Captain Eli was great at having us get close enough for great photos of alligators and eagles nest. its an hour and half tour and paid about $318 for 6 adult and 2 kids. we learned about history in some areas which was really really cool. i recommend this family own business. if your around lake charles area, this is only half hour away. read more

Captain Eli was awesome & Nicole was great working with us last minute. My littles had a great time, would highly recommend the tour & we can't wait to go back! Captain Eli was very knowledgeable about the area & gave a great tour, also recommended some places to check out in the area as well read more

Swamp & River Tours - Boat Tours Near Me - Orange, Texas

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The best alligator/swamp experience! My husband and I stopped here on our way to Lake Charles. The owners were SO nice! The captain on the boat was very fun, friendly, and informative. The boat ride itself was so nice, we picked a great weather day. I really appreciated the shaded roof on the boat, and the quietness of it. It was a pleasant experience and exceeded our expectations. Also at a really great price. We saw about 5 alligators. They came up close enough to where we were able to see them and take videos/pictures. I'm ready to come back and bring my whole family with me next time. read more

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Our Virginia grandkids had the best time learning about the area's history and nature. Could not stop talking on the way back to lake Charles. read more

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Was in Louisiana for vacation and always wanted to go on a swamp tour. Our guide was very knowledgable and really funny. We fed the baby gators marshmallows off the boat and had a blast. Would definitely recommend and when I go back to visit again I would go on the tour again. read more

This tour was awesome! Captain Eli was very friendly and provided excellent service! He's very knowledgeable and gave a lot information about the swamp, river, alligators, etc. I would recommend this tour. read more

Swamp & River Tours - Boat Tours Near Me - Orange, Texas

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Awesome tour! Eli was knowledgeable and entertaining-- like a real life Jungle Cruise in Texas! We saw several large alligators, blue heron, jumping mullet, super cool! read more

Swamp & River Tours - Captain Eli and his newest crew. - Boat Tours Near Me - Orange, Texas

Fabulous tour. Grateful that Captain Eli was willing to take us out in the late afternoon. Appreciate him accommodating my family. We chartered the tour, but worth every penny. I think I will let my wonderful 16 year old share her thoughts. Here she goes: This experience was very informative but not in the typical classroom way; the adventure was filled with jokes but also history and geography facts. I truly enjoyed and can't wait to go back in the summer when everything is in full bloom. There you have it. Bring friends, come and enjoy!! read more

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Excellent tour guide. Capt. Ely knows his swamp and river well. I wore a white shirt, it was a bad choice. Alligators take you for a white crane. read more

It was an amazing day and the guide was phenomenal in explaining the history. This is the third time I have been on one of his tours! A+ read more

Swamp & River Tours - Alligator - Boat Tours Near Me - Orange, Texas

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Captain Eli is a gem! He is very knowledgeable about the eco system in the bayou along with the history if the area. He is a hoot too! If you're ever in the area, I highly recommend touring the Sabine river. It was devastating to see how the hurricanes destroyed the area. But God's creations are resilient and you can see nature rebuild. read more

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My husband and I took a 5-week trip around the country. Captain Eli's swamp boat tour was one of the best things we did on our trip! Captain Eli learned the names of every person on the boat, and spoke directly to everyone. He was full of fun, and shared lots of interesting information about the local flora and fauna. And we got fantastic photos of alligators! I highly recommend this tour! read more

Captain Eli was great! Very knowledgeable about the wildlife in the area and made learning about everything a lot of fun! We saw several alligators. Would definitely recommend this tour. read more

Absolutely fantastic tour. Highly recommended. We got to see nesting gators, osprey, eagles and eagle nests, several water birds, and learned a lot of history. Just a great tour. We plan to do it again. I think they sometimes do night tours at Halloween! It's a bargain for a 1.5 hour tour. read more

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Amazing experience! We loved it so much and made sure to save his info so we can come back and bring more friends. Highly recommend. I have done other swamp tours in the past, but I preferred this one. read more

