Everglades Day Safari from Fort Myers/Naples Area

Recommended by 94% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Fort Myers, USA

Great choice

10+ bookings last month.

9 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.7

· Cynthia_G ·

Feb 2026

Extemely fun. Beautiful walk thru Crew Preserve seeing a lot of birds. Our guide Jacob was so knowledgeable. Airboat ride fun and boat ride thru mangroves drew lots of dolphins around us. Very enjoyable trip.

· susankimurayahoocom ·

Feb 2026

Our guide and the other guests were great birders and that made the trip more interesting. We saw so many birds, including some rare ones. And I never expected to see so many alligators! It was a very well-organized and nicely-paced trip. Recommend it!

Explore our promoted experiences

Fort Myers, Florida

Shelling on Cayo Costa and Lunch at Cabbage Key

from $725

Cayo Costa 6 Hour Shelling Adventure

from $725

Bonita Springs Eco Kayak Tour – Best Gear, Premium&Clear Kayaks

from $65

Viator earns higher commissions on experiences featured here

Overview

Discover Florida’s wild Everglades on an exciting full-day tour from the Greater Fort Myers area. Travel by airboat deep into the secluded Western Everglades, explore Big Cypress National Preserve by van and foot, and take a leisurely cruise through a mangrove forest. Enjoy commentary from your naturalist guide as you spot manatees, dolphins, and native birds and lunch .

Full-day Everglades adventure from the Greater Fort Myers area
Take a thrilling airboat ride through the Western Everglades
See wildlife on a van tour through Big Cypress National Preserve and a nature walk through an ancient cypress forest
Relax on a boat cruise through the mangrove forest of Everglades National Park
Your expert naturalist guide provides interesting commentary and answer any questions you have
Small-group tour limited to 9 people ensures a more personalized experience

What's Included

Transport by air-conditioned 13-passenger van
Hotel pickup and drop-off (Only Select Hotels)
Expert naturalist or biologist guide
1-hour airboat ride
1-hour boat cruise
Narrated van tour
Lunch

Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to your preferred meeting point, or request pickup.

Pickup point

Embassy Suites by Hilton Fort Myers Estero
10450 Corkscrew Commons Drive, Estero, FL 33928

Meeting points

Select a meeting point

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Operating hours
.7:30 am

Itinerary

Your full-day Everglades adventure begins with morning pickup from select hotels in the Greater Fort Myers area. Meet your naturalist guide and enjoy the ride in the Western Everglades. Here, board a small airboat and set off on an educational ride. Zip through narrow swamp passages and get close to native wildlife.

Next, hop back in the transit van for a tour of Big Cypress National Preserve. Your expert guide’s commentary makes this an unforgettable wildlife-spotting expedition. Skirt through fields of sawgrass and stretch your legs with a walk along cypress-lined trails. See some of the area’s native animals including alligators, turtles, otters, wild pigs, panthers, and variety of waterfowl.

After your walking tour, take a break for some lunch. Feast on unique local cuisine, and then head back to the water for a boat cruise through a majestic mangrove forest. Wind through some of the Everglades 10,000 islands and search for friendly water creatures like manatees, sea turtles, and dolphins. Throughout the trip, learn about the Everglades’ unique ecosystem and conservationist efforts to preserve it.

Your tour concludes with afternoon drop-off at your starting point.

Please note: if your hotel is not on the list provided then pickup will be at one of the three main pickups - Hampton Inn Fort Myers Beach Gateway (11281 Summerlin Square Drive, Fort Myers), Perkins Restaurant (14801 South Tamiami Trail, Fort Myers) or Embassy Suites (10450 Corkscrew Commons Drive, Estero)

Airboats & Alligators

1 hour 10 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Big Cypress National Preserve

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Island Cafe

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Smallwood Store Boat Tour

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Smallwood Store

25 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Minimum age is 6 years old
Hat, sunscreen and sunglasses are recommended
Wheelchair accessible
Strollers are not permitted
Please note: if your hotel is not on the list provided then pickup will be at the Perkins Restaurant, 14801 South Tamiami Trail, Fort Myers, FL 33908 at 7:35 am

Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 9 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)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

BarbandTom_K

All parts of the safari were great. Loved seeing the baby alligators on the airboat ride. Our host, Mark Hamilton Quinn, was great. He had great stories and was very knowledgeable. I’d recommend this trip to anyone.

Reviews

4.7

based on 340 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Worth every penny!

Brianna_B, Mar 2026

We had a wonderful time from start to finish! Our guide Rachel was very knowledgeable and friendly. The trip is well organized and a very reasonable price for all that is offered (pickup from hotel, lunch, park walk, two boat rides, and transport back). 10/10 recommend!

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Fantastic! Thank you for the 5-star review and the 10/10! Rachel is an incredible guide and I'm glad you appreciated what she contributes to the tour.

Enjoyable day

Ann_G, Mar 2026

Both the boat ride and the airboat tours were good, although a little pricey. I’ve been to Florida many times. I’ve NEVER seen so many wild alligators in one area. They were everywhere! Tons of birds. Our tour guide Mo was very knowledgeable. We’ve been on many day long tours all across the world. Almost all bring water for their guests. I’d suggest that. All in all, this tour was a 4 out of 5 and worthwhile.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you for your review and for joining us! We’re glad you enjoyed the wildlife—seeing that many alligators in one area is always an unforgettable experience 🐊—and that Mo’s knowledge helped make the day even better. We appreciate your suggestion regarding water. As part of our commitment to reducing single-use plastics, we encourage guests to bring reusable water bottles for the day. We communicate this in advance so everyone can stay comfortable while also minimizing environmental impact. Thank you again for traveling with us—we’re glad you found the tour worthwhile and hope to see you again in the future! 🌿

Slice of heaven

Jennifer_P, Mar 2026

What an incredible day. Our guide Rachel was full of information. We got a great flavor of the Everglades and would do this trip again.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you for the great 5-star review! We’re so glad you had an incredible day and got a true feel for the Everglades. Rachel will be happy to hear your kind words—she loves sharing her knowledge of the area.

Super fun!

Linda_E, Mar 2026

Very fun. Great tour guides. Very knowledgeable about the birds and animals. Saw lots of alligators and a huge variety of birds.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Fantastic. That's what we are all about!

Very educational, our...

Diane_A, Mar 2026

Very educational, our guide was very knowledgeable and entertaining. Best if you plan on bringing snacks and water to make it through the day especially if you have children. Would definitely do it again.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you for the kind review! We’re glad you enjoyed the experience and that your guide made the day both educational and entertaining. Just to clarify for future guests reading this, a full lunch is included on our tour and is typically more than enough for most people. That said, bringing extra snacks and water—especially when traveling with children—is always a great idea for a long day of exploring the Everglades. We truly appreciate you joining us and hope to see you again on another adventure!

Great tour with multiple activities for all ages.

Susanne_P, Feb 2026

Wonderful tour. It was a long day but broken into parts making it very enjoyable. I enjoyed every part of the trip learning about Florida landscape, birds and animals, both land and sea. The lunch had a very good selection of food of which I could have chosen a couple of different options. Really enjoyed and would recommend for all ages.

Everglades and more

Cynthia_G, Feb 2026

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Thank you for the great 5-star review! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ We’re so happy to hear you had such a fun and enjoyable day exploring the Everglades. The walk through CREW Preserve is always a special experience—especially when the birds are active 🐦🌿 Jacob is an excellent guide, and we’re glad his knowledge helped make the day even better. Airboats, mangroves, and dolