Top New Orleans Cruises & Sailing

Experience the civilized and the wild on a plantation tour and educational swamp boat ride from New Orleans. On this full-day journey, visit Oak Alley Plantation where you'll learn about antebellum life and stroll down its iconic tree-lined esplanade. Next, head into the marshy swampland for a boat ride and some wildlife spotting. Enjoy guided commentary as you snap photos of alligators, raccoons, snakes and native birds.

Sail down this Mississippi River on a classic Paddlewheeler boat on this New Orleans river cruise. Enjoy illuminating narration from a licensed historian and stop part-way through the trip to learn about the Battle of New Orleans. Then, get back aboard the vessel and enjoy a cash bar while admiring the views.

Immerse yourself in the rich culture and natural splendor of New Orleans’ mystifying swamps and wetlands on a 2-hour New Orleans swamp tour and wetlands adventure. Relax in the luxurious interior of a New Orleans swamp tour boat as you cruise past cultural highlights like a Cajun cemetery, an Indian burial mound and a traditional fishing village. Scour the scenery for fascinating flora and fauna like snakes, turtles and alligators while listening to interesting commentary from your professional guide.

Enjoy a classic New Orleans experience of a lovely jazz brunch aboard a historic riverboat! Journey through time on this cruise along the mighty Mississippi. Stroll the deck, admire the iconic paddlewheel, and snap picturesque shots of the beautiful urban shoreline. This family‐friendly excursion includes a delectable optional brunch loaded with famous Louisiana dishes and live music from a local jazz trio.

Journey through time on a paddle-wheel boat ride along the mighty Mississippi. Stroll the deck, cozy up with family and friends, and delight in the sparkle of the urban shoreline at dusk. This excursion includes a Creole‐inspired dinner (if option selected) and live jazz music.

Go for a sunset cruise aboard the Paddlewheeler Creole Queen on this boat trip. Listen to an on-board jazz band and choose to add on a Creole-style dinner buffet as the boat sails along the Mississippi River. Take in the views from the promenade deck and sip New Orleans-inspired cocktails.

Exploring New Orleans in the evening can seem like an intimidating quest on your own, but this ghost, voodoo, and vampire walking tour takes you to the city’s most eerie sites at night in the safety of a group with a knowledgeable guide. Stop by top attractions such as the LaLaurie Mansion and New Orleans Pharmacy Museum, all while listening to your guide’s detailed stories of the paranormal and beyond.

Experience New Orleans’ wild bayou country on an exciting, family‐friendly airboat ride. This boat tour winds through the mossy cypress swamp close to Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, named for the 19th‐century pirate and smuggler. While onboard, enjoy lively commentary from a native guide as you admire lush, forested shoreline and spot local wildlife. Both self-drive and hotel pickup options are available, and hotel pickups begin 75 minutes prior to tour time.

Discover historic New Orleans in an open‐top double‐decker bus on this hop‐on hop‐off sightseeing tour. With your 1-day ticket, design a personal itinerary with several stops, including the French Market, Jackson Square, and the Garden District. Enjoy unobstructed views and fun onboard commentary as you soak up ‘The Big Easy’.

Create memories that will last a lifetime on the Mighty Mississippi River and experience the royal treatment as a Viator VIP guest. Your experience begins with a complimentary Champagne cocktail while you take a guided tour of the boat’s authentic fixtures and spaces. In the dining room, you’ll have a reserved table where you can relax, indulge in a scrumptious buffet dinner, and enjoy a live jazz performance. For the full experience, opt-in for a full-bar upgrade.

Lose yourself in the atmospheric depths of the New Orleans swamps and wetlands on an exhilarating 2-hour boat tour, led by a professional guide. Cruise past ancient wonders and listen to legends surrounding a 2000-year-old Indian burial mound and an atmospheric Cajun cemetery. Scour the Barataria Swamps for sightings of fascinating wildlife such as snakes, turtles and ferocious alligators, and learn about the area’s history and geology from your knowledgeable guide. Enjoy the convenience of round-trip transportation by luxury vehicle fro your New Orleans hotel.

Experience the Jean Lafitte National Park and Preserve on this pontoon excursion led by a local guide. Learn about Southern Louisiana’s distinctive ecology while cruising past magnificent cypress trees and watch for native wildlife like gators and egrets. Enjoy flexible timing and opt for a delicious lunch at Restaurant Des Familes with the 10 a.m. tour (own expense.)

