15 Boat Trips in New Orleans Worth Booking

Boat Trips in New Orleans, Cruises & Boat Tours, Dining Experiences, Dinner Experiences, New Orleans Tours, Tour Reviews

New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise with Dinner Option

/ August 13, 2026

1.New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise with Dinner Option

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

Cruise New Orleans on the Steamboat NATCHEZ with live Dixieland jazz and optional Creole buffet dinner, plus classic river views at dusk.

“It was a very nice cruise. We had dinner service and it was decent for a buffet. The service was impeccable. Unfortunately, they had 2 private parties and it was quite cold so if you didn’t book dinner there was no where inside to sit. The other thing is they do not permit smoking anywhere on the boat. It would be nice if they had a small part of the deck that was designated (but respectful to other patrons). The music was very nice and the drinks were reasonable!”

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New Orleans Swamp and Bayou Boat Tour with Transportation

/ August 14, 2026

2.New Orleans Swamp and Bayou Boat Tour with Transportation

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

Small-boat Honey Island Swamp tour from New Orleans, with transport, Cajun village access by water, and serious wildlife spotting.

“Great tour, seen a lot of wild life, great caption Scott, very knowledgeable and informative. Would definitely recommend!”

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New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise

/ August 14, 2026

3.New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise

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

Sail the Mississippi from the French Quarter with live jazz and a helpful history narration, plus an optional Creole buffet lunch on the Natchez.

“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.”

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New Orleans: Evening Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Dinner

/ August 10, 2026

4.Evening Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Dinner

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

Sail the Mississippi at night on the Riverboat CITY of NEW ORLEANS for live Dukes of Dixieland jazz and optional Creole dinner buffet.

“This was a wonderful experience I enjoyed every moment of it”

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New Orleans: Daytime Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Lunch

/ August 10, 2026

5.Daytime Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Lunch

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

Daytime 2-hour Mississippi River cruise with Steamboat Stompers jazz, captain narration, and optional Creole lunch sampler on a paddlewheeler.

“A Brillant trip Well recommended,and I would do it again,the next time I m in New Orleans The staff where so helpful and informative Well done Guys”

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New Orleans: Evening Jazz Cruise on the Steamboat Natchez

/ August 10, 2026

6.Evening Jazz Cruise on the Steamboat Natchez

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 3,791 reviews · from $58

2-hour New Orleans evening jazz cruise on the Steamboat Natchez with Dukes of Dixieland live music, captain narration, deck views, optional buffet.

“The entire experience was good. We weren’t expecting the food to be that great but it exceeded our expectations. It would have been nice if the meal also came with soft drinks included. You have to pay for anything other than water. The length of the ride is perfect. It’s definitely something you should experience once.”

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New Orleans: Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise with Lunch Option

/ August 10, 2026

7.Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise with Lunch Option

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 3,576 reviews · from $44

2-hour jazz cruise on the Natchez steamboat with optional Creole lunch. See the engine room and ride the Mighty Mississippi.

“Nice relaxing afternoon on the river. Food was a lovely experience.”

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Swamp Boat Ride and Oak Alley Plantation Tour from New Orleans

/ August 16, 2026

8.Swamp Boat Ride and Oak Alley Plantation Tour from New Orleans

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3,303 reviews · 7 hours 45 minutes (approx.) · from $131

Oak Alley or Destrehan plus Manchac Swamp wildlife cruise from New Orleans. Private boat, oak-tree views, history and alligators.

“Beautiful tour of a plantation. Restaurant there was delicious. Swamp boat ride was fun. Lots of wildlife to see.”

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New Orleans Self-Transport Swamp and Bayou Boat Tour

/ August 18, 2026

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

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

Ride a small open-air boat on Honey Island Swamp from Slidell, spotting gators and birds plus Cajun village stories in 2 hours.

“Extremely informative and scenic! We really enjoyed our tour with Wade G. He is a really great tour guide.”

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New Orleans Swamp Tour Boat Adventure

/ August 24, 2026

10.New Orleans Swamp Tour Boat Adventure

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

Roofed swamp boat tour from Marrero through Barataria Preserve, with narrated stops like a Cajun cemetery and burial mound, plus bayou wildlife.

“Went out with captain Ernie and he was fantastic. Very knowledgeable and kept things interesting with stories and explanation of the local history. Even though it was winter time he made sure we got to take a picture with a baby alligator. Would definitely recommend!”

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

/ August 10, 2026

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

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,587 reviews · 1h 30m · from $35

Manchac Bayou swamp cruise from New Orleans with narrated pontoon boat ride, Frenier lore, and optional Oak Alley visit for about 90 minutes.

“The Manchac Bayou Swamp Cruise is one of those rare experiences that’s equal parts thrilling, hilarious, and oddly beautiful. The guide deserves full credit for that—he wasn’t just knowledgeable about the swamp’s history and wildlife, he knew how to put on a show. In a place where nearly everything looks like it could bite, sting, or swallow you whole, he somehow made the whole thing feel like an adventure rather than a survival exercise. You learn a lot—about the bayou’s ecosystem, the folklore, and even a few outrageous local stories—but you also laugh the entire time. Between the close-up alligator sightings and the guide’s deadpan delivery, you end up with…”

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Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Jazz Dinner Cruise in New Orleans

/ August 29, 2026

12.Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Jazz Dinner Cruise in New Orleans

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

Cruise the Mississippi aboard the Creole Queen with live jazz and an optional Creole buffet, plus night deck views of New Orleans.

“Food was good, the bread pudding was excellent. Mariah was working the whole dining room because of Mardi Gras but she was absolutely amazing. The band leader was so funny, and the band itself was great. On the fly the figured out how to play "Across the Sea" on request. Also its important to mention the real star of the show, the Mississippi River. THE American river. Even at night she was so impressive and beautiful. Will be visiting again and will probably book this same cruise again.”

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Guided Boat Tour of New Orleans Bayou

/ August 29, 2026

13.Guided Boat Tour of New Orleans Bayou

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

Pontoon boat glide through New Orleans bayou swamps for alligators, birds, and expert commentary, with optional hotel pickup for $35.

“Was hoping it would be a more guided nature tour, with a quiet boat and a guide who offered more observations and info. Instead there was music blaring and only an occasional comment from the guide, who did offer to answer questions (and did so) if you knew what questions to ask. So it was ok — nice to see the bayou and the flora. Saw a couple of birds and a gator or two, and the info the guide shared about the gators was interesting — would’ve loved to hear way more about other animals and birds, whether we had a chance to see them or not. (The chance…”

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

/ August 10, 2026

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

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,317 reviews · from $35

Guided Manchac Bayou swamp cruise from New Orleans, optional pickup, alligator sightings, Cajun legends, and Frenier wetlands history.

“Circling through a little area in the swamps. See some historic landmarks, animals and be aware of nice suprises. Bring your kids!”

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New Orleans: Creole Queen History Cruise with Optional Lunch

/ August 10, 2026

15.Creole Queen History Cruise with Optional Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 1,112 reviews · 2h 30m · from $47

Paddlewheeler cruise down the Mississippi to Chalmette Battlefield, with a ranger tour and optional Creole lunch buffet.

“Totally fabulous experience. Commentary given by the tour guide, Charles, was the best I have ever had. Food was delicious and a real authentic experience of New Orleans cuisine. Drinks were reasonable, with no queuing. Battlefield tour guide was knowledgeable. This experience is highly recommended. Perfect few hours.”

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