Everglades Day Safari from Ft Lauderdale

Recommended by 97% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Fort Lauderdale, USA

Great choice

10+ bookings last month.

10 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.8

· GERALDINE_L ·

Feb 2026

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.

· Jodie_R ·

Mar 2026

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!

· Linda_S ·

Jan 2026

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.

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Overview

Escape to the wilderness of Florida's Everglades on this guided, full-day adventure from Fort Lauderdale. This exciting small-group tour includes an airboat ride through Everglades National Park, a drive through Big Cypress National Preserve, a nature walk through a cypress forest, and a scenic boat ride through Everglades National Park in search of a variety of wildlife.

A perfect choice for nature lovers who want to see the Everglades
Relax on a boat cruise through the mangrove forest of Everglades National Park
Your expert naturalist guide provides interesting commentary
Small-group tour ensures a more personalized experience

What's Included

Transport by air-conditioned 13-passenger van
Pickup and drop-off from select locations
Expert naturalist or biologist guide
Airboat Ride
Mangrove Wilderness Boat Cruise
Lunch
Nature Walk
Wildlife Drive

Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting points

Select a meeting point

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Operating hours
.7:15 am

Itinerary

After a morning hotel pickup in the Fort Lauderdale area, it’s off to one of the most beautiful and unique places on earth—the Florida Everglades.

On this naturalist-guided excursion, begin with a spectacular airboat ride over and through the sawgrass prairies and pond apple forests of the Everglades. Then hop in a van for a wildlife drive through the pine savannahs and cypress forests of Big Cypress National Preserve. Look for alligators, turtles, and birds and keep an eye out for the elusive Florida panther. Next, enjoy a nature walk below towering bald cypress trees. Alligators, herons, egrets and dozens of other species can be spotted at any time throughout the year here. Also, less visible but ever-present otters, bears, pigs, deer, and panthers roam the local wilderness.

After lunch, which includes alligator appetizers, hop on board a scenic boat ride into the Ten Thousand Islands mangrove forest in Everglades National Park. This relaxing cruise features manatees, sea turtles, osprey and a variety of other marine life, including the occasional pod of dolphins feeding in the nearby bay.

The tour concludes with a relaxing return trip to the Fort Lauderdale area.

Notice: If hotel is not on the pickup list, meet at Flamingo Gardens in Davie, Fla.

Everglades Day Safari

4 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Miccosukee Indian Village

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Big Cypress National Preserve

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Triad Seafood Market & Cafe

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Smallwood Store

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Everglades National Park

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions

Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Minimum age is 6 years old
Hat, sunscreen and sunglasses are recommended
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 13 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

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Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Jodie_R

Reviews

4.8

based on 499 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Julio was a great guide

Gregory_G, Mar 2026

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.

Great day!

Jennifer_T, Mar 2026

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...

DavidJ_G, Mar 2026

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

This was a full day...

Jodie_R, Mar 2026

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you for the great 5-star review! We’re so glad you enjoyed the full-day Everglades experience. It’s great to hear that you had fun on the boat tours and were able to see plenty of wildlife and scenery along the way. The nature walk is one of our favorite parts of the day too—there’s always something new to discover out there. We’re also happy you enjoyed the history and insights from your guide, as well as the lunch. Thanks again for joining us, and we hope to see you back in the Everglades on another adventure!

Highly recommended tour.

GERALDINE_L, Feb 2026

Great day!

Alison_B, Feb 2026

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.

Awesome trip

Ashley_R, Feb 2026

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.

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Thanks for sharing such a great review! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ We’re happy to hear you had an excellent day and that Marc made the experience both engaging and informative. Dolphins cruising alongside the boat is always a special moment 🐬, and seeing 70+ alligators in one day is pretty incredible 🐊 Glad you enjoyed the lunch as well and everything the tour had to offer. We appreciate you joining us and hope to have you back out in the Everglades again! 🌿

Excellent Ecotour

Michael_H, Feb 2026

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.

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Thank you for the fantastic 5-star review! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ We’re so glad you enjoyed discovering the lowlands of Florida and experiencing so many different sides of the Everglades in one day. Marc is an excellent guide, and we’re happy to hear his knowledge added to your experience. From airboats and wildlife-filled channels to cypress forests, mangrove islands, and out to the Gulf, it sounds like a well-rounded adventure. We’re also glad you enjoyed the lunch and the small-group setting. Thank you for the strong recommendation, and we hope to see you again on another Everglades journey! 🌿

It was well worth the...

Roy_A, Feb 2026

It was well worth the time and the cost. Really enjoyed seeing nature and learning from our tour guide, Mark.

Gators Everywhere!

Lori_D, Feb 2026

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!

