Oak Alley Plantation & Airboat Swamp Tour from New Orleans
Twenty-eight massive oaks frame a Greek Revival mansion, then a captain takes you airboat-fast through the swamp.
An eight-hour tour from New Orleans combines a guided plantation house tour and self-guided grounds exploration at Oak Alley, then a high-speed airboat swamp tour with a local captain. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included. The airboat has stadium seating so every seat has a clear view, and the captain slows down for wildlife sightings and photographs. Gators are easiest to spot in spring, summer and fall. Winter hibernation makes sightings less likely.
Step-by-step itinerary
Oak Alley Plantation and Swamp Tour
- Travel from New Orleans to Oak Alley
- Tour Oak Alley Plantation house
- Explore plantation grounds and gift shop
- Travel to swamp tour dock
- Experience high speed airboat swamp tour
The experience
The day starts with a drive along Great River Road, about an hour from the French Quarter, passing antebellum mansions on the way to Oak Alley. You'll spend roughly two hours at the plantation: a 35-minute guided tour of the Greek Revival house that dates to 1837, then time to walk the grounds on your own. The 28 evenly spaced oak trees that line the property from the river road to the house are the draw here. If you time it right, the gift shop has sandwiches for lunch, and you can still cover the grounds before heading to the swamp dock.
The airboat portion is part tour, part ride. Your captain navigates at high speed, then slows to stop for photographs and explain the swamp's culture, animals and ecosystem. Stadium seating means the person in front of you won't block your view: every seat works for watching. You may see alligators, though they're not guaranteed in winter when they hibernate. The boat is loud and fast enough that service animals aren't recommended, and there's a 48-inch minimum height requirement.
Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, along with a professional driver and guide. The order of the plantation and airboat portions may shift depending on weather and availability. Bring a hat or secure anything loose: the airboat lives up to its name.
What’s included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off from your New Orleans hotel.
- professional driver and guide.
- 35-minute guided plantation house tour.
- self-guided grounds exploration at Oak Alley.
- high-speed airboat swamp tour with a local captain.
Information
Lasts 8h, runs every day at 08:15, from US$ 160 per person, with a live guide in English and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.
Prices and times updated yesterday
Operated by Louisiana Tour company
Is this one for you?Pick this if you want to see both the plantation's oak-lined grounds and the swamp in one day. The combined itinerary handles the drive between them, so you're not coordinating separate bookings.
Traveler reviews
Compare the 8 alternatives
- 26 reviews
- 4.62★
- Duration
- 7h
- Every day
- 08:00
- 3,556 reviews
- 4.76★
- Duration
- 7h 45m
- start times · Every day
- 2
- 410 reviews
- 4.40★
- Duration
- 8h
- Every day
- 08:15
- 1,838 reviews
- 4.34★
- Duration
- 5h 30m
- start times · Every day
- 4
- 193 reviews
- 4.60★
- Duration
- 8h
- Every day
- 08:15
- 89 reviews
- 4.97★
- Duration
- 7h–8h
- Every day
- 09:00
- 270 reviews
- 4.82★
- Duration
- 5h 30m
- start times · Every day
- 2
- 1,260 reviews
- 4.73★
- Duration
- 9h
- Every day
- 08:00
Top questions
How long is the plantation house tour at Oak Alley?
The guided house tour lasts about 35 minutes, and you have roughly two hours total at the plantation to include the tour, grounds exploration, and a quick lunch if you want one.
What's the airboat ride actually like?
The airboat goes at high speed, then slows down for wildlife sightings and photos. Your captain explains the swamp culture and animals as you go. Stadium seating means every seat has a clear view, and the boat is loud and fast, not a gentle float.
Will I see alligators on the swamp tour?
Alligators are easily spotted in spring, summer and fall, but they hibernate in winter, so sightings aren't guaranteed during colder months.
Is there a height or age requirement for the airboat?
The minimum height requirement is 48 inches. Children under that height cannot ride. Pregnant women and anyone with heart conditions, back problems or spinal injuries are not permitted on the airboat.
What's included in the tour price?
Hotel pickup and drop-off from your New Orleans hotel, the plantation house tour, and the airboat swamp tour with a captain are included. Food, drinks and gratuities are not.
How far is Oak Alley from the French Quarter?
Oak Alley is about 70 miles from the French Quarter, roughly an hour and ten minutes by car along Great River Road.
Oak Alley Plantation & Airboat Swamp Tour from New Orleans
8h · EN · at your hotel
from US$ 160 per person