Louisiana · CRUISES & BOAT TOURS

The 15 Best Cruises & Boat Tours in New Orleans

41 tours  ·  from $32 a head

The best cruises & boat tours sell out on weekends and around festival dates. Here are the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.

New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise with Dinner Option - Out on the Mississippi after dark
Cruises & Boat Tours, Dining Experiences, Dinner Experiences, New Orleans Jazz Tours, New Orleans Riverboat Cruises, New Orleans Tours, Tour Reviews

New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise with Dinner Option

1.New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise with Dinner Option

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 7,533 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $58Our pick

Board at Toulouse Street in the French Quarter for an evening on a traditional paddlewheel riverboat. Explore the ship, hear its calliope, and cruise the Mississippi with live jazz from the Dukes of Dixieland or another scheduled New Orleans jazz act. Add a Southern-style buffet dinner, with Creole dishes and vegetarian choices available.

“The dinner cruise was wonderful from several standpoints. The food and service were great. I am an engineer and the ship itself was fascinating to me. We cruised on a very cold night so we had to stay inside to avoid the weather. I want to do the cruise again in warm weather to enjoy the night views along the river. Highly recommend”

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New Orleans Swamp and Bayou Boat Tour with Transportation - What you may see among the cypress and foliage
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New Orleans Swamp and Bayou Boat Tour with Transportation

2.New Orleans Swamp and Bayou Boat Tour with Transportation

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5,399 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $70Top rated

Ride from the French Quarter to Honey Island Swamp, then spend two hours aboard a 22-passenger flat-bottom boat. A local captain points out alligators, birds and other wildlife while explaining Cajun life and wetland preservation. The boat passes a Cajun settlement accessible only by water. Wildlife sightings vary, especially in cold weather.

“a lot of information provided by captin steve. he made sure that every single person saw the things he pointed out”

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New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise - The first part of the ride: settling in and getting underway
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New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise

3.New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 5,334 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $43

Cruise the Mississippi for about two hours aboard the Steamboat Natchez, or its sister vessel when the Natchez is away. You’ll hear live jazz from the Steamboat Stompers, get river commentary from the captain, and pass the Chalmette Battlefield. Add a buffet lunch with Louisiana dishes, or buy drinks and snacks on board.

“Great fun and a must do activity in New Orleans. Easy to access and music and food delicious. Booking is easy and confirmed by email with vouchers .”

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New Orleans: Evening Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Dinner - Boarding at 6pm, sailing at 7pm
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New Orleans: Evening Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Dinner

4.Evening Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 4,548 reviews · 2 hours · from $58

Board in the French Quarter for a two-hour evening cruise on the Mississippi. Expect live New Orleans jazz, captain’s narration, indoor and outdoor decks, and bars serving drinks for purchase. A Creole buffet is available with the dinner option. The boat may be the Riverboat CITY of NEW ORLEANS or Steamboat NATCHEZ, depending on the date.

“Great tour, beautiful scenery, great jazz music. My only regret is that i didn’t purchase the diner on the boat; i didn’t have time to dine in town prior. Otherwise great little adventure.”

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New Orleans: Daytime Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Lunch - Two hours on a river that is still at work
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New Orleans: Daytime Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Lunch

5.Daytime Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 4,164 reviews · 2 hours · from $43

Board the Riverboat CITY of NEW ORLEANS at the French Quarter waterfront for a two-hour Mississippi cruise with live jazz from the Steamboat Stompers, a calliope concert before boarding, and narration about New Orleans and the river. You can roam the decks and add a plated Creole lunch. The Natchez is currently off duty, so its sister vessel is filling in.

“loved narration and historical fact sharing. loved the veiw from the water. loved you could get food and drinks”

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Swamp Boat Ride and Oak Alley Plantation Tour from New Orleans - Choosing Oak Alley or Destrehan
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Swamp Boat Ride and Oak Alley Plantation Tour from New Orleans

6.Swamp Boat Ride and Oak Alley Plantation Tour from New Orleans

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3,303 reviews · 7 hours 45 minutes (approx.) · from $131

Spend about eight hours beyond New Orleans, visiting Oak Alley or Destrehan Plantation before cruising Manchac Swamp on a covered pontoon boat. Expect plantation stories, moss-draped cypress trees, and possible sightings of alligators, raccoons, wild hogs, and birds. The bus leaves from Toulouse Street in the French Quarter; the plantation depends on your departure time.

“The swamp tour was great. Very enjoyable. The Oak Alley plantation was interesting, but the house tour was decidedly lacking. Little information about the house itself. The tour guide was unenthusiastic, at best. Relatively details about the home itself. Our bus tour guide (Jane?) was excellent. Very interesting and informative.”

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New Orleans Self-Transport Swamp and Bayou Boat Tour - A small boat for narrow swamp passages
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New Orleans Self-Transport Swamp and Bayou Boat Tour

7.New Orleans Self-Transport Swamp and Bayou Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,824 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $37

Meet in Slidell for a two-hour ride on an open-air boat capped at 22 passengers. Your guide threads narrow swamp passages, points out wildlife, explains Cajun life and wetland preservation, and passes a village reached only by boat. Guides include Jody, Emmett, Wade, and others. You arrange your own transport from New Orleans.

“I would have liked to see more gators but we had fun anyway! I feel like it was a good experience, we all had fun.”

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Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Historic Mississippi River Cruise - Chalmette: The Battle Comes Ashore
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Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Historic Mississippi River Cruise

8.Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Historic Mississippi River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,948 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $47

Spend about two and a half hours aboard the Creole Queen, with a narrated Mississippi River ride and a guided stop at Chalmette Battlefield. Guides have included Dr. Lauren, Dr. Tarantino, Charles, and Michael, though the speaker varies by departure. You’ll pass New Orleans landmarks, hear about the Battle of New Orleans, and find food and drinks for purchase onboard.

