Everglades National Park Boat Tour

This tour was fabulous! Donnie and Peyton were excellent guides. Donnie was knowledgeable and easy going, answering all of our questions with patience. I especially appreciated the organization’s respect for nature. We observed wildlife rather than engaging in animal entertainment/cruelty like some companies that offer animal shows where animals are captive and forced to interact with people. The Everglades National Park is a treasure, so beautiful and serene. We saw pelicans, egrets, many other birds, and loads of dolphins with babies! The dolphins enjoyed swimming along with the pontoon boat and leaping over the wake. I highly recommend this tour and company. It was a special tour, thank you!

The boat captain was so knowledgeable. 7 generations of family living there, full of interesting facts. Had a great time and enjoyed the views.

Great trip and informative. Great tips on local eateries. We did the boat ride, explored Ted Smallwood Museum $5.00 charge and then for lunch we headed to City Seafood Market to get some stone crabs and eat on the water. On the way back to Naples we walked the 2 mile Big Cypress Bend boardwalk.

Fabulous. Louis was best tour guide/ boat driver. His insight into everglades city can not be beat. His stories of his family living there and his love for area was terrific Definitely do this trip and have lunch at one of the amazing casual dining places.

This inexpensive boat tour took us through the Thousand Islands area. The guide was knowledgeable about local history, as well as plants and animals in the area Due to the time of year (October) we didn’t see any wildlife except for birds.

Interesting but a little mundane The trip was for 90 minutes and with the exception of a few birds little Else was seen

Great experience. First time in the everglades and this excursion did not disappoint. Captain was very knowledgeable and gave alot of information on the everglades.

I thought the price was great. We loved our tour guide and we got to see dolphins on our trip. It was very peaceful and a lovely ride.

Ok trip. Guide was great and informative

Fun, leisurely trip through the 10,000 islands on a large pontoon boat. The captain was very knowledgeable as he grew up in the area, and had some great stories. We saw many types of birds and found some dolphins as well. Overall a very relaxing and enjoyable (and educational) trip. Highly recommended!

We enjoyed the boat ride. Our tour guide was great. We saw several groups of dolphins and other fish and birds.

Captains Donnie abd Payton were well informed, enthusiastic and gave us a good tour . We spotted several dolphins and a variety of tropical birds.

A great trip around the islands and we managed to see some dolphins amongst other things. Visitors from overseas should note that you have to purchase a national parks pass in addition to the cost of the excursion $135 per party! Okay if there’s a big family of you but expensive for the solo traveller. ($35 for US citizens).

We would have to have seen more wildlife, but those events can't be scheduled. The boat was enjoyable

Excellent guides and fun. Plus informative,even growing up in s fla, I learned some new things about the Everglades and stunned at the changes from when as a teenager fished and hunted the Everglades, and there were a lot of deer. Thanks for a fun trip. The only thing I could say as a complaint, is that it was too short.

Very fun boat ride with a knowledgeable guide. I recommend this tour but bring your own water.

Captain D was very informative. It would have been nice if he would have repeated the passengers questions and his answers on his microphone.

We found this to be both interesting and informative.

Every single employee was very nice, professional, and seemed to actually like their job. Everything went smoothly with no issues and we got to see dolphins and manatees

We just left the tour with Captain Donnie and Peyton. We saw several dolphins, some egrets, cormorant, stingrays, and a brown pelican. They are locals who know the area well, and provided lots of interesting information. We highly recommend this tour and the first rate crew. They knew how to steer an excellent outing.

It was a great trip!! Saw dolphins and learned about the Everglades. Well worth the money and time spent!!

Totally different from what we were expecting, which was a trip through reedy channels that had alligators on each side!

My first experience with 10,000 Islands

Captain Donnie and First Mate Peyton were wonderful tour guides. They know the Everglades and care deeply about the environment within and outside that affects this fragile ecosystem. Folphons chased our tour boat and we saw several species of birds in their natural habitat. A picture perfect day on the water.