This was our second tour! This time we brought our kids. I felt safe and secure with captain Eli and the life jackets provided. We saw otters, beavers, fish, alligators, eagle, numerous birds-several kinds. Captain Eli identified many animals and plants and described everything to a T. It was a ton of fun! Can't wait to be back! read more

Swamp & River Tours - Beavers and babies. 3 adults and 2 babies. - Boat Tours Near Me - Orange, Texas

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What a great trip! Eli & his wife are super friendly and helped answer any question I had about the trip. They don't offer airboat tours anymore but I highly recommend their boat tour instead anyway because 1) the boat is covered so it provides some much needed shade. 2) the boat is quieter so it won't scare of wildlife as easy and 3) it's faster so you can feel that wonderful SETx wind in your hair!! The tour itself is 90mins long and it takes you through the swamp to go gator & wildlife hunting. Their main office (where you initially meet) is on the I-10 feeder road in East of 16th street and before the Horseman Store. You sign in, pay and then you drive your car down to the boat launch point off of Simmons by the Blue Bird Fish Camp. Captain Eli Tate is very personable, funny and knowledge. He engages well with your group and encourages any questions you may have. He gives you detailed history of the swamp area and the shipyards. We got to see lots of eagles and several gators....even the impressive 13.5 foot alligator Sampson!!! Captain Tate also offers nighttime critter tours and Haunted River Tours too. I would definitely come back to bring my niece & nephew. Price was $31.50 (tax included) for one adult ticket. They sell soft drinks & bottled water in their office too just in case you forgot yours at home. Thanks for the great experience! read more

Swamp & River Tours - Give them a call! - Boat Tours Near Me - Orange, Texas

Really enjoyed the 7pm tour! Saw lots of gators in action, which was really cool! Captain Eli was very knowledgeable and did a great job engaging with everyone on the boat. read more

Great tour! Eli is very informative and an awesome captain. We didn't see many gators but saw some other cool stuff. We thought we even saw a dolphin! We all had a great time and enjoyed seeing the wildlife. We will be back in the warmer season to see more gators for sure. Give this place a shot..you wont be disappointed. read more

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At the tail end of our church mission trip, we booked a tour. Eli was awesome, funny, and super knowledgeable. The tour itself wasn't too short nor too long. Just the right duration. Totally recommend! read more

Loved this tour! Don't waste your money on AIR BOAT RIDES. THIS is waaaaaaay Better! You get more out of it! The speed and the slower time to take in al of the wildlife. We didn't scare the animals with an air boat engine and we were still able to hear each other talk. Best $30 (per person) we have spent in a while!! My fiancé and I went on this 90 minute swamp tour. Maria is in the office; she is so sweet. Eli, her husband does the tours. He was great! Funny, very knowledgeable, on the swamp, the trees, wildlife, the history of the area, etc. Eli called out different guest's name during the tour. Very impressed that he remembered so many names. We saw an alligator, a snake , an owl , some nutrias, some turtles , three eaglesand even two active eagles' nests! Great for a date, great for a family outing! We will definitely go back. read more

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Eli at Swamp & River Tours was able to accommodate us on short notice for a fantastic swamp tour! We appreciated his vast knowledge and love for the swamps. He had such an energy out on the water. We were lucky enough to see countless alligators and nutria, as well as beautiful shades of green just starting to take color for the spring. Highly recommend a tour with Mr. Eli. read more

Swamp & River Tours - Boat Tours Near Me - Orange, Texas

We really enjoyed our tour and it really made our trip. Our tour guide was awesome and very knowledgably. They are cash only which I wasn't aware of and also I was hoping that we would get to see our tour guide feed the alligator like I see in the other pictures. Overall the trip was great and I would highly recommend. read more

Swamp & River Tours - Boat Tours Near Me - Orange, Texas

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Well worth it!! The guide was wonderfully entertaining!! Highly recommend. Saw lots of critters and alligators. The vegetation was beautiful. read more

I went with my husband and friends. We had a great tour with Captain Eli. He is very knowledgeable.

