New Orleans Kayak Swamp Tours

Wonderful experience. Our tour guides were so friendly and knowledgeable with excellent customer service. The swamp was beautiful and we saw a ton of nature.

Didn’t see a lot of critters but had a wonderful paddle thru beautiful cypress and Tupelo forest. Very easy paddle, anybody can do this.

True story: the main reason I begged my sister to go to New Orleans with me was to go on this kayak tour and see a bit of the real southern bayou. The tour was perfect! Didn’t feel touristy at all– very casual, laid back, educational and of course fun! It was a rather small group of about 10 of us, we had the channels all to ourselves. I would HIGHLY recommend to anyone considering seeing the bayou first hand!

Primera reseña en español, yay!
Bueno, estabamos buscando hacer algo distinto por el día en Nola y la idea de los pantanos en kayak conjugaba cosas divertidas. Si bien esta compañía no fue nuestra primera opción, debimos elegirla por precio y disponibilidad para pasar a buscarnos. Cobran creo 10 dolares para hacer un pick up, cerca de donde estas pero no exactamente en donde estas, y llevarte a donde empieza la travesía.
Tardaron 10 minutos más del horario pactado, pero se disculparon por esta demora. En el camino fuimos charlando un poco. Después de firmar un acuerdo sobre las responsibilidad en esta excursión, nos subimos a los kayaks. Fuimos en uno doble, ya teníamos experiencia pero nunca es un pantano. Es un poco más complicado porque tenes que esquivar arboles, ramas, etc, pero es divertido. No vimos ningun cocodrilo, mejor!!!
Nos contaron sobre la ecología del lugar pero me hubiera gustado algo más de explicación sobre qué estabamos viendo. Quizás por a veces quedarnos atrás no captamos todo.
La travesía es de más o menos 2 hs. Me gusto, pero hubiera esperado más del guía.

The trip was simply amazing. My group are all outdoors type of people and we were looking for something to do that was more than walking the Quarter and drinking. Found it! The trip was long enough to really enjoy being out in nature and our guide did an amazing job of teaching us about the history, ecology and biodiversity of the area. Whats more, he shows a true respect for the wildlife and ecology in the area as he collected both trash and invasive damaging growth casually along the way. This, in turn prompted many in the group to join in the effort of keeping the area clean and healthy. I might add that at no time did he ask anyone to do this nor did he frown on anyone who didn’t. The knowledge of the area was fantastic and intriguing. We were taken into an area that had been inaccessable for the past several months. The rain we had just experienced had afforded us access to a remote area and he took full advantage of the opportunity. At one point we had gone as far as the water would let us so he took our adventure on dry land teaching us about the other half of the swamps.
I highly recommend this as a addition to your itenerary while visiting New Orleans, you will most certainly have an experience to keep with you for a long time to come!

this was an great experience. i will never forget the water right below me and the the feeling that i was apart of nature.

We had an amazing time! Jeffrey, the guide, was extremely knowledgeable and his enthusiasm for nature really added to the experience. We had never kayaked before, and he made the whole trip very enjoyable. Definitely recommend this if you are looking for a unique way to experience Louisiana.

AJ was an awesome guide and showed us a great time in the swamp. Saw some gators, learned about the ecosystem, swam in a nice river on a beautiful beach. Really friendly and knowledgable guy and overall a great experience!

Please don’t let the location fool you!
My friend and I were on vacation in New Orleans for just under a week and I had booked (and paid for) the kayak tour online in advanced.
We get to the location via GPS about 20 minutes early. We pulled up to a gas station/​bar and there was a tiny sign that said «kayak tours here». since we didn’t see anyone, and there were no other indications that we were at the right kayak tour company, we decided to turn around and backtrack down the road. After not finding another location, I went into my email and found a number to call.
A very nice young man answered and led us back to where we originally were at the gas station. We were 15 minutes late at this point but he said he would wait for us. When we arrived we were warmly welcomed. Our tour guide suggested everyone go to the bathroom in the bar (or grab a bucket of beers) before we set out. We did both!
Within two minutes of getting on the water we spotted a baby gator and watched him swim in front of us for a while before he disappeared underwater! The tour took longer than expected (a little over 3 hrs) but did not feel like it was being dragged out so I didn’t mind. Our tour guide was VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE about the animals, plants and overall biology of the region. He fished out some freshwater corals from under a log to show us and he also caught a turtle.
We kayaked down the river and then got out and walked around a bit as our tour guide showed us a cypress tree «grave». Very interesting to learn about the life cycle of the trees. He also pointed out a local species of spiders that create ridiculously strong webs. Again I was very impressed with how much our tour guide knew.
Overall I was super impressed with the company. Very down to earth people working there and you can tell they care about the environment they work in. If I’m every back in New Orleans you can bet that I’ll do it again. Fair warning — your arms WILL hurt a bit the next day, regardless of how athletic you are!

This tour was really amazing. The scenery is beautiful, the tour guide was extremely passionate and educated about the specific environment we were in and I learned so much about the ecology and history of the swampland’s. Truly worth every dime spent. I would do it again in a heart beat!

This was an amazing experience! We got to see a gator, hold a green tree snake and a soft shell turtle! The scenery was beautiful and peaceful, and much more enchanting to see on a kayak than a boat. Jeff was very knowledgable and entertaining! He took us to a mud spot where it was creating natural methane, and we walked through it. (Like quicksand, kind of) AND we swam in the water, which I never thought in a million years I would ever be in the same water as alligators! It rocked! Thanks guys!

