Best Plantation Tours in New Orleans

Situated on the banks of the Mississippi River, New Orleans is a city that hides within its walls mansions that will take you back in time to the opulent life of the former masters of these vast territories.

They are known as plantations because in their heyday these lands were used to cultivate different raw materials, leaving a very good profit for their owners. Now they have become one of the things to see and do in New Orleans that you definitely can't miss.

One of the most important plantations this side of the south is definitely Oak Valley Plantation, and during the five and a half hour tour, you'll have the opportunity to gaze at its 28 oak trees that welcome you at the entrance to the house.

As a major plantation, you can find multiple options for visiting Oak Alley Plantation from New Orleans. Some of them offer the possibility of combining the tour with a boat ride through the marshes, while others offer a guided tour of the Laura Plantation as well.

There is a restaurant where you can eat for an additional fee. You will also see a large number of objects and agricultural machinery that were used during the golden age of this house.

Details of interest

• Price: The tour can cost approximately 56 euros per person.
• Duration: The tour can last from 5 hours and 30 minutes to approximately 6 hours - you can stay a little longer if you want to eat in the restaurant or stop at the gift shop.
• Means of transport: To get to the plantation, a tour bus will pick you up in the city of New Orleans. Once you're inside the plantation, the tour is entirely on foot.
• Benefits of this tour: Includes, along with admission to Oak Alley, a professional guide who will tell you all about the history of the plantations as he takes you to your destination. Pick up and drop off at your hotel is usually included after the plantation tour.
• Disadvantages of this tour: This tour is not wheelchair accessible. This experience may be cancelled if the weather is bad, but in this case you will be offered a full refund or asked to reschedule the tour.

The Houmas House experience is more than a guided tour of the New Orleans plantations. It is a truly privileged journey back in time, where you will have the opportunity to learn first hand, all the details of slavery in the South before and even after abolition.

One of the most special things about this place is that, from the moment you arrive, the house guides will greet you in period costumes that will make you think you are walking through the plantations two centuries ago. Huge quantities of sugar cane were produced on these pre-Civil War mansion grounds.

Details of interest

• Price: You can get this type of guided tour for around €25 per person.
• Duration: The entire tour can take approximately 3 hours.
• Means of transport: You must make your own way from the city of New Orleans to the plantation. Once inside, the entire tour is on foot.
• Advantages of this tour: It is a wheelchair accessible tour and the walks through the grounds are also wheelchair friendly. In case you don't want to walk too far, you can use a golf cart on request. The mansion has lifts for those who cannot use the stairs. Prams can also be brought to the experience. Available in English and Spanish.
• Disadvantages of this tour: Booking may be cancelled due to bad weather, in which case you may be able to reschedule your visit for another time. Drinks, meals and snacks are not included, but are available for purchase on site.

Now a resort of sorts, this plantation is one of the most remarkable in terms of its exterior design. Inside, it also has various objects that have been preserved over time, but its most precious treasure is the architecture of the house.

During this short guided tour you will have the chance to see the rooms of the Nottoway mansion, as well as take a tour around the house.

You will see different plaques and memorials of the people who lived in the mansion and spent their days as slaves.

Details of interest

• Price: To take the guided tour, you must pay approximately 20 euros per person. Children could pay up to 12 euros each.
• Duration: This is a short tour lasting just two hours.
• Means of transport: To get to the Nottoway Plantation you have to get there on your own. Once inside, the guided tour takes place on foot through the interior of the house and the surrounding area.
• Advantages of this tour: The tour guides are very knowledgeable about the history of the house. Children can participate in the tour and can even pay less than adults.
• Disadvantages of this tour: Transportation from New Orleans to the plantation is not included. Visiting hours are set for Fridays and Saturdays at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 and 16:00.

This is one of the most comprehensive tours of the plantations and one of the best guided tours of New Orleans, as it is a journey back in time to the era of slavery in the United States.

It includes a visit to a museum commemorating all the victims who passed through this plantation, where you can also see artefacts from the 18th century, works of art and buildings that have been remodelled to give you a more complete experience.

Details of interest

• Price: A guided tour of the Whitney Plantation can cost approximately 62 euros per person.
• Duration: The entire tour can take approximately three hours.
• Means of transport: Transport from New Orleans to the Whitney Plantation is by air-conditioned bus with all amenities. Once inside the plantation, you will make your way on foot.
• Benefits of this tour: Includes entrance to the Whitney Plantation and the 3-hour guided tour, where the guide will answer all your questions. Includes transportation from Whitney to New Orleans and back. Transportation can be wheelchair accessible with advance planning 48 hours before the tour. The plantation tour can also be wheelchair accessible.
• Disadvantages of this tour: The mansion is not wheelchair accessible, nor are some places around the plantation wheelchair accessible. The experience may be cancelled if the weather is bad or if the minimum quota of passengers has not been reached.

Destrehan is the oldest plantation in the state of Louisiana, so there's plenty of history to tell. The drive from New Orleans to this plantation is a short 25 minutes from the city centre.

The plantation is home to an original document signed by Thomas Jefferson, as well as many valuable artifacts from the Civil War era that are still preserved in pristine condition today.

You will also be able to enjoy visiting the green areas, and if you want, you can combine this tour with a boat ride in the surrounding marshes.

Details of interest

• Price: You can do this tour for approximately 24 euros per person.
• Duration: The tour can take approximately two hours, not including the time it takes to get to the plantation.
• Means of transport: The plantation tour is on foot, so bring walking shoes.
• Benefits of this tour: You have the option of doing the tour in English, Spanish or French. It is wheelchair accessible and parking is free, whether you use your own vehicle or a rental car.
• Disadvantages of this tour: Gratuities are not included in the cost of the experience. It does not include hotel pick-up and drop-off, so this is at your own expense. Video recording is not allowed and the use of scooters inside the plantation is prohibited, out of respect for the heritage.

