New Orleans. Known around the world for the Mardi Gras parade, it’s unique blend of Creole, Cajun, and soul food, and as the birthplace of Jazz. It is a beautiful and vibrant city, and I encourage you to explore the many activities and attractions New Orleans has to offer. Aside from the city itself, the surrounding area is rich in biodiversity and wildlife and nature tours are a must if you find yourself in The Big Easy.
Wild Louisiana Tours – New Orleans Swamp Kayak Tours
A kayak tour through the swamps of New Orleans is a magical experience. Because you can be much stealthier in a self-propelled kayak than an airboat or motorboat, wildlife is less likely to become spooked as you make your way through the waterways. Since the tours are led by professional local guides, you don’t have to worry about getting lost during your adventure. The guides will offer you details about the flora and fauna you come across, and maybe some local history as well.
Wild Louisiana Tours offers several different trip options including guided kayak tours, a kayak fishing charter, and a 3 or 7 day photography excursion. The Manchac Magic Kayak Tour, the most popular on the site, is a 2-3 hour guided kayak and canoe tour through Manchac Swamp and will cost you $59/person.
If paddling isn’t your thing and don’t mind spending a little extra for a private tour, then check out their Private Small Boat Swamp Tour which is also a 2-3 hour guided tour through Manchac Swamp. Up to three passengers are allowed and it will cost you $150. Details on all the trips and booking is available on their website which I will link again here. Whichever trip you choose, I know that boating through the swamps of Louisiana will be quite the unique experience!
The Great Delta Tours
Great Delta Tours put their focus on education and encouraging the conservation of wetlands and swamps in southeast Louisiana. They offer four types of tours that are worth looking into to find out what interests you the most.
First up is the Delta Discovery Tour ($85/person). This 5 hour journey explores the Great Mississippi River Delta where you will take in the natural scenery and hopefully catch sight of the plentiful marine life and migratory birds. You will learn about the unique ecology of the area, its history and current environmental issues affecting it, and what measures are being taken to preserve it.
Additionally you will be introduced to the cultural history of New Orleans and how it is closely linked to the river delta. The Half Day Tour ($48/person) offered is similar in many respects to the one mentioned above, but with a heavier emphasis on the culture and history of New Orleans and how the Mississippi Delta shaped it.
The last two trip options are customizable and can shift in length and focus depending on your preferences. The first one is a Group Tour (price varies). This option is perfect if you’d like a more personalized experience, because the company is willing to modify the tour so that your group can get everything you want out of it.
Lastly we have their Birdwatching Tours (price varies), which allow you to get up close and personal with the huge diversity of bird species that call the Mississippi River Delta home. Book a private group tour of up to 13 people and bring along a camera and pair of binoculars if handy, and you’re all set for a fun day by the delta. I recommend looking through their site and picking out the tour that best suits your interests, but don’t stress over it because it’s hard to go wrong!
Tours by Isabelle
Tours by Isabelle offers trips on airboats through the swamps of Louisiana and plantation tours. The airboat tours take you sightseeing and give you the chance to see local plants and animals, some of the favorites being the alligators and bald eagles known to frequent these wetlands. Your assigned captain and guide will pass along their knowledge of the swamps and history of the region.
Their Airboat Swamp Tour lasts 4 hours and is $128/person. If you’re looking for a fuller day, then you should check out their Grand Tour with Airboat. Lasting 9 hours, this trip includes an airboat swamp tour as well as a Cajun lunch followed up by a guided tour of the Laura and Houmas House Plantations. Keep in mind that it is pricier at $230/person, but that might be worth it for some people given the added features. Their Half Day Tour, similar to the Grand Tour with Airboat but shorter and cheaper ($165/person), only visiting one plantation instead of two. They also offer plantation and city only tours which you can view on their website.
You love both nature and history, so why not see the wildlife Louisiana has to offer and learn more about the history of New Orleans at the same time? If this describes you then I really recommend you give Tours by Isabelle a call, because their tours offer you the best of both worlds!
Go out and explore everything New Orleans has to offer, from fantastic food and a rich nightlife to fascinating local history and beautiful architecture. After you’re done with the city, don’t forget to adventure out into the wetlands that surround New Orleans and bring it to life. Taking a nature or wildlife tour helps bring your experience of the city together into one cohesive whole.