Everything about this experience was amazing! Maria was the sweetest lady! We arrived as soon as they were about to leave but they waited for us. Eli is so knowledgeable about the area! He asked for everyone's name ONCE and he remembered everyone's name and included everybody!! he's very sweet and funny! would definitely recommend anyone to come ! and we will be back again when we're in the area! thank you so much Maria and Eli!! read more

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Outstanding! This swamp and river tour is a must! The owner and operator of the swamp and river tour did a spectacular job of making sure the hour and a half long tour was informative and full of excitement. What a great experience for my family and I to witness the beauties of the wildlife in Texas and Louisiana. read more

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Eli and Marie were great!!!! Eli is so knowledgable and loved what he does. I like airboats but this was so neat and we saw everything!!!! read more

For my first time going on a swamp boat tour you made it so easy and comfortable for me and my girls. We love your knowledge of the gators and river. I will definitely be back with my nephews for this tour! read more

We had a great time on the Swamp Tour. Eli is very knowledgable about the history of the area and the swamp and river especially. He made a great guide and answered any questions easily. We ended up in a very small group and really got to see everything. Gators, turtles, and ospreys! Glad we did this boat tour over the air boats. read more

Highly recommend! Friendly guide with lots of information and history-- Our group was large and it started raining once we got to the boat launch. Eli offered to wait until the rain let up, but we didn't mind. We got soaking wet but had a great time once the sun came out! Lots of gators, flowers, and birds! Definitely don't forget your camera! read more

This is a small outfit and still takes only cash. You go to a location off the interstate to pay and sign the waiver and then you caravan with your car to the dock where you board the boat. Super fun and informative. Your guide is Eli, a biologist, who knows the area like the back of his hand. You know that this is a labor of love. Eli makes the whole trip interactive from the youngest to the oldest. Our group, which included several teen boys, really enjoyed the tour. Saw eagles and their nests, alligators, alligators, alligators... and cows! Got the historical background for the area and some information on the vegetation. Highly highly recommend! read more

This was the best swamp tour! Our captain, Mr. Eli was very informative and super nice! He's the alligator whisperer. He involves the entire audience while on the trip, up to 20 people. We had 18 on our boat. We will be coming back really soon! The best $30 I have ever spent! read more

Houstonian's looking for a fun family day outside of the city? We recommend Swamp and River Tours. This is their first year to open since the hurricanes five years ago. Covered and open boat was small enough for a 1.5 hour personalized tour. Elliot, our guide used a whistle to call the alligators. We saw at least six gators, two were 11 ft +. But we also saw bald eagles nests, many exotic birds, turtles and learned the importance of the ecosystem. Just don't sign up for the "get your picture riding the alligator" option! read more

Amazing experience today with my mom and kids here at swamp and river tours. Eli was extremely knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor. I'd definitely recommend it we had a blast! read more

This is a little unknown GEM in Orange County, sorry to not have taken this tour before now. Do not waste your money on an Air Boat Ride, this is much much better. We saw 15-20 alligators, saw big turtle, but the real treat was the beauty of Sabine River and the history of the river was most intriguing. Eli does a great job of guiding us to the right spots to see both the FLOURA AND FAUNA of the Sabine River. The cost is reasonable and he talks to you as if he has know you your whole life. No Mosquito's and No Sun, boat is covered. Very quiet so we could all visit with each other. DO NOT MISS OUT ON THIS GUIDED TOUR. read more

Very knowledgeable tour guide. Super friendly staff. Definitely recommend this tour! The boat was well maintained also. Felt safe.

I have never toured a swamp before. But I now have an appreciation for a swamp that I never knew I could. This tour was set up as part of a group. I was not disappointed. The tour was outstanding. We first met Maria, one of the owners; what a welcoming and friendly person. We then went down to the dock to meet Eli, the other owner (husband and wife). Eli is very informative, knowledgeable, patient, and funny. A very entertaining tour, and a very informative tour. I learned a lot I never knew about the ecology of swamps, the vegetation, and of course the inhabitants; especially the alligators. Saw several alligators, some relatively small (maybe 4 to 5 feet long) and some huge (over 12 feet long). If you're any where near Orange Texas and are looking for something new and exciting to do, you've got to take this tour. You will not regret it! read more