Old River Road Plantation Adventure
Old River Road Plantation Adventure
Old River Road Plantation Adventure
4.5
7:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Monday
7:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Tuesday
7:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Wednesday
7:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Thursday
7:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Friday
7:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Saturday
7:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Sunday
7:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Full view
About
Take a exciting narrated journey through swamps and wetlands to a magical place where time has stood still, the Old River Road. Tour majestic Oak Alley Plantation's antebellum mansion and charming Laura plantation or historic Evergreen and view her 22 slave cabins. Haunted Manchac Swamp and a Cajun lunch are also available as a combo with the plantations. Named New Orleans Best Swamp Plantation combination with lunch. Antebellum mansion tours at their finest by Old River Road Plantation Adventure.
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Old River Road Plantation Adventure
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4.5
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DebraZebra_9
Cradley Heath, UK785 contributions
Dec 2019 • Family
Great package for an out of city day trip that's not serviced by taxis.
Pick up 2-3 stops around canal street on mini bus, around 15 people.
First stop oak alley about 1 hr drive with commentary along way from Eric. We were first on house tour around 9:30 and grabbed some great shots with no people on of oaks. Short tour but adequate with the grounds to self guide, next stop 5 mins away at Laura which is less grand but a longer tour and more personal, loved stories. Next stop lunch where your food choices have been ordered earlier and all ready.
Then it's to the swamp. Cajun pride swamp.
Winter is not a good time for activity with brumation underway for large adults who lower metabolism and body temperature to survive cold season and bottom swamp. Juvenile alligators dont understand aswell so best bet for sightings.
We saw 3-4 juveniles. A raccoon. Red eared slider (turtke). A Male cardinal, bald eagle, an anhinga (bird).
Got chance to hold a baby alligator which was a great experience.
Recommended tour.
Pick up 2-3 stops around canal street on mini bus, around 15 people.
First stop oak alley about 1 hr drive with commentary along way from Eric. We were first on house tour around 9:30 and grabbed some great shots with no people on of oaks. Short tour but adequate with the grounds to self guide, next stop 5 mins away at Laura which is less grand but a longer tour and more personal, loved stories. Next stop lunch where your food choices have been ordered earlier and all ready.
Then it's to the swamp. Cajun pride swamp.
Winter is not a good time for activity with brumation underway for large adults who lower metabolism and body temperature to survive cold season and bottom swamp. Juvenile alligators dont understand aswell so best bet for sightings.
We saw 3-4 juveniles. A raccoon. Red eared slider (turtke). A Male cardinal, bald eagle, an anhinga (bird).
Got chance to hold a baby alligator which was a great experience.
Recommended tour.
Written January 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
travelfamily555
San Diego, California8 contributions
Feb 2020
Great day! Our tour guide, Jacque, was awesome. He picked us up promptly at our French Quarter hotel, and gave tons of interesting and historical information on the way to Oak Alley Plantation. At Oak Alley, we had some time take pictures out front of the Big House and the oak alley, then the guided tour, then had about 45 min to explore the various exhibits and gift shop... would have liked to have more time but it was sufficient. We boarded the bus and went to outperform second plantation, dropping off some of the bus at Laura Plantation along the way. At Evergreen we enjoyed a much smaller tour with Peter, and spent time both in the main house, the outdoor kitchen, grounds, and original slave quarters. Great tour. Jacque picked us up after the tour and took us to our lunch spot, where we had pre-ordered our lunch selection and it was ready as soon as we arrived. Lunch was included with the day. We ended the day with our swamp tour. Even though it was cold, we did see gators and other critters. Our captain Tom was talkative and very informative about everything swamp, bayou, gator, fishing, hunting, and local history. On the way home we took the scenic route and Jacque showed us other parts of the city with again, excellent info . Highly recommend this tour!
