River Road, Louisiana
Plantation Tours from New Orleans
In Your Own Private Vehicle
Your group, your schedule. We drive you to Oak Alley, Whitney, Laura or Houmas House. We wait while you tour.
Private River Road Plantation Transportation, on Your Schedule
Short answer: for plantation tours from New Orleans without a bus, book private transportation. Jazzy Limousine & Shuttle drives your group in your own SUV or Sprinter from your hotel to the River Road plantations, waits while you tour, and brings you back whenever you are ready. One plantation takes about four hours door to door (55 minutes each way and a 60 to 90 minute tour): $494 in an SUV for up to six, or $780 in an Executive Sprinter for up to 14, all-in. You buy plantation admission directly from each plantation.
Why Not Just Take the Bus Tour?
No strangers
It is your group only, in your own vehicle. Talk, rest, or change plans without negotiating with a bus full of people you have never met.
Real air conditioning
South Louisiana is hot for most of the year. A private SUV or Sprinter is cold when you step back in, not a shuttle bus that has been idling with the doors open.
No clock
Bus tours run to a fixed timetable and a set number of minutes at each stop. Take your time at Oak Alley, stay for the full Whitney experience, or add Laura five minutes down the road.
Door to door
Pickup at your hotel, not a meeting point across town, and your chauffeur waits on site the whole day.
Stop for lunch
Stop wherever you like on the River Road or on the way back. On a bus tour the lunch stop, if there is one, is chosen for you.
Cold water on board
Every vehicle carries a cooler stocked with bottled water, and it is yours to use for the whole trip: keep your own drinks cold, or anything you pick up along the way.
Bus Tour or Private Plantation Transportation: Price and Comfort
A shared bus tour is priced per person and includes plantation admission. Private transportation is priced per vehicle, so the cost per person falls as your group grows; admission is then booked directly with the plantation (Oak Alley starts at $27 per adult). Here is the comparison side by side.
| Shared bus tour | Private SUV (6 guests) | Private Sprinter (12 to 14 guests) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| One plantation | $69–$87 per person, admission included | $82 per person + admission | $56–$65 per person + admission |
| Two plantations | $89–$159 per person, admissions included | $124 per person + admissions | $84–$98 per person + admissions |
| Who rides with you | Up to 28 strangers on a shared bus | Only your group | |
| Pickup | Hotel to hotel, or a set meeting point | Your door, at your time | |
| Time at each plantation | Fixed by the timetable | As long as you want | |
| Lunch | Whatever the stop allows | Wherever you choose | |
The comfort difference. Shared tour buses run departure after departure, all day, with passengers boarding and leaving at hotel after hotel. The seats are bus seats, the cabin is turned around between groups, and the air conditioning works against a door that keeps opening. Your private SUV or Sprinter carries one group, is cleaned before your trip, has leather seating and a cooler of cold water, and is cold when you step back in.
Bus tour prices are published per-person rates on major booking sites, checked September 2026. Private per-person figures divide our all-in four-hour and six-hour rates by a full vehicle.
The River Road Plantations
The plantations near New Orleans sit along the Mississippi west of the city on the Great River Road, and the drive from Whitney Plantation to New Orleans is under an hour. Book admission and tour times on each plantation’s own website, then tell us the plan and we build the driving around it.
Oak Alley Plantation
Vacherie, about an hour from New Orleans
Known for its quarter-mile alley of 28 live oaks planted in the early 1700s.
Whitney Plantation
Wallace, about 50 minutes from New Orleans
A museum dedicated to the lives of the people enslaved in Louisiana.
Laura: A Creole Plantation
Vacherie, five minutes from Oak Alley
Tours built on the records of four generations of a Creole family and the people they enslaved.
Houmas House
Darrow, about an hour and 10 minutes from New Orleans
Estate and gardens on the Mississippi, with restaurants on site.
Destrehan Plantation
Destrehan, about 35 minutes from New Orleans
The closest to the city; an easy half-day or a first stop.
