Frequently Asked Questions

Absolutely! Tipping 15-20% of your tour cost is standard and greatly appreciated — similar to what you'd tip at a restaurant. Our guides are passionate locals who rely on tips as a significant part of their income. A great guide can make your experience unforgettable. If they do, let them know!

Yes! We're more than just a tour booking site. We're happy to consult on your interests and help arrange restaurant reservations, museum visits, and more. Contact us for details — we love helping visitors discover the best of New Orleans.

It depends on your interests! Oak Alley is best for photography and classic Southern beauty. Whitney Plantation offers the most comprehensive look at enslaved people's experiences. Laura Plantation focuses on Creole culture and has a more intimate feel. Chat with us and we'll help you decide!

Yes! Our physical store is located at 728 St. Louis Street in the French Quarter, just a block from Bourbon Street. We're open daily, usually 9am-6pm. Stop by to book tours, ask questions, or just say hello. We also have some tours available in-person that aren't listed online.

Yes, but consider your children's ages and maturity. The tours discuss slavery, which can be difficult for young children to understand. Whitney Plantation is the most intense; Oak Alley is generally more family-friendly. Older children often find these tours educational and meaningful.

So much! Visit the museums (WWII Museum is world-class), explore the French Quarter on foot, take a streetcar ride through the Garden District, eat everything in sight, and definitely experience the nightlife. We're happy to share our favorite bars, restaurants, and hidden gems — just ask!

It depends on the tour. Our walking tours around the French Quarter generally work fine for wheelchairs and scooters since they're on city streets and sidewalks. Our covered pontoon swamp boat is also wheelchair accessible. For bus and shuttle tours, the buses don't have lifts or room to store a scooter, but a collapsible wheelchair can usually be accommodated if you can manage the steps to board. Airboats are not wheelchair accessible. If you have mobility concerns, contact us and we'll help find the best fit.

Right now, all of our tours are conducted in English. We'd love to offer tours in other languages down the road, but we haven't found enough consistent demand for any single language to make it work yet. If your group is interested in a private tour with a bilingual guide, reach out and we'll see what we can arrange.

They're the same thing! Airboat and fanboat are two names for the same type of boat. These flat-bottomed vessels are powered by a large fan mounted on the back, which is why some people call them fanboats. In the New Orleans swamp tour industry, airboat is the standard term, but you'll hear both. No matter what you call it, you're in for a thrilling ride through the Louisiana bayou.

Airboats are faster and more thrilling — great for adventure seekers. Pontoon boats are slower and quieter, making them better for photography, conversation, and families with young children. Both see the same wildlife!

We recommend booking at least 48 hours ahead, though 72+ hours is better for busy weekends and holidays. Groups of seven or more should book as far in advance as possible. If you're already in New Orleans and need a last-minute tour, contact us at (504) 226-5433 — we'll do our best to fit you in!

Tour prices include round-trip transportation from your New Orleans hotel, plantation admission, and a guided tour of the property. Some tours include lunch or refreshments — check individual tour pages for details.

Not immediately. We confirm availability with tour operators before sending you a confirmation via email or text. If your requested time isn't available, we'll offer alternatives or refund your deposit promptly. This usually happens within a few hours during business hours.

Likely! We offer discounts for groups of 10 or more on most tours. Contact us at (504) 226-5433 to discuss your group's needs and we'll put together a custom quote.

Probably. We're locally owned and pride ourselves on competitive pricing with superior customer service. If you've found a better price elsewhere, let us know and we'll see what we can do. Contact us at (504) 226-5433.

Yes. Several of our walking tours have a built-in military discount at checkout. We also have promo codes on our deals page that save a few dollars per ticket on any tour. Check gatorsandghosts.com/deals for current offers.

We close online booking several hours before each tour's departure time, and for some of our most popular tours, the cutoff can be even earlier. So if you're not seeing availability, it might mean the tour is full — but it might also just mean online booking has closed for the day.

Either way, chat with us. We can check directly with the tour operator and see if there's room. We've squeezed people in plenty of times, and it never hurts to ask.

Yes. All listed prices are per person on the boat. Children under 5 ride free on pontoon boats. Airboats require all riders to be at least 5 years old.

Tours run rain or shine. If you show up in the rain, your guide will be there. We only cancel if conditions become dangerous, and in that case you'll receive a full refund or the option to reschedule.

Tours are non-refundable unless cancelled by the company or tour operators (typically due to dangerous weather like lightning or hurricanes). If you need to reschedule, contact us and we'll work with you to apply your payment to a different date or tour, subject to availability. We understand plans change — just give us as much notice as possible.

We ask for at least 24 hours notice for any changes. If you need to reschedule, get in touch with us as soon as you know and we'll do our best to work something out. The earlier you reach out, the more flexibility we have.

Bring a poncho or umbrella! Tours run rain or shine — some say the ghosts are more active when it rains. We only cancel during dangerous weather (lightning, hurricanes), and you'll receive a full refund or reschedule option.

No. The LaLaurie Mansion is a privately owned home. Our tours stop outside and your guide tells the story from the street.

Most plantation tours are full-day experiences lasting 5-7 hours, including transportation from New Orleans. The actual time at the plantation is typically 1.5-2 hours for the guided tour, plus time to explore the grounds.

Our walking tours are about an hour and 45 minutes long. You generally cover about a mile of ground. It's an easy walk and you stop a lot to hear stories.

