Traditional Swamp Tours
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Champagnes operates at Lake Martin, offering seats on either side of their boats for easy viewing of the lake’s bountiful wildlife. Visitors will learn all about this unique ecosystem while having opportunities to shoot wildlife—with a camera, of course! Cajun Country Swamp Tours seats up to 20 participants in their two boats for an hour-and-a-half guided swamp tour of Lake Martin.
Closer to Lafayette and departing from Henderson, McGee’s Swamp Tours offer traditional swamp tours and sunset tours on the Atchafalaya Basin, discussing life in the massive swamp and showcasing its natural inhabitants (alligators, osprey, nutria, and the like). McGee’s will also bring visitors beneath the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge — actually a pair of parallel bridges — which stretches more than 18 miles and is the third longest U.S. bridge and the second longest on the interstate system.
Eco-Friendly
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Wendy Thibodeaux leads up to eight participants on her Louisiana Swamp Tours, offering an eco-friendly view of Lake Martin. “We’re more eco-friendly,” she said of her one-hour tours. “We don’t handle the wildlife. We let the wildlife be wild.” Within Lafayette, the Bayou Vermilion District can accommodate up to 25 passengers on its flat-bottomed tour boat, which voyages up Bayou Vermilion to Bayou Tortue and back.
For those who prefer something quieter and more up-close-and-personal, Wanderlust Rentals guides paddlers on eco-friendly tours of Lake Martin. Their two-hour kayak tours showcase wildlife but also teaches participants about the formation of Lake Martin and the history of the area. Lafayette outfitters Pack & Paddle also bring paddlers on Lake Martin, with veteran guides who know where to find wildlife without being disruptive. Pack & Paddle tours are flexible, since South Louisiana weather can be unpredictable, and they can accommodate special requests, such as longer photography tours.
French Speaking
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Mark Allemond and his wife Peggy guide visitors into some of the most remote areas of the Atchafalaya Basin with Cajun Customized Excursions. “Our tour is very intimate due to the areas that we go to, and we do this tour in English or in French,” Mark Allemond said. Visitors meet at the Atchafalaya Welcome Center off Interstate 10.
Bayou Vermilion District’s flat-bottomed tour boat has been named the Cocodrie 2—cocodrie means alligator in French—so French-speaking guides are available for the trips up Bayou Vermilion.
Airboats
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If you want to get your heart pumping as you fly over water, choose an airboat tour of the Atchafalaya Basin. Just make sure to keep those ears covered. Atchafalaya Basin Landing Swamp Tours lead visitors into remote areas of the Basin, then idles to allow for wildlife viewing. On a recent tour, our Cajun guide came upon an alligator and spoke to the reptile in French, joking that if you swam in the Basin and spoke French, the alligators would leave you alone. We’re not so sure about that.
McGee’s Swamp Tours do the same on their 90-minute airboat tours, in addition to their traditional and sunset swamp excursions. Both tour operators are located in nearby Henderson.
- 1151 Rookery Rd.
- (337) 230-4068
Personal, authentic, guided eco-tours into the Lake Martin Swamp and Louisiana's largest nesting area of wading birds.
- 1209 Rookery Rd.
- (337) 319-0010
Enjoy a professional, insightful eco-tour by a Cajun naturalist with B.S. degrees in Zoology & Botany. View birds, alligators, huge moss-draped cypress trees and much more. Nature at its best. "Come experience my passion & joie de vivre with more than just a boat ride!"
- 1908 Atchafalaya River Hwy
- (337) 303-8060
Enjoy a "Deep Swamp" experience with Captain Mark Allemond in the Atchafalaya Basin. On your personalized 2 hour excursion, you will be able to view indigenous wildlife, including alligators, and beautiful swamp scenery.
- 1337 Henderson Levee Rd.
- (337) 228-2384
McGee's Swamp Tours has been a must-see for visitors to Cajun Country for more than four decades. Passengers on McGee's sightseeing airboats and swamp boat tours will be able to observe the vastness and beauty of one of America's greatest swamps, the Atchafalaya Basin.
- 119 Gumbo Road
- (337) 344-6859
Embrace the freedom to explore with Wanderlust Rentals and discover a new era of adventure where the bayous become your playground. Our mission is to make kayaking accessible and enjoyable for everyone, fostering a love for nature and a commitment to preserving it.
- 300 Fisher Rd.
- (337) 233-4077
Vermilionville is a 23-acre historic and folklife park along the banks of the Bayou Vermilion that depicts the Acadian, Creole and Native American cultures from the time period 1765 – 1890. This historic village features guided tours, costumed artisans, live music, cooking…
- 1377 Henderson Levee Rd.
- (337) 228-7880
Whether you're interested in photography or a wildlife adventure, your visit would not be complete without one of our exciting airboat swamp tours! Able to accommodate large groups. Turtle's Bar on-site.
- 1209 Rookery Rd
- (337) 380-5632
Hello, my name is Wendy Thibodeaux. I have a small company, called Louisiana Swamp Tours, where I take people on beautiful, narrated swamp tours. The swamp tours take place on Lake Martin in Breaux Bridge, LA. Louisiana Swamp Tours’ boat will fit up to 9 average-sized adults…
- 601 E. Pinhook Rd.
- (337) 232-5854
Founded in 1974. Specialize in backpacking, canoeing, kayaking, kayak fishing, fly fishing, family camping, etc. Resource for local outdoor opportunities.
