Booking choice: The small-group Marrero airboat tour, from $89 per person. Check dates Compare the options below
Children love the airboat, and guests report a 9-year-old calling it "THE BEST DAY EVER!". But the listings set hard limits on age and height, and a few adults should stay on shore.
Rules differ by operator, so check the one for your tour before you book.
The quick answer
Louisiana Tour Company needs every child to be at least 48 inches tall. Lafitte and Gray Line start at age 5, and the bayou van ride allows no one under 5. The small-group Marrero boat for nine guests at $89 suits most families.
What are the age and height rules?
It depends on the operator: 48 inches on Louisiana Tour Company, age 5 at Lafitte and Gray Line, and nothing under 5 on the bayou van ride.
Louisiana Tour Company sets a 48-inch height minimum for all children. The listing for the nine-guest boats prices adults from age 8, while the larger ones use child 8 to 16. The private swamp runs ages 5 to 85 on its booking form.
| Tour | Rule on the listing |
|---|---|
| The small-group Marrero airboat tour | At least 48 inches; adult price from age 8 |
| The large airboat tour with hotel pickup | At least 48 inches; child band 8 to 16 |
| The Lafitte airboat ride | Minimum age 5 |
| The Gray Line airboat ride | Minimum age 5; child band 5 to 11 |
| The small-group bayou airboat ride | No children under 5 |
| The private swamp airboat tour | Ages 5 to 85 on the booking form |
Nine guests at most and no transport to pay for, with the safety jackets included.
Check dates for the small-group Marrero airboat tourWho should not take an airboat tour?
Pregnant women and anyone with back, neck or heart conditions, per the operator listings. The boats are not wheelchair accessible.
Louisiana Tour Company bars pregnant women for safety reasons and does not allow guests with heart or back conditions. The bayou van ride also excludes back and neck problems. Louisiana Tour Company has no lifts or ramps. Service animals are allowed, though the listing says noise makes that a poor idea, and emotional support animals are not permitted.
Is an airboat tour loud, and do kids need ear protection?
Yes, loud. The Lafitte and private-swamp listings supply ear protection, and guest photos show yellow ear defenders.
The Lafitte ride and the private swamp tour include ear or hearing protection. If your child has trouble with a headset, a quiet boat such as the Honey Island swamp tour is the better pick, see the airboat or swamp boat guide.
Do kids wear life jackets?
The small-group Marrero boat includes safety flotation jackets, and guests in photos wear orange ones.
The Honey Island tour gives life jackets to guests under 16. Ask at the dock about sizes for small children, and keep a child's hand on the rail until the guide says to let go.
What should you wear on an airboat tour?
Closed shoes that can get wet, long layers, sunglasses and a hat that stays on.
Gray Line says you may get wet, and recommends sunglasses. A guest on a Louisiana Tour Company boat wrote that you "may get a little wet when the fan boat goes fast", and another advised bringing a jacket. Spray, wind and speed make it feel cooler than the shore.
What should you bring, and what should stay in the car?
Sunscreen, repellent, a wrist-strapped phone and a few dollars for the guide. Leave anything loose behind.
The Lafitte ride has small storage under the seat. A cap without a strap will fly off at speed, and a phone dropped in the bayou does not come back. Water is extra on every listing.
Is a small or large boat better for kids?
Small suits most kids, because the guide can talk to each of them and stop for gators.
The small-group tour limits the boat to nine guests and runs 1 hour 40 minutes. The large tour carries up to 16 per booking, with a rating of 4.9. A guest wrote that the "small boat tour was the best way to go for a personalized experience".
Nine guests, a stated 1 hour 40 minute ride and hotel pickup, rated 4.9.
Explore the small-group airboat tour with hotel pickupWhat about touching or feeding alligators?
Do not. The National Park Service says never to approach, harass or feed alligators.
Some guest reviews describe guides who handle or feed them, and a child may ask for it. Treat that as the operator's choice, not a standard. The NPS says to keep your distance on its National Park Service page for the Barataria Preserve.
Frequently asked questions
How old do you have to be for an airboat tour?
It depends on the operator. Lafitte and Gray Line start at age 5, and Louisiana Tour Company needs children to be at least 48 inches tall.
Can pregnant women ride an airboat?
Not on Louisiana Tour Company or Tours by Isabelle. Both list pregnancy as a safety restriction.
Is an airboat tour scary for kids?
It is loud and fast in bursts. Guests report children loving it, but a quiet boat suits noise-sensitive kids better.
What do you wear on an airboat tour?
Closed shoes, layers, sunglasses and a jacket, since the boat is wet and windy at speed.
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.
Small-Group Airboat Tour, Marrero Dock
Nine guests and the same boat as the hotel version, with no transport
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
Premium Six-Passenger Airboat Adventure
Six guests at most on your own boat, with transport as an extra
