New Orleans Swamp and Bayou Boat Tour with Transportation

About this activity

Leave the French Quarter behind and spend the day in Honey Island Swamp, one of Louisiana’s most pristine protected wetlands, on a 2-hour guided boat tour with round-trip transportation from New Orleans. Unlike louder airboat-style tours, Cajun Encounters uses small, quiet 22-passenger flat-bottom boats that can slip into narrow cypress-lined waterways — giving you a closer, more natural way to look for alligators, wild boar, raccoons, turtles, snakes, egrets, herons, and other swamp wildlife.

Your local captain brings the bayou to life with stories about Cajun culture, the Pearl River ecosystem, and the remote, boat-accessible Cajun village you’ll pass along the route. It’s an easy, family-friendly way to see the wild side of Louisiana without renting a car: choose a morning or afternoon departure, meet your shuttle in downtown New Orleans, cross Lake Pontchartrain, and return to the city after the tour. Wildlife sightings vary by season and are never guaranteed.

Itinerary

1. Lake Pontchartrain · pass by

   After pickup in central New Orleans, it's a short drive across Lake Pontchartrain to Honey Island Swamp, a wildlife preserve that is one of the last protected wetlands in Louisiana.

2. Stop 2 · 120 min

   Your guide welcomes you aboard a custom-made 22-passenger flat-bottom boat. The smaller sized, quiet boat can fit through narrow passages in the swamp foliage so that you see more and get closer to wildlife. As your guide explains the history of Louisiana’s wetlands and swamp ecosystem, be on the lookout for alligators, raccoons, owls, wild boar, nutria, snakes, turtles, black bears, bald eagles and other bird species. Get a close look at some wild gators as your guide shares facts about the toothy beasts, who can weigh up to 1,000 pounds (453 kg). Glide safely through the fertile swamplands, learning about Cajun culture and how local people have utilized the swamp for food, homes, and medicine. You even see an authentic Cajun village that is only accessible by boat. Gain an understanding of why the wetlands are slowly disappearing and about the efforts being made to preserve Louisiana's natural treasures. After a fascinating 2-hour boat tour, your guide returns you to shore.

Meeting point

Everyone meets at the meeting point.

End point: Please be outside the Homewood Suites French Quarter at 317 North Rampart Street at the beginning of the pickup window. Your shuttle departs promptly. 9:30AM Tour (Picks up at 8:00AM) 12:15PM Tour (Picks up at 10:15AM) 2:45PM Tour (Picks up at 1:15PM) 5:00PM Tour (Picks up at 3:30PM)

Good to know

• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• PLEASE NOTE: tour ONLY picks up from the location listed. Pick ups from any other location cannot be accommodated.

Cancellation policy

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

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