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Fort Lauderdale has plenty to offer with beaches, nightlife, and boating canals, but if you're craving something a little more wild, you’re in luck. Just a short drive away is the Everglades, one of the most unique ecosystems in North America. Everglades day trips are the perfect mix of high-speed adventure, rare wildlife encounters, and Florida’s one-of-a-kind landscapes. Ready to glide through the “River of Grass”? Let’s go!
Who says you have to drive hours to find real wilderness? The Everglades are just 30 to 60 min from Fort Lauderdale. You can swap beachside vibes for sawgrass marshes, airboats, and alligator sightings in less than an hour.
Nothing says “Everglades escapade” like an airboat ride. These fan-powered boats glide over shallow waters and tall sawgrass, zipping through hidden trails you’d never find on foot. It’s part sightseeing cruise, part adrenaline rush, especially when your captain kicks up the speed and takes a sharp turn.
A day trip here guarantees gator action. Spot them from the boat, see them sunbathing on the banks, or watch live shows like the Gator Boys at Everglades Holiday Park. You get the excitement of the wild without needing to rough it overnight.
The Everglades pack a ton into a short visit, think flocks of birds, turtles crossing your path, blooming lilies, and mirror-like waters. Even if you're only there for a few hours, you’ll leave with incredible photos that look like you spent days in the wilderness.
If you want to understand the real Florida, this is where you start. Drive right through endless sawgrass prairies, along winding waterways, and ancient cypress groves. You'll see gators, wading birds, and maybe even a manatee, all thriving in their natural habitat.
Skim across the "River of Grass" at up to 40mph on a thrilling airboat ride that’s equal parts fun and adrenaline.
Speed across the marsh as your guide points out gators, birds, and snakes. It’s Florida’s version of a rollercoaster, except your track is a river of grass.
Watch trained experts handle alligators with awe-inspiring confidence. These shows are fun, educational, and safe (for the humans).
Bring your zoom lens, you’ll want it. Birds, turtles, gators, and maybe even river otters make their home here.
Some tours offer kayaking or canoeing, perfect for a quiet, up-close experience in shaded mangrove tunnels.
Located inside Everglades National Park, this easy boardwalk trail is a top spot for gator sightings. You might see more wildlife here than on a safari.
Most Everglades day trips from Fort Lauderdale take about 4 to 6 hours, depending on where you're headed. Whether you're hopping on an airboat or heading into the national park, it’s an easy half-day escape into the wild.
Not really. Most Everglades tours are pretty easy on the feet. You’ll mostly be riding in an airboat, with optional short walks around wildlife exhibits or boardwalks, so comfy shoes are a good idea, but no major hiking is required.
Yes. Many tours include round-trip hotel pickup and drop-off from Fort Lauderdale. Always double-check while booking, especially for shared vs. private transfers.
Morning departures are ideal for cooler weather and better chances of seeing active wildlife. The light is also perfect for photography. Afternoon tours tend to be warmer but are less crowded.
Absolutely. Airboat rides are fun for all ages. Just be sure to check the age recommendations for specific tours, and inform your provider if someone needs mobility support.
Yes, you’ll need a park entry fee to explore the Everglades, even on a day trip from Fort Lauderdale. Most tours include it in the ticket, but if not, it’s about $35 per vehicle or $20 per person.
It was very unique and educational experience.
Private Everglades airboat tour with wildlife exhibits, no crowds, just your group, and meet an alligator!
Inclusions
Entry to Sawgrass Recreation Park
60-min private airboat tour
Entry to alligator & reptile exhibit
”Meet a Baby Alligator” experience
Gratuity for airboat captain
Ear protection for airboat ride.
Free parking onsite
Groups of 4, 6, 12, or 15 (as per option selected)
Spot alligators by spotlight & stargaze on this thrilling night airboat tour at Sawgrass Recreation Park.
Inclusions
60-min nighttime airboat ride
Complimentary entrance to exhibits at Sawgrass Recreation Park during the day
Ear protection for airboat ride.
Free parking onsite
Airboat captain gratuity
Exclusions
I was amazed by the overall experience especially the professionalism and friendliness of the staff. We arrived an hour earlier and asked if we could get on the next airboat and he did it without hesitation. Then we had Captain Adam as our guide and he was knowledgeable and great at pointing out not just gators but the different birds we saw. It was a great experience and the price was very reasonable. We can't wait to come back. Thank you for starting our vacation out perfectly.
The boat ride was nice but there was no wildlife no birds and no alligators. We saw the head of one alligator for one second and the guide said you can't see them now but only at night. A shame that I didn't know that before I booked! Very disappointing!!!!
The ride start late, I ¿came right on time... plety actually... and we had a bunch of scheduled activities for that that. The ride was zero emotions or widlife engagements. Wont be back ever
Nothing nothing nothing nothing
Captain Jack, the crocodile and the airboat!
People who work there and gave their best to show us around
It was very unique and educational experience.
Very nice better than our expectations
I loved the gator encounter part that I had a chance to touch a baby gator.
Zoom through Sawgrass Recreation Park on an airboat and encounter Florida’s native reptiles up close.
Inclusions
40-min airboat tour
Live English-speaking guide
Entry to alligator and reptile exhibit
Ear protection for airboat ride.
Nighttime airboat tour (as per option selected)
Private airboat tour (as per option selected)
I was amazed by the overall experience especially the professionalism and friendliness of the staff. We arrived an hour earlier and asked if we could get on the next airboat and he did it without hesitation. Then we had Captain Adam as our guide and he was knowledgeable and great at pointing out not just gators but the different birds we saw. It was a great experience and the price was very reasonable. We can't wait to come back. Thank you for starting our vacation out perfectly.
