New Orleans: Paddlewheeler Cruise & Chalmette Battlefield Tour

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.41 (2,082 reviews) 67% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/11

Duration2h 30m

GroupUp to 150

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

A Riverboat Cruise That Stops at History

You board the Creole Queen in the afternoon, cruise downriver while a historian covers three centuries of New Orleans, then disembark for a 45-minute guided tour of Chalmette Battlefield with a National Park Ranger. The boat includes a cash bar and optional Creole lunch, and you return by late afternoon. All entry fees, the guide, and restroom access are included; you just need to arrive by 1:30 PM.

2h 30m

Step-by-step itinerary

Mississippi River cruise and battlefield tour

Board Paddlewheeler Creole Queen
Enjoy narrated Mississippi River cruise
Dock at Chalmette Battlefield
Tour Chalmette Battlefield and Malus-Beauregard House
Listen to National Park Ranger talk
Re-board boat for return cruise

The Experience

Most river cruises in New Orleans keep you on the water the whole time. This one doesn't. You board the Paddlewheeler Creole Queen at 1:30 PM, and by 2 PM sharp you're moving downriver — but the real moment comes 45 minutes in, when the boat docks at Chalmette Battlefield and you step onto the ground where the 1815 Battle of New Orleans actually happened. A National Park Ranger meets you there to walk the site, and you get to stand in front of the Chalmette Monument and the Malus-Beauregard House while someone who knows the place explains what occurred. It's the kind of detail that sticks with you more than any view from a deck chair.

The cruise itself runs 2 hours and 30 minutes total, and a licensed historian narrates the whole thing — 300 years of New Orleans history, from the LeMoyne Brothers founding the city to Hurricane Katrina. You're seeing the French Quarter and the Port of New Orleans from the river, which changes how you read the place. The boat has a cash bar, and there's a Creole lunch option if you want to eat while you're moving. It's not fancy, but it's there. Restrooms are on board, and the whole vessel is wheelchair accessible, though the Chalmette Battlefield itself has some terrain limits.

The schedule is tight — boarding at 1:30, departure at 2 PM sharp, and the Coast Guard doesn't let them wait for stragglers. If weather turns bad, the boat may stay docked instead of sailing, so you'd want to check conditions the morning of. Your ticket is good for a year if you need to reschedule, and it transfers to someone else if plans change.

What’s included

Your experience includes the 2.5-hour river cruise aboard the Paddlewheeler Creole Queen, narration by a licensed historian covering 300 years of New Orleans history, docking and a 45-minute to 1-hour guided tour at Chalmette Battlefield with a National Park Ranger, all entry fees and taxes, on-board restroom access, and a local guide. A Creole lunch and beverages are available for separate purchase at the cash bar.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessiblePublic transport nearby

Operated by New Orleans Paddlewheels Inc.

Is this one for you?Pick this if you want to see the Mississippi River and learn New Orleans history without arranging your own transport to Chalmette — the boat handles both, and the afternoon timing fits most schedules.