Ultimate Swamp Adventures

Went on an airboat ride with them today. The guide was awesome! He caught a 1 year old and a 2 year old alligator for us to hold. We also went and saw a large alligator. The airboat was fast and cooled you off since it was so hot! Be sure to wear sunscreen. I would go again in a heartbeat!

Our tour was amazing. Gary was our guide and he took us on a tour of the Bayou Segnette. He really knew his stuff and the first alligator we saw was a 14 footer. We then went on to see 6 or 7 more gators. We did not ride on the airboat, but throughly enjoyed hearing the history of the bayou (through a thick and wonderful accent). Our guide offered personal stories and shared humorous stories. I would absolutely recommend this trip to anyone looking for a nice 2 hour tour of the swamp.
The shuttle ride there was seamless as well. It was an additional $ 15 per person, but well worth the money. The bus picked us up right at the hotels front door and dropped us off in a separate French Quarter location. We purchased a Groupon to save on the cost of the tour.

Going on the swamp boat tour was probably my favorite part of my entire vacation to New Orleans! The concierge at our hotel recommended this company so she booked our tour for us. We were picked up in front of our hotel right on time and it was about a 30 – 45 minute drive outside of New Orleans to the location in Westwego, accounting for traffic as well.
There are two options, airboat or flat-​top boat. My dad and I choose the flat-​top boat so we could enjoy the scenery and go slower. Our guide, Gary, was an authentic Cajun, who was knowledgable and hilarious. His sense of humor definitely made our experience.
We saw quite a few alligators, probably because it was the middle of the day in mid-​May. We even saw an alligator chilling in the water right below the dock while we were waiting to board the boat before the tour began. During the tour at one point, Gary lured about a five foot long alligator towards the boat using marshmallows and brought it on board. After he settled down, we were able to take turns touching its back. Gary then released the alligator back into the water.
I really enjoyed seeing the swamp and getting so close to the alligators. I totally recommend this tour to anyone who’s going to New Orleans for the first time, like myself.

Swamp tour! Airboat was fun. Captain Eric rustled us up a gator. We flew through the swamp at high speeds. We laughed. We cried. It was a freaking Shakespearean play on the bayou. Also airboats are the epitome of redneck innovation. Worth it.

THIS WAS SOOOOO GOOD AND SOOO MUCH FUN!
You are allowed to bring alcohol on the boat and it went soooooo fast.
We went gator hunting and got stuck in the mud and another boat had to pull us out but that’s all part of the fun.
10 stars!!!

We did the ultimate swamp tours and it was fun and exciting. Gary taught us a lot about gator catching and history. He was funny and informative. He even caught us a gator to touch (he didn’t harm it, and let it go). The gators would swim right up to the boat! I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone! One of the best things I’ve done here!!!

Bought a deal on Groupon, brought the fam– fair price. Went out on the water w/​Mr. Tim Jackson. Kinda wasn’t sure what to expect. Mr. Jackson brought along his skipper (whose name escapes me) younger guy w/​that traditional southern twang. Within 15 mins the skipper spots a gator! Small to mid-​size. Tim was very knowledgeable but not in a boring-​National geographic-​mono-​tone type way. He was humorous, engaging, causal, conversational, entertaining for the kids w/​out being cheesy. I enjoyed learning about how Katrina impacted the area, the new levies & something that will haunt me for a very long time — NUTRIA RATS! These are basically dog size rats that over run the swamps :0! Ill leave the details to Mr. Jackson. If you have ever been to Disneyland — picture the Jungle Boat ride — but in real life! On the tour we saw about 6 gators ranging in size, a water snake, an eagle, hawks, herons & a variety of ducks. The trees are majestic. The tour was relaxing & breathtaking. The kids LOVED watching Mr. Jackson lure the gators over w/​marshmallows. They got REALLY close to the boat. 2-​hrs went by fast, boat was punctual in departure & arrival. We introduced ourselves to Tim when the tour was over (tipped him — please do the same), he asked where we were from & when we said Los Angeles he chuckled, saying he wished he would have known during the tour! #citySlickers. We asked Tim for a restaurant suggestions & he happily obliged offering detailed directions.
We said goodbye to Hope (cashier) on the way out, who also offered dining suggestions, told us about a Cinco de Mayo celebration she was going to attend later, w/​the local band that a staff member’s cousin plays in & mentioned she writes food reviews (unrelated to the tour but offering insight on the friendliness of staff). For a bunch of city slickers — being out in the swamps in the NOLA — they did a great job of making our time spent worth the money & short
drive. Its a touristy thing yes — but educational, relaxing & totally worth it!

