Manchac Swamp Tour: Explore with a Local Naturalist

Take a 2–3 hour kayak and canoe swamp tour through the historic Manchac swamp. A local Louisiana naturalist guides you through the historic Manchac Swamp explaining historic information and the native ecosystem. Please note that pickup times are 9AM and 12PM, one hour before the tour begins. Please read ticket after booking.

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Wild Louisiana Launch - You can be picked up at the historic St. Roch Market right outside of the French Quarter or drive yourself the short 30 min drive to the tour location. The group will convene at the trip starting point and an introductory lecture on kayaking the swamp will be given. You will then enter your kayak and follow your guide…
What's Included
  • Professional guide
  • Pickup and drop-off from designated meeting points
  • 2-3 hour kayak swamp tour
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
Additional Information
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
  • A maximum of 14 people per booking
  • For transportation Uber is ok but not recommended
Location
732 N Rampart St
North Rampart Street
Guests shuttle instructions: 732 N Rampart St. New Orleans, LA 10:15AM tour - pickup is for 9AM 1PM tour - pickup is for 12:00PM 4PM tour - pickup is for 3PM
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(444 Ratings)
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Tara_b
Mar 13, 2025
See an Alligator - I would highly recommend. Our guide was fabulous and we saw plenty of wild life including gators. Nice break from city and noise.
Review provided by Viator
Lcullen97
Feb 11, 2025
Best swamp tour EVER - We had an amazing kayak paddle led by a one of a kind guide, Gerald. We saw loads of alligators of all sizes, turtles stacked, and listened to the bird calls surrounding the swamp. Gerald the biologist is an awesome dude and super knowledgeable of all the critters and lore of the area. We couldn’t have asked for a better trip! Four thumbs up for sure. Thanks again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bexleo31
Feb 9, 2025
Fantastic “must do” experience - Fantastic experience getting close to the wildlife of the swamp. We saw 4 or 5 alligators, lots of turtles and owls, a cute raccoon sleeping inside a log, vultures and even a Cottonmouth snake. The environment is really peaceful. Far cry from the hustle and bustle of the city. Don’t need to worry if you haven’t kayaked before as it’s nice and relaxed and you don’t get left behind. Also most of the alligators were small and shy so you don’t feel threatened in any way.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
544bethanyp
Jan 20, 2025
Knowledgeable guide, beautiful environment! - I had a great time kayaking with guide Gerald. Luckily I was the only one in the group on the day I went, so I got the opportunity to pick Gerald's brains about the swamp. Gerald was extremely knowledgeable about the flora and fauna and together we spotted raccoons, turtles, fish, and lots of birds including kingfishers, woodpeckers, and bald eagles, as well as hearing owls calling. We didn't see any alligators--it was a bit cold--but that's the way it goes in nature and it didn't detract from my experience at all. Personally I prefer to be as unobtrusive as possible in wild environments, and kayaking offers just that. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Randon_c
Dec 14, 2024
Gotta do it - “Wild” Al is a great guide with generations of family experience. He knows all the flora and fauna, has great stories, and even recommended some places to eat around town. Thoroughly enjoyed this trip.
Review provided by Viator
Tomgf463rt
Dec 9, 2024
Beautiful, relaxing trip through the swamp - Note that this review is for the "Private Small Boat Swamp Tour" and not the Kayak Tour. This is our first time into a swamp and we really enjoyed it. Josh, our guide, was very knowledgeable of the area and its history and navigated us through some really gorgeous areas. In Winter there aren't as many alligators, but we saw a few resting in the sun. If I were to go again, I would go at sunrise or sunset for even more dramatic photos. Also note that the meeting site, also where the tour starts, is a little tricky to get to if you don't have a car as it's on the side of a road about 30 minutes from central New Orleans. We took ride shares, which worked out fine, but budget a little more time to get out there.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
G6575klpetera
Nov 24, 2024
Beautiful Swamp and Incredible Guide! - New Orleans is great - So unique - food, history, neighborhoods....The Kayak Swamp Tour was the best! I came in very concerned about potential problems, mostly falling into the water and the presence of alligators. The guide made a huge impact. AJ was reassuring and gave me a confident, calm approach that got me started on a truly magical experience and afternoon. He explained how we would get out of the water with his help, which was fantastic for my nervousness. AJ told us stories of his experiences, about the area and our route, the animals and their behavior to expect. He was fantastic about spotting animals too--we saw six alligators, an up-close barred owl, and many birds. He knew the area and the wildlife well, and had experience with navigating a group when there were larger gators around (although our gators were smaller). AJ went above and beyond to be accommodating and make the experience special for our group. We are very grateful to him for making our trip to New Orleans so adventurous and fun!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Greg_p
Dec 25, 2024
Great guide - If it was not for our excellent tour guide the tour would of been a flop. It was on the chilly side so not much to see. Saw one little gator, being from Florida gators are common.
Review provided by Viator
Rhendy
Oct 30, 2024
Enjoyable but not exciting - We enjoyed the kayaking, but apparently the season for alligators was already over because we didn’t see any, except right as we pulled up to the shore at the end there was a baby alligator taking a nap. Our guide would pull us over every now and then to give some trivia about the canal etc. I found it odd that when we got done the guide had people help him load all the kayaks into the trailer, which was no small feat and took quite awhile. After paying for the tour putting people to work afterward just seemed cheap to me. It seems to me the tour company needs a few more employees just for this type of thing. There was nothing exciting on this tour but it was enjoyable. Being your sunblock, sunglasses, hats, and water. You’ll be in direct sunlight most of the tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kellya812
Nov 5, 2024
Worst Experience Ever with an Inappropriate Guide - I went on the Manchac Magic kayak tour and while the swamp was nice, this was hands down my worst tour guide experience ever. The tour guide's behavior was offensive and unacceptable. I do not know the guide's name as he never introduced himself, but I think it might have been Al. Listed below is the unacceptable behavior in order of most offensive. On the ride home he was drinking a beer while driving (I have photographic evidence) Twice on the drive home he used the R word He commented on the bodies of 2 young women on the tour in their 20s, it was sexual harassment and they were not comfortable with it He also commented on the body of a pregnant woman on the tour When pulling up to the launch area upon seeing that 2 tour participants were in their late 50's/early 60s he commented for everyone in the van to hear that "this old dude is going to slow us down." It was offensive, rude, and unprofessional to say such things out loud He had perpetual road rage on the drive home and kept shouting offensive things out loud for all the van to hear such as "go home to Alabama and f*&k your sister" He made several sexist comments I learned nothing on the tour and was uncomfortable the entire time from start to finish both on and off the water He gave no instruction or safety briefing before launching us into the water He gave me a broken paddle, while I fortunately noticed and exchange I tried to address these issues privately with the tour company via email, but received no response. Therefore, I am posting this review.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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March 2025
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