayous, with a small group limited to 12, to see Cajun living and spot wildlife like alligators and pelicans on your high-speed airboat ride. Then, admire the beautiful architecture and learn about the history of Houmas House and Laura Plantation. Gourmet, unlimited buffet lunch at Houmas House is included.

Take a wild ride through the bayous of Cajun Country on this airboat adventure from New Orleans. In a small group, wind through tree‐lined swampland and spot abundant local wildlife, including nutria, alligators, and giant catfish, and stop at Destrehan Plantation to get a taste of the elegant antebellum south.

Lose yourself in the atmospheric depths of the New Orleans swamps and wetlands on an exhilarating 2-hour boat tour, led by a professional guide. Cruise past ancient wonders and listen to legends surrounding a 2000-year-old Indian burial mound and an atmospheric Cajun cemetery. Scour the Barataria Swamps for sightings of fascinating wildlife such as snakes, turtles and ferocious alligators, and learn about the area’s history and geology from your knowledgeable guide. Enjoy the convenience of round-trip transportation by luxury vehicle fro your New Orleans hotel.

Travel into the bayou on this combination swamp and plantation tour by 16 passenger Airboat. See the oldest documented plantation in the Mississippi Valley and visit the slave revolt museum located on the grounds. After the tour explore the grounds on your won and enjoy lunch (own expense) if time permits.

See a different side of Louisiana on this ultimate swamp and plantation tour that showcases both Cajun and Creole culture in an all-inclusive package. Enjoy a private airboat ride through cypress swamps with a gator-hunting guide before exploring antebellum history at Houmas House and Laura plantations—two of the region’s best-preserved estates. Extras include a gourmet Cajun lunch at Houmas House and private transport from New Orleans.

Explore Louisiana’s unique history and ecology on this combo day tour from New Orleans. Travel along the oak-lined River Road to Destrehan Plantation, where you can tour the 1787 sugar plantation home, grounds and slave quarters while learning about life in the antebellum South and the site’s changing role during the Civil War. Then, venture into the bayou on a narrated swamp cruise through wild wetlands that are home to turtles, otters, snakes and famous Louisiana gators.

Louisiana’s wild backcountry is known for its cypress swamps that are home to alligators, snakes, and turtles. Explore this area in a safe and fun way in a flat-bottomed boat that travels through the marshes. Learn more about local wildlife from the guide and look out for herons, hawks, owls, and bald eagles too.

Travel into the bayou on this combination swamp and plantation tour by 6 or 9 passenger Airboat. See the oldest documented plantation in the Mississippi Valley and visit the slave revolt museum located on the grounds. After the tour explore the grounds on your won and enjoy lunch (own expense) if time permits.

Let a wetland ecologist guide you through the Honey Island Swamp during this private tour from New Orleans. Listen to engaging commentary about the city as you make your way to the West Pearl River. Then, climb aboard a shaded flat-bottom boat, equipped for up to 14 passengers, to get a close look at one of the country's wildest swamps. This private tour offers flexibility and personalized attention from your guide.

Speed through the swamps of Louisiana on this 2-hour private airboat ride for your group of 6 or fewer. Expect to see gators, swamp grasses, and more during the tour. This tour includes round-trip transportation from your hotel, as well as guided commentary from a local captain.