What a fantastic trip. I purchased the larger 16 person airboat and oak alley combo with hotel pickup. Originally, we were scheduled to do the plantation tour first and the airboat after. We received a call the evening before that it was going to be switched which ended up being beneficial. Our driver met us at the hotel promptly at 8am and after picking up several other guest we headed out to the swamp. We were the first group for the day and everything from the weather to the check-in went flawlessly. We only had 8 people on our boat and Kenny was our captain.
Kenny took us to an area most drivers don't go to and showed us a bald eagle and an alligator that approached the boat. He reached out with marshmallows on his finger and petted the alligator. He even put his hand inside his mouth and played with him. We saw several alligators, a snake and turtles. Although it was winter, since it was warm the alligators were plentiful. The swamp is nice to visit in the morning because the temperature is mild and the sun isn't as strong. It also allows you to wind the day down with a relaxing stroll at the plantation. I screamed like a kid when Kenny placed the baby alligator from behind on my shoulder like a Halloween episode of Ellen. I was surprised at how soft and gentle the baby's skin was considering it looked so rough. It was really cool to feel the future power of the animal in its baby stage.
Make sure you use the restroom before leaving the swamp because the drive to the plantation is long. Once there, we had time to purchase a sandwich, explore the grounds and take the tour of Oak Alley. The property is beautiful.
I would definitely do the tour again because the swamp is surreal, mysterious and serene.