Airboat Ride: Explore New Orleans Swamp Wildlife

Escape the hustle-bustle of New Orleans on an exhilarating airboat ride. Spot alligators, snakes, turtles, and more as you explore the beautiful swamp scenery.

Duration: 4 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • New Orleans - Drive-out along the Mississippi River approximately 30 miles (48 km) to the embarkation point of your airboat from your New Orleans hotel. Depending on the option you selected, board a large airboat holding 15 to 25 passengers or a small airboat limited to six to eight passengers for a more intimate, personalized experience.
  • Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve - Set out on a 1 hour and 45 minute tour on a 20,000-acre (8,095-hectare) tract of tidewater cypress swamp close to the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve. Your airboat is powered by an aircraft propeller to allow a fast, fluid trip through the shallow marshes. Feel the wind on your face as you zip into bayous lined with mossy cypress and tupelo-gum trees.

Prepare to see plenty of alligators in the warmer months (and warmer days in winter), some of which may be out sunning themselves on rocks! Your guide may even feed the gators, affording amazing photo opportunities. Keep your eyes open for turtles, snakes, egrets, herons and ibis. You may even catch sight of a hawk, owl or bald eagle. In the cooler months, look for white-tailed deer, raccoons and the large rodents known as nutria.

Be sure to check out the indoor exhibits of alligators, including an albino alligator.

Note: This tour does not include hotel pick-up or drop-off unless option selected at checkout.

What's Included
  • Local guide
  • Airboat ride
  • Small storage space under seat
  • Roundtrip transportation (if option with transport is selected at time of booking)
  • Ear protection
  • Unobstructed views
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Food and drinks (gift shop and bar available on site)
Additional Information

Take a break from the hustle-bustle of New Orleans and escape to nature on this exhilarating, family-friendly airboat ride! Spot alligators, snakes, turtles, egrets and herons as you take a fast, fun ride over a tidewater cypress swamp close to Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve. Admire moss-covered cypress and tupelo-gum trees as you explore bayous teeming with life and take advantage of incredible photo ops.

Th premium small-group tour is limited to 6 people, regular small airboat (up to 10 people) or large airboat (up to 30 people) to allow for better views of the wildlife.

Please note: If you book the self-drive option you will not receive hotel pickup. If you book the option with pickup, pickups will begin 1 hour and 15 minutes prior to tour time.

There are no rideshare or taxi services to this area. Gators are more commonly spotted in summer months.

  • Operates in all weather conditions (sunny or rainy); please dress appropriately
  • Minimum age is 5 years
  • Reservations booked separately will NOT be guaranteed to be on the same boat
  • Taxi & Ride Share services not available in our area
  • We offer a full refund in case of inclement weather that is unsafe to operate tours (lightening/ thunderstorms/ high wind). We still operate in the rain.
Location
5145 Fleming Park Rd
Fleming Park Road
Please turn right on Texas Street (the next right), not Fleming Park Rd to enter the facility.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.7
(3979 Ratings)
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Bethsaids_n
Oct 6, 2024
Funny and informative tour! - The staff was so friendly and our tour guide super funny! We loved him! Very knowledgeable of the swamp area and catered to us tourists! Definitely a must! Don’t leave Louisiana without doing this!
Review provided by Viator
Tina_h
Oct 6, 2024
Great adventure different kind of fun experience! - The views and wild life were great! Captain Larry was great!! His interaction with the alligators was amazing!
Review provided by Viator
Laura_e
Oct 4, 2024
Fabulous - Beautiful bayou, alligators, company that aimed to preserve the environment and protect the alligators
Review provided by Viator
Debra_h
Oct 3, 2024
Small Boat Delivers Delight - We chose the small boat experience and it delivered beyond our expectations. The guide was a native of the area steeped in knowledge of the eco-system and friend to the alligators. This tour was a highlight of our trip to NOLA.
Review provided by Viator
Aileen_w
Oct 2, 2024
Marvelous trip - The guide was very knowledgeable and funny kept us amused through out the trip and well informed about the variety of vegetation and animals to be found in the swamp lands
Review provided by Viator
Valerie_s
Oct 2, 2024
Amazing Airboat adventure - Absolutely loved the adventure. There were so many baby gators. They were abundant. The guide made sure we got to see some up close and personal. Great times!
Review provided by Viator
Deanna_t
Oct 2, 2024
Great Trip - Great guide and very organized. Had a great time seeing the alligators! Transportation from New Orleans was convenient
Review provided by Viator
Caribe_v
Oct 2, 2024
Best experience ever - This beats all the other tours out there! And you will definitely see gators. Guides were hilarious and informative. 5 stars!!!!
Review provided by Viator
Ruth_m
Oct 3, 2024
Good and bad - The event on the airboat would get 5 stars. Our pick-up, not so many. We enjoyed the experience on the boat. Our driver was fun and well informed. Our puck-up was almost 45 minutes late. We were told to be at the pick up spot 1 hour and 15 minutes before tour time. We arrived with an extra 10 minutes added to that. The instructions said not to worry if the bus was 5 minutes late. We waited half an hour after pickup time. I texted them on their website and on Whats App - where there had both sent me notices to not be late. No response. We finally called the place. She had to call the driver. She then told us the driver wanted us to walk 4 or 5 blocks to another pick up spot. We didn’t know the area so that wasn’t going to work. She said she would have the driver call us with further instructions. No call. After waiting another 10 -15 minutes, we finally got picked up. What was most frustrating was that No One reached out to us during our 45 minute wait for that late pickup. So my advice is if your pick up is 10 minutes late, call right away - it may save some aggravation if they can tell you the wait will be another 30 minutes.
Review provided by Viator
Scenic32162702256
Oct 2, 2024
Airboat ride - Cory was a lot of fun. Would have liked a little bit more of the fast turns and such but overall good experience! Would have liked to see the albino alligator move around.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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