I had a good time on this tour, but my guide was a bit on the older side and very hard to hear. I did get to see two alligators, so that was awesome, but I missed out on a lot of the tour info. However, the weather was beautiful and the price was right, so the tour guide volume is my only complaint. If he’d had a microphone of some kind it would have been perfect.

What an incredible experience! Our tour guide was Eric and we got to hold the alligators!

Our Captain (Smith, I think) was great! Super knowledgeable and friendly. Tour lasted about 1.5 hours. At first I was scared we wouldn’t see anything because that’s happened to others I know who went on other swamp tours, but I was happily proven wrong. Saw multiple gators (adult and babies), frogs, turtles, and even a heron!
I loved watching the gators eat the marshmallows, as did everyone else in our group. Our group was about 16 people and we were all about to see everything. Our guide stopped and would make sure we got the most out of our tour.
Would recommend!

Was a lot of fun and Mitch was great. I am now afraid of water moccasins and won’t let my dog swim in the bayou by my house in Florida after seeking a couple on the tour.

Our tour guide was hilarious! Must try! He grabbed a baby alligator for tourists to see & hold. I wasn’t courageous enough to hold, but many others were!

They go farther into the seaweed than I expected and got closer to the alligator’s and one snake than I would have expected. The Guide gives you a lot of interesting Info on the area and what you are seeing.
We ended up on the regular boat instead of the Air Boat and I was a little dis-​appointed. But in hindsight, and the fact the regular boat went ‘into the weeds’, I was probably more happy with the regular boat. Other than the experience of being on a LOUD and Fast Air boat, I would do the regular boat for a more relaxing day!

We got lucky on our tour as it was just us (2) and two other people so it became more of a private tour. Our guide was amazing. He really went above and beyond to make sure we saw gators — we even went with him as he helped save one from a soda bottle that had unfortunately been stuck to his head for 4 days because he ate a hook. He even showed us where the babies were hatched and brought a gator onto the boat for us to hold. My favorite part was when he showed us where people were living on the bayou.
The only issue I had with this tour was that it was advertised as offering transportation and then we got there and they wanted $ 15 a person. When I went back to the hotel I checked EVERYWHERE I found an ad and not one mentioned this fee so that was really upsetting. Overall a great tour!

Had a pretty amazing time. The captain was very courteous and knowledgeable. It started to rain a little, but didn’t stop us from getting on the waters. He said the gators usually hide when it rains, but we were able to see quite a few. Also saw several birds and little rodent creatures I think called nutrias. The lightning cut our tour short, but we were able to see what we came for. Will be back again.

Came on the tour today, for an air boat tour, it was raining in the city but clear and sunny at the swamps.
The lady who helped us was very sweet and friendly.
There are clean bathrooms at the dock, as well as a gift shop that sells snacks, drinks & souveniers.
Not sure what tour guide name was, younger guy, but was very friendly and knowledgable. He shared all kinds of tidbits and was funny.
We saw a few gators, birds, snakes and fish.
The guide tried to catch 2 baby gators but had no luck, so was disappointed about that, really wanted to hold one. But every tour is different and it is a hit or miss.
It did start to slightly sprinkle but no big deal.
Ladies: a tip, tie your hair if you are doing the airboat. It is fun and you are able to cover more on the airboat.
Good luck!