Written February 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Taylor B
Chicago, IL8,568 contributions
Apr 2022
Other states, including my home state of Illinois, have their own River Roads. But perhaps none is more evocative or famous or historical than Louisiana's Great Mississippi River Road. The very name inspires a vision of white pillared mansions standing amid lush gardens and trees dripping with Spanish moss. In Louisiana, it consists of a corridor about 70 miles in length located on each side of the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Along the way, you will see the state's most famous and recognizable group of monumental plantation houses, most built by wealthy sugar planters in the Greek Revival style dating to the 1820s and Mark Twain's journeys down the river. Take your time. Each plantation has something to offer. Visit Nottoway, the largest plantation house of them all. Then Houmas House, Oak Alley, Evergreen, Laurel, St. Joseph, Destrehan, San Francisco, Ormond, Bocage, Whitney and Felicity. They are the survivors of a glorious era that featured hundreds of plantations along the river. Today's River Road is a study in contrasts with broad cane fields, antebellum mansions, petrochemical plants and suburban strip developments, all jumbled together in a chaotic mixture. Despite the modern interference, much of the pre-Civil War past remains to be enjoyed. Some of the most popular sites, including Oak Alley, Nottoway and Houmas House, offer guided tours, overnight accommodations, elegant gift shops and restaurants. Tour boats visit Oak Alley. Y'all come.
Written April 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mnm001831
Richmond, VA97 contributions
Dec 2021
This tour was a combination swamp tour and a tour of a plantation. The swamp tour was very interesting and the captain was very knowledgeable. One thing that was subpar at the swamp tour was that both restrooms had no soap and one of the two had no toilet paper and it didn't look like those things had just happened. Lunch was provided--food was very good, but service was slow. Next came the drive to the plantation. The group was split between several plantations where all were touring a different one. The guide was very knowledgeable and yet only the second row could understand her because the microphone was not loud enough for any rows farther back to hear what she was saying. Basic communication could be improved in that we never heard a specific time to be back at the van and suddenly received a call we were holding things up.
Written January 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alice E
Council Bluffs, IA144 contributions
Mar 2022
There was a less than ideal weather forecast for the day we had booked. Marie called us the night before to see if we could go on Thursday rather than Wednesday. She didn't have any other bookings for the same day as us. We told her that we were leaving on Thursday so, couldn't do that. Later she called back and said she would take us and we were the only ones on her tour,
Yes, it was cold and wet, but we enjoyed the swamp boat ride, lunch, and Oak Alley Plantation.
Only negative was her micraphone kept cutting out so it was hard to understand at times.
Yes, it was cold and wet, but we enjoyed the swamp boat ride, lunch, and Oak Alley Plantation.
Only negative was her micraphone kept cutting out so it was hard to understand at times.
Written March 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
03Teresa
Hampton, IA10 contributions
Mar 2020
We really enjoyed this. The tour was run well, pickups on time, etc. enjoyed the information on way out, wish we had more of that on return trip, we chose to not do the swamp, so they had a mini van pick us up, which was fine. Plantations were amazing and history interesting.
Written March 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
enavant12
Kansas City, MO35 contributions
I thought this company would guarantee to take me on a scheduled and paid-for tour. Nope. I wanted to visit San Francisco Plantation and they advertise that they go there on Sundays only. So I booked and paid for it two months ahead.Then the day before the tour they call to tell me they will only take me to Laura and Oak Alley. Apparently I was the only person who chose San Francisco and Oak Alley and they wouldn't do it. For the sake of good customer service they should have taken me there while the others went to Laura. I know they've done that in the past. So I cancelled and got a refund. What really irritates me is that they do not state on the website that they have a minimum number required, unlike Tours by Isabelle. Very disappointed!
Written April 12, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sara K
32 contributions
Feb 2017 • Couples
I came down wto New Orleans on vacation and had booked plantation tours with Old River Road over a month in advance for today. I hadn't heard anything further about pick up time, etc, so I called this morning. That was when they informed me that the afternoon tours today had been cancelled. There had been zero communication regarding the cancellation and the date was not blacked out on the company's website. I will never book with this company again. I'm sure their tours, when they actually give them, are fine, but it's extremely poor customer service to not inform paying customers of cancellations in a timely manner.
Written February 24, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MK N
Los Angeles, CA5 contributions
Apr 2015 • Family
I had been looking forward to this particular tour for my whole trip. Our driver showed up 30 mins late and we were over booked on our bus. To not have to wait for another pick up and miss the whole tour, ultimately wasting a precious day of vacation and sightseeing, I road on the steps of the bus the hour long trip.
Then, due to time constraints, we were given limited time at our first plantation, Oak Alley. Told that our tour would start promptly at 2:20p and was about 45 mins, I was expecting to have some time to take pictures and shop the gift shop before having to rush back to our bus to make the final tour of Laura Plantation. Well, our tour finished later than expected and I only had time for a couple pictures and no time in the gift shop (Oak Alley does not have their gift shop online, I asked).