My boyfriend and I live here in New Orleans but wanted to do a swamp tour for our anniversary. So after lots of research I decided a kayak tour was the best option for a private tour. We booked it and had a blast! Without having a bunch of tourists or children…
Katya was our guide and we had a very good time out there with her. She was informative and easy to talk to. The day we went was beautiful and it was nice to do something different and active for our anniversary. We really had a lot of fun and will probably go again.

Jeff pick us up at our hotel and drove us to the meeting location. The tour was awesome, very fun and casual tour. Definitely something I would recommend to any New Orleans visitors!

We had a great experience on our kayak swamp tour and it was a nice break from just going out in the city! We saw a snapping turtle who was caught on a fishing line above 4′ out of the water who we thought was dead, but we soon realized he was alive! So we cut his line and freed him :) Also saw a gator and tons of snakes, turtles and birds. Pretty cool experience. The only other thing I recommend is getting a beer bucket before heading out from the local swamp bar!

We visited New Orleans for the first time and checked out all the craziness in The French Quarter. We usually do something out of the ordinary wherever we go and we found out about this on TripAdvisor and decided to give it a try.
We chose the 12:30 PM tour and drove to the meeting spot from the Mid City area which took about 40 – 45 minutes. Once you get there, you’ll see a convenient store that you can buy water, snacks, etc. for the tour. But the actual meet up location is at the bar that is located behind the store. The locals in the bar are extremely friendly and will strike up a conversation with you like they’ve known you for years.
We’ve never kayaked before so the guide gave a quick 5 minute lesson and we chose to tandem on a 2-​person kayak. I mean it’s basic knowledge to maneuver right and left. I got it down within 15 minutes. However, I wouldn’t say that it was entirely easy, but more of a challenge.
You will have a LOT of twists and turns, you will hit branches, you will see a few snakes, and you will probably get stuck on a log, but it wouldn’t be a bayou experience if none of that happened, right? If you can kayak through the entire tour, consider it a personal accomplishment.
The tour lasted about 2.5 hours and honestly I wish it would’ve lasted a bit longer. I could kayak that river for hours and hours. It feels so peaceful to listen to the birds, frogs, and just to sit in the placid waters.
The only complaint I have is that you can be left behind if you’re not paying attention or not very good at kayaking. The guide stayed up front with the more experienced kayakers most of the time, but we managed to catch up when we were falling behind.

My girlfriend and I wanted to get away from the hubbub of the city during Jazz Fest so we made the drive up to the Pearl River for an afternoon kayak tour. The weather was perfect for a two-​hour paddle through the swamp and we both had a great time!
Tourguides were knowledgeable about the ecosystem — quick to point out the Pascalgoula Map turtle (found only in this part of Louisiana) and the other range of wildlife (including a brief gator sighting).
You launch behind the Pit Stop Bar & Grill, a truckdriver haunt with cheap beer and local characters, a nice place to cool off with a brew after (or before) your tour.

I definitely recommend everyone to take this tour. Absolutely amazing and so much FUN! Our tour guides were awesome and they took us to the coolest places in the swamps. Everyone must do this tour. Definitely recommend!!!

AJ and Jeffrey provided us with a day of fun in the sun and one heck of an arm work out. Appreciated the history of the wetlands and the ecosystem in Louisiana. We saw turtles, fisher spiders, water moccasins and some sort of really big snake swimming fast upstream. Part of our group saw a 15 foot gator. The door-​to-​door service is the way to go! Totally recommend this kayak adventure as an authentic Louisiana experience, including the cool country bar at the beginning and the end.
–The Seven Sisters

After a couple days enjoying what New Orleans has to offer in food, drinks and scenery, my husband and I were looking for something to do that offered more physical activity.
We went out on a private kayak tour of the Pearl River with New Orleans Kayak Swamp Tours. We booked a private tour, so we got our own guide, which was great because we could ask lots of questions and he was very knowledgeable about the river. It was a beautiful day, the sun was out and the trees looked beautiful, it was the perfect way to enjoy a day out on the water and do something in New Orleans that offered physical activity.
We did not have a car, our guide picked us up and dropped us off at our hotel for an additional price, but worth the door to door service. Also, after the tour our guide took us to the Pit Stop Bar and Grill, which is right at the kayak launch point, where we enjoyed some true southern BBQ. It was a great day and I highly recommend this kayak tour!

This was the highlight of our visit to New Orleans. It is definitely low-​key and back-​to-​the-​roots. It starts very close to the freeway, and in the beginning it is everything but scenic. But the further our two tour guides A.J. and Jeff took us into the swamps and the trees, the more scenic it became. They both obviously love their jobs and they are passionate about the ecosystem of rivers, bayous, and swamps, and the creatures that live there. They take the time to explain everything you want to know, and they were in no rush to end the tour and spent a good amount of extra time with us. Being on a Kayak lets you explore areas that are way too narrow for motor boats, and you also get to appreciate the quiet and calm surroundings. Don’t miss this, it is an experience that will last a lot longer than a night on Bourbon street.

So my boyfriend fought me all the way on going to the swamp. but in the end. he couldn’t stop talking about what a Great time he had. lol… Our driver and tour guide A.J. was super cool. your a great tour guide and Thank you again. I’m sure glad I brought my selfie-​stick :) lol