Florida is a diverse and beautiful state, and people flock there for the wildlife, and temperate climate. We visited Florida for the art deco architecture in Miami Beach, the barbecue; and to see manatees and alligators in the wild. While planning our tour, I did a lot of research on the different everglades tours on offer around Florida, so thought I’d share this with you. Choosing the perfect Florida Everglades tour can be overwhelming, but hopefully this guide will help to make it easier for you to choose one.
Where are the Everglades?
The Everglades National Park is 1.5 million acres of mangroves, sawgrass and wetlands in southern Florida. This sub-tropical wetland is home to alligators, wading birds, the Florida panther, American crocodiles, and manatees. But the everglades eco-system actually stretches well beyond the national park, up into Central Florida, including Lake Okeechobee and the Kissimmee River Valley. I will be writing mostly about the Everglades National Park and the peripheral areas where you can visit, but will also mention some Central Florida tours too.
Be sure to plan your visit to the Everglades in the dry winter months (December through April). Services and tours can be limited in the wet season, and it can get very buggy!
Where to stay near the Everglades
Different parts of Florida will offer different accessibility to everglades encounters, but they will mainly be concentrated around south and central Florida. Luckily, there are many tour companies offering guided tours if you are basing yourself away from direct access by car.
Everglades National Park
If you want to explore the Everglades National Park specifically, I recommend staying right in the park itself. Air-boating is prohibited in the majority of the National Park, therefore it is a beautifully calm environment. There are many trails and lots of opportunities to see wildlife. Camping in Flamingo is a fun and unique accommodation option – you can even stay on a house boat!
NOTE: Be sure to pack all the food and provisions you might need, as there are minimal services in Flamingo.
There are only 3 entry points to the Everglades National Park, and they are not all connected. Please check which area you would like to visit before choosing the location of your accommodation.
Gulf Coast
If you are visiting the Everglades on the Gulf Coast side, then I would recommend the peace and tranquility (not to mention accessibility) of Everglades City. This small community is protected by the Ten Thousand Islands and Chokoloskee Bay. The River Wilderness Waterfront Villas offer great views, and access to canoes too.
Fort Lauderdale
We chose to stay up in Weston / Sunrise, so that we could explore both Fort Lauderdale and take an airboat tour at Sawgrass Recreation Park (details below). We stayed at the La Quinta by Wyndham in Sunrise. Which, with its free breakfast, and large clean suites, is a great base for an everglades visit.
If you’re staying in Fort Lauderdale, Weston or Davie, make sure you visit Rob’s Family BBQ – their cornbread won plaudits on our recent barbecue tour!
Airboat Tours
Sawgrass Recreation Park, Greater Fort Lauderdale
The Sawgrass Recreation Park was recommended to us by the Greater Fort Lauderdale Tourism office. Sawgrass is easy to get to, only 30 minutes drive from downtown Fort Lauderdale. Or an easy 15 minutes from Weston and Sunrise. Parking is plentiful, and the system for taking an airboat ride is easy. Simply visit the ticket office, buy a wristband for the next available tour, and wait to be called. Our airboat captain was friendly and very knowledgable; and stopped often to talk about the wildlife around us. We saw 2 alligators on our tour, and lots of wading birds too.
Disclosure: We received free passes to Sawgrass from the Tourism Bureau, however, as always, all opinions are my own.
Everglades City Airboat Tours
One of the original everglade tour operators, Everglades City Airboat Tours provides a slick service; with good humoured guides and headsets to help communication. The advantage of airboat tours over this side of the Everglades is that they explore the mangrove forests as well as the sawgrass. Check out the other boat and canoe tours from Everglades City.
Everglades National Park Concessioners
The authorised Everglades National Park concessioners are located between Miami and Shark Valley, along US Highway 41 / Tamiami Trail. The 3 authorised companies are:
Gator Park Airboat Tours – 24050 Southwest 8th Street
Everglades Safari Park – 26700 Southwest 8th Street
Coopertown Airboats – 22700 Southwest 8th Street
Guided Tours From Florida Cities
Tours from Miami
With pick ups from hotels in Miami Beach, this 3 hour Everglades tour tour includes visit to the Miccosukee Indian Village. Or this half-day bus tour to the Safari Park also leaves from Miami central. And of course, these tours are a good way to see the everglades without a car.
Tours from Fort Lauderdale
There are many half day and full day everglades tours from Fort Lauderdale. If you want a full tour package, seeing the diverse range of landscapes in and around the everglades, try a full day safari. Why not purchase a Miami / Fort Lauderdale Sightseeing Pass which offers access to over 35 attractions!
Orlando tours to the Central Florida Everglades
If you are only visiting central Florida and not the southern everglades, why not take a tour of the central everglades from Orlando.
Eco Tours
If you are looking for more eco-focussed tours, I would recommend some of the hiking, kayaking and ranger-led tours on offer in and around the Everglades National Park. These off-the-beaten-track tours really allow you to commune with nature and the wonders of the everglades.
Choosing the Perfect Florida Everglades Tour
In my opinion, the Florida everglades are a must-see natural wonder, and taking an airboat tour is a great way to see the everglades and the animals within them. Seeing alligators in the wild was one of the thrills of our visit to Florida – what majestic beasts they are. I hope this article has helped you identify the perfect Florida Everglades tour to suit your needs – enjoy your visit!
The diverse landscapes of the USA keep drawing me back – from the deserts of Arizona and Utah, to the green hills of the Smoky Mountains – wander with me!
All photos & content © Hannah Henderson and may not be used without permission (sharing this blog post is fine, though!). Images shot with a Canon DSLR T3i Rebel + Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM; and an iPhone.
I wish I had seen this sooner as I just came back from Florida! We wanted to do an Everglades tour but couldn’t find good info – I didn’t know you can stay in the park! Very cool and will use these tips for our next trip!
Great tip to go in the winter! Florida in the summer is miserable haha. Also, I love Ft. Lauderdale! I stayed here before a cruise, there is plenty to do!
Love Florida but missed out on the Everglades due to timing and bad weather, but will 100% be going on my next trip
I’ve honestly never heard of this before! So cool! Adding it to the bucket list!
Great round up of all the information I think it will be so helpful for anyone who wants to explore this area! There is nothing better than experiencing local wildlife and scenery when you travel.
I’m spending a lot of time traveling through Florida because I just moved there and this is VERY helpful because I am looking for an everglades tour! ha! Perfect timing xx
I love it – serendipity in action!
It’s crazy how big and incredibly diverse the US is! Thank you for spending some time on this topic. I had never heard of it before and it is definitely refreshing to read about Florida in this light.
Wow! The tours look really fun. I will add this to my Florida bucket list whenever I go there!
I love that there are so many options and it’s only a skip and a jump away from Fort Lauderdale, Miami and even Orlando!
It’s good that you point out that taking an airboat tour is an amazing way to experience nature when you’re visiting Florida. I’m taking a vacation to Florida soon with my wife, so I’m considering booking us an airboat tour. I’m going to look for a good company that offers airboat tours in the area in which we will be vacationing.