7 Wildlife Tours in the Everglades That Earn the Road Trip

1.From Miami: Everglades Airboat, Wildlife Show & Bus Transfer

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 8,622 reviews · 5 hours · from $49Our pick

Travel by air-conditioned bus from Miami to Everglades Holiday Park, then ride an airboat with an expert captain such as Kyle, Jose, or German. Look for alligators, turtles, birds, and vultures before an alligator show and free group photo. Bus commentary is available in English or Spanish, but the Everglades portion is in English only.

“Everything was great. It was just the time that was a bit short. One more hour would have been enough for everyone to take a picture with the baby alligator without being rushed by the guide to hurry, as well as eating something outside instead of gobbling our sandwiches in a rush in the bus on the way back.”

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2.Everglades National Park Airboat Tour & Wildlife Show

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 7,296 reviews · 1 day · from $42

At Gator Park, you’ll take a 35 to 40 minute narrated airboat ride through Everglades National Park, followed by a 30 minute alligator and wildlife show. Guides such as Cody, John, Tom, and Jay are known for mixing facts with humor. Allow about two hours, plus park admission and transport.

“It was fun and very informative. Cody did an amazing job and knew answers to all the questions. Great for all ages.”

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3.Everglades Airboat, Wildlife Show, and Roundtrip Bus From Miami

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,886 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $49

Travel by air-conditioned motorcoach from Miami to Everglades Holiday Park, then ride an airboat through the wetlands and watch an alligator and wildlife show. Guides such as Ronet Blanc, Raphael Acosta, Captain Zack, and German have earned praise for clear facts and good organization. The tour runs about four hours, though traffic can stretch the day.

“Nice but very touristy, this wasn’t what we expected. If you want to visit the real Everglades national park I think this is not your best choice”

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4.Florida Everglades Airboat Adventure and Wildlife Encounter

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,791 reviews · 30 minutes (approx.) · from $33Best value

Travel from Fort Lauderdale to Sawgrass Recreation Park for a 30 to 40 minute guided airboat ride through the Everglades, followed by alligator and reptile exhibits. Captains such as Andrew, Ron, and Jimmy explain the ecosystem while you look for alligators, birds, turtles, and fish. The $33.12 ticket includes about two hours at the park.

“We literally paid for a boat ride, saw 4 birds and that was it. Absolutely no alligators!! The worst part is our guide didn’t even address the lack of alligators. Obviously, we know that he cannot control what the alligators do, but what upset us was that he didn’t even set expectations or address the issue!! But he made sure to request a tip. It was a complete waste of money and a total let down!”

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5.Everglades Airboat Ride and Wildlife Park Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,459 reviews · 30 minutes - 1 hour · from $36

At Wild Florida, you’ll take a guided 30-minute airboat ride through protected Central Florida wetlands, then visit the wildlife park and live alligator show. Captains such as Jeff, Lauren, Todd, and Mike are known for spotting birds and gators while explaining the ecosystem. Bring weather-ready clothes and allow extra time for the park.

“I was very happy that no-one gets wet on the airboat ride and that they provided ear defenders for everyone and also life jackets for the children. Bobby our pilot gave us lots of information about the wildlife and didn't rush us taking photos and asking questions. There was a good number of bird species including Bald eagles around the lake and we managed to identify about 20 with the help of the staff. Afterwards we visited the zoo which was very well maintained and saw a huge number of Aligators as well as lots of other animals. The shop was beautiful and the cafe was reasonably priced and very…”

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6.From Miami: Everglades Wildlife Show, Airboat & Bus Transfer

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 817 reviews · from $40

Travel from Miami by air-conditioned double-decker bus to the Everglades for a 40-minute airboat ride, wildlife show, and free park time. Choose the half-day option or add a 2.5-hour Miami bus tour and 1.5-hour Biscayne Bay cruise past celebrity homes. Guides such as Andrew, Will, and Josh bring useful local detail.

“we had will at the exhibit and josh on the boat. they were both brilliant, we could have spent the day there chatting with them”

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7.Private Tour: Florida Everglades Airboat Ride and Wildlife Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 498 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $140

Drive yourself to Sawgrass Recreation Park for a private one-hour airboat ride through the Everglades, then visit the reptile and Glades exhibits. Your captain may be Andrew, Disco, Jack, Mike, Justin, or another park guide. Expect an exciting boat ride, local ecology, and possible sightings of alligators, birds, turtles, and fish.

“You may not see any wildlife but it was a fun adventure. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and personable.”

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