New Orleans: French Quarter, Cemetery & Swamp Tour Full Day

The city rolls past the windows, then the water takes over

You get hotel pickup, a guided bus tour of the French Quarter, a twenty-minute walk through St. Louis Cemetery No. 3, and your choice of a slow covered swamp boat or a fast airboat through Barataria for nearly two hours. The guide is licensed and local, and you're back at your hotel by evening. Book all passengers together if you want to stay on the same boat.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each2 stops

1. Runyon Canyon Parkpassing by
2. St. Louis Cemetery No. 3Entry included20m

New Orleans city and swamp tour

• Guided bus tour of French Quarter
• Walking tour of above-ground tombs
• Swamp tour by boat or airboat

The experience

The minibus picks you up from your hotel and heads straight into the French Quarter, where your guide points out the streets and stories you'd miss walking alone. After an hour or so of that, you're standing in St. Louis Cemetery No. 3 for about twenty minutes, looking at the above-ground tombs that make New Orleans different from everywhere else. The guide walks you through the history: why they built them this way, what the city looked like when they did. It's compact and focused, not a long wander.

Then you're on the water. This is the part that changes the day. You choose when you book: a covered swamp tour boat that moves slow and steady, or an airboat that runs fast and loud. Either way, you're in Barataria for one hour and forty minutes, drifting or speeding past a two-thousand-year-old Indian burial mound, a Cajun cemetery, and a fishing village. Your captain is local. He knows where things are, what you're looking at, and if the gators are around. In spring, summer, and fall they're usually there. Winter is quieter. The swamp boat lets you sit back and absorb it. The airboat is louder, faster, and the gators come closer because of the speed. Both work, and both let you see the wildlife that made this swamp matter in the first place.

The whole day runs from pickup to drop-off, and the timing is built so you're not rushed through any of it. The bus tour isn't a sprint, the cemetery walk is long enough to actually look, and the water time is real time, not a quick pass-through. If you're traveling with other people, book together so you end up on the same boat. If you book separately, the company can't guarantee you'll be seated together. The airboat has a height minimum of forty-eight inches, and it's not accessible for wheelchairs or for people with certain back or heart conditions. The covered swamp boat is the option if that matters to you.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off are included.
• Your day covers a guided bus tour of the French Quarter, a walking tour of St.
• Louis Cemetery No. 3, and your choice of a covered swamp tour boat or an airboat through Barataria for one hour and forty minutes.
• A professional driver and licensed guide lead the entire experience.
• Lunch and entrance fees beyond the tour are not included.

Options for this experience

3 options

3-Hour City and Pontoon BoatGuide in English · 09:303-hour city tour combined with a 1-hour-and-40-minute swamp tour by pontoon boat. Pickup takes place between 9:30 and 10 am, and pickup is included.

3-Hour City and Large AirboatGuide in English · 09:303-hour city tour combined with a 16-passenger airboat swamp tour. Pickup takes place between 9:30 and 10 am. Not wheelchair accessible. Pickup is included.

3-Hour City and Small AirboatGuide in English · 09:303-hour city tour with a 9-passenger airboat swamp tour. Pickup takes place between 9:30 and 10 am. Not wheelchair accessible. Pickup is included.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Information

Lasts 7h 30m, runs every day at 09:30, from US$ 110 per person, with a live guide in English and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:30Another time? ›

GroupUp to 20

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (4 to 12 years) · Under 4: can't be booked

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Louisiana Tour company

Is this one for you?Right for travelers who want to see the city, the cemetery, and the swamp in one day without arranging their own transport or timing: the fixed schedule and pickup handle all of that. Plan for a full day out, which is what makes fitting all three stops possible.

Traveler reviews

4.74★★★★★★★★★★

203 verified traveler reviews

5 ★170

4 ★18

3 ★11

2 ★3

1 ★1

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 12 years). Children under 4 can't be included in the booking.

How long is the whole tour?

The full day includes three hours on the minibus, twenty minutes at the cemetery, and one hour forty minutes on the water. Add pickup and drop-off time.

Can I choose between the swamp boat and airboat?

Yes. You select which one when you make the booking. The swamp boat is covered and moves slowly. The airboat is faster and louder, with stadium seating so everyone has a view.

Will I see alligators?

Gators are common in spring, summer, and fall. In winter they hibernate, so sightings are less likely. Your captain will look for them either way.

Is the tour accessible for wheelchairs?

Folding wheelchairs are allowed on the minibus, but you must be able to get into the bus yourself or with help from family or friends. The airboat is not wheelchair accessible. The covered swamp boat is the better option if mobility is a concern.

What if I'm traveling with friends and we book separately?

Book together as one reservation to guarantee you're on the same boat. If you book separately, the company cannot promise you'll be seated together.

Is there a height requirement?

Yes, for the airboat only: minimum forty-eight inches. The covered swamp boat has no height restriction.

Can I bring a service animal?

Service animals are permitted on the minibus and covered swamp boat. They are permitted on airboats but not recommended due to noise and wildlife threats.

Who is not permitted on the airboat?

People with back problems, heart complications, serious medical conditions, or who are pregnant should not book the airboat. The covered swamp boat is the alternative.