Meet you guide at your hotel in New Orleans between 8:30 and 9 a.m. and drive 35 minutes into the countryside to reach Oak Alley Plantation. Step on board a 6 or 9 passenger airboat with graduated stadium-style seating to begin the first part of your tour.
Travel through shallow waters at up to 35 miles per hour (56 kilometers per hour), while you learn about the surrounding wildlife from a guide with extensive knowledge about the local ecosystem. Zoom through marsh, swamp, and lake waters en route to alligator habitats where you can see these ancient reptiles up close and learn about their lives. Look up periodically to catch sight of the bird species that also call the area home, including bald eagles, pelicans, ospreys, and owls.
At the end of the boat tour, return to shore to tour the 19th-century Oak Alley Plantation, a typical antebellum plantation house. Walk down a classic alley of live oaks hung with Spanish moss on your way to the house, and then meet your docent for a guided tour inside. Afterward, spend a free hour wandering the 25-acre property or eating at the restaurant and café on site (own expense). The tour will conclude when your driver takes you back to your hotel in New Orleans.