An expert guide will take you on a guided tour of the entire plantation, once a major producer of sugar cane. The extensive cultural experience here is one of Louisiana's best-kept treasures.

Inside the Laura Plantation mansion you will find objects of great historical value.

At the same time, there are many items that belonged to the slaves who lived here. You can see where and how they lived, slept, ate and spent their days.

Details of interest

• Price: For the entrance and guided tour you can pay approximately 23 euros per person.
• Duration: This is a short visit that can last between one and a half and two and a half hours.
• Means of transport: To get to the plantation you will have to get there on your own by bus or taxi. Once inside, you will have the option of touring the main mansion, the gardens and the rest of the site on foot.
• Advantages of this tour: You can bring prams, you can also bring pets and children can also attend the experience. It is not cancelled due to bad weather, so dress in layers to be prepared for winter and summer.
• Disadvantages of this tour: It is not wheelchair accessible. The guided tour is conducted in French at 13:00, although it is possible to request the tour in Spanish.

This has become one of the best preserved historic homes in South Louisiana and offers tourists a wealth of activities to do inside the plantation. One of the activities you can enjoy inside is a tour of the site.

During the guided tour you will have the chance to see both the sugar cane plantation and the mansion that is located on the estate.

Madewood also offers the opportunity to stay at the plantation and have breakfast at the plantation and enjoy the menu of this restaurant, which could very well be included among the best gastronomic tours in New Orleans.

Details of interest

• Price: For the guided tour, you will have to pay an entrance fee of approximately 20 euros per person. If you want to stay and order breakfast the next day, you will need to check prices when you are at the plantation.
• Duration: The tour can take approximately two hours to get to know the whole place.
• Means of transport: To get to the plantation, you have to travel on your own. At the plantation the tour is on foot.
• Advantages of this tour: One of the biggest advantages is that you have access to free parking outside the plantation, if you are driving your own car. It is also an advantage that you can stay at the house for one night and have breakfast the next day at the house. You can do your tour without running out of internet because the place has wifi included.
• Disadvantages of this tour: Entrance is by appointment only, so to find out when the plantation is open, you have to make a reservation first.

On this six-hour tour of both plantations you will visit the most beautiful and best-preserved parts of the mansions of each, where history is kept alive.

The visit to St. Joseph's Plantation is reflective and emotional, as the tour is given by the family members who have retained ownership of this house.

You will see a wealth of artefacts that have been preserved over time to preserve the historical memory of this locality. You can also visit the surroundings of the mansion to see the sugar cane plantation that is maintained in the hacienda.

Details of interest

• Price: You can find these tickets at an approximate price of 117 euros per person.
• Duration: The entire tour from the departure in New Orleans and all the way inside the plantations, as well as the return trip, can take about six hours approximately.
• Means of transport: The tour takes place on board a well-equipped van with a maximum capacity of 13 passengers.
• Advantages of this tour: Includes entrance to the Whitney Plantation, the Slave Museum and also to the St. Joseph Plantation. Transportation is included from the city of New Orleans to the plantations and back. Live commentary is also available on board.
• Disadvantages of this tour: Food and beverages are not included, although they are available for purchase throughout the tour. It is not wheelchair accessible and the weather must be fine for the experience to take place. If the weather is bad, the experience is cancelled, but you can request a change of date or a full refund. On the other hand, Whitney Plantation is closed on Tuesdays, so you must change to Laura Plantation.

Destrehan has a rich history of slavery that was law in the American South for many centuries. It is not surprising, therefore, that the place has a dark energy that is easy to sense.

That's why on this night tour you'll have the opportunity to learn about the paranormal happenings that are common on this plantation.

It's an experience not for the faint of heart where you'll visit the plantation at night to learn about the history of the slaves who took part in the revolt of 1811 and how their spirits still roam the place.

The tour is conducted with a voodoo historian who will tell you in detail everything you need to know about these practices and how they became so famous in the state of Louisiana.

Interesting details

• Price: This experience can cost approximately 300 euros per person.
• Duration: The tour will last approximately three hours from the time you arrive at the plantation.
• Means of transport: Includes transport to and from New Orleans and back in a bus suitable for the number of people.
• Advantages of this tour: Transport is included from your hotel in New Orleans to the plantation and back.
• Disadvantages of this tour: Not wheelchair accessible. Not suitable for children. The experience may be cancelled due to bad weather or failure to fill the minimum quota of passengers, so you may be offered a refund or reschedule.

• Wear comfortable, closed-toe shoes because most of these tours are walking tours, so you will have to walk a long way to see most of the plantations.
• Be sure to include a visit to the plantations as one of your summer things to do in New Orleans, as this is the time of year when the weather is at its most pleasant and the humidity drops considerably, giving you a chance to tour the area without any problems.
• Include this activity among the things to see and do in New Orleans with kids, especially in the case of historical tours of the plantations. Seeing and experiencing history is the best way to learn about it.
• If you want to go in high season, make your reservations as early as possible so you can get availability to enjoy the tour.

The New Orleans plantation experience is an exciting one as you tour the vast grounds around the mansions and get to know the interior of the mansions. But it's also a culturally and historically enriching experience that will leave a lasting impression as you discover the plantation's past.

It is a great adventure to learn about the history of slavery in this place and to see with your own eyes objects dating back to the 18th century that have been preserved to this day.