Very informative and nice scenery. Louis our boat caption was knowledgeable, witty and fun. Saw a dolphin and various birds. Well worth it to get a feel for the Everglades.

Great tour guides and very informative of the 10,000 islands/Everglades. We saw wildlife throughout the tour to includes multiple dolphin within a few feet of the boat.

We booked this tour based on the positive reviews and are adding another one! What a great tour - we got lucky and saw some dolphins swimming near the boat right away which the guide says doesn’t always happen. He pointed out birds and other interesting sights and told us a lot of interesting history and information. The highlight of the trip was about the turn around point where they drove the boat faster and dolphins played in the wake of the boat. We could see them so clearly. It was amazing! Our boat wasn’t full and we were encouraged to get up and move around. We really enjoyed this tour! The only hiccup we had was our GPS told us we had arrived and we hadn’t quite. I quickly called the phone number because we were running late and the young lady who answered helped us out. We were just down the street so made our tour on time!

This is a 10,000 Islands boat ride, full stop. You may see a few dolphins and some birds. I booked this one after asking specifically if it was the islands only and being told “we use the water entrance to Everglades.” The cruise goes around the islands inside the boundaries of Everglades National Park, on the gulf side. When I asked, the description I got included mangrove tunnels, alligators, possibly manatees, so I assumed this meant inland waterways. Nope. I also booked this over other airboat options because I was looking for the kind of tour you get with park rangers - info on history, ecosystems, etc. Nope. The guys who drove the boat couldn’t have been nicer, to be clear, but it was a matter of finding some dolphins and coming back. We drove forever to do this before a flight from Miami. I could have saved myself hours, just done an airboat ride and been much happier.

Our driver & guide was wonderful. He pointed out which direction to look when dolphins were spotted, and knew what speed to drive the boat to allow them to swim/jump alongside our craft. He was also very good at spotting/identifying shore birds. All the time telling us all about mangroves & how the islands were formed. Great excursion!

We booked last minute tickets for our family of 5 (kids 5, 8, and 11) and we are all thankful we did. The pontoon was smooth and relaxing as it wove through the islands. None of us got sea sick (even those of us who always do) and our 5 year old even fell asleep. It felt like we were flying through the bay and was a great way to appreciate the size, beauty, and history of the area. Honestly, it was so much better than the airboat ride we did earlier in the day. Our tour guide was a Florida native for many generations and taught us so much about the area and animals. He knew where to show us dolphins, manatee, osprey - it was wonderful and all of us enjoyed it. For planning purposes, the boat tour is over 1.5 h after the booking time. If you want to go to the Everglade City boardwalk (we skipped it), you have to go separately at least 1 hour before the book tour.

This was a fantastic tour. We saw lots of dolphins and pelicans, one lucky lady on our tour spotted an elusive manatee! The captain and first mate were friendly and knowledgeable. We HIGHLY recommend this trip!!

We went on this 1 1/2 hour tour and wished it would last another few hours. Our captain, who’s family has lived for seven Generations in the Everglades, had so many interesting stories and knowledge to share!!! The environment is unique and stunning beautiful …..Mangroves, beaches, birds everywhere! And lots of Dolphins chasing us and playing in the waves our boat made. An unforgettable experience!!!

We are repeat customers. When we want to see some dolphins and spend time on the water, this is a great venue. Today's Capt was so informative about topics that I was never told in the past - great tour. A++++++

This is an excursion great for all ages. The boat was clean, with plenty of room to stand or sit. The captain and first mate happily answered any questions, and the captain provided great information on the area and its history. We had the opportunity to view many birds and a small pod of dolphins. The captain gave plenty of time for guests to take photos, and pointed out birds when he saw them. The visitor center where the boat docks was newly remodeled. There is a small section with bones of common creatures found in the area which were neat to observe and read about. It has a small gift shop section, a desk staffed with personnel, and clean restrooms. Outside, you can sit in the sun or shade to enjoy a picnic or watch pelicans dive for fish.