“We had a wonderful day. Boat was fun and food was great. Everybody on the boat made us feel like family.”

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New Orleans Swamp Tour Boat Adventure - The captain makes the ride
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New Orleans Swamp Tour Boat Adventure

9.New Orleans Swamp Tour Boat Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,855 reviews · 1 hour 40 minutes (approx.) · from $35

From Marrero, cruise the Barataria wetlands for about 1 hour 40 minutes aboard a covered boat with cushioned seats, adjustable windows, and a restroom. A local captain shares stories about the swamp, its wildlife, a Cajun cemetery, an Indian burial mound, and a traditional fishing village. Alligator sightings are possible, not guaranteed.

“Fun trip. Great guide recommended. Educational and peppered with lots of humor. Got to hold a baby gator.”

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New Orleans Manchac Bayou Swamp Cruise W/ Optional Pick-Up - Timing, weather, and what to bring
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New Orleans Manchac Bayou Swamp Cruise W/ Optional Pick-Up

10.New Orleans Manchac Bayou Swamp Cruise W/ Optional Pick-Up

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,587 reviews · 1h 30m · from $35

Take a 90-minute pontoon cruise through Manchac Bayou with a local captain who points out swamp wildlife, cypress trees, and the history of Frenier. You may spot alligators, raccoons, wild hogs, turtles, and birds. Optional shuttle pickup from many New Orleans hotels adds a narrated drive to the swamp.

“Great, we loved the swamp tour and even got to hold a baby alligator. It wasn’t rushed and our swamp guide was great!! Saw lots of gators, hogs, and raccoons as well!!”

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Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Jazz Dinner Cruise in New Orleans - The optional buffet: Creole comfort food, with caveats
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Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Jazz Dinner Cruise in New Orleans

11.Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Jazz Dinner Cruise in New Orleans

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 1,469 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $107

Board the Creole Queen at 1 Poydras St for a two-hour evening cruise on the Mississippi. Live jazz plays as you pass the New Orleans waterfront, with an optional Creole buffet served in a Victorian-style dining room. Bring your confirmation for ticket redemption, arrive early, and pack a layer for the promenade deck.

“It was a chilly evening in New Orleans when we took this river cruise, but there was plenty of space inside where it was warm, the live music was great & the food exceeded our expectations! It would have been nice to sit up top & enjoy the lights more, but that is obviously outside the control of the riverboat folks. Given how windy & cold it was, I think every one of us enjoyed our time more than we were expecting as we were thinking about this excursion during the day. Great job, would recommend & would do it again.”

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Guided Boat Tour of New Orleans Bayou - What you might see among the trees
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Guided Boat Tour of New Orleans Bayou

12.Guided Boat Tour of New Orleans Bayou

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,452 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $35

Take a 90-minute pontoon boat ride through the cypress swamps near Jean Lafitte National Historical Park. A local captain points out wildlife and shares live commentary as you look for alligators, turtles, wading birds, and more. Hotel pickup is available with selected bookings. Wildlife sightings vary, and some trips include alligator feeding.

“The boat captain was very entertaining and enthusiastic. I was born and raised in Louisiana and I’ve took so much for granted or I would say, that’s for the tourists. I was wrong!”

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New Orleans: Creole Queen History Cruise with Optional Lunch - The downriver story and the Battle of New Orleans
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New Orleans: Creole Queen History Cruise with Optional Lunch

13.Creole Queen History Cruise with Optional Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 1,112 reviews · 2h 30m · from $47

Board the Creole Queen at the Riverwalk/Canal Street Dock for a 150-minute Mississippi River trip, with a local narrator and a one-hour stop at Chalmette Battlefield. Guides have included Charles and Dr. Lauren T. Choose the optional buffet for Creole dishes, or buy drinks at the onboard cash bar. The boat is wheelchair accessible, but the battlefield is not.

“Need bigger sign, it was hard to find. Make it easier for the handicapped. We took my blind aunt and we loved it after we got on boat but it was tough getting to the boat.”

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New Orleans: Evening Jazz Boat Cruise with Optional Dinner - Boarding at the Poydras Street Dock
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New Orleans: Evening Jazz Boat Cruise with Optional Dinner

14.Evening Jazz Boat Cruise with Optional Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 1,024 reviews · 2 hours · from $60

Cruise the Mississippi aboard the Creole Queen, a sternwheeler paddleboat, for two hours of New Orleans skyline views and live jazz from Sullivan Dabney Jr. and the Muzik Jazz Band. Choose the optional Creole dinner, then enjoy the music and river air from the deck. Drinks are sold onboard.

“Enjoyable. Liked the idea of keeping assigned table all night with the ability to come and go as desired. Food and music were nice. Would do it again”

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New Orleans Swamp Tour Boat Adventure with Transportation - Stories make the waterway more than scenery
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New Orleans Swamp Tour Boat Adventure with Transportation

15.New Orleans Swamp Tour Boat Adventure with Transportation

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,008 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $60

Ride from a downtown New Orleans hotel to the Barataria Swamp for a narrated boat trip with a local captain. Expect cushioned seats, a roof, windows you can adjust for the weather and room to move around. Captains such as Ernie, Bobby and Dewey share local stories and point out wildlife. Alligators are possible, not guaranteed, especially in winter.

“Tour guide was absolutely professional and patient and provided a great touring experience. The transportation felt great and was easy going.”

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★ 5.02 Hours Boat Tour in Louisiana Bayous Near New OrleansFrom $75109 reviews
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★ 4.2Creole Queen Weekend Morning Jazz CruiseFrom $44139 reviews
★ 4.6Oak Alley Plantation and Swamp Cruise Day TripFrom $125183 reviews

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