Despite the cold January day and all of the alligators were hybernating for the winter so we saw none this was a cool experience. You cannot beat the price we had a groupon for $ 25 for two people. Back in Florida that is not even enough for one on similar tours. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about Louisiana’s waters and wildlife. I enjoyed the history he gave us of the swamps, bayous, and current issues of the Mississippi River. He gave candid accounts of his experiences. Even though it was freezing the bayou was beautiful and the birds were out fishing. He said usually these tours are loaded with 20 – 25 people to a boat so I appreciated the open space and probably more attention. It would have been nice to see an alligator but I have seen them in Florida. I would definitely recommend taking this because the staff is really nice. They made it very interesting despite the lack of animals to see

I wanted to see a live gator so badly. After eating a lot of gator over the course of my NOLA visit, I just thought it would be really neat to see one or two in person.
I wish someone told me before I bought the ticket to this tour that gators hibernate when it gets cold out. I also learned that a swamp doesn’t have a swampy feel on a 40 degree day in January, rather it feels like a cold day out on a lake.
Perhaps that’s why Ultimate Swamp Adventures was selling their tour for a discount on Groupon.
Don’t get me wrong, our tour guide, Scott, was very informative about the swamp and ecosystem in general. He tried so hard to find us a gator. Other than being out on the swamp and learning some facts, we didn’t see much action. We did see two nutria, two turtles and a handful of birds, but I can’t help but be disappointed that I didn’t see an alligator.
It was beautiful in the swamp and the nature around us, was lovely to look at, especially the floating vegetation. It was just so frigid cold. Now I’m a Philly girl, but didn’t realize that it would even get to the 40 New Orleans. I’d recommend packing appropriately.
More importantly than packing appropriately, I’d recommend not doing this tour in the winter and doing a little research on the best time to visit a swamp. I’d do this tour again because I feel so much was left to be desired, but never again in the winter.

If alligators could talk, I assume we’d be best buds. You see, I can’t tolerate cold temps. And, as it turns out, neither can the gators! Good to know now.
We purchased the swamp tour Groupon and booked our visit for yesterday after two unsuccessful attempts at finding an open slot earlier in the weekend. Our boat had a total of 6 people on it (including the guide) and not one of us spotted a single gator. Not even a tail. Or eyes. Not a single part of a gator.
And you know why?
Because alligators need to keep a core temperature of 75 degrees or higher… or they go into hibernation. I am from Jersey. Why would I know that?
I guess that’s how they keep business in the cooler months… by selling tickets to unsuspecting tourists like me who would just assume a swamp tour would include gator sightings.
Our guide, Scott, really did try, though. He searched and searched — pulling the boat into murky vegetation for a better view. He told us where the regular gators hang out (like Flipper and Captain Hook), but not one of the creatures came out of hibernation to bid us a hello for our trek/​time/​money. I guess money doesn’t matter to gators. Bummer!
We did, however, see a couple huge rats, a turtle and some birds that like to eat baby gators. I also know way more about gators, cypress trees, Spanish moss, and wildlife native to the area than I did ever before, so thank you, Scott, for that!
I would absolutely return during the warmer months to spot some gators in their habitat. In the meantime, I suppose I’ll have to be satisfied with my fried gator bites.

Alligators taste good, even better fried with a little mustard on the side or if you like ketchup. It’s your choice.
Although, do you know what’s a lot better than tasting them is knowing where their habitat is and visiting them. That’s a real treat!
Mind this, you don’t have to be a science lover, a geek or nerd, or even a Big Bang theory to enjoy this. You can be anything you want whether that’s a big adult kid, a tiny kid, a grandma or grandpa, or a conservative adult you will take the time to appreciate gators in the nature.
The swamps, the outdoors, the heat, and big olé cedar trees that lives a giant spider as big as your head, and the nice cool breeze.
This definitely beats sitting on the couch watching your favorite TV show while eating ice cream.
You think we love marshmallows, well personally I don’t, but the alligators do. They love them as a snack. I’m sure you can make a sugar-​free marshmallow cake and they’ll love it!
As our tour guide was a sailor as he cursed like one. He was very informational and friendly. If it wasn’t for his enthusiasm, I don’t think the boat ride would’ve been as exciting. It was the bomb-​diggity!
If you got some money to spare, instead of going to the casinos do check this spot out and you won’t be sorry. Although, do dress comfortably…
Bring your cameras and sunglasses. Pin your hair down as the humidity and water might not mix well.