The 7 Most Popular Vacherie Tours from New Orleans

1.Laura Creole Plantation Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 396 reviews · 1h 15m · from $32Our pick

Laura Plantation’s 75-minute guided tour links its 1805 Maison Principale, three gardens and original 1840s cabins through personal stories of free and enslaved family members. Guides including Renee, Lindie, Pam and James have led tours in English and French. You can then explore the slavery exhibit on your own. Bring comfortable shoes and plan your ride to the West Bank site.

“Lindie was amazing! You could feel her passion for the topics covered. Educational and entertaining. She even spoke French to a member on the tour. The gift shop was super cute as well.”

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2.Swamp Airboat, 2 Plantation Tours & Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 73 reviews · 9 hours · from $279

Travel from New Orleans in a 13-seat van with a local historian-guide, then ride a fast airboat through the bayous, tour Laura Plantation and Houmas House, and eat lunch at the latter. The day also includes oak-lined River Road views and stops near historic plantations.

“Steven was a great driver and was very informative and knowledgeable throughout the whole drive. Zach was our airboat driver and he was awesome he took us to places that we would be able to see some gators and even got to feed them. Both plantations were excellent and very neat to see and the brunch we got was great food. Thank you Isabelle for this awesome tour and I would suggest others to try it.”

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3.Oak Alley Plantation -N- Swamp Tour Full Day

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 14 reviews · 7h 30m · from $137

Ride from New Orleans in a climate-controlled van for a three-hour visit to Oak Alley, then take a 90-minute pontoon cruise at Cajun Pride Swamp Tours. Your driver guide adds local context along the way; guides Kin and Ray have led recent tours, and Captain Dustin has captained the swamp trip.

“This was such a great tour! Our driver/tour guide was very informative and helpful. We enjoyed our stops and appreciated having a local there. We did spend quite a while at the plantation, and it was hot! The driver had water and comfortable and cool van to drive us. Definitely recommend!!”

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4.Oak Alley Plantation Half Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 12 reviews · 5h 30m · from $86

Ride from New Orleans in a climate-controlled van with a driver-guide, then spend about three hours at Oak Alley exploring its oak-lined path, exhibits and big house. The route passes several other plantations and Lake Pontchartrain. Groups are limited to 12; Kin is one guide associated with the operator, though guide assignments can vary.

“Super guide peut-être un peu serré dans le fourgon à l'arrière à 4 personnes.”

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5.Destrehan Plantation, Houmas House & Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · 7h 30m · from $219Top rated

Spend 7.5 hours upriver from New Orleans in a small group of up to 13. A historian driver-guide introduces Louisiana’s sugar country, then leads you to Destrehan Plantation and Houmas House for mansion visits, gardens, and a gourmet Creole lunch. Guides on this tour have included Renee, Gisele, Rene, and Steve.

“Our tour guide Gisele was the absolute BEST and both plantations were gorgeous, interesting, and very informative. The lunch was fantastic at Houmas House. A lovely buffet with a great variety and it really was delicious. Again, our tour guide Gisele was engaging, friendly, very knowledgeable and made our day extremely pleasant. It felt like we were hanging out with a friend. Highly recommend this tour and any tour with Tours by Isabelle!”

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6.St. Joseph Plantation Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 6 reviews · 1 hour · from $24Best value

At St. Joseph Plantation, an English-speaking guide leads you through the 1830s family home and grounds, then you can explore the garden, original slave cabins, detached kitchen, blacksmith’s shop, carpenter’s shed, and schoolhouse at your own pace. Guide Adrienne once arranged an Italian tour copy for a small Italian group. Allow extra time beyond the one-hour guided visit.

“Esperienza molto interessante. Guida impeccabile, disponibile . Noi eravamo un piccolo gruppo di 4 persone provenienti dall'Italia,si è subito adoperata per fornirci una copia del tour in italiano. Grazie Adrienne.”

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7.Oak Alley or Laura Plantation Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.6 · 5 reviews · 5 hours · from $79

Choose Oak Alley, known for its long row of old oak trees, or Laura Plantation, where the tour focuses on Creole culture and plantation history. A driver collects you at selected downtown or French Quarter hotels, then takes you by air-conditioned mini-coach to one plantation. Admission is included. Food and drinks are not.

“Le bus c'est pas venu me chercher à mon hôtel alors que j'avais reçu la confirmation de ma prise en charge. Personne n'a jugé bon de m'en informer. J'ai dû payé un taxi + l'entrée pour la plantation. J'attends toujours mon remboursement. A fuir”

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