I wish I could give Zams six stars. My girlfriend and I had such a great time learning about life in the Bayou from a third generation guide who was quick to share funny stories as well as information about the swamp ecology. ZZ was so much fun and what a nice guy. He took 6 of us on covered boat ride so we didn't have to worry about rain or sun and we quickly got to meet his swamp friends. Don't forget to check out the massive gator seen in the video below who lives in ZZ's backyard. If you're in NOLA and are looking for an authentic swamp tour less than 90 minutes from the Quarter, this is the one for you. read more

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It was amazing and felt like a real swamp tour not corporate at all. This is the real deal. It is family owned for 3 generations I believe. read more

Zam's Swamp Tour - Baby gator - Tours Near Me - Thibodaux, Louisiana

Enjoyed ZZ and his stories. We saw alligators and learned many facts about the bayou and its inhabitants.

We had a great time ,we learned a lot,would love to go back again. Keep In mind it is on the bayou and rustic just what you would expect for a swamp tour. Tour guide was excellent, very knowledgeable and fun ! Thank you Zam's read more

After reading other reviews, we were kind of hesitant to go, but after going we were very pleased. This place is no disney land clean and orginized, but thats what makes the experience well worth the $35/person. The staff was very freindly and was able to answer ever question & the aligator handler/boat captain took his time answering all question and was very knowledgeable about his animals/reptiles. We never felt rushed and were able to handle multiple size gators and snakes. On the boat going up the bayou there were many sighting of gators/turtles/egress birds. Some people in there reviews have complained about the lack of sighting going down the bayou, but then again this is no Disneyland were everthing is fake. The over all experience/location is were the people live for real and they have invited us into the their "Home" so enjoy the experience. Because I bet you dont have a pet aligator in your back yard. read more

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Excellent ! we had a wonderful day with the Loupe family November 2022 ... we enjoyed everything .., i even liked their yellow snake :) They are a very friendly kindhearted genuine family and knowledgable about a lot ! i say Just Go ! Call 1st ... take water or snacks - if you want and we brought cash as well - nice beautiful drive ... it's the New Orleans experience ... we will go back to Zam's and take anyone who visits us in New Orleans :) -- i didn't take pictures because i wanted to focus on enjoying the moments soaking everything in read more

We always bring family to Zam's or send our friends when we can't go! It's about an hour from New Orleans, but well worth the drive to see some beautiful parts of Louisiana! I love ZZ and his whole family. Each is extremely personable and very knowledgeable on the animals and flora and fauna of the area. You can bring snacks or a cooler on the tour, which is a HUGE PLUS! And they always stay as long as you need to answer questions you have about, well anything! Call ahead to make sure you are arriving in time and to give them a heads ups. We love to go in the off season and have a boat to ourselves ;) read more

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Another great trip to Zams, ZZ is the best and always puts on a good show. It poured rain but ZZ still made sure we finished the tour and boat ride. read more

Zam's Swamp Tour - My sons loved holding the baby Alligators. - Tours Near Me - Thibodaux, Louisiana

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Absolutely a must see. The most real authentic Louisiana boat tour out there. There was so much to see and everyone was friendly and funny. We will definitely be back read more

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Came to the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans and found this GEM!! GUARANTEED to see and hold Alligators here (in or out of s. ZZ is so hilarious and made this tour awesome! Boat ride was cool, but his stories had us intrigued the whole time. read more

Zam's Swamp Tour - Alligator - Tours Near Me - Thibodaux, Louisiana

The Swamp Tour was totally worth every penny. Zam and his partner were awesome guides. This was one of my high points from visiting Louisiana from California. My kids loved being up close with the gators and other animals. The boat ride was also fun. Zam and his partner were also very knowledgeable. Highly recommended, thank you Zam! read more

Zam's Swamp Tour - Zam's Swamp Tour - Tours Near Me - Thibodaux, Louisiana

Zams is the best tour! Very accommodating and educational! Big gator on site to see and little ones to show! read more