Then while at Laura, I felt a bit rushed during the tour. I had many questions and felt I didn't have the opportunity to ask. After the tour I asked if we were allowed to walk around a bit and was told no. Our tour bus driver told us we would have more time to walk around and take pictures and have more time to shop while at Laura, so when our Laura Plantation guide told me no I was a little taken aback. He had taken us to the slave quarters which had a hut next to the one we went through that looked unrestored that I was dying to get a better picture of, so I asked the guide if he could take me back super quick, and was once again told no. So I was very disappointed in that.
I was happy to find that our tour bus driver called in alternate transportation for me since we were over booked, giving us a safer trip back. And I was pleased that I was refunded my ticket for having to ride on the steps. So I will give the company that. However, the whole experience wasn't worth it. For me is wasn't about the money but the experience, that I feel, for the most part, was a bust.
Then, due to time constraints, we were given limited time at our first plantation, Oak Alley. Told that our tour would start promptly at 2:20p and was about 45 mins, I was expecting to have some time to take pictures and shop the gift shop before having to rush back to our bus to make the final tour of Laura Plantation. Well, our tour finished later than expected and I only had time for a couple pictures and no time in the gift shop (Oak Alley does not have their gift shop online, I asked).
Then while at Laura, I felt a bit rushed during the tour. I had many questions and felt I didn't have the opportunity to ask. After the tour I asked if we were allowed to walk around a bit and was told no. Our tour bus driver told us we would have more time to walk around and take pictures and have more time to shop while at Laura, so when our Laura Plantation guide told me no I was a little taken aback. He had taken us to the slave quarters which had a hut next to the one we went through that looked unrestored that I was dying to get a better picture of, so I asked the guide if he could take me back super quick, and was once again told no. So I was very disappointed in that.
I was happy to find that our tour bus driver called in alternate transportation for me since we were over booked, giving us a safer trip back. And I was pleased that I was refunded my ticket for having to ride on the steps. So I will give the company that. However, the whole experience wasn't worth it. For me is wasn't about the money but the experience, that I feel, for the most part, was a bust.
Written April 17, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We apologize that the bus was late picking you up. As much as we want to pick up our guest at the given time , it is not always possible with construction, street closures and traffic all over the French Quarter and downtown. . When our new tour guide called and informed us that we were overbooked by 1 person , I told him not to take more people than he could seat., He didn't listen to us, he listened to you. He said you insisted on going and that you sat on the step. It was your idea.. That's something something we don't do, and have never done in the past. ,as soon as I could left for Laura in a private van for you and your mother's trip back, and returned your money.
Our Tour Guide did inform everyone that at Laura Plantation, you must take your pictures during the tour, because they won't allow you to get back on the grounds after the tour is over, That is Laura Plantation's rule and not ours. Laura plantation stopped you, not us.
Written April 18, 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
ark18
Pittsburgh100 contributions
Jun 2011 • Couples
This tour company was great. I was just talking to my wife, reminiscing about how wonderfully hilarious our guide was. To give some info, the price is high but it's worth it. We were staying in the French Quarter and they pick you up right at the hotel doorstep wherever you're staying. Comfy AC bus, not overcrowded at all. Even if every seat is full they are those bucket seats and the bus hold 16max - so you're not squeezed in.
We did the Oak Alley / Laura tours (which I review separately - they are great though). We drove outside the city, passing some cool sights on the way like old dilapidated plantations, elevated expressways above swamps, some levees, a huge bridge that crossed the Mississippi, and some old churches. Great to get out of the center of New Orleans and witness rural Louisiana.
The tour got us to both plantation homes and then back to the French Quarter. Be aware if you didn't sign up for the swamp tour like us - you'll be stopping briefly to let those who did book it off - but it's a quick stop. What made this tour great however was our guide - who's name sadly I forgot. He was a retired French teacher who does this now, and he was fantastic. Endless facts and stories about the area, history, and great opinions from a seasoned person who has clearly lived a cultured life. Be aware he's not your guide for the plantations - they have their own tours.
Overall if you're debating between this and renting a car - I'd say do this if you want just two plantation homes, great convenience, and wonderful guides. Rent the car if you're hitting up more than two homes. But we loved this tour company.
