Eco Tours
2 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 97% of travelers
97% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$29
per adult
Dr. Wagner's Honey Island Swamp Tours
Dr. Wagner's Honey Island Swamp Tours
4.5
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Full view
About
Picture the moss hanging on gnarled cypress trees as you travel into one of the wildest and most pristine river swamps in America. With the swamp tales of pirates and sightings of Big Foot in the back of your mind, you may be just a little bit nervous at first, but after your first boat ride you'll want to go back again and again! You'll be overcome by the primitive beauty of the cypress trees rising from the water...the sweet smell of wild azaleas in the air....
Slidell, Louisiana
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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Improve this listingTours and Tickets by Dr. Wagner's Honey Island Swamp Tours
Eco Tours
4 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 94% of travelers
94% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$58
per adult
Eco Tours
2 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$600
per group
Eco Tours
4 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$1,060
per group
Travelers talk about
(74 reviews)
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
1,570 reviews
Excellent
1,288
Very good
205
Average
42
Poor
21
Terrible
14
Monique W
1 contribution
Apr 2023 • Family
I went on a field trip with my son’s first grade class and we all had such an amazing time! Our captain was Hunter and he was unbelievable! So knowledgeable and funny! By the end of the tour all of the children were chanting “BEST CAPTAIN EVER!!!” We saw so many animals and Hunter could tell us so much about each of them; including all of the plants and flowers we saw. Absolutely great experience! Would recommend to everyone visiting the area!
Written April 20, 2023
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.
Kevin Reade
11 contributions
Aug 2022
This was one of the last activities on our 12 day US road trip and was something I (the dad/husband of the family) had asked to do. My wife and kids (daughter of 16 and son of 21) were quite open in saying they didn't really fancy it but I am really pleased to say they loved the swamp tour as much as I did. I would have been happy seeing one gator but at one point we had about seven around the boat and the raccoons were amazing to see too.
Written September 2, 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.
Rachel J
Eau Claire, WI5 contributions
Apr 2022
I've been on other swamp tours, but this was the best! Our guide, Matt, answered all our questions. The boat was covered with a canopy so we didn't get overheated (Also, to keep snakes from falling on us, according to Matt!)
We saw plenty of critters (raccoons, wild boar, alligators, herons, etc.) Some were almost tame, coming to the boat to let Matt feed them marshmallows. Others, we were just lucky to see. Wildlife is unpredictable. Even without the animal sightings, the cypress trees and swamp were just beautiful. So many flowers in bloom. From New Orleans, it was a 45 min. drive, but definitely worth it.
We saw plenty of critters (raccoons, wild boar, alligators, herons, etc.) Some were almost tame, coming to the boat to let Matt feed them marshmallows. Others, we were just lucky to see. Wildlife is unpredictable. Even without the animal sightings, the cypress trees and swamp were just beautiful. So many flowers in bloom. From New Orleans, it was a 45 min. drive, but definitely worth it.
Written April 25, 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.
Ravenhawk39
St. Catharines, Canada404 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
We had a great time on this swamp tour. We saw alligators up close and we say blue heron, turtles, raccoons and a wild boar. The tour guide was very informative. I definitely recommend doing this if you go to New Orleans.
Written October 25, 2023
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.
Johnny
1 contribution
Sep 2019 • Friends
Rude people and harsh to animals, guide yelling to an old lady who could barely walk.. felt bad for that family!
Written September 12, 2019
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.
travelon735
3 contributions
May 2019 • Couples
I had a fine experience with this tour company, a great tour guide, and enjoyed being on the bayou. There was no leisurely attitude here — you’re in and out. You get picked up from New Orleans, taken to the tour site, and immediately ushered into a boat. When you return to the landing site 2 hrs later, you’re immediately loaded back onto the van to head home. My one problem with the tour is that the alligators, wild pig, and raccoons that came out for us did so because the tour companies feed them all day: marshmallows and some other meat item that I couldn't identify. It's not just Honey Island; many of them do this. There were marshmallows floating everywhere; I saw a guy on another, non Honey Island boat, just chucking them into the water. If I had to do it over again, I would find a site and company that doesn't feed the wildlife. I would have been perfectly happy to spend a couple of hours on the water and catch glimpses of alligators floating by and observe some birds. I'm sure that's not true for all tourists, which is why these companies do it this way.