Zam's Swamp Tour - Tours Near Me - Thibodaux, Louisiana

Zam's swamp tour isn't near the tourist hotspot of New Orleans so it's not as well known as some of the other swamp tours.. I doubt there's a bus or shuttle that comes all the way out there so you need to have a car. Our tour started with Zam's backyard where he has a turtle, chickens, and adult and baby gators. Then we went on a boat and toured the swamp for about an hour. We saw a gator and many egrets and Zam gave us a detailed history of the Bayou. I asked him pretty difficult questions about the geography, culture, oil pipelines, and navigation and Zam answered them all with in-depth insights and humor. The price is probably a little higher than that of other tours but I think the personal attention and uniqueness of Zam's tour makes it worth it. Give it a try if you can get ourself out there. You won't be disappointed. read more

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ZZ and his girlfriend Emily showed us a fabulous time. We got to see full sized alligators, baby alligators, raccoons, horses, and birds. They were both so knowledgeable about the swamp and all of its creatures. This is the BEST swamp tour in Louisiana! read more

I've been to Zam's 3 times, once 12 years ago, once 8 years ago, and then again this month. This isn't one of the tours that you can sign up for in the FQ when you're visiting NOLA, and that's probably part of what makes it so great. Its a family run operation and each time I've gone there was a small group of passengers (one time it was my mother, my daughter, and me) and you are made to feel like part of the family while you're there. When you drive up and go in, you enter a gift shop that has all sorts of interesting things to ogle, including the requisite gator heads. You pay for the tour here. Oh, if you pay cash you get a discount. In back there's a restaurant, its only open weekends though. =( I would be willing to bet the food is spectacular, unfortunately I've never been out there on a weekend! The tour is approx 2 hours, starting with the backyard where a couple of ginormous gators live! They also have young ones they're raising. The kids can hold them if they want, mine thought that was great fun! The biggest snapping turtle you've ever seen is penned up back there too. After the yard, you load up on a pontoon boat and set sail into the bayou. A lift bridge goes up for you to pass under and then you're seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Its quite relaxing. The tour guide will give you the history of the area and answer any questions you might have. Depending on the guide, you may also get to hear tales of witches and swamp-lore. Its really a wonderful place. This is a down-home, keep it real kind of operation. Its not flashy, there's no neon, and no crazy-loud airboats. The owners have lived here for generations and they love it. They don't do the tour business to make a load of cash, they do it because they love Louisiana and they want to show it to you, so you can love it too. read more

Zam's Swamp Tour - Tours Near Me - Thibodaux, Louisiana

This place was the highlight of our trip! Lloyd was such an awesome guide! Very knowledgeable about the animals and the bayou. He had lots of great jokes and spoke perfect French. He let us bring a cooler on the boat and brought us some cups for our bubbly. This place was definitely the perfect way to see the gators and other wildlife. I highly recommend this place to anyone that is looking for a quality boat tour of the bayou. This was even better than the airboat rides! read more

Zam's Swamp Tour - Getting close to the wild gators. - Tours Near Me - Thibodaux, Louisiana

