Whitney & Oak Alley Plantation Tour New Orleans: 3 plantations & swamp
How do you see four plantations and a swamp in one day without driving yourself?
You’ll ride from New Orleans into plantation country with a local guide who shares stories you won’t find in books. Walk beneath Oak Alley’s ancient trees, learn hard truths at Whitney Plantation Museum, eat Creole food for lunch, then float through Cajun swamp with wildlife all around you. This day trip leaves you thinking, and feeling, long after you’re back in town.
Step-by-step itinerary
Plantation and swamp tour in New Orleans
- Board luxury passenger van
- Enjoy city mini-tour or film
- Visit Whitney Plantation Museum
- Pass by Laura Plantation
- Pass by St. Joseph Plantation
- Explore Oak Alley Plantation grounds
- Have lunch at Oak Alley Plantation
- Take 35-minute bus ride to swamp
- Board pontoon boat for swamp tour
- Take 45-minute ride back to city
- Whitney Plantation Museum passing by
- Laura Plantation passing by
- St. Joseph Plantation passing by
- Oak Alley Plantation Entry included 3h
- New Canal Lighthouse passing by
What’s included
- Your day includes comfortable hotel pickup in an air-conditioned van with bottled water and USB charging outlets along the way.
- admission fees to Whitney Plantation Museum, Laura Plantation, St. Joseph Plantation, Oak Alley Plantation.
- time to enjoy lunch at Oak Alley’s restaurant or deli.
- plus a guided 90-minute pontoon boat ride through Cajun Pride Swamp before returning to New Orleans by evening.
- Every day 09:00
Information
Full-day plantation and swamp tour from New Orleans visiting Whitney, Laura, St. Joseph, Oak Alley. Includes admission, lunch, boat, hotel pickup.
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Traveler reviews
The experience
“You see that?” our driver, Earl, pointed out as we crossed the city limits, sunlight flickering through the van windows. He’d already told us three stories about his aunt’s gumbo and the time he got stuck in Mardi Gras traffic for six hours. I was still thinking about the way he said “bayou”: like it tasted good. The air changed as we left New Orleans behind. It smelled like wet grass and something sweet I couldn’t quite name. Maybe sugarcane? We rolled past fields and old houses until Whitney Plantation came into view, white against the green.
I didn’t expect Whitney to hit so hard. Our guide, Miss Denise, didn’t sugarcoat anything. She walked us past memorials for enslaved children and read out names in a voice that made everyone quiet. The sun felt heavy on my neck. At Laura Plantation, it was all French Creole colors (yellow walls and red shutters), and stories about women running things long before anyone expected them to. I tried to pronounce “tarte à la bouillie” (Li laughed when I butchered it), but mostly I just listened. St. Joseph Plantation was quieter, almost sleepy. Someone’s wedding photo hung crooked in a hallway.
By midday we reached Oak Alley Plantation. The trees really do line up like soldiers, their branches tangled overhead. Lunch was fried catfish and sweet tea (I’m still not sure how much sugar is normal here). Some folks wandered off to the gift shop or sat under those giant oaks doing nothing at all. It felt good to just sit for a second before we piled back into the van for the swamp tour.
The swamp surprised me. It wasn’t silent like I thought it would be. Birds called out from somewhere you couldn’t see, and our boat slid through water thick with cypress roots and Spanish moss. The guide tossed marshmallows to an alligator named Big Boy (apparently he’s famous). My hands smelled faintly of sunscreen and river water when we got back on land. On the drive home over Bonnet Carré Spillway Bridge, Lake Pontchartrain stretched out forever in the dusk light: hard not to stare.
Top questions
Can I be picked up at my hotel?
You can choose: pickup at your hotel, or go straight to the meeting point. When you book, you choose your hotel from 128 pickup locations; if yours isn’t listed, you can type in your address. Pickup is about 45 minutes before departure.
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Youth (5 to 12 years); Child (3 to 4 years): free; Infant (1 to 2 years): free.
What happens if it rains?
It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.
How long does the full day plantation and swamp tour last?
The tour lasts a full day including transport from New Orleans, several plantation visits, lunch break at Oak Alley Plantation, a 90-minute swamp boat ride, and return transfer.
Which plantations are included on this New Orleans day trip?
The tour includes Whitney Plantation Museum, Laura Plantation, St. Joseph Plantation, and Oak Alley Plantation.
Is lunch included during the plantation tour?
No set lunch is included but there is time to purchase lunch at Oak Alley Plantation’s restaurant or deli during your visit.
What kind of vehicle is used for transportation?
An air-conditioned passenger van with leather seats and USB charging ports is used for guest comfort during transfers.
How long is the swamp boat ride portion?
The guided pontoon boat ride through the Cajun swamp lasts approximately 90 minutes.
Is this tour suitable for travelers with limited mobility?
The tour is suitable for most fitness levels. Service animals are also allowed.
Operated by K's Luxury Transportation and Tours. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.
Prices and times updated 3 days ago
Whitney & Oak Alley Plantation Tour New Orleans: 3 plantations & swamp
7h–8h · EN
from US$ 137.19 per person
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