One final tip - sit on the left side of the bus going down to Oak Alley / Laura - you'll be on the correct side to see most of the large homes and sites when driving out to the plantations.
We did the Oak Alley / Laura tours (which I review separately - they are great though). We drove outside the city, passing some cool sights on the way like old dilapidated plantations, elevated expressways above swamps, some levees, a huge bridge that crossed the Mississippi, and some old churches. Great to get out of the center of New Orleans and witness rural Louisiana.
The tour got us to both plantation homes and then back to the French Quarter. Be aware if you didn't sign up for the swamp tour like us - you'll be stopping briefly to let those who did book it off - but it's a quick stop. What made this tour great however was our guide - who's name sadly I forgot. He was a retired French teacher who does this now, and he was fantastic. Endless facts and stories about the area, history, and great opinions from a seasoned person who has clearly lived a cultured life. Be aware he's not your guide for the plantations - they have their own tours.
Overall if you're debating between this and renting a car - I'd say do this if you want just two plantation homes, great convenience, and wonderful guides. Rent the car if you're hitting up more than two homes. But we loved this tour company.
One final tip - sit on the left side of the bus going down to Oak Alley / Laura - you'll be on the correct side to see most of the large homes and sites when driving out to the plantations.
Written September 20, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
03Teresa
Hampton, IA10 contributions
If you go on this tour on a Sat. or Sunday is it so much busier? that maybe we would want to do it during the week instead?
If someone went on a Sat. or Sunday please let me know how that was, if it was too busy. We are thinking of doing the Oak Alley/Evergreen tour. and will be there in early March.
Thanks.
Lucretia P
Henderson, TX7 contributions
Is lunch included in the tour?
Lindy F
Union, NJ33 contributions
No, only machines to purchase soda and chips
fezzikmom
Scottsdale, AZ22 contributions
Hi there,
I love the idea of driving in your own car and going at your own pace. I'm curious if there's a map or guide to help you decide which plantations to visit? Do you have to join a guided/scheduled tour at some of them?
Thanks!
Brett
Atlanta, GA4 contributions
We thought we did our research on this and started our trip on the plantation tour. We discovered most of the tours are guided so you have to wait for the time of the tour. Some locations you can walk around by yourself, but to get into the planation house you need to be guided. What we did discover is that the internet only list a few of the plantations. We found out at the first plantation there are over a 100 plantations you can see or visit. Once we started our drive (loved the river drive) we found better plantations that were not on the internet. My suggestion, start at Laura or Oak Alley and ask for directions to more or just lose yourself on the river drive and find more yourself, they are not too far apart.
420sonjac
2 contributions
We are coming to NOLA in March but want to go ahead & book Oak Alley Laura Plantation & swamp tour. Can I book this far in advance & Will they charge my credit card prior to arrival?
Sandra
Tallahassee, FL1 contribution
Is there a map of River Road Plantations for a self- driving tour?
Ann G
Henderson, NV81 contributions
Yes. You can pick up a map in the lobby of your hotel if you’re staying in New Orleans. Otherwise, you can google River Road Plantations and it will show you a map with all of the plantations on it. They are almost side by side to each other. I don’t recommend buying any bus/limo tours of the plantations because they’re so expensive. You will experience more by just driving yourselves and pay when you get to each plantation. Sorry about the delayed reply.
412toOBX
Pittsburgh, PA99 contributions
Are there opportunities to go on your own and walk through/have (public?)access to the alley of oaks? I do not wish to attend a tour, however I’m more interested in being surrounded by these trees!
mike_escaper
Attica, IN74 contributions
You can visit the plantation on your own. You will have to pay an entrance fee when you get there. Once inside, you can tour the area at your leisure. The house is a guided tour that occurs at specific times.
ZAGranny
Springfield, MO97 contributions
We would like to take a drive up River Road, but my husband is unable to get out and do a tour. If we just drive by, can we see the plantations good enough to take pictures? Or do you have to pay to get close enough for that? We don't want to spend an hour driving there if we won't be able to see anything.
Ron S
Chandler, AZ31 contributions
Yes, you can drive by and see the plantations. You can pull into the parking area and see them. You can't get into the houses or walk all of the grounds without a ticket. The plantations are beautiful but the explanation and history of them really tells you so much more.
Old River Road Plantation Adventure (New Orleans) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go
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