We're a local booking agency that partners with 25+ carefully vetted tour operators in New Orleans. We personally evaluate every tour we sell, reading reviews and often taking the tours ourselves. This lets us offer you the best options across swamp tours, ghost tours, plantations, and more — all with one-stop shopping and local customer service. Think of us as your New Orleans tour concierge.

We partner with most major New Orleans area operators, including some you won't find on the big booking sites. If you have a specific company in mind, let us know when booking and we'll do our best to accommodate your request.

Our ghost tours are spooky and fascinating, featuring real-life stories of murders, fires, hauntings, and yes — vampires. But there are no jump-scares or costumed performers leaping out at you. These are walking history tours with a supernatural twist. That said, many guests report unexplained phenomena in their photographs afterward...

Pontoon boats are larger, slower, and more relaxed — they seat more people, often have restrooms and sun covers, and offer a gentler ride. Airboats are smaller, faster, louder, and more thrilling — they're essentially fan-powered hovercrafts that can access shallower areas of the bayou. If you want excitement and speed, go airboat. If you prefer a calmer, family-friendly experience, choose the pontoon.

Sure! It's New Orleans. You're legally allowed to drink on the streets as long as your drink is in a plastic container. Tours generally start at a bar and stop at one halfway through, often with drink specials. Just note: guests who become disruptive may be asked to leave with no refund. Please drink in moderation.

It depends on what you're looking for. Oak Alley offers iconic Southern elegance with its famous tunnel of oak trees and beautiful grounds — perfect for photography. Laura Plantation provides deeper historical context, including the stories of enslaved people who lived and worked there. Our double plantation tour combines both. Choose based on whether you prefer aesthetics or in-depth history.

Yes. For safety reasons, the following cannot ride airboats: pregnant women, children under 5 years old or under 48 inches tall (varies by dock), and people with serious neck or back problems. If airboats won't work for your group, our covered pontoon boat tours are a great alternative with no restrictions.

Very likely. Our captains know where the gators hang out and they're spotted on the vast majority of tours. That said, these are wild animals in their natural habitat, so sightings can never be 100 percent guaranteed. Weather matters. If it's very cold or very hot, gators are less active and harder to spot.

It depends on the tour. Some of our private swamp tours allow BYOB (no glass bottles). Others have bars on site where you can grab a drink before or during the tour. A few tours don't allow alcohol at all. If drinking on the water is important to your group, let us know when you're booking and we'll point you to the right tour.

In summer, earlier tours tend to be best before alligators retreat to the shade during peak heat. In winter, midday tours can be better since gators come out to sun themselves on warmer afternoons. Your captain knows the daily patterns and will do their best to find wildlife, though sightings can never be guaranteed.

It depends on the day. Some captains may have baby alligators available to hold, but this is not guaranteed and does not happen on every tour. Swamp tours are a chance to see wildlife in their natural habitat, not a zoo experience. Come with an open mind and enjoy whatever the bayou brings you.

Airboats are loud at full speed, which is why hearing protection is provided. But captains cut the engine when approaching wildlife for quiet, up-close observation. The shallow draft and nimble size of airboats actually let them reach areas that larger tour boats cannot, which means more wildlife access, not less.

Very few guests report feeling seasick on swamp tours. The bayou waters are calm compared to open ocean, and the ride is generally smooth. If you are prone to motion sickness, consider taking Dramamine beforehand as a precaution.

No. Louisiana swamps are home to American Alligators, not crocodiles. American Crocodiles live in tropical regions like South Florida, the Caribbean, and Central America. Easy way to tell them apart: alligators have wide, rounded snouts while crocodiles have narrow, pointed ones.

No problem! Contact us and we'll arrange pickup at the nearest hotel on our route based on your accommodation location. We pick up from most areas in the French Quarter, Central Business District, and Garden District.

Yes! All our hotel pickup services include both pickup and drop-off at the same location. We'll get you there and back safely.

There are paid parking lots on Basin St. and on the corner of Conti and N. Rampart St. Prices vary depending on what's happening in the city that day. If you're staying at a French Quarter hotel, we recommend walking to the tour site.

Approximately 25 to 40 minutes depending on which dock your tour departs from and traffic conditions. Tours start promptly and won't delay for late arrivals, so please plan accordingly if you're driving yourself.

We have a few different starting locations. After you've booked your tour, we send a confirmation email with all the details, including where your tour starts.

Our swamp tours depart from multiple locations on the Mississippi River's Westbank, including docks in Lafitte, Marrero, Westwego, Luling, and LaPlace. All are approximately 25-40 minutes from the French Quarter. Your confirmation email will include specific directions to your tour's departure point.

Yes. Just let us know at least a day before your tour and we can update it. The easiest way is through our live chat on the website, or you can text or call us at 504-226-5433.

Dress comfortably for the weather. Airboats are open-topped, and the speed creates wind, which makes cold days feel colder and hot days a bit more bearable. Sunscreen is always a good idea in the Louisiana sun. If there is light rain in the forecast, a poncho is fine to bring along.

The airboat portion of the tour is approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes on the water. Pontoon boat tours run about 90 minutes. If you are taking the shuttle from New Orleans, plan for about 4 hours total including the round-trip drive to and from the bayou.

During the day, bugs are usually not much of an issue on the water. If you are concerned, bring your own and apply it before boarding the boat.

Airboat tours operate in bayous and swamplands near Jean Lafitte National Historical Park, Lake Borgne, Bayou Segnette, and private swamplands in St. Charles Parish. Covered pontoon boats also run in the Manchac Swamp. The specific dock location depends on which boat you book, and the exact address is provided in your confirmation email.