Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Oak Alley Plantation, 3645 Highway 18, Vacherie, LA 70090-7079
9am & 11am Departures - 7 1/2 Hour Tour
Your 1.5 hour Oak Alley experience will include a docent guided tour of the plantation home, a self guided tour of the grounds and many photo opportunities along the way. Save room for a Mint Julep or refreshment from the snack bar.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Destrehan Plantation, 13034 River Rd, Destrehan, LA 70047-5202
1pm Departure Only - 5 1/2 hour tour
Established in 1787, Destrehan is the oldest documented plantation home in the lower Mississippi Valley. It is also the closest to New Orleans. Built by Free Person Of Color Charles Pacquet, she has survived colonial and civil wars, occupation by the Union Army, abandonment, decay and restoration, and has now been preserved in all its glory for you to enjoy. A short drive away from the grand River Road, you'll experience another another side of Louisiana culture in the Manchac Swamp.
Cruise through this private wetland with homegrown captains who, like the early Cajuns, sustain their way of life fishing, hunting and trapping. Alligators recognize tour boats as part of their normal environment. Unafraid and responsive to their boat captain's call, they peek out from underbrush and between moss-draped trees, frequently coming directly to the boat. In the safety and comfort of the boat, you can actually come within a few feet of jumping gators.
Duration: 45 minutes
Pass By: Lake Pontchartrain, New Orleans, LA
Although called a lake, this is actually a large lagoon and brackish estuary fed by fresh water rivers and connected to the Gulf of Mexico. Covering 630 square miles (1600 km2) it is one of the largest wetlands in North America.
Pass By: I-10 Bonnet Carré Spillway Bridge, St Rose, LA 70087, USA
View the spillway, a flood control operation in the Lower Mississippi west of New Orleans. The spillway, when open, allows floodwaters from the Mississippi River to flow into Lake Pontchartrain and thence into the Gulf of Mexico.
Stop At: Cajun Pride Swamp Tours, 110 Frenier Rd, Laplace, LA 70068, USA
This privately owned wildlife refuge ensures that you won’t encounter any other boats during your peaceful journey into the swamp. Local Cajun captains share personal tales of their own swamp explorations and fascinating information on the plants and wildlife you'll encounter. The primitive beauty of moss draped cypress tress and abundant wildlife guarantees some amazing pictures! Enjoy a beverage and snack from the open air pavilion.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
See Availability.
Gray Line New Orleans, Gray Line Lighthouse Ticket Office, 400 Toulouse St, New Orleans, LA 70130, USA
7 hours 45 minutes(approx.)
Returns to original departure point
Infants must sit on laps
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
In order to help protect the French Quarter from vehicular traffic, it is requested that you please walk, if possible, to the convenient tour departure point -- just a short stroll from most downtown hotels.
Alternate Routes: Due to uneven and narrow paths, alternate routes may be necessary for guests traveling in wheelchairs.
9am & 11am = Oak Alley Plantation
1pm = Destrehan Plantation
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 28 travelers
Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Posted By : D8244DKdanielr
Very good, enjoyable & informative.
The Swamp boat experience was a blast & the Captain had an amazing knowledge of all of the wildlife of the area (he seemed especially interested in the edible varieties 🤣)
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Posted On : 2024-05-01
Posted By : Isaura_T
We enjoy a lot, very nice places to visit, our tour guide Kate was very nice and knowledgeable, always help full and care for everyone on the tour, a big thanks to her and our bus driver Dominic!!
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Posted On : 2024-04-30
Posted By : Shashij_S
Overall it was a good tour. I wish we could have a tour guide at Plantation who has very heavy accent. Other than that Swamp tour was very good.
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Posted On : 2024-04-29
Posted By : lynn_c
It was an amazing experience. Our tour guide was amazing . It was definitely the best thing to do ad a tourist visiting NOLA for the first time
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Posted On : 2024-04-28
Posted By : Demeisha_E
We rode with Dominique and Kate the tour guide both ladies were amazing and a complete joy to hang around throughout the tour Dominique drove safely as Kate gave history job well done ladies.....thanks queen Latifah winkwink.......D English
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Posted On : 2024-04-28
Posted By : G2765DFpaulh
From the moment we got on the bus, Mr. Early was our guide and he was full of stories/information about the different areas we traveled through on our way to Oak Alley. The bus driver even slowed down/stopped so we could get pictures of other plantation houses around the area. Once we arrived at Oak Alley, we had plenty of time to see everything and take as many pictures as we wished (no photos allowed inside the house but you could take photos from the upstairs balcony). They also had a nice restaurant where we were able to grab a bite to eat before heading out. Next, we traveled to the swamp boat and Mr. Early again provided great information along the way. The swamp boat was one of the highlights of our trip to New Orleans. At one point they stopped the boat to feed the alligators and that was impressive watching the frenzy of activity from the gators. Our boat guide always tried to make sure both sides of the boat got to see the gators so we got some great pictures. We also got to hold a baby gator. On the way back, Mr. Early kept us entertained. This was the perfect time of year to go because the weather was perfect. Not too hot or cold. Overall, this was a great excursion and we would definitely recommend it.
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Posted On : 2024-04-28
Posted By : Flintlock1770
Enjoyed a well planned and executed trip to the Destrehan Plantation and swamp tour with my family. Trip Advisor made the day as easy as possible. Reserved the trip with Gray Line out of New Orleans. The ride from riverside took 30 minutes by bus. Our guide gave us a lesson on the history of New Orleans and the Destrehan Plantation as well as what we could expect from our day.
The tour of the plantation was extremely detailed. The grounds are well maintained and vibrant. It was quite obvious that the guides were passionate and well versed in work.
The only issue we encountered was that we had booked the combo package and did not have enough time at the plantation to thoroughly experience it. We will definitely be returning to get the full experience.
The swap tour was a joy for our daughters. Both enjoyed seeing all the alligators and other wildlife. The boat Captain was accommodating and made sure that each individual on the covered boat had every opportunity to see the animals. There was even a baby alligator for everyone to hold and take pictures with. There were at least 7 alligators around the boat at one time. Surprisingly, alligators are fond of marshmallows 😂. The tour lasted about 1-5 hours. Just enough time to keep the girls happy and not too long that they became bored.
I would suggest bringing a little cash for tips as there wasn’t an atm at the boat launch. Believe me, the guides on the bus and the boat Captain wholeheartedly deserved the tips.
Absolutely no complaints from anyone!
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Posted On : 2024-04-27
Posted By : Tour57493
Great trip, first to the beautiful Oak Alley plantation and then swamp. Best part was to see alligators and even to hold baby gator Tony. Our bus driver Melinda was excellent as was our guide Kate whi provided lot of information about the local Creole and Cajun cultures.
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Posted On : 2024-04-27
Posted By : Eric063
Great tour, Dionne has a wealth of knowledge and is such a wonderful guide. She clearly loves studying and sharing history. Outstanding.
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Posted On : 2024-04-27
Posted By : marnieknox
Awesome. I had a fantastic time!! They answered so many questions. Dionne and Stacey were wonderful. Highly highly recommend!!
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Posted On : 2024-04-26