Written June 1, 2019
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.
Sarah S
2 contributions
Apr 2018 • Couples
I purposely selected a smaller company for our swamp visit and was happy with the results. This is not a fancy outfit - they take reservations by phone and write your info down on a piece of paper. They do not email you a confirmation, so be prepared to write down or remember your pickup location and time. They take credit card info by phone to hold your reservation, but you have to pay in full in cash or check. (who travels with a checkbook?)
We were picked up at the Hilton on Canal St in a 15 passenger van. The driver gave information about Hurricane Katrina damage and recovery on the drive out of town. Dry delivery, but interesting.
When you arrive there's a little building with some shirts and snacks for sale, and indoor bathrooms. After you pay (in cash) they load you on a boat - 22 people max.
TIP: sit on the starboard side if you can (righthand side as you face the bow). They go down one side of the river and back on the other, and the starboard side is closer to the bank so you can see more. Our guide did a pretty good job of turning the boat around if we were looking at a snake or gator so both sides got to see, but being starboard was definitely better.
About half of the tour is along a river - wide and fast. Our guide did a nice job of calling out "Here we go!" everytime he sped up. It was windy at full speed, so TIP: a light jacket was helpful.
You spend about an hour going slowly through a more swampy section, which was peaceful and really pretty. We saw alligators, a couple snakes, several types of birds, a raccoon, and two feral pigs. The guide tosses marshmallows to the animals, so if you're very "nature should be left untouched" in attitude this is not the tour for you. (Go to the boardwalk at the Jean Lafitte National Park instead.)
In mid-April, it was still too cold for the larger alligators to be active, so the ones we saw were 3-7 feet. TIP: you have a better chance of seeing larger gators later in the day.
Upon our return to dock, there was time to visit the bathroom before the van brought us back to town. Our driver was very nice about changing our drop off location to be at the opposite end of the French Quarter from where we were picked up.
We were picked up at the Hilton on Canal St in a 15 passenger van. The driver gave information about Hurricane Katrina damage and recovery on the drive out of town. Dry delivery, but interesting.
When you arrive there's a little building with some shirts and snacks for sale, and indoor bathrooms. After you pay (in cash) they load you on a boat - 22 people max.
TIP: sit on the starboard side if you can (righthand side as you face the bow). They go down one side of the river and back on the other, and the starboard side is closer to the bank so you can see more. Our guide did a pretty good job of turning the boat around if we were looking at a snake or gator so both sides got to see, but being starboard was definitely better.
About half of the tour is along a river - wide and fast. Our guide did a nice job of calling out "Here we go!" everytime he sped up. It was windy at full speed, so TIP: a light jacket was helpful.
You spend about an hour going slowly through a more swampy section, which was peaceful and really pretty. We saw alligators, a couple snakes, several types of birds, a raccoon, and two feral pigs. The guide tosses marshmallows to the animals, so if you're very "nature should be left untouched" in attitude this is not the tour for you. (Go to the boardwalk at the Jean Lafitte National Park instead.)
In mid-April, it was still too cold for the larger alligators to be active, so the ones we saw were 3-7 feet. TIP: you have a better chance of seeing larger gators later in the day.
Upon our return to dock, there was time to visit the bathroom before the van brought us back to town. Our driver was very nice about changing our drop off location to be at the opposite end of the French Quarter from where we were picked up.
Written April 26, 2018
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.
deleslie1956
Falls Church, VA94 contributions
Guide spent virtually the entire tour yucking it up with the young women, including tasteless jokes about being sure the goat you planned on milking had 2 udders so as not to annoy a male goat. This was a swamp tour so other than being bawdy, there was no point. He ignored other passengers completely. He did show us raccoons and feral pigs but only because he trained them to come to the boat to eat marshmallows he provided en masse. Mainly talk was pandering. Lots of exaggeration “40,000 (birds) migrate through here “. Not close to accurate. Terrible for wildlife. Poor sittings of alligator, which is no fault of the guide. Hotel pick up convenient and the driver spoke of his and the rest of east New Orleans trauma with hurricane Katrina. Trip not recommended for those who appreciate nature.
Written December 3, 2018
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.
This is not our tour. We are Historic New Orleans Tours. TripAdvisor, please take this down. It's very strange to see this because we do not do this tour.
