An ecotour along the Tamiami Trail offers a vivid glimpse into Florida’s wild heart. Guests travel through sawgrass prairies, cypress swamps, and wetland sloughs, surrounded by towering bald cypress trees draped in Spanish moss. Wildlife sightings often include American alligators, white-tailed deer, otters, turtles, and a dazzling array of birds like egrets, spoonbills, herons, and barred owls. The preserve is also rich in rare plants like ghost orchids and air plants clinging to ancient trees. Guides share stories of the Miccosukee and Seminole tribes, the area’s early development, and conservation efforts that saved this vital ecosystem. Each season offers something new—migratory birds, blooming bromeliads, or low waters that reveal the swamp’s secrets. Whether by van, boardwalk, or airboat ride, this tour is a chance to connect with nature and witness the timeless beauty of the Everglades.
Tour the “River of Grass” aboard an iconic airboat—flat-bottomed and perfectly designed to glide over the shallow wetlands of the Everglades. As the wind rushes past and birds soar overhead, your captain shares stories of the land, wildlife, and traditions passed down through generations. The journey leads to a remote chickee island, a thatched-roof platform built on stilts, where the tribe once lived in harmony with the swamp. Surrounded by sawgrass prairies and endless sky, this stop offers a rare chance to experience the cultural heart of the Everglades and gain insight into the resilience and legacy of the Miccosukee people.
Big Cypress National Preserve is a vast, wild landscape spanning over 700,000 acres in South Florida, just north of Everglades National Park. It protects a rich mosaic of swamps, pinelands, prairies, and hardwood hammocks that support a wide range of wildlife, including alligators, Florida panthers, black bears, white-tailed deer, and hundreds of bird species. Unlike a traditional national park, Big Cypress allows for multiple uses—hunting, off-road vehicle access, and tribal living—while still preserving its unique ecology. A visit to the Oasis Visitor Center, located right along the Tamiami Trail, is the perfect introduction to the preserve. Guests can view educational exhibits about the swamp's wildlife, hydrology, and cultural history, chat with rangers, and enjoy up-close views of alligators sunning in the canal just outside. It's an ideal launch point for deeper exploration into this subtropical wilderness—whether by boardwalk, scenic drive, or guided ecotour.
Island Cafe in Everglades City offers a free and satisfying lunch menu featuring local flavors and classic favorites. Guests can enjoy fried oysters, perfectly crispy and full of coastal flavor, or savor a tender, flaky grilled Mahi filet. For something hearty and familiar, the grilled chicken and juicy burgers are always a hit. Those craving bold flavors can dig into BBQ pork tacos or cheesy quesadillas, served hot and loaded with flavor. Lighter fare includes a variety of veggie wraps and fresh salads, perfect for guests looking for a plant-based or refreshing option. Whether you’re in the mood for seafood, comfort food, or something green, Island Cafe serves it up with a smile—completely free on tour!
A visit to the Historic Smallwood Store in Chokoloskee adds rich cultural depth to your adventure. Perched on stilts above the edge of the Ten Thousand Islands, this preserved trading post from 1906 offers a fascinating glimpse into frontier life in the Florida Everglades. Guests can explore artifacts, tools, and stories from early settlers, Gladesmen, and the Seminole and Miccosukee tribes who once traded goods here. The museum is steeped in legend, including tales of infamous outlaw Ed Watson and the rugged isolation that shaped the region. Visiting the Smallwood Store is like stepping back in time—guests seeking history, mystery, and a deeper connection to the people of the Everglades. It’s a rare chance to see the human side of the swamp, and a powerful companion experience to the wildlife and ecology showcased on the safari.
Enjoy an unforgettable 60-minute boat tour into the heart of Everglades National Park, launching from the edge of Chokoloskee Bay. Glide through a maze of mangrove forests and coastal estuaries in the Ten Thousand Islands, where land and sea blur in a stunning display of natural beauty. Your captain, a local expert, shares fascinating insights into the Everglades’ unique ecology and the region’s rich history. Keep your eyes peeled for Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, manatees, sharks, and a variety of coastal birds like ospreys, herons, and roseate spoonbills. This peaceful ride through Florida’s remote backwaters offers close encounters with wildlife and a deeper appreciation for one of the most diverse ecosystems in North America—a serene yet thrilling highlight of the day’s adventure.
Honestly, seemed just a little long for my personal taste, but guide was very pleasant and informative. All in all, a fun day. NB: Nothing serious came of it, but I would suggest to the operator that they take food allergies into account for lunch options.
Mark our guide made our time a very informative trip. He is truly passionate about his job and the Florida environment.