Great tour, great tour guide. He explained so many things, flora, fauna, water, history.

It was a very good tour. Both the booking office and the tour guide did a very good job.

The boat pilot was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. We saw several dolphins who were surfing in the boat’s wake. Also manatees and birds. The mangrove covered islands were beautiful.

Our trip was great. The tour operator was knowledgeable and made an effort to help us see dolphins, which we did. He gave us lots of history of the area and pointed out wildlife when he saw it.

We did the National Park boat tour . It was fantastic and our guide was very knowledgeable .

Good boat trip. Pros: Crew and Ticket folks were very good. Nice and pleasant and new there stuff. Saw many Dolphins and they even jumped and followed our boat. Kids loved it. My third time doing this with various family visitors. It's a nice attraction. Also the new pack facilities are brand new, clean and attractive. Cons: You have to sign wavers before you go and it is quite time consuming and it was not obvious we had to get there maybe 30 minutes before departure when we bought our tickets. No signs up yet on where to go or what to do. At last minute we got sent to the office upstairs a few minute walk as the booth guy was overwhelmed getting wavers. Then each person had to do a waiver but since we had kids only the ticket purchaser went up. So we had to call back to get all of our group up there. All in a bit of panic as it was departure time. Anyway it worked out and the desk staff had them hold the boat for us all. Great folks! But do come early. Also the microphone and sound on the boat was muddy and hard to hear clearly in different spots on the boat. My wife noticed too. Previous tours we could hear well maybe turn up the treble / high frequency or get a better microphone. Not the end of the world but sound quality was degraded compared to my past trips. Great tour and fun and a good length.

We had a very enjoyable ride last week. Saw plenty of dolphins, osprey and a few other birds. It was a very hot day and being on a shady, breezy boat was a perfect way to spend some time.

The Ten Thousand Islands Boat Tour is an absolutely incredible way to explore Everglades National Park. The tour is fully immersive—dolphins raced alongside our boat for minutes on end, manatees dipped in and out of view, and nesting areas for ospreys and other birds were visible throughout the journey. Our guide, who was also a park ranger, and boat captain were highly knowledgeable, professional, and engaging, making the experience both educational and thrilling. The docking point is a brand-new facility with clean restrooms and comfortable waiting areas, and the park staff were attentive and very helpful. This tour is a must-do for anyone wanting to truly appreciate the wonders of nature in the Everglades. A flawless 5/5 experience!

10 am was perfect time to see many birds, dauphins, manatees. So relaxing and magic. We really recommend this cruise.

This boat tour was great. The captain shared historical information, including about his family’s deep roots in the islands. We saw several groups of dolphins, and got great shots of them surfing our wake. The other wildlife along the way was not plentiful, but we did see osprey feeding his young and other shorebirds too. Great overall trip.

The trip was very enjoyable, and the boat was quite comfortable being fully covered. Our guide was local and imported a lot of good and humorous knowledge on all the subjects regarding the ten thousand island area of the Everglades we were in.

Wonderful boat trip saw so many dolphin and birds it was lovely

Boat was terrific Captain did not annunciate clearly enough and didn't seem to know as much about the area as expected. SUGGESTION: Fees and Payments should be structured with the assumption you DON'T have a National Parks membership, but if you show you have one at check in, the adjustment is made then, rather than in reverse.

This was our first tour near the Everglades, and was a good introduction to the western shore area of the park. We saw osprey, dolphins, and other birds as we cruised around the islands before reaching the gulf. Leaving from Everglades City's Marjorie Stoneman Douglas visitor center, we had the chance to see the brand new visitor center. Highly recommend!

We had a wonderful tine on the 1.5 hour boat tour of the Everglades seeing the untouched beauty of 10,000 Islands. We saw Osprey with their young and the highlight was spitting and watching many dolphins.