Well this was something that I have wanted to do since watching the Loupe family in Wife Swap...I lived on the west bank and coming from L.A....I was fascinated with the exchange between Diana and a lady from San Diego. After hurricane Katrina I moved into the bayou and saw the Zam's signage from highway 90. Now after all these years I finally complete a line from my bucket list with the help of my youngest son. I accompanied my second grade son and classmates on a Zam's Swamp tour. I had no idea that the town of Kraemer even existed and the drive back into where Zam's is located is a winding small road surrounded by a zillion shades of green. Just after you cross the bayou bridge there is a small road on the right that leads you to Zam's. When we arrived Diana and the gang were there holding snakes and such for everyone to touch as you made your way to the boat....I didn't recognize the captain of the boat , but he was full of fun-filled information and tales of celebrity sightings. The day was beautiful and this is a swamp tour so there were LOTS of bugs. I would suggest wearing long pants and close toe shoes. While many of the guests had on shorts and flip flops, the bugs along the way were plenty. The captain stopped at each spot where gators were hiding and the kids brought marshmallows to toss into water. I would have still enjoyed the boat ride with an alligator one. The scenery was breath taking and lasted about an hour. This time as we pulled up to the dock Diana and Diego were both waiting for us. across the street from the restaurant and gift shop is their home and in the yard they have set up picnic tables under the oak trees. The class took it's lunch break there under the cool limbs of the large trees and many of the kids ran around and enjoyed the cages of ducks and animals that were close to the picnic area. I thought that was it, they would load the kids on the bus and then make our way back to the school...but OH NO!!!! here comes the Loupe's and they are gathering the kids together in their private driveway to pet and hold baby alligators, rabbits, chicks and pet baby goats in the yard. Next we all followed Diego tot he back of the house (past his six white corvettes...yes six and a myriad of Harley's) to a large penned area home to a VERY large alligator. Diana was great about getting the kids close to the fence so that they could see as Diego played (I use that word loosely) with his pet. Along the same area was yet another large pet and the yard is open so that the large group was able to move around to see everything. Diego then went into a cement pit area and wrestled with a large turtle thing that looked as if it was straight from the dinosaur era. There were more cages filled with chickens and ducks and rabbits and the kids loved it....The last stop was back in the front yard where Diego carried a regular backpack on his shoulder. After setting it on the ground he pulled a large Boa snake that was the color of banana laffy Taffy. The kids all took turns holding it and also many of adults (me included!) I had a chance to chat with Diana about her stint with reality TV. She was so pleasant and engaging, just like the woman that I had seen on TV so many years before (7 years)...she invited me back on the weekend to come and hangout, which I will definitely do in the future. I was so happy to have finally had the chance to experience Zam's and it was better than I ever could have expected.. The restaurant is open on the weekends only and looks pretty authentic to a rustic on the bayou Cajun place. They also had a gift shop , but I was in and out and really didn't get a chance to look around though it was chock full of goodies.... I'm so happy this place is so close to my house only 20 minutes away....I'll return soon and I'll be bringing anyone I can think of......and then some.... read more

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you know that feeling you get in your stomach when you walk through like a haunted house or maybe a sketchy back alleyway? you're excited by the mystery but also rapidly devising a plan for how to get out in the case a serial killer charges at you? but then nothing happens and you get to live in that sweet spot of safe adrenaline? that's how you'll feel the entire time you're at Zam's. Upon entering, I was convinced I was going to get murdered. The entrance has really low ceilings and all the tables are filled with weird trinkets you would find in the back of a 7/11. There was an old lady in a rocking chair who was maybe speaking English? I was unsure. After you pay, you wait for your guide in a room that used to be a restaurant. Alligator skin hangs from the ceiling. I looked at my family and started to figure out who was going to get straight up murdered first and how I was going to save them. Our tour guide arrived and he was a genuine (pronounced gen-you-wine) bayou boy. He had a ponytail and a giant eagle tattoo. He started us off by showing us a bunch of baby alligators he kept in tupperware. I saw the snake that could feasibly snap my neck and the only thought I had was "I have a lighter in my pocket that he doesn't know about. I have an advantage." He showed us to a rickety river boat and we took off. I studied how he drove the boat incase I needed to hijack the boat and drive my family to safety. I was prepared. I refused to let the swamp claim me. not today, not ever. It took about 5 minutes for me to realize, all my anxious final girl thoughts were for nothing. The swamp was truly the most amazing thing I've ever seen. The breeze, the trees, the birds, all of it. Our guide, Lloyd, ended up being the sweetest man. He reminded me so much of Ray from Princess and the Frog. My family is from LA so he had a lot of question about "the big white sign in the mountains." We spent an hour out on the river but honestly it felt like ten minutes. Upon returning to land, Lloyd offered to take us to the back to show us his gator (since we didn't see any on our tour). He said it was behind the house. My instinct kicked in again. He told me about the groups of kids that used to come here and play with the gator and that's when it hit me. Zam's is a place that time forgot. Some time, a long time ago, this place had to be everything. I looked at the unkept garden and rickety abandoned snow cone stand and felt the cheerful spirit that once filled this establishment. It was sad, but kinda sweet. I skipped meeting the gator but I had lots of time to play with the goats! and we met a couple raccoons! This place is wonderful, as long as you can get past the creepy vibes you're greeted with. If you arrive and feel like swan diving back in your car and driving as far away as you can just remember, Beyoncé trusts Zam's and so can you. read more

