Oak Alley Plantation & Swamp Boat Tour from New Orleans

The 28 Oaks and a Slow Drift Through Moss-Draped Bayou

You get hotel pickup, a guided tour of the 1837 plantation house with its iconic 28 oaks, a narrated swamp boat ride with a native captain, and wildlife viewing in the Barataria Swamps: all in one full day without arranging your own transport or timing. The covered boat keeps you comfortable, and the slow pace gives you real time to photograph and absorb the bayou.

Step-by-step itinerary

Oak Alley Plantation and Swamp Tour

• Drive to Oak Alley Plantation
• Tour Oak Alley Plantation House
• Visit restaurant and souvenir shop
• Board New Orleans swamp tour boat
• Enjoy narrated swamp boat tour
• Spot wildlife in Barataria Swamps

The experience

You're standing under a canopy of oak trees so old and evenly spaced they look almost impossible: like someone drew them with a ruler. The Oak Alley Plantation House sits at the end of that tunnel of green, a Greek revival home from 1837, and the moment you walk it you understand why this place shows up in every Louisiana bucket list. The house tour is led by guides dressed in authentic plantation-era clothing, and the walk from the house down to the restaurant and souvenir shop is about a block, with benches shaded by those same massive oaks if you need to sit. It's not rushed. There's a blacksmith shop, antique farm equipment scattered around, and the whole thing feels like you're moving through a real place, not a museum.

After the plantation, you get into a covered swamp boat with a captain who actually grew up hunting gators and fishing in the Barataria Swamps, not someone who read about it. The boat moves slowly through waterways lined with moss-draped trees, past a 2,000-year-old Indian Burial Mound, a Cajun cemetery, and a fishing village where people still live the way their families have for generations. The waterways are their highways, and you drift through them at a pace that lets you actually see things. The boat has a roof, cushioned seats, windows you can raise or lower, a restroom, and room to move around, so you're not crammed in or exposed to weather. Spring, summer, and fall are when you'll spot wildlife most easily: gators, birds, snakes, turtles, fur animals. Winter is quieter for gators (they hibernate), though on warmer days you might catch one sunning itself on a bank. The captain narrates the whole thing, and it's educational without feeling like a lecture.

The full day includes hotel pickup and drop-off from New Orleans, so you don't have to arrange your own transport to a place that's an hour and a half outside the city. Everything is handled. The minivan is air-conditioned, the timing is set, and you're back in the city by evening. If you're traveling with other people, make sure you book together so you're guaranteed to be on the same boat. Separate bookings don't guarantee you'll be grouped together.

What’s included

• Professional guide and driver.
• hotel pickup and drop-off from New Orleans.
• transport by air-conditioned minivan.
• guided tour of Oak Alley Plantation House with guides in authentic period clothing.
• access to the plantation grounds including blacksmith shop, restaurant, and souvenir shop.
• fully narrated swamp boat tour on a covered, climate-controlled boat with a native captain.
• wildlife and landscape viewing in the Barataria Swamps.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:15 and 10:45

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (4 to 12 years) · Infant (under 4): free

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendly

Operated by Louisiana Tour company

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see both the grand plantation history and the living bayou culture in one day without arranging your own transport or timing: the hotel pickup and fixed schedule handle the logistics, leaving you free to focus on the oaks, the swamp, and what the captain tells you.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 12 years); Infant (under 4): 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 24h before the start.

What's the difference between spring/summer and winter for seeing gators?

Gators are easily spotted in spring, summer, and fall. In winter they hibernate, though on warmer days they sometimes sun themselves on the banks, so sightings aren't guaranteed in cold months.

How far is Oak Alley Plantation from New Orleans?

About an hour and a half outside the city.

Is there walking involved at the plantation?

Yes, walking is required for the house tour. The plantation house to the restaurant and souvenir shop is about one block, with benches along the shaded path if you need to rest.

What's included in the swamp boat tour?

A fully narrated tour on a covered boat with a native captain, viewing of wildlife and natural landmarks like a 2,000-year-old Indian Burial Mound, a Cajun cemetery, and a fishing village. The boat has a roof, restroom, cushioned seats, and windows.

Can I bring a wheelchair on this tour?

Folding wheelchairs up to 28 inches wide are allowed, but you'll need to get into the boat or minibus yourself or with help from family or friends. The driver cannot assist with lifting.

What if I'm traveling with friends? Will we be on the same boat?

Only if you book together in one reservation. Separate bookings don't guarantee you'll be grouped together.

Is the boat comfortable in bad weather?

Yes, the boat has a roof and windows that can be raised or lowered depending on weather, plus cushioned seats and standing room.