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Thank you so much for the 5-star review! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Julio is fantastic, and we’ll be sure to pass along your kind words 👏😊 We also appreciate the feedback about the airboat—great suggestions for going deeper into the marsh . We are often restricted by water level and do the best we can!

All inclusive

Cindy_B, Jan 2026

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.

Amazing adventure

Linda_S, Jan 2026

very fun and fulfilling, we learned so much in a short time

Carolyn_T, Dec 2025

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!

Response from Host, Dec 2025

The alligator eating the python was probably the highlight of the year! Glad you got to witness it. Very cool. Thanks for the feedback and the 5-star review!

Fantastic tour!

nynhsky26, Nov 2025

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!

Long van ride. Stopped...

andrea_k, Sep 2025

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.

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Thank you so much for the 5-star review! We're glad you enjoyed the journey, the wildlife stops, and the chance to experience different parts of the Everglades. It's a long ride but well worth it to get to the last great wilderness in th Eastern US! Our guides love sharing their knowledge and passion for conservation, so it’s great to hear that came through. We’re also happy the lunch hit the spot with plenty of options. We appreciate you joining us and hope to see you again on another adventure!

Can not get a better tour then this for the money. Insanely cool

Zachary_D, Apr 2025

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!

Response from Host, Apr 2025

Thank you so much for the wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear you had such a fun experience and that you got to see so much wildlife—what an amazing bonus to spot manatees on the way back! Julio will be so happy to hear your kind words; he’s passionate about ensuring every guest has a relaxed, educational, and unforgettable adventure. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to see you again for another Everglades excursion!

See Gators , a lot of them . Oh and dolphins too

Adam_B, Apr 2025

Amazing way to see Florida wildlife . Saw 70+ gators in the wild . Saw dolphins on the 2nd boat tour . Was awesome

Great day in the Everglades.

Randy_E, Apr 2025

It was a great day. Reza our guide was very knowledgeable and personable. The activities were fantastic. Saw all kinds of wildlife.

Amazing and Memorable

Sandy_s, Mar 2025

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.

Awesome wildlife excursion

Sara_R, Mar 2025

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!

Great day in the glades

Kimberly_M, Mar 2025

Wonderful day, knowledgeable guides, fun, informative, beautiful - birds, alligators, fish, airboat ride, our second time on this tour.

The best day in Florida

Robert_M, Mar 2025

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.

One heck of an day trip

Richard_G, Feb 2025

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.

Response from Host, Feb 2025

Thank you so much for your fantastic review! We’re thrilled to hear that you had an amazing trip and that Julio made your adventure so memorable. He truly loves what he does, and we’ll be sure to pass along your kind words! It means the world to us that you would recommend our tour to others visiting Florida. We hope to welcome you back for another unforgettable experience soon! Safe travels and thanks again!

February 2025

Carol_D, Feb 2025

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.

Alligator Parade

James_L, Feb 2025

The most magical adventure of my lifetime. An absolute must for people looking for something different and exciting.

Fabulous Everglades trip

John_D, Feb 2025

Wow! What a great day! Reza our guide for the day was great, he really looked after everyone and provided some really interesting facts about the Everglades, animals and the history. We saw so many Gators! 4 on the airboat ride alone and one so close you could have touched it, if you were mad! Lots more throughout the day. Reza explained the 3 different habitats, sea of grass, cypress forest and mangrove. We had time at each to see the wildlife The boat ride in the mangroves was so good, we saw a pod or two of dolphins about 6 or 7 in total and when two rode the wake of the boat it was brilliant, again they were so close. Like I said a fabulous day! Ps lunch was good too!

Great Day!

Myrtle, Feb 2025

Mark was a fabulous guide and the tour and both boat rides were fabulous. Smaller tour allowed Mark to interact with all of us and answer everyone’s questions.

A Panther, a bird, and a Shuttle Van. Ie the lion, the witch and a wardrobe. CS Lewis

Robert_P, Jan 2025

Very informative and Reza went over and above for us. Patience and kind. Knowledgeable and easy to understand.

Fantistic tour - highly recommend

Michael_L, Jan 2025

This was a fantastic tour. We started in Fort Lauderdale. Our guide was Reza. He was full of great information and very dynamic. We had an airboat tour in the Everglades, which was great. We saw alligators and plenty of bird species throuhout the day. We drove west through the everglades. Stopped for a quick lunch and the another boat tour in the ten thousand islands area. We were able to get up close with the dolphins. Captain Dave was an expert. Highly recommend this tour. We had a great time.

Response from Host, Jan 2025

Thank you for the great feedback, Michael. We appreciate hearing from our guests, and I'm glad you enjoyed your tour with Reza. He does an amazing job.

Amazing tour because of Marc!

Adrienne_G, Jan 2025

Marc was absolutely amazing! He is so knowledgeable and friendly. Having lived in Florida for three years he shared information that was new to me. Highly recommend.