This tour was fantastic, from beginning to end. Our tour guide and driver, Reza, had an expansive knowledge of the Everglades and Florida in general. He knew about every bird we saw and was quick to spot them! He had detailed facts about all the species found there. He told us so much about the history, geography, and geology! You could tell he was passionate about the Everglades! We got to take take an airboat ride in a canal, spotting otters, fish, birds, turtles, and of course alligators! We took a most beautiful hike, not too long, and found amazing plant life, including air plants and cypress trees! We happened along a pond with 2 alligators! We had a stop at a the Big Cypress National Preserve museum and learned about Seminoles wrestling with alligators, starting around the turn of the 20th century to earn $ from tourists! Lunch was great in Everglade City, and we loved the mini museum, the Smallwood store. We also stopped at a small art gallery on the way. We bought a few nice souvenirs! To round out the the busy day we took a boat ride out from the Smallwood store through the 10,000 islands area! We were incredibly lucky to see many dolphins, frolicking in the wake and swimming around our boat! We loved the entire day!! High Recommended!!
We were expecting an amazing adventure but regretted a waste of a day. Pick up and drop off at the rear of a shopping mall car park - not vey safe and on our return we were approached by drunks asking for money as we walked to the front of the mall to get an Uber. Why not meet opposite by Starbucks .. The mini bus was ok and guide , for the price expected more comfort though. Long drive which was fine and first stop airboat ride, which we were looking forward to , but due to water levels most of this was along a canal next to the highway with limited time actually in the glades. You should inform customer that due to water levels, experience would be impacted and offer them the right to cancel free of charge. The airboat, driver could hardly speak English, and find it insulting that pinned to the back of the seats ‘ driver works for tips’- no he works for the company that employs him and is there to offer a service to their customers who book and pay!!! Miccosukee Indian village, we were expecting to be able to purchase original arts and crafts not a store selling mass produced tat, completely miss-led by this description, and see something more cultural and local? Stopped at a gallery- museum , basically looking at photographs. Stopped at the smallest post office in the US- a shed with a-man sitting inside - why. Quite sad really and he was proud to be going into national geographic! Walk through the reserve, via a well trodden trail littered with plastic and rubbish in most part. “Delicious lunch” was offered- wow- absolutely awful which most of us left including the guide, heavily fired chips, embarrassing ‘ salad’, overcooked fish all served with plenty of single use plastic ( so much for the eco tour ) next to crabbing boats where the local find it acceptable to catch large crabs, pull off one claw and throw them back where it grows back- we were all shocked but assured by the guide doesn’t hurt the crab!!!! Smallwood store, old shop full of junk and a few overpriced tourist gifts ( most made in South America!) Mangrove wilderness boat cruise, only memorable part of the day, great captain, incredible trip with numerous dolphins spotted and following the boat - but again another sign posted to the back of the seat- don’t forget to tip the captain! In Europe you tip naturally for good service voluntary, not by being asked to, perhaps pay your employees more! Very disappointing day, would not recommend and completely oversold as an experience from the description.
Company had a van in service- so they packed two tours- originating from both Fort Lauderdale and Miami into one van. We had an hour of pick ups before the tour even started. We would’ve rescheduled or canceled had been given the opportunity. Inappropriate to smash 14 people in this van, and no one was allowed to sit in the front seat either. We were in the back row with their knees up on wheelwells and couldn’t move. Let alone see out the one side window- there is an hour long stop and go pull off the shoulder tour, which was very unexpected and being in the back with 14 people it made us carsick. Second. We expected more walking and hiking. Not “look out the window narration” with stop and go along the shoulder of a highway. We couldn’t wait for this part of the tour to be over. All we saw was people’s yards and roof lines and fences. We saw nothing that was being shown in the ditch. On a normal day with half the people this would’ve been more acceptable the paid part of the tours, including the lunch and air boat and boat ride were great.. would suggest based on our circumstances to just organize those on your own if you run into a full tour- so unusual circumstances kind of ruined the day.
The guide was so knowledgeable and fantastic. We took the time we needed. He was always checking in with us and making sure we were ok. He did his best to educate us and had all the opportunities to see the wildlife in Everglades. He went above and beyond.
The air boat was restricted to the canals alongside the highway because the Everglades is in a two year drought and you can’t get into them off of the canals because there is no water depth available. The nature hike is off the side of the highway. It does get into some older growth trees. It’s a minimal hike. The thing that made the trip worth it was the extensive knowledge that Julio had and shared along the way during the trip.
