Honey Island Swamp Tours
The Honey Island Swamp sits on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, 35 miles north of New Orleans. It's considered one of the least-altered river swamps in America: denser canopy, wilder waterways, and a different experience than the south-shore bayous where most New Orleans swamp tours go. We don't currently run a tour on Honey Island itself -- our former small-boat tour there is no longer offered. The airboat and pontoon tours below run the equally wild south-shore bayous around the Barataria Preserve, 25 to 40 minutes from the French Quarter, with daily departures and hotel pickup available.
Tours for this experience
Best ValueSignature 16-Seat New Orleans Airboat Swamp Tour
Our Signature 16-seat airboat is the #1 choice for New Orleans swamp adventures. The perfect balance of thrills, intimacy, and value. It's our most-booked tour and the one we recommend to first-time visitors.
Family FriendlyNew Orleans Covered Pontoon Boat Swamp Tour
The swamp tour for everyone — no age limits, no weight limits, no restrictions. Our covered pontoon is the most comfortable ride on the bayou: shaded from the summer sun, and if a light shower rolls through mid-tour, you’re in the driest seat in the swamp. At $37, it’s the most affordable swamp tour we offer.
Very PopularNew Orleans Small Airboat Swamp Tour
Small Airboats seat no more than 10 people and get deeper into the bayou than the larger boats. Fast, loud, and thrilling — with a smaller group, you'll feel every bit of it.
Family FriendlyNew Orleans Super-Sized Airboat Swamp Tour
The 30-passenger Super-Sized Airboat packs the most powerful engine on the bayou. Fast, loud, and thrilling, it delivers serious thrills at the best airboat price in New Orleans.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Honey Island Swamp?+
On the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain in Pearl River, Louisiana, along the lower Pearl River watershed. 35 miles north of New Orleans, about 40 minutes in good traffic via I-10 east across the Twin Span and then I-59 north to Exit 5A.
Do you offer a Honey Island Swamp tour?+
Not currently. We used to run a small-boat tour on Honey Island, but it's no longer offered. Our swamp tours today run the south-shore bayous around the Barataria Preserve -- real Mississippi Delta wetlands with cypress, Spanish moss, and wild alligators, 25 to 40 minutes from the French Quarter, with hotel pickup available on most boats.
What makes the Honey Island Swamp different from other Louisiana swamps?+
It's considered one of the least-altered river swamps in America. Most New Orleans swamp tours go to the south shore around Jean Lafitte and Houma, where the swamps are also beautiful but more accessible and more heavily toured. Honey Island is denser, wilder, and a different direction from the city -- about the same drive time from New Orleans, just to the north.
Why is it called "Honey Island"?+
Because bees once lived on an island at the swamp's edge. Locals called it Honey Island, and the name stuck. Today the name covers the whole 250 square miles of swamp surrounding it. Not a metaphor, just a literal swamp named after literal bees.
Can I see alligators near New Orleans?+
Yes. Louisiana's swamps are home to alligators year-round, and they're most active March through October. Our airboat and pontoon tours run through real alligator habitat in the Barataria wetlands, and most trips spot gators in the water -- along with herons, turtles, and the occasional wild boar.
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