New Orleans · CRUISES & BOAT TOURS
31 reviewed
The 15 cruises & boat tours below are the ones worth your time in New Orleans, put in order. Each has its price, its run time and a plain note on who it suits, so the choosing takes about five minutes.
Ride the historic Steamboat Natchez for a 3-hour jazz cruise on the Mississippi, with optional Creole buffet dinner in the French Quarter.
“Marlon is fantastic and fun ! Cheryl at the bar on the second floor was also amazing. Having a fun crew and nice jazz music made this experience worthwhile.”
Small boat, Cajun culture, and wildlife sightings on the Honey Island Swamp tour with round-trip transport from the French Quarter.
“Not what we expected. The company is very big and there are several boats in the same stretch of water at the same time. The “wildlife” is actually domesticated by the food offered by the captains to attract them to the boats to please the tourists and we’ve been constantly “reminded” to leave five star-reviews and tips in a way that made us feel uncomfortable. I had a very different and more authentic experience years ago with a small tour operated by a Cajun family.”
Two-hour Mississippi jazz cruise from the French Quarter with Steamboat Stompers, onboard narration, and optional Creole buffet lunch.
“Nice cruise. Free refills on drinks. Friendly crew. Great Jazz band. Partner and I Very much enjoyed it.”
Evening jazz on the Mississippi aboard the CITY of NEW ORLEANS, with live Dukes of Dixieland and optional Creole buffet dinner.
“This was a wonderful experience I enjoyed every moment of it”
2-hour Mississippi River steamboat cruise with live Stompers jazz, captain narration, and optional Creole lunch. Full bars onboard.
“It was a very enjoyable and relaxing experience on the steamboat while taking the scenery of the bayou!”
Oak Alley or Destrehan Plantation plus a Manchac Swamp wildlife boat ride from New Orleans, with guided history and alligator spotting.
“Bus ride to plantation particularly for out of town visitor was relaxing. Plantation house, garden were magnificent. Slave homes, stories and exhibitions enlightening. Tour guides very informative and relevant. Swamp tour was an interesting and informative experience. Great day!”
Take a small open-air boat into Honey Island Swamp from Slidell. See alligators and Cajun culture on a 2-hour ride for $37.75.
“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.”
A 2.5-hour narrated Mississippi River paddleboat cruise from New Orleans to Chalmette Battlefield, plus a guided Battle of 1815 stop.
“River cruise was wonderful! Meal was very good, staff very friendly, lots of history - commentator on board was so fun to listen - she told the history in a clear, concise manner. Wish they sold a book on board about our journey! Learned a lot about the MS river....”
Enjoy a narrated Barataria Swamp boat tour from Marrero, spotting wildlife and bayou landmarks like a Cajun cemetery for $35.
“Captain Trey provided a great experience. This tour provided a great opportunity to get out in the water. Dress warm to optimize your enjoyment.”
Ride a pontoon through Louisiana’s Manchac Bayou with Cajun stories, wildlife spotting, and an easy New Orleans pickup option.
“This tour was the absolute highlight of my trip to New Orleans! Our driver shared lots of interesting information on the way to the swamp and gave great recommendations on the ride back. Once on the water, Captain Danny was engaging, informative, and made the entire experience a blast. We saw alligators, hogs, raccoons, and several species of birds. I would recommend this tour to everyone.”
Jazz, Creole buffet, and a Mississippi night cruise aboard the Creole Queen—2 hours on the river, cozy decks, and a warm band.
“Information not shared with us via email, texted updates, phone call confirmation, or upon arrival. Know to be, at the least, 30 minutes early. Boats will leave without you. Know the dinner is downstairs. Food was really good, but ran out of salad upon our exact time arrival.”
$35 pontoon boat tour from Lafitte into cypress swamps for wildlife sightings, live guide talk, and possible alligator feed photos.
“The beautiful scenery and the calm ride back to the dock was the most memorable part of the experience for me; however, seeing the wildlife interact in its natural environment was about equal. The tour guide had some interesting historical facts, juicy gossip, and fun jokes as well.”
A 150-minute paddlewheel cruise with guided history at Chalmette Battlefield. Optional Creole lunch and a cash bar on board.
“Our group really enjoyed the tour. There is a stop at a battlefield, which was fun to explore. The tour guide was wonderful and very informative. Our group had a wheelchair, the employees were very accommodating and were able to move around with easy. We did not purchased the lunch option, but there was some snacks, drinks and food available for purchase. The only negative thing I have to say is the hot chocolate was horrible, just water and chocolate. It was cold when we went, would have been nice to have some good hor chocolate. Other than that I highly recommend this tour!”
Live jazz on the Mississippi aboard the Creole Queen paddleboat, with skyline and optional Creole dinner. Two hours from $60.
“EXCELLENT dinner, relaxing cruise. Perfect end to an amazing day!!”
A 2-hour New Orleans swamp boat tour with hotel pickup. Spot wildlife, pass landmarks, and hear real Cajun swamp stories.
“We had a nice ride from New Orleans and a great tour with Bobby. If you get him, you will be completely satisfied with your tour. It was a pretty cold day after Thanksgiving but we got some gator sightings.”