German top! We had a great time
The boat ride was nice but there was no wildlife no birds and no alligators. We saw the head of one alligator for one second and the guide said you can't see them now but only at night. A shame that I didn't know that before I booked! Very disappointing!!!!
The ride start late, I ¿came right on time... plety actually... and we had a bunch of scheduled activities for that that. The ride was zero emotions or widlife engagements. Wont be back ever
niente d d d f f f f f f f f f f f f f f f f f
Nothing nothing nothing nothing
Captain Jack, the crocodile and the airboat!
There was a major problem with the pickup in downtown Miami. We showed up early as instructed, but were told that there was no such 2;00pm tour from the staff at the Big Bus Kiosk. A manager got involved and told us that often, you sell tickets, but if the bus is full in Miami Beach, you just skip the Miami stop for paid customers! This is outrageous! After he made multiple phone calls, a bus arrived 75 minutes late and not every ticket holder was able to board the bus. We were able to do so, but others were left behind for a hypothetical second bus! This problem spoiled our experience, as we wasted a lot of time and were unsure if the bus would ever show up.
People who work there and gave their best to show us around
The staff were knowledgeable, accommodating and entertaining!
Very nice better than our expectations
I loved the gator encounter part that I had a chance to touch a baby gator.
Glide through the Sawgrass Recreation Park on an airboat & see fascinating reptile exhibits up close.
Inclusions
40-minute airboat tour in Sawgrass Recreation Park
Live English-speaking guide
Entry to alligator and reptile exhibit
Ear protection for airboat ride.
Wildlife show (as per option selected)
Round-trip transportation from Miami (as per option selected)
We've done quite a few airboat rides here all the way from Holland. It was a very nice airbioatride. Few wildlife seen unfortunately but our captain Tim made something fun out of it. The alligator show etna was imformative
We only saw one gator on the tour and the guide spent a lot of time on the way back talking about tips .
German top! We had a great time
The guide was great 10/10 for him. However their advertisement of "come whenever you want we have a boat leaving in 20 minutes is total BS. I had to wait in the heat with my 2 year old daughter for 1hour 10 min before anything begun. The staff at the ticket center was not helpful either and a tad bit rude.
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There was a major problem with the pickup in downtown Miami. We showed up early as instructed, but were told that there was no such 2;00pm tour from the staff at the Big Bus Kiosk. A manager got involved and told us that often, you sell tickets, but if the bus is full in Miami Beach, you just skip the Miami stop for paid customers! This is outrageous! After he made multiple phone calls, a bus arrived 75 minutes late and not every ticket holder was able to board the bus. We were able to do so, but others were left behind for a hypothetical second bus! This problem spoiled our experience, as we wasted a lot of time and were unsure if the bus would ever show up.
The staff were knowledgeable, accommodating and entertaining!
The instructions advised us to be at Soundscape Park Miami Beach 15 minutes before our 10am pickup time. We were there at 9.40am. However, the guide at the stop told us that the bus for our Everglades trip had already left at 9.30am, and that the instructions in the Headout App for pickup time were wrong. Luckily they managed to get us on a later Everglades trip that day. But this was our last day in Miami, and it really disrupted all of our plans. We had to hastily rearrange a lot of other things we had planned to do. The Everglades trip itself was brilliant. But the inconvenience and frustration over the wrong pickup time instructions spoiled our last day somewhat.
Glide through Everglades Holiday Park on an airboat, spot wild alligators, and catch a thrilling Gator Boys show.
Inclusions
Fully narrated Everglades airboat tour
English-speaking guide
Gator Boys alligator show
1 free group photo per party
Access to gift shop and café
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.
German top! We had a great time
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There was a major problem with the pickup in downtown Miami. We showed up early as instructed, but were told that there was no such 2;00pm tour from the staff at the Big Bus Kiosk. A manager got involved and told us that often, you sell tickets, but if the bus is full in Miami Beach, you just skip the Miami stop for paid customers! This is outrageous! After he made multiple phone calls, a bus arrived 75 minutes late and not every ticket holder was able to board the bus. We were able to do so, but others were left behind for a hypothetical second bus! This problem spoiled our experience, as we wasted a lot of time and were unsure if the bus would ever show up.
Everything was very nice, we hired the service in Spanish and only the bus driver was bilingual, the most important part which was the visit in the hovercraft was all in English.
The staff were knowledgeable, accommodating and entertaining!
The instructions advised us to be at Soundscape Park Miami Beach 15 minutes before our 10am pickup time. We were there at 9.40am. However, the guide at the stop told us that the bus for our Everglades trip had already left at 9.30am, and that the instructions in the Headout App for pickup time were wrong. Luckily they managed to get us on a later Everglades trip that day. But this was our last day in Miami, and it really disrupted all of our plans. We had to hastily rearrange a lot of other things we had planned to do. The Everglades trip itself was brilliant. But the inconvenience and frustration over the wrong pickup time instructions spoiled our last day somewhat.
We arrive to Soundstate park at front of Greenview hotel at 10am. We meet a guide from Big Bus at 10:05am and we ask her if we loose or not our tour to everglades and she response us that the only place to pickup the tour to Everglades in Soutbeach marketplace, not there. We come back to the next day to our country and we loose the opportunity to knows the everglades. We start a chat with you to ask a solution same day, but you are really slow specially in this kind of businesses and agter 48 hours we receive a "solution" to reschedule our tour... 24 hour before we arrive to Colombia. For all the mistakes about the info make for your company we ask you to redund completely the money of our tours... after some days, no response from you.
With transportation from multiple spots in Miami, this Everglades Holiday Park tour is an easy-breezy experience.
Inclusions
Round-trip transportation from select locations in Miami (Miami Beach & Bayside Marketplace)
Expert English or Spanish-speaking guide (based on option selected)
Entry to Everglades Holiday Park
Airboat ride
Wildlife show
