Category Cruises & Boat Tours

New Orleans · CRUISES & BOAT TOURS

15 Cruises & Boat Tours in New Orleans That Live Up to the Hype

32 reviewed

New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise with Dinner Option

New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise with Dinner Option - The Mississippi at Dusk: Views You Get for Choosing Evening

1.New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise with Dinner Option

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 7,533 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $58Our pick

3-hour Steamboat Natchez jazz cruise in New Orleans with Dukes of Dixieland and optional Creole buffet dinner from Toulouse St

“Parking is an expensive scam. Other lot offer 4 hours of parking. The lot at the ship goes from 3 hours to 5 for $37.00. The people who choose 3 hours, cars were booted which costs much more to unboot. The trip is 3 hours and thank goodness I choose 5 hours.”

Check availability →Read our full review

New Orleans Swamp and Bayou Boat Tour with Transportation

New Orleans Swamp and Bayou Boat Tour with Transportation - Honey Island Swamp on a small 22-passenger boat

2.New Orleans Swamp and Bayou Boat Tour with Transportation

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5,399 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $70Top rated

Ride to Honey Island Swamp from the French Quarter on a small 22-passenger boat, learn Cajun culture, and spot wildlife.

“Cornell, our driver to the swamp, was engaging and warm and made the transport portion a delight. Our boat guide, Billy was knowledgeable and authentic, exactly the sort of person you would hope for. The swamp tour was fascinating, both beautiful and serene, with gators, cranes and playful raccoons.”

Check availability →Read our full review

New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise

New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise - Chalmette Battlefield to the Battle of New Orleans: History that rides alongside the views

3.New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 5,334 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $43

2-hour Steamboat Natchez jazz cruise from the French Quarter. Live jazz, commentary, Mississippi views, optional Southern buffet lunch.

“The meals we had were pretty good, but nothing to write home about. The trip itself was, as I thought it would be, relatively boring. It is informational, but only to the extent that people are really interested in everything on the left and right sides of the river. If not, it is just another boat going up and down the river.”

Check availability →Read our full review

New Orleans: Evening Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Dinner

New Orleans: Evening Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Dinner - Getting on board: 6pm boarding and choosing the right deck

4.Evening Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 4,548 reviews · 2 hours · from $58

A 2-hour New Orleans steamboat cruise with live Dukes of Dixieland jazz, captain narration, photo views, and optional Creole dinner.

“The boat was very clean and spacious, good selection of hot food onboard as well as a bar. The band playing were exceptionally talented and really did the tour justice. Not much to see on the Mississippi as it was dark but a nice experience all the same”

Check availability →Read our full review

New Orleans: Daytime Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Lunch

New Orleans: Daytime Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Lunch - The calliope pre-show sets the mood before departure

5.Daytime Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 4,164 reviews · 2 hours · from $43

2-hour Mississippi River steamboat jazz cruise with live Stompers music, captain narration, and optional Creole lunch sampler in New Orleans.

“We totally enjoyed Kendall, who was our driver and tour guide. He was knowledgeable and well versed in New Orleans History, especially the cemetery tour. It was so pleasant to see a tour guide who really cared about New Orleans and it's history. We learned a lot, especially that Kendall is a great asset to your company. He was personable, caring and very kind hearted. It was such a great tour, we wished it could go on longer. Kendall was not only our tour guide, but he took us back to our hotel and saved us the cost of a taxi. Kudo's to Kendall!”

Check availability →Read our full review

Swamp Boat Ride and Oak Alley Plantation Tour from New Orleans

Swamp Boat Ride and Oak Alley Plantation Tour from New Orleans - Oak Alley Plantation with a photo plan and a long oak-lined walk

New Orleans Self-Transport Swamp and Bayou Boat Tour

New Orleans Self-Transport Swamp and Bayou Boat Tour - The small boat setup that makes wildlife spotting easier

7.New Orleans Self-Transport Swamp and Bayou Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,824 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $37

Drive to Slidell for a 2-hour Honey Island Swamp boat tour, Cajun stories, and close wildlife spotting from a small flat-bottom boat.

