Cajun Encounters Tour Company

Captain Tim was the best. I've been on a swamp tour with a different company before and while seeing wildlife cannot be guaranteed by any tour company, duration of the tour can be. On my previous tour with a different company, the tour was promised 2 hours or more and at least 45 minutes were spent inside seeing a rescue alligator on land and off the water, waiting for loading, instructions, etc. Captain Tim was prompt with this company tour really maximizing our time to the fullest out on the water. The landscape offered a lot more including history, landscape nature and tribal-wise, and of course with animal life. Captain Tim spotted multiple snakes, a racoon, and at least 5 gators. Now please keep expectations low because some swamp tours can show no wildlife at all. It's really a combination of the animals, the amount of ground covered, and your Captain. Here, we had 5 stars the best of all worlds and I would recommend.

I came to NOLA in 2013 and did a Cajun Encounters tour, and then I came back 10+ years later in 2025 and did another one. Both were fantastic, but also completely different! I would recommend this tour for literally any age -- everyone will love it! We did the option with the bus ride to and from, and I was pleasantly surprised that the bus driver went into full tour guide/comedian mode and made the 45-minute trip from downtown NOLA fly by.The main thing I think is important to know is that weather is going to change what you see. (Even a sunny vs. overcast day is going to make a difference.) If you come when it's warmer, you'll see more gators. (I think the guide said spring was best.) If you come when it's colder (as we did this last time), the gators will be doing their thing of conserving all their energy and you won't see as many. BUT INSTEAD WE SAW ALLLLLLLL THE RACCOONS. Now listen: A raccoon in my garbage cans? Pest. But a whole little team of raccoons in the swamp, climbing up a tree and reaching out with both their little tiny raccoon hands to get a tasty protein snack? Absolutely delightful. Our tour guide was funny and knowledgeable, and put his own spin on things as we went. (My favorite part was that he had a favorite raccoon.)One note: We went in January and while we dressed warmly, we absolutely appreciated the blankets they gave out -- especially when we shifted into full gear!

Had a really good time with Capt Steve. The tour was very informational about the swamp including the vegetation, animals, and history. We got to see plenty of alligators, wild raccoons, and various birds. We went on the 0930 tour and it wasn't as hot as the afternoon. Would definitely put on sun screen as our boat didn't have a canopy (although others did) and we put on bug spray but it wasn't really necessary. The river has a slow current so there weren't any mosquitos or smelly swamp gas. Definitely glad we did the tour and got to experience some of the local nature, would highly recommend.I will also mention that they use a zoo-grade protein meal pellet to feed the alligators because it's actually nutritional and doesn't ruin the environment like the cheaper marshmallows other boat companies were using. We saw dozens of old marshmallows floating on the shores which made me a little sad. If you're looking to grab a bite on your way in/out, Jazzy Pete's Poboys nearby is recommended!

My group did the 2 hour swamp tour with Captain Tim and he was a great tour guide! He was very knowledgeable of the area and animals. He always kept the group engaged and we saw a few animals during the tour. It was the time of year where the alligators were coming out of hibernation so we didn't see as much. Overall he was great and recommend coming maybe during the hotter times of the year if you want to see more alligators!

The city and history tour is great. Our tour guide Rene knew his stuff, was very personable and all around awesome! 2nd tour with Cajun encounters and I have loved every minute. They really got their -ish together, no wonder they are top rated!

The swamp tour was awesome!  Absolutely loved it. Even after being kidnapped by Bourbon Street the night before, hungover with less than 2 hours of sleep, I thoroughly enjoyed this swamp tour. Yes, I highly recommend this cool a$$ adventure.  Really fun time and cool sights to see. Pat was the captain of our boat, and he kept up entertained with his laughable jokes and comments and with his knowledge of the lake there. He was great! The swamp tour is highly recommended, so yeah, do it. You won't regret it.

We booked our tour in March and were thinking we may not see many gators in November since we heard the burrow in the mud in the colder months. We got lucky and arrived in Louisiana during a warm spell and saw so many! The shuttle bus is huge and really comfortable. Our driver Justina was informative and gave us information on the area as we drove so even the drive was a nice part of the experience! Our Captain was Zander and he was also informative and funny. We loved learning about the swamp and its plants and animals. We saw gators, raccoons, egrets, and turtles. We didn't catch any boar during our boat tour but that's okay! We had a great time overall. One of my favorite things we've done in LA. The only thing I wish we had was a little more time in the gift shop. We got about 5 minutes before needing to line up and 5 minutes after the tour but took this time to return our kids lifejackets from the boat so we did not get to shop. Overall though, I highly recommend this experience!

Our tour guide (for blue wrist band at around 10 am on Aug 12; I can't remember his name) and bus driver (Justine) were absolutely amazing. Really down to earth, swell people. Very informative and did their job very well. Definetly worth the money and a great experience. Got to see turtles, raccoons, and alligators

We booked this for my daughter's 13th. A treat from her grandmother. We are new to the state. Our captain was informative, engaging and entertaining. I think it was $150 + tax for 4 of us. A treat for sure. He didn't rush and spent extra time making sure all guests in the boat got pictures and could ask questions. Taught us that the pink bubblegum on the random trees, were not in fact gum, but invasive snail eggs. We actually learned quite a few things. It was definitely a great day trip. Pack an ice chest for you trunk, the 12 ounce cans of pop (Dr. Pepper etc) are $2.99 EACH. I was incredibly shocked by that. Otherwise a great day.

Xander was our guide and he was a hoot. We had a great time seeing all the animals and laughing with Xander. We absolutely recommend it to anyone curious about it.