Plantation Ticket Prices
Admission is bought directly from each plantation, not from us. Adult prices as published in September 2026; rates change, so confirm on the plantation’s own site when you book.
| Plantation | Adult admission | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Oak Alley | $30+ with the guided “Big House” tour; $27+ grounds only (plus tax) | Big House tours sell out; allow two hours. Closed on Mardi Gras. |
| Whitney | $25 self-guided audio; $32 guided | Closed Tuesdays; last entry 3:00 PM. |
| Laura | About $30–$32, guided tours only | Tours run about 75 minutes, in English and French. |
| Houmas House | $35 guided mansion and gardens; gardens only from $20 | Restaurants on site, an easy lunch stop. |
| Destrehan | $51 as a combo ticket with Houmas House | Closest to the city; see the plantation’s site for single-site prices. |
Plantation Tour Transportation Rates
Priced by the hour from pickup to drop-off, all-in: fuel surcharge and chauffeur gratuity included. One plantation is about four hours door to door; add roughly two hours for a second plantation and lunch. A four-hour trip is shown.
| Vehicle | Passengers | Per hour, all-in | Four-hour trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sedan | up to 2 | $91.00 | $364 |
| SUV | up to 6 | $123.50 | $494 |
| Premium SUV | up to 6 | $162.50 | $650 |
| Executive Sprinter | up to 14 | $195.00 | $780 |
| Executive Bus | up to 23 | $273.00 | $1,092 |
Plantation admission is separate and paid to each plantation. For a guided tour of the city itself, see our private New Orleans city tours.
Get your plantation trip quote
Pick your date, start time, hours and group size. Four-hour minimum; the price shown is all-in transportation.
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What Riders Say About Our Chauffeurs
“Wyatt was a great guide!! Personable and patient!! Perfect for us!!” — Mary, Google review, October 2025
“Prompt, professional, kind and friendly. Our driver Judah was excellent & shared New Orleans history and recommendations.” — Mandy, Google review, June 2026
“Our driver. Daniel, was great! Very friendly and helpful. The vehicle was very comfortable and clean and a pleasure to ride in.” — Brenda, Google review, December 2025
Plantation Day FAQ
How do I do plantation tours from New Orleans without a bus tour?
Book private transportation. We drive your group in your own SUV or Sprinter from your hotel to the plantations on River Road, wait on site while you tour, and bring you back when you are ready. You buy admission directly from each plantation; we handle the driving.
How long does a plantation trip take from New Orleans?
About four hours for one plantation: roughly 55 minutes each way and a 60 to 90 minute tour. Oak Alley and Laura are five minutes apart, so two plantations plus a lunch stop is about six hours.
How much does private plantation transportation cost?
It is priced by the hour, all-in (fuel surcharge and chauffeur gratuity included). A four-hour trip is $494 in an SUV for up to six people and $780 in an Executive Sprinter for up to 14. Plantation admission is separate and paid to each plantation.
Is a private plantation tour more expensive than a bus tour?
Per person it is close. Bus tours run about $69 to $87 per person for one plantation and $89 to $159 for two, admission included. Private transportation for a full Executive Sprinter works out to about $56 to $65 per person for one plantation and $84 to $98 for two, plus admission booked directly (Oak Alley starts at $27). You pay a little more for a smaller group and get your own vehicle, your own schedule and no strangers.
What is the closest plantation to New Orleans?
Destrehan Plantation, about 35 minutes from the French Quarter. Oak Alley, Laura and Whitney are each a little under an hour away on the River Road.
Which is better, Oak Alley or Laura Plantation?
They are different visits five minutes apart. Oak Alley is known for its quarter-mile alley of live oaks and its grounds; Laura is a Creole plantation whose tour draws on four generations of family records and the lives of the people enslaved there. With your own vehicle you do not have to choose.
Which plantation tour is the best from New Orleans?
It depends on what you want to see. Whitney Plantation is a museum devoted to the lives of the enslaved; Oak Alley is the most photographed; Laura tells a Creole family story; Houmas House is known for its gardens. Many of our groups pair Whitney with Oak Alley or Laura.
Can we add a swamp tour, or stop for lunch?
Yes. Book the swamp tour or restaurant yourself and tell us the times; we build the route around them. Every vehicle also carries a cooler stocked with bottled water that is yours to use for the whole trip.
Do you sell plantation tickets or guide the tour?
No. We provide the transportation only. Each plantation runs its own guided tours and sells its own admission, so book tickets on the plantation's website for the times you want.
Plan Your Plantation Day
Tell us which plantations and your tour times. We handle the driving, and you take your time.