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HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! By far the BEST tour around. Pay the money to see the yard!! All the animals are awesome. Our tour guy ZZ might have been my favorite part of the tour though. He was so funny and full of great information! read more

Zam's Swamp Tour - Tours Near Me - Thibodaux, Louisiana

Worth the drive if you want to see what local life is like along with meeting some pythons and gators. Some heroes wear capes and some wears a button down shirt with a pony tail. ZZ is the guy everyone calls when there are gators in vicinity to wrestle, capture, and release. ZZ has a personality to match his size. Super nice and wonderful. We even got to hold and take pictures with a gator that was ducktaped which was just caught in a children's hospital parking lot. There is also a building with all types of trinkets like an emporium. We did not get a chance to do the actual swamp boat tour as we had other plans, but I think this is as authentic as it gets for life in the swamps. read more

Took a swamp tour on mothers day and it was a great time! ZZ was our tour guide (fun fact he's also a WWE wrestler) and he knew almost everything about the bayous & cooking. We got to hold baby alligators as well as see the HUGE gators he and his father/grandfather have caught! The boat ride was smooth and we saw tons of alligators on the ride. Awesome experience. read more

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Zams is hit and miss. I've been on about 3 tours with Zams. One was good, one was just okay, and this last one was great! The guide, I believe his name was Derek, was very knowledgable about the area, gators, wildlife, and the cajun culture. He was very upbeat and interactive. The boat ride was smooth. We saw some gators and got to feed them marshmallows. There is a gift shop which is overly cluttered. They have a walking tour in the owners back yard. Theres a gator pit with some pretty large gators. We got to hold some baby gators as well. The walking tour is included with the boat tour. You can do just the walking tour for $5. We thoroughly enjoyed this last experience! read more

My family and I are locals and we went on a swamp tour hosted by ZZ. We had the BEST time- it was such a fun, educational and relaxing experience. Can't recommend Zam's enough! read more

We came across Zam's when we found out another swamp tour in the area we had made reservations with didn't take cards. We were so disappointed - we really wanted to do a swamp tour! We figured we'd try our luck at Zam's, which we'd seen a sign for earlier. I cannot possibly overstate how awesome this place was! Let me start with the facts: - It's weird. There's a room full of snakes, and the owners have pet racoons, goats, chickens, and alligators. I'll spare you the details, you'll learn about them when you get there. - It's run by fantastic people. Diego was our guide, and he was the most entertaining, informative, friendly person we encountered on our whole trip to LA. I wish i could be best friends with him. - it's a lot of bang for your buck. I saw Diego smack an alligator in the mouth with a flip flop while hanging onto a tree branch. You'll pretty much be edge of your seat the whole time. This was such a fantastic tour - I want to go back and do it again! And for $25 it was a steal, I would have paid double for it! It was honestly the best part of our entire vacation. Thank you so much Diego! read more

Best $25 we have ever spent! What's so great about this tour is the family and their love for the area. The backyard was cool - learned a lot about alligators and enjoyed stories about their personalities. We lucked out and ZZ was home for the weekend and did our tour. This kid grew up on the water and getting to see it through his eyes was fun. While we didn't learn much about the ecosystem, we did learn about what to do if bit by an alligator, saw pictures of the amazing sunsets and sunrises on his iPhone, and a tour participant who just happened to be an Elvis impersonator drove the boat most of the trip while ZZ talked to guests and shared stories of growing up on the swamp. The other family members were just as delightfully colorful and treat their guests like family. If you are looking for a true taste if the swamp - this tour will not disappoint! read more

Zam's Swamp Tour - ZZ and the beast! - Tours Near Me - Thibodaux, Louisiana

Our tour guide ZZ. was great we had a blast today. Will definitely be back. Everyone there was friendly and welcoming. read more