Written December 31, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kat K
3 contributions
The men who work here are quite misogynistic. Even my male travel companion who joined me commented on the way they treated people. Rude. Be informed this is a cash only establishment. I booked this over the phone and was not informed of this until I got there. Though they told me they told me... classic mansplaining. The person who took my reservation over the phone spelled my name wrong and had the wrong number of guests reserved for this tour. Something tells me he did NOT follow protocol and tell me I need to bring cash.
Oh, and the tour is only 1.5 hours, not 2 hours.
The guide was very knowledgeable, but arrogant as well.
If one more person at this place told me, "We run a class act here," I was literally going to laugh in his face. Don't tell me you run a class act; just do it.
Oh, and the tour is only 1.5 hours, not 2 hours.
The guide was very knowledgeable, but arrogant as well.
If one more person at this place told me, "We run a class act here," I was literally going to laugh in his face. Don't tell me you run a class act; just do it.
Written December 25, 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.
Seahawk21
Seattle, WA30 contributions
Nov 2016 • Solo
I just called this company 10 minutes ago to make a reservation for a tour and had a horrific experience with the guy on the phone. The first thing he did when he answered was ask me for a credit card number. The connection was cutting out a little, so I said "what?" and he YELLED at me asking for a credit card. I said I just had a question about the tour and he YELLED at me again saying he was busy, so I just told him off and hung up.
There was no way I was going to book a tour with a company who treats their customers like that. I'll be booking with a competing company.
There was no way I was going to book a tour with a company who treats their customers like that. I'll be booking with a competing company.
Written November 23, 2016
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.
Richard Devenport
Pass Christian, MS16 contributions
I am the Deacon at St Paul's Episcopal Church in Picayune. I am looking for a outing with Dr. Wagner's Honey Island Swamp Tours. I keep being re-directed to Cajun Encounters.
I was told that you have bus service - pick-up at the Church and return plus the tour. I would like to get pricing and best dates, etc. Can you please send me an email with this, or call me?
228-731-9865 cell
604-798-2802 office
Blessings,
Deacon Rick+
kfpanda1
San Jose, CA430 contributions
We are visiting in late November. If it rains, do the tours get cancelled? Also, will there be much wildlife to see in late November?
Courtney C
14 contributions
Can we hunt on the tour???
ligiakerr
New Orleans, LA222 contributions
Most of areas around the tour area are private. I remembered the person in charge mentioned it was not allowed.
Courtney C
14 contributions
Can i get an private tour with the owner.
catroje
Slidell, LA17 contributions
I do not believe he does private tours anymore. I could be wrong, but call them direct and ask about it. Paul runs quality swamp tours in the Honey Island swamp area and you will not be disappointed- unless the weather is stormy, of course.
LindaMomoMarie
Vacaville22 contributions
Is there much walking to and from the boats? Also, I have a slight balance issue with getting on and off the boat.
Mike H
London, UK4 contributions
And it’s easy to get on and off the boat with little rocking caused by the water.
God_of_Small_Things7
United States1,510 contributions
Do they have all covered boats? How can I ensure that I get a covered boat to protect from the sun?
mistyschulz
Woodburn, OR322 contributions
The boat we went on was covered. I assume they are all covered. Most of the seating was at the center minus a couple seats on the back which is where we sat which turned out to be the best place to view in my opinion. Very up close and personal with the alligators.
What time do the tours pick up from New Orleans hotels as i am interested in a 6 person uncovered boat tour
Judi K
Brockwell, AR8 contributions
I have always driven to the tour. But should be available on th he website or your hotel may have that info
KEG17
Madison, WI331 contributions
What kind of boat is the tour on? My husband wants to do a swamp tour, but NOT on an airboat.
laurenbjenkins
Pearl River, LA2 contributions
It’s on a pontoon type boat, no airboats.
Stefaan F
Middelkerke, Belgium119 contributions
Hello, I’ve booked a tour starting at 7.45 am with hotel pick up in the French Quarter. Booking reference is BR-658856659. However on my voucher no hotel address is mentioned. Is this normal? I’d also like the know if the hotel pick-up is at 7.45am or the tour itself is starting at 7.45am. Thanks
Certified Pickleball Instructor
Seattle, WA154 contributions
Sorry, not able to answer, when we went on the honey island tour, we drove ourselves to the venue.
