Swamp Boat Tours in New Orleans

Covered pontoon boats glide through the Manchac, Honey Island and Jean Lafitte swamps.

Swamp Boat Tours

Boat touring a Honey Island waterway with moss-draped cypress swamp on each side

Top pick by review count

Honey Island Boat, Transport Included

5 hours total (incl. transport; ~2h boat) · Max 22 travelers · Pickup included · Run by Cajun Encounters Tour Co.

4.9 7,119 reviews on the listing

Cajun Encounters is the strongest-reviewed operator on this site, and this is its transport-inclusive Honey Island cruise: roughly 2 hours on the water inside a 5-hour outing, with round-trip travel from New Orleans folded in. Honey Island sits east of the city near Slidell, one of the least altered swamps in Louisiana, and the boat moves slowly enough to actually look. From $75.52 per adult, rated 4.9 across 7119 reviews. Free cancellation.

from $75.52per adult, live price on the listing Check Price & Availability → Free cancellation

Covered pontoon gliding through cypress trees on a Louisiana bayou

Large-Group Boat, No Pickup

4.9 2,275 reviews on the listing

1 hour 40 minutes · Louisiana Tour Company

from $35per adult, live price on the listing

The headline numbers do the selling here: 4.9 across 2275 reviews, from $35 per adult, and a 1 hour 40 minute ride that runs longer than most covered-boat cruises in the area. Louisiana Tour Company launches from its own dock, so you drive yourself out rather than waiting on a hotel bus, which keeps the price down and the day simple. Bring a jacket for the wind off the water. Free cancellation applies.

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Covered pontoon boat moving through a Manchac bayou past cypress draped in Spanish moss

Covered Boat, Optional Pickup

4.7 1,759 reviews on the listing

1 hour 30 minutes · Cajun Pride Swamp Tours

from $35per person from-price, live price on the listing

Cajun Pride Swamp Tours runs this 90-minute cruise into the Manchac Swamp west of the city, near LaPlace. A covered pontoon keeps the sun and rain off while the boat drifts past cypress knees, Spanish moss and the alligators that patrol these waters. Guides narrate the ecology and the local lore, including the story of the abandoned town of Frenier. Optional pickup saves the drive. Rated 4.7 across 1759 reviews, from $35 per person, with free cancellation.

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Covered bayou boat passing herons wading at the water's edge near New Orleans

Budget Bayou Boat, Pickup Included

4.5 1,615 reviews on the listing

1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · Adventures of Jean Lafitte

from $30per adult, live price on the listing

Adventures of Jean Lafitte runs this boat tour out of Barataria, near the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve. The ride lasts about 1 hour 30 minutes. From $30 per adult, it is the lowest from-price on this page, rated 4.5 across 1615 reviews. The pontoon moves slowly, so you see the swamp: alligators, herons, and a captain who knows where wildlife gathers. Free cancellation applies.

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Swamp cruise boat at a dock while passengers board for a bayou tour

Boat Tour, Round-Trip Pickup Included

4.8 1,308 reviews on the listing

4 hours (incl. round-trip transport) · Louisiana Tour Company

from $60per adult, live price on the listing

Same swamp, same covered boat, but with a bus: this version of Louisiana Tour Company's cruise adds round-trip transport from New Orleans, stretching the outing to about 4 hours door to door. The boat portion matches the standard tour, and the from-price rises to $60 per adult for the convenience. It carries a 4.8 rating across 1308 reviews. If you would rather not arrange a car or rideshare to the dock, this is the one to book. Cancellation is free.

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Swamp boat easing down a Honey Island channel past cypress knees at the waterline

Quiet Flat-Bottom Bayou Boat

4.9 232 reviews on the listing

2 hours (boat tour) · Cajun Encounters Tour Co

from $38per person from-price, live price on the listing

Cajun Encounters takes a flat-bottom boat into Honey Island Swamp, a protected wetland near Slidell east of New Orleans. Because the boat is quiet and slow, alligators, turtles and wading birds go about their business rather than scattering. The ride runs about two hours, and guides, many of them locals from the area, mix wildlife spotting with stories of the swamp's history. Rated 4.9 across 232 reviews, from $38 per person, with free cancellation.

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Swamp tour guide at the bow of a Honey Island boat gesturing at the treeline

Dr. Wagner's Guided Boat Tour

4.9 196 reviews on the listing

about 2 hours · Dr. Wagner's Honey Island Swamp Tours

from $37.75per adult from-price, with a transport-inclusive tier also offered, live price on the listing

Dr. Wagner's Honey Island Swamp Tours has run boats in this protected swamp east of the city for decades. The covered flat-bottom craft move slowly through cypress channels while the captain calls out alligators, owls, raccoons and the occasional wild boar. Roughly two hours on the water gives the guides room to explain how the swamp feeds into the Pearl River system. Rated 4.9 across 196 reviews, from $37.75 per adult, with a transport-inclusive tier and free cancellation.

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Alligator surfacing beside a swamp tour boat on a Louisiana bayou

Gray Line Alligator Boat Tour

4.3 151 reviews on the listing

1 hour 30 minutes · Gray Line New Orleans

from $35per person from-price, live price on the listing

Gray Line New Orleans runs a classic covered-boat swamp cruise, the steady option for families and anyone who wants the wildlife without the wind. Expect alligators, herons and a guide narrating the bayou. The boat ride lasts 1 hour 30 minutes and starts at $35 per person, the lowest from-price among Gray Line's offerings here. The rating is 4.3 across 151 reviews, a touch below the top boats on this page but solid for the price. Cancellation is free.

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Season

Hurricane season runs June through November, and every operator keeps its own calendar around the weather.

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