Guided Boat Tour of New Orleans Bayou and Wildlife
Overview
Are you ready to experience one of the best excursions New Orleans has to offer? Adventures of Jean Lafitte offers personal Alligator Tours through Louisiana’s beautiful backcountry. Gather your whole crew and come experience the “road less traveled”!
You’ll be touring 20, 000 acres of tidewater cypress swamp. During your 1 hour 30 minute tour you’ll have opportunities to see alligators, snakes, turtles, egrets, herons and ibis, and we sometimes see hawks, owls and bald eagles.
NOTE: We are approximately 35-45 minutes from New Orleans. Cab and uber services are not available in our area. If you book the self-drive option you will not receive hotel pickup. If you book the option with pickup, pickups will begin 1 hour and 15 minutes prior to tour time.
You’ll be touring 20, 000 acres of tidewater cypress swamp. During your 1 hour 30 minute tour you’ll have opportunities to see alligators, snakes, turtles, egrets, herons and ibis, and we sometimes see hawks, owls and bald eagles.
NOTE: We are approximately 35-45 minutes from New Orleans. Cab and uber services are not available in our area. If you book the self-drive option you will not receive hotel pickup. If you book the option with pickup, pickups will begin 1 hour and 15 minutes prior to tour time.
Inclusions
- Pontoon boat ride
- Local guide
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off (if option with transport is selected at the time of booking)
What to expect
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Adventures of Jean Lafitte, 5145 Fleming Park Rd, Lafitte, LA 70067, USA
Set out on a 20, 000-acre (8, 095-hectare) tract of tidewater cypress swamp close to the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve. Your flat-bottomed boat is leisurely guided through the shallow marshes. Discover bayous lined with mossy cypress and tupelo-gum trees as your captain points out a stunning variety of wildlife. Enjoy a fully narrated tour by a local guide.
Prepare to see plenty of alligators in the warmer months (and warmer days in winter), some of which may be out sunning themselves on logs! Your guide may even feed the gators, affording you amazing photo opportunities. Also keep your eyes open for turtles, snakes, egrets, herons and ibis. You may even catch sight of a hawk, owl or bald eagle. In the cooler months, look for white-tailed deer, raccoons and the large rodents known as nutria.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Adventures of Jean Lafitte, 5145 Fleming Park Rd, Lafitte, LA 70067, USA
Set out on a 20, 000-acre (8, 095-hectare) tract of tidewater cypress swamp close to the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve. Your flat-bottomed boat is leisurely guided through the shallow marshes. Discover bayous lined with mossy cypress and tupelo-gum trees as your captain points out a stunning variety of wildlife. Enjoy a fully narrated tour by a local guide.
Prepare to see plenty of alligators in the warmer months (and warmer days in winter), some of which may be out sunning themselves on logs! Your guide may even feed the gators, affording you amazing photo opportunities. Also keep your eyes open for turtles, snakes, egrets, herons and ibis. You may even catch sight of a hawk, owl or bald eagle. In the cooler months, look for white-tailed deer, raccoons and the large rodents known as nutria.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Additional information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Most travelers can participate
- The size of our swamp boats offer an opportunity to spread out and social distance, while also being outside!
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 72 travelers
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Ticket delivery
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.
AuthorCMelanson
April 2022
Every year when I go down to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, a swamp tour is definitely on the agenda. I didn't think I could find one as good as the first one I ever went on, but this one was just as great, if not a little bit better. I actually got the time of departure wrong, which meant I arrive...
Every year when I go down to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, a swamp tour is definitely on the agenda. I didn't think I could find one as good as the first one I ever went on, but this one was just as great, if not a little bit better. I actually got the time of departure wrong, which meant I arrived very early. This gave me time to explore the gift shop. The people running this tour are super nice, very friendly. I got a stuffed alligator for my bunny, Lafitte and a super cute, wiggly crab magnet. They had something I'd never seen before--an albino alligator, whose name was Sugar. While it was super cool to see an animal so rare, the only thing that bothered me was that she was kept in a smallish pen indoors. I'm not saying she wasn't well cared for, and the lady at the cash seemed to absolutely love her, but I hoped that she got to go outside and swim free sometimes...have no idea if this happens. The waiting area for guests departing for the tours was very clean and well-kept. There are several picnic tables and a full bar with those awesome slushie drinks NOLA is famous for. I have to admit it's pretty awesome to have a margarita frozen drink at 10 AM. Only in NOLA! It was very yummy. Airboat Adventures has both airboat and the larger boat tours. I like the slow pace of the bigger boats, so that is the one I always book. I hate it, but I can't remember the name of our captain, and he was so funny and knowledgeable. I enjoyed his tour as much as the first one I took. The biggest difference between this tour and that other one was that this one felt much more out in the open, while the other was more enclosed by trees. One of my favourite parts was when we came out into a part of the water where we could see Lake Pontchartrain. I love this body of water and drove across it for more than 20 miles to get into the city every day. The day I got to do this tour was also very warm, especially for February. I've never seen so many alligators on a tour. They were literally everywhere. Even our guide was surprised by how many were out. One alligator followed our boat for a very long while. We were cautioned not to reach outside the boat. When I saw the gator jump to get the marshmallow on a stick our guide offered, I could see why. They can jump much farther out of the water than one might imagine, and those jaws are lethal. We also got to see different species of birds and learned that Spanish moss is loaded with a crapton of parasites...like over 100 different organisms. We heard stories about Hurricane Ida and how these poor people's home insurance has jumped to $10K a year for some, so sad. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and very funny, and of course, we got to hear some of that awesome cajun music. There was even a very beautiful cemetery along the route. I definitely recommend this tour. I learned a lot and saw an amazing amount of wildlife. The views are spectacular and peaceful as well, and my cocktail was delicious. I usually switch up the tour I do every year, but I want to go on this one again in 2023.melaniepQ7875EO
November 2021
Great time with my family! Captain was very educational and entertaining. Highly recommend, would do it again!
Great time with my family! Captain was very educational and entertaining. Highly recommend, would do it again!Steve_J
April 2022
T was a terrific captain. Very knowledgeable, funny, and pointed out all kinds of things with his keen eye! Really enjoyed him stepping in for the pontoon trip yesterday.
T was a terrific captain. Very knowledgeable, funny, and pointed out all kinds of things with his keen eye! Really enjoyed him stepping in for the pontoon trip yesterday.Matthew_C
May 2022
Seeing the swamps and all that they have to offer, the wildlife was amazing as well, tour guide was very informative
Seeing the swamps and all that they have to offer, the wildlife was amazing as well, tour guide was very informativejordanhY9372AJ
November 2021
We had such an amazing time cruising the swamps of south Louisiana with captain Anson! The views were breathtaking, and there was so much wildlife! We got to see many Alligators, as well as several indigenous birds and even racoons. I would highly recommend and cant wait to do it again!
We had such an amazing time cruising the swamps of south Louisiana with captain Anson! The views were breathtaking, and there was so much wildlife! We got to see many Alligators, as well as several indigenous birds and even racoons. I would highly recommend and cant wait to do it again!Bernice_H
April 2022
Our tour guide Mark was great. Tje The fact that you can grab a drink to take with you while riding the boat, very convenient and enjoyable. Great bang for your buck.
Our tour guide Mark was great. Tje The fact that you can grab a drink to take with you while riding the boat, very convenient and enjoyable. Great bang for your buck.