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ZZ was an awesome tour guide. We started with a tour of his 'backyard' which consisted of chickens, goats, turtles, rabbits, raccoons and of course alligators from little babies to a giant papa. This was as authentic as you can get. ZZ was full of information and very charismatic. We highly recommend choosing Zam's Swamp Tour. read more

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I highly recommend Zam's! I went here with my bachelorette party and we had a blast! ZZ was really fun and very interactive! We got to hold the baby alligators and snake. They do a great job making it a real Cajun experience. We will be back! Thank you for the wonderful memories! read more

Zam's Swamp Tour - ZZ was great tour guide (guy with the short shorts)! We had so much fun! - Tours Near Me - Thibodaux, Louisiana

If you are looking for smoothly run, professional tour, this might not be for you. If you are looking to meet a bayou character who will regale you with f-bomb laden alligator wrangling stories and Cajun recipes, then you might enjoy it. Our tour began in the backyard of Zam's parents home where we met his menagerie of animals: chickens, goats, rabbits,...and several alligators and turtles kept in what seemed like inhumane conditions. He theatrically poked a massive sleeping alligator (this one he claims to have caught single-handedly after hours of fighting) producing what seemed like a staged, but impressive roar out of the poor guy. The petting zoo experience left me feeling a little sad. The trip on the pontoon was rather dull - Zam didn't even try to find any wildlife. We saw a couple of herons was all. We asked lots of questions and Zam answered them knowledgeably. He has a ton of personality and was very entertaining. Of particular note was Zam's extensive knowledge of bayou hunting and fishing. read more

ZZ is a great entertainer. A real look at southern Louisiana. I took a large group there and everyone loved it. A lot of cool animals that you'll be able to get a better interaction with then at the zoo. Must see read more

Best authentic tour of the swamp. We have been on others and they don't compare. Diego is the real deal. He was born and raised in the local area. He entertained and educated us. Would come back again. read more

Best experience ever. People be so friendly. Also ZZ is so funny and nice. Definitely recommend this to place.

I found this place on yelp and it was the closest from d plantation location and WE LOVED our experience . Our guide Lloyd wad pleasant , knowledgeable and caring . I promise u ,u r safe when u r with Lloyd . read more

They have a nice bayou to tour, just should leave out their petting zoo tour. Because it's obviously a "feeding farm" for the pet alligators and enormous snakes. I really couldn't handle that.... Wanted to let the bunnies, chickens, and goats out of their cages. AND the gators. Let it happen naturally! Won't go back or refer. read more

We rode to Zam's as part of a motorcycle group ride and stopped for lunch. The buffet was outstanding, my favorites are the fried Alligator and the Chicken and Sausage gumbo. It's a great rustic place to visit and dine. read more

Last minute idea for something different on Mothers Day. It was a beautiful day, the tour was entertaining, the boat ride awesome. Diego (tour guide) was incredible. Very knowledgeable of the area and culture. Had a fantastic time... will go back again!! read more

What a fantastic, authentic bayou experience. Diego is born and raised in the bayou - if you're looking for n authentic Cajun bayou swamp experience, look no further. We got to pet alligators, hold snakes, and be head-butted (gently) by goats, and best of all cruise the swamp comfortably in a boat and be regaled by tales from a local. It might have been the highlight of weeklong trip to Louisiana. You won't regret it! read more

Zam's by far exceeded my expectations! My sister came three years ago and they remembered her. We were early for the tour so we sat with Diana, who told story after story and made us feel like family. Her voice and sincerity soothed the banks of the bayou. Our tour was awesome! Diego made us feel like we were the only people on his private swamp. We will be back for sure! read more

Fantastic. Ask for ZZ as a tour guide. Great guy, lovable character. I highly recommend this tour.

Our group had an awesome time!! Unorganized as some have said but that adds to the charm. ZZ was quite a character and we all enjoyed his antics! We missed out on eating at the restaurant, they were closed but I heard it is great! They give you a "backyard tour" before the boat ride that was interesting and fun. Best part is you can bring a cooler of beer on the boat!! If your looking for a laid back authentic experience this is the place for ya! read more