Mark was so knowledgeable & was amazing at spotting all the gators & birds for you to see. Loved the boat ride in Everglades City - we had dolphins playing in our wake. However, on the drive, those people on the right hand side of the van got to see but on the left side was nearly impossible.
Superb day trip to The Everglades and Big Cypress National Preserve Tour guide Mark was exceptionally knowledgeable about the wildlife whose neighborhood we shared for the day 220 miles in total We enjoyed several water rides including a great stiff ride on the Gulf of Mexico
I was very disappointed by this tour. The first five stops of the tour were right on the highway. The airboat also went parallel to the highway. To be fair, that was because of the unusually low water levels. But then I'd still expected to be able to veer off the highway somewhere else during the day. The "nature walk" was also parallel to the highway. There must be better places for a walk in the Everglades??? The last cruise of the day did go out on the water further, but that was literally the last stop of the day, after being on the highway the whole day. I do want to point out that our guide was extremely kind and knowledgable about the region, so he made it interesting. But if you're flying from across the world to see the Everglades, you want to at least get the chance to go into the wetlands or some kind of nature a little further than 10 feet from the car.
This was a full day excursion that gave us a good overall Everglades experience. The boat tours were really fun and we saw a lot of wildlife and beautiful scenery. We got a lot of history of the park from our driver and enjoyed the little hike we did looking for wild orchids. Lunch was great too!
This is a wonderful full day trip, with several great experiences. Our guide/driver was first class, friendly, knowledgeable & extremely professional. I enjoyed every aspect of the day, a great selection of activities and delicious food. The highlight for me was definitely the most amazing dolphin encounter. Both water trips were exhilarating and the lifelong memories will remind me of my safari day.
This was an excellent adventure. The guide Marc was very knowledgeable and our activities were exactly as described. We enjoyed it all. Lunch was really good.
We had an amazing day! I had always wanted to see the everglades so when we were heading to Ft. Lauderdale for a cruise we decided to come in a day early. I had booked another, similar tour, but they canceled on me at the last minute. I was contacted the day before the trip to confirm our pick up location. We ubered there from our hotel and we're picked up with no issues by Reza, our guide. There were 7 visitors in a van that seats 13 passengers so we had lots of room. Reza told us all about the everglades as we moved between several stops. We first enjoyed an airboat tour. Reza told us that Florida is in a horrible drought so our airboat experience kept us in the main canals instead of gliding over the 'river of grass' but it was still amazing. So much wildlife,,,alligators, fish, turtles, and birds! We than made several more stops to take a short walk in the bald Cyprus forest, a few visitors centers, and along boardwalk to see more wildlife including 3 manatees, we then continued west to have a terrific lunch right on the water. Our last stop was the small boat ride (no more than 6 to a boat) where we went out in the bays to see the mangroves. Many more birds were seen along with a momma and baby porpoise. We then piled back in the van for thr drive back. The everglades were not what this Californian was expecting, but it was an amazing day full of great information, beautiful scenery and wonderful wildlife. I highly recommend this trip!
Excellent trip! Marc was great. We saw and learned so many things. Our favourite part was seeing the dolphins hangout alongside one of the boat rides. We also saw about maybe 70+ alligators. Lunch was decent too.
We learned so much about the lowlands of Florida on this tour. Our guide, Mark, was very knowledgeable. We started off with an airboat ride down the channels in the Everglades and saw numerous alligators and birds. Next was a trip in a van through a portion of The Everglades and Cypress Preserve. A great lunch was provided. We travled across the state and had another boat ride through the park's islands and mangroves clear over to the Gulf. We were in a small group of nine . I would highly recommend this tour.
It was well worth the time and the cost. Really enjoyed seeing nature and learning from our tour guide, Mark.
Great trip. Saw the different ecosystems of the region. 2 boat trips including 10K islands. Lots of birds but obs gators and also manatee and porpoise.
It is very worth the time and money! Enjoyable and educational! Our guide, Julio, was very knowledgeable. Wish airboat ride would have been longer and taken us further into the grassy swampy area!
This tour includes everything. Transportation, 2 different boat rides, many many many surprise stops and a lot of information. We saw dolphins, alligators, a crocodile, manatees, turtles, and a lot of birds.
We had an absolutely wonderful experience on our Everglades Eco Safari! Our guide, Reza, was simply amazing. From the moment he picked us up at 7:30 in the morning until the drop-off at 5:00 in the evening, he impressed us with his deep knowledge of the local fauna, flora, and Florida’s fascinating history. The van was clean and comfortable, making the long day enjoyable from start to finish. The airboat ride through the prairies was awesome — we saw tons of alligators up close and learned so much about the Everglades ecosystem. To top it all off, the boat ride at Chokoloskee was the perfect ending to an incredible day. I would gladly recommend this tour to anyone visiting the Florida Everglades. It’s a fantastic way to experience the area’s beauty and wildlife with an outstanding guide!