“We had a wonderful experience. Randy, our tour guide was great! He is knowledgeable, funny and really interacts with the group. We saw a ton of gators and other wildlife. Highly recommend!”

Check availability →Read our full review

Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Historic Mississippi River Cruise

Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Historic Mississippi River Cruise - The boat ride: what you pass, and what the guide connects

8.Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Historic Mississippi River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,948 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $47

Paddlewheeler Creole Queen pairs a narrated Mississippi cruise with a Chalmette Battlefield ranger stop, plus optional onboard lunch.

“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....”

Check availability →Read our full review

New Orleans Swamp Tour Boat Adventure

New Orleans Swamp Tour Boat Adventure - Marrero to the Barataria Preserve: The Route You’re Really Riding

9.New Orleans Swamp Tour Boat Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,855 reviews · 1 hour 40 minutes (approx.) · from $35

A roofed boat cruise through Louisiana’s Barataria wetlands, with live narration and classic bayou stops for wildlife and culture.

“Great guides lots of stories fun day. The kids, and I, loved holding the baby gator. What can I say but loved it”

Check availability →Read our full review

New Orleans Manchac Bayou Swamp Cruise W/ Optional Pick-Up

New Orleans Manchac Bayou Swamp Cruise W/ Optional Pick-Up - What to bring, what to wear, and the rules that keep it family-friendly

Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Jazz Dinner Cruise in New Orleans

Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Jazz Dinner Cruise in New Orleans - Getting There at 1 Poydras St, and Finding the Right Ticket Booth

11.Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Jazz Dinner Cruise in New Orleans

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 1,469 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $107

Cruise the Mississippi on the paddlewheel Creole Queen with live New Orleans jazz and an optional Creole dinner buffet.

“We had such a great time on our dinner cruise!! The staff was super friendly and fun, the band was lovely! They had a decent selection in the buffet; the food was nice, but not something I personally would seek out again. The view was beautiful from the boat and the trip was certainly a highlight of our vacation!! Next time we're in town, we'd love to do a cruise during daylight to experience the Mississippi even better!”

Check availability →Read our full review

Guided Boat Tour of New Orleans Bayou

Guided Boat Tour of New Orleans Bayou - Pontoon boat basics: what “safe and fun” looks like on the water

12.Guided Boat Tour of New Orleans Bayou

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,452 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $35

Guided pontoon boat through Lafitte cypress swamps with hotel pickup, alligator sightings, and live guide commentary for 90 minutes.

“Great experience with the family! Our kids loved watching the alligators swim up to the boat to eat. Captain was able to get a few of them to rise up out of the water to get food on the end of a stick. Slowly gliding through the swamp was very peaceful and beautiful.”

Check availability →Read our full review

New Orleans: Creole Queen History Cruise with Optional Lunch

New Orleans: Creole Queen History Cruise with Optional Lunch - Riverwalk to the Boat: Getting Oriented Fast at the Canal Street Dock

New Orleans: Evening Jazz Boat Cruise with Optional Dinner

New Orleans: Evening Jazz Boat Cruise with Optional Dinner - Boarding at Riverwalk on Poydras Street: what your evening schedule feels like

New Orleans Swamp Tour Boat Adventure with Transportation

New Orleans Swamp Tour Boat Adventure with Transportation - How the full timing works, pickup to return

15.New Orleans Swamp Tour Boat Adventure with Transportation

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,008 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $60

New Orleans swamp tour with hotel pickup, comfy covered boat, narrated sights, and big wildlife chances in Barataria Preserve.

“We had beautiful weather but bring something warm for when you are on the water. We really loved this trip, captain Bobby was great and very informative. It was super chilled and just what we needed. We got to hold gorgeous Al which was a super bonus - thanks all, well worth the money.”

Check availability →Read our full review