Booking choice: The Oak Alley and airboat combo, from $160 per person. Check dates Compare the options below
West of the city, the Mississippi runs past sugar plantations that are now museums. Four tours pair one of them with an airboat ride, so the day goes swamp and history instead of swamp and nothing else.
The combos differ in length, boat size and which house you see. Plantation tours cover the history of slavery, which the better ones treat directly.
The quick answer
The Oak Alley and airboat combo is $160 and 8 hours with hotel pickup. The small-boat Oak Alley options are the small-boat Oak Alley combo and the Ragin Cajun combo. For Destrehan, take the Tours by Isabelle combo.
Can you do an airboat and a plantation in one day?
Yes, with a combo tour of 5.5 to 8 hours, with transport.
The Oak Alley combos run 7 to 8 hours, and the Destrehan tour is 5.5 hours. The large-airboat Oak Alley combo includes hotel pickup. Doing both on your own means two drives and two tickets.
Which combos exist?
Four: Oak Alley with a large airboat, Oak Alley with a small airboat, Oak Alley with the Ragin Cajun private swamp, and Destrehan with an airboat.
All refund in full up to 24 hours before.
| Combo | From | Length | Plantation | Airboat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Alley and large airboat | $160 | 8 hours | Oak Alley mansion tour | Large boat |
| Oak Alley and small airboat | $180 | 8 hours | Oak Alley, admission included | Small boat |
| Ragin Cajun small boat and Oak Alley | $178.50 | 7 hours | Oak Alley | Up to nine guests, private swamp |
| Destrehan and airboat, Tours by Isabelle | $179 | 5 hours 30 min | Destrehan, with an 1811 revolt exhibit | 1.5 hour ride, small boat |
A mansion tour, an airboat ride and hotel pickup in one booked day.
Check dates for the Oak Alley and airboat comboWhat do you see at Oak Alley?
A 1830s mansion at the end of an avenue of old live oaks, on the Mississippi River.
The Oak Alley history summary says enslaved people began building the present house in 1837 under Jacques Roman, with completion in 1839. The oaks are older than the house, planted decades earlier. The site is a National Historic Landmark in part for pecan grafting done there in 1846 and 1847 by an enslaved gardener. Today it also shows rebuilt cabins where enslaved workers lived.
What is Destrehan Plantation?
The oldest documented plantation in the lower Mississippi Valley, built from 1787 to 1790.
The 64 Parishes entry on Destrehan places its construction under Robert Antoine Robin de Logny and says the 1811 German Coast uprising was tried there. The same operator that runs the bayou van ride sells the Destrehan combo, which includes a visit to an 1811 slave revolt exhibit.
What about Whitney Plantation?
Whitney is a museum devoted to slavery. It is separate from these tours, and no airboat combo on this site includes it.
The New Orleans tourism page on Whitney describes Whitney as the only plantation museum in Louisiana focused on slavery, opened in December 2014 in Wallace, about 46 miles northwest of the city. It is a separate trip, and its tours are best for children 10 and over. Book it as its own day.
How does the day run?
The plantation comes first, then the swamp, on the large combo. Pickups are at 8:15 and 10:45.
The large Oak Alley combo says lunch is not included, and the same applies to the two other Oak Alley tours. The small combo lists a 35-minute drive from the hotel to Oak Alley and a boat that reaches 35 mph. The private-swamp combo says its site is the closest swamp to the plantation, and that no other boats are allowed.
The Oak Alley mansion and an airboat ride in one day, with hotel pickup.
Explore the Oak Alley and airboat comboWhat do you give up in a combo?
Time at both. A stand-alone airboat ride has more slack, and a plantation tour on its own lets you linger.
Each half is shorter than a full visit. The ride is not always stated, so read the listing for your date. For the airboat alone, the large airboat tour at $90 gives about two hours at the swamp. See the price guide for the comparison.
Combo or two separate days?
Combo if time is short and you want one pickup. Separate days if you want the mansion at your own pace.
- One day, hotel pickup: the Oak Alley and airboat combo.
- Destrehan and a small boat: the Tours by Isabelle combo.
- Private swamp, Oak Alley: the Ragin Cajun combo.
Skip the combo if you have a car and a loose schedule. The large Marrero ride plus a separate plantation visit gives you more time at each.
Frequently asked questions
Can you do an airboat and Oak Alley in one day?
Yes. Four combos run 7 to 8 hours with hotel pickup from the city.
Is lunch included in the Oak Alley combo?
No, lunch is on you on all three Oak Alley combos.
Which plantation does the airboat combo visit?
Oak Alley on three combos and Destrehan on the Tours by Isabelle one.
Is Whitney Plantation part of an airboat tour?
No. Whitney is a separate museum with its own tours, and none of the combos here includes it.
Ready to book
Choose your airboat tour
Every option here can be cancelled for a full refund; the deadline is on each listing. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Oak Alley Plantation and Airboat Swamp Tour
Large Airboat Swamp Tour with Hotel Pickup
- About 4 hours 15 minutes door to door, with pickup windows from 8:00 am (a 3:00 pm slot in season)
- Hotel pickup and drop-off by air-conditioned coach
- About 2 hours at the swamp on an airboat with a professional guide
Small-Group Airboat Tour with Hotel Pickup
- Round-trip coach from downtown hotels, with the same pickup windows as the large tour
- A 1 hour 40 minute airboat tour with a professional guide, nine guests at most
- Guests must be at least 48 inches tall