Our guide Reza was great. He was able to identify every bird we passed and every plant growing on trees. The day tour is well worth the cost.
One of the best excursions ever! Our guide Reza was awesome! He is very knowledgeable and identified all the wildlife we saw... every bird, reptile, butterfly and plant. We saw many alligators, a saltwater crocodile, ospreys, and even enjoyed dolphins playing in the wake of our boat. I truly appreciate the eco-conscious approach to tourism! Very ethical and responsible tour company.
The tour guide was very knowledgeable in various things about the Everglades - environmental, social, historical - and he was very friendly. My family enjoyed the stories he told and the scheduling for the trip was comfortable... not too long or too short in any of our stops. We really enjoyed the air boat trip (we saw an alligator eating a python) and also the island boat trip (the dolphins came and played in the waves from our boat!) It was so much fun and its definitely worth the time and money! bring more cash than you would expect, because everyone deserves a good tip!
Wow, Marc is passionate and expert guide to this surprisingly (to me!) beautiful part of the world! Highly recommended tour and tour guide. Spectacular wild life: gators galore (of course), gb herons, egrets, gar, pelicans and in the 10,000 Islands about 12 bottle nosed dolphins which was a highlight for me. Marc was very solicitous, frequently checking physical needs of his guests, making sure the 4 of us were comfortable. Great day, great job, Marc!
Great tour! It includes two different boat rides & a nice lunch! We saw alligators & dolphins & lots of different birds! And the tour company did a wonderful job coordinating to pick up and drop off guests at their hotels! I am so glad that I booked this tour!
Don was so knowledgeable! We had a great time learning about birds and conch shells, checking out the 10,000 islands. Loved hearing his stories from kayak shark shielding Diana Nyad!
Long van ride. Stopped several times to see different things. Driver very knowledgeable and passionate about conservation and wildlife. The lunch provided very tasty with many options.
Unbelievable day all round. Our guide Julio made it perfect. He was very polite and extremely knowledgeable. He explained everything fantastically which made the day even better. Would definitely recommend
We had a great time on our Everglades tour. The description in the advertisement was not accurate though. Lunch did not include alligator as advertised and the there was only a drive-by of the Native American reservation instead of the advertised tour. We did stop at a photo gallery which was not advertised as part of the tour, but we could have easily gone without that, although the AC was a nice break from the heat. Our tour guide Julio did a fantastic job and was very knowledgeable of the area.
Overall we loved this Tour. Our guide Reza was very helpful & knowledgeable. I loved the air boat tour & also mangrove boat ride. The whole day was fun & entertaining.
The booking was smooth. The manager/organizer was a good communicator and answered all questions regarding the trip whenever I had questions. The pick up was great. The Guide Reza was also wonderful and very knowledgeable. He took time to answer questions and explained a lot about the flora and fauna and history of the region that we were visiting. He explained the great biodiversity of the Everglades as well as cypress preserve. Had a wonderful day. The lunch was excellent. Enough restroom stops. On the whole, a memorable trip.
Great day out and saw great wildlife, boat trips amazing and we saw alligators and dolphins plus many birds Guide brilliant and knew so much interesting information. Would definitely recommend.
It was a great experience, not only informative but a spectacular viewing of the wild life, plants and two great boat rides. Our tour guide Marc was amazing and made sure we never missed a thing! Would do it again in a heart beat
This was a comprehensive Everglades experience. We learned so much and we were grateful for the chance to see the variety of Everglades ecosystems. Reza was a terrific guide with a wealth of knowledge. I would highly recommend this tour.
We had to go to Florida from PA to catch a cruise, but we decided to go a day early to go on the Everglades safari excursion. It turned out to be the highlight of our trip! We thoroughly enjoyed all the activities and sights that were delivered as promised; we learned a lot; and we had fun. When making our plans for this, our communication with Pete, the owner, was great. He helped us a lot and was always was easy to work with when we booked through him by phone. We recommend doing that for a personal touch. The only problem we had was that our guide, Mark, was so good that he spoiled us — so much so that none of the guides we had on excursions on our cruise came close to measuring up to him. He was knowledgeable and kind, and he went out of his way to help us when we told him our airliner had lost our luggage. (Luckily, they located it 26 hours later— just in time for our cruise departure.) All in all, we were very pleased with this tour and thankful that we went on it. We highly recommend it.