Explore New Orleans through the eyes of a local on this hyper-authentic tour of the Crescent City. From the Bywater to Bayou Saint John, get off the beaten track and discover parts of New Orleans privy to local knowledge. Get insights into the city’s rich culture and history along the way, plus insider travel tips to enhance your trip.

Hop aboard a luxurious six-passenger sailboat and ride into the sunset on the protected waters of New Orleans’ Lake Pontchartrain. You’ll find comfortable seating, with blankets for cooler weather, along with included craft beer, wine, non-alcoholic beverages, and snacks. Enjoy the spacious lounge below, or find your front-row seat for the sunset on deck.

This is a customized luxury Private Tour of the entire city of New Orleans in just 4 hours. Your group will see the good, the bad and the extremely beautiful in New Orleans. We can show you MORE in 4 hours than you can see in 3 days on your own. During this private tour we will drive through his unique city discussing how this Colony was built and how we've handled things for the past 300 years. You will see and hear about the: French Quarter, Mississippi river, Unique Lake Pontchartrain, Flood control systems, bayous, Garden District, Opulent Mansions & Estates, Architecture, Iconic Cemeteries, unique Neighborhoods, Cajun & Creole Cultures, Civil War, battle of New Orleans, Importance of Port, catholic influence and soooo much more. We promise you will laugh and learn!! So, Book Now and relax on your tour of this unique and beautiful city in complete comfort.

Speed through the swamps of Louisiana on this 2-hour private airboat ride for your group of 16 or fewer. This private experience is ideal for bachelor or bachelorette parties, or any other gathering where you wish to bring your own alcoholic beverages. Expect to see gators, swamp grasses, and more during the tour.

Journey down the bayou on a 90 minute Cajun adventure through the heart of Southern Louisiana's swamplands on a relaxing and shaded pontoon boat ride in the protected Jean Lafitte National Park and Preserve. As you and your family glide along swamp waters, observe native plant and exotic life in a delicate yet powerful landscape that has both changed and defined Louisiana culture. View moss-covered cypress trees, evading yet beautiful water hyacinths, alligators, egrets, and many more exotic creatures that call the swamp their home. Native tour guides will reveal the mysteries of the bayou as well as exclusive facts about its ecosystem. Join us and "laissez les bons temps rouler!"

See New Orleans through the eyes of a local on a private driving tour that takes you around the French Quarter and beyond to see parts of the city that many visitors miss. From the Mississippi River to the leafy Garden District, peaceful City Park to legendary cemeteries, cover more ground than a walking tour on an itinerary that can be customized based on your group’s interests.

Make the most of your trip to New Orleans—and leave all the logistics and planning to someone else—on this private, 2-day tour. On the morning of the first day, meet your guide at your hotel and head to the French Quarter: You’ll see highlights like the St. Louis Cathedral before enjoying a food tour (own expense). The next day, discover destination-worthy areas like the Garden District and Faubourg Marigny, and watch live jazz performances.

Explore the complex pre-war history of Louisiana with a private day trip to some of the antebellum plantations that still exist within an hour’s drive of New Orleans. Pass by Oak Alley and Evergreen plantations, and tour the well-preserved Laura Plantation, where a guide will illuminate Creole history and share stories of both the free and enslaved people who lived there.

Visit two of the best-preserved antebellum plantations near New Orleans on this private tour to Oak Alley and Laura: A Creole Plantation. Take a docent-led tour at each site to learn about the complex and often dark history of the rural south, including the impact of slavery in Louisiana. After each tour, your private driver and guide can escort you around the grounds and answer any additional questions.

See the many faces of New Orleans on this 3-hour private tour. Your guide, a local historian, will lead you through the Lower Ninth Ward and the ever-evolving Warehouse/Arts District. Explore the scenic Garden District, known for its oak-lined streets, lush gardens, and impressive Victorian mansions. End your tour with a visit to the historic Lafayette Cemetery.

Nola Detours offers an exclusive private Art Tour of New Orleans with curated galleries, street art (including abandoned buildings) art murals, and art history. The tour even includes a few Banksys! Not only do we take visitors to the key areas of Art in New Orleans, but we will also explore some of the truly "off the beaten path" locations that most locals have never even heard of! This private exclusive 4-hour tour includes lunch, door-to-door transportation & opportunities to meet the artists and have personal Q and A. Nola Detours will provide you with exclusive private experiences and adventures not experienced anywhere else! These private tours and excursions are truly authentic and off the beaten path, definitely not the typical tour you see around the city. Every tour is customized and designed for you. Note: **This is a new tour - Please read Nola Detours' "Nola Detours Private City Tour with Local Expert" to get an idea of the quality of tours Nola Detours provides.