Me, my husband & 17 year old daughter did the day safari midway through a 2 week holiday to Orlando & it wad absolutely one of the highlights. Great communication beforehand & the day was so well organised. Reza was so informative & interesting to listen to, thr airport ride was so much fun, saw lots of birds & gators. We were also lucky to see a nest of wood storks & baby gators during another part of the trip. Had a really lovely lunch & the boat ride was just amazing. Saw dolphins up close, rays, ospreys & pelicans amongst many. Worth every penny
Trip was so fun . Saw so much wildlife and learn so much info from are tour guide julio! No rushing got to see everything . He stop on the way back on the side of the road because we saw manatees such a cool experince. Couldnt recommend it enough!
Amazing way to see Florida wildlife . Saw 70+ gators in the wild . Saw dolphins on the 2nd boat tour . Was awesome
It was a great day. Reza our guide was very knowledgeable and personable. The activities were fantastic. Saw all kinds of wildlife.
What a wonderful trip! They do everything for you. Marc, our guide was perfect pointing out wildlife, points of interest, discussing conservation, consequences of previous ecological changes, knowledgeable about ecology, anthropology, birds and birding, plants, wildlife, etc etc. He was on time and on a schedule perfectly without feeling like we were under any pressure. My mom and I have never been on an airboat or boat on the gulf. Those guides were also great and adaptive per our interests. I love wildlife and specifically bird photography. All guides really looked out for great opportunities and positions to help me obtain some memorable experiences. Lunch was super yummy and at a great area, outdoors with a kind and efficient staff. Our nature walks were not physically difficult and good for nearly any skill level. And there is a bathroom opportunity at every stop! I will likely return to Ft Lauderdale in order to take this tour again.
Had a great time on this excursion. Saw tons of wildlife… more alligators than I can count and dolphins closer than I could imagine. Highly recommend!
Reza was awesome!!! He took care of us all day and provided so much information about the area. The information was the good things about the area, the mistakes made in the past and the future of the area. We saw lots of wildlife had an amazing lunch and terrific day. I can’t say enough good things about this trip. I would definitely recommend this day trip for anyone looking to get to know southern Florida, the local ecosystem and get your best opportunity to see birds, reptiles, fish, alligators, dolphins, potential sightings of stingrays, sharks, manatees and more.
Reza was awesome. Very knowledgeable about the everglades, the history, plant life, animals.etc. very friendly and helpful. The captains of the boat rides did not disappoint. Loved the air boat ride. Saw plenty of alligators, many species of birds, and learned about the natives. Enjoyed hanging out with the dolphins and watching them surf. Would highly recommend.
Wonderful day, knowledgeable guides, fun, informative, beautiful - birds, alligators, fish, airboat ride, our second time on this tour.
It was amazing , our guide was fantastic and we managed to see so many animals . Alligators, Dolphins, sharks, manatees, Osprey, bald eagles, turtles, snakes and so many species of birds. the airborne was exciting but the boat trip was the highlight.
Our trip was amazing!! We had Julio as our guide and I would give him a 10/10. He was extremely knowledgeable and was very personable. This was one of my best adventures in a long time. I will definitely recommend to everyone I know who comes to Florida.
We did the Everglades Day Safari from Miami with Mark. Mark was WONDERFUL. I initially hesitated due to the price, but you really get an expert guide and a comprehensive view of the Everglades. It was so worth it! Schedule Morning: Everglades airboat ride (we saw alligators and birds), walk through Big Cypress National Preserve (saw alligator and birds) Lunch around 1 pm Afterlunch: Mangrove wilderness boat cruise (saw dolphins and birds).
Had a brilliant day with Marc our guide. Pick up ran very smoothly with transport arriving on time. Vehicle was comfortable and Marc explained what the day was going to be. Everything about the day didn’t disappoint from the airboat ride to the visit to the little museum. We had issues with our taxi back to our hotel and Marc even stayed with us until transport was confirmed. He is a credit to the company, very knowledgeable and approachable answering any and ever question. Would highly recommend.
Julio was our guide and driver, he was fantastic. Very informative. The pontoon boat excursion was our favorite, we saw dolphins and our boat operator had them playing in the wake of our boat, it was amazing to see. He was also very informative about the ten-thousand islands area and the wildlife and history. The air boat ride was slot of fun, we saw alligators, turtles, and birds. I would suggest this excursion, it was a long day but it allowed us to see everything related to the Everglades that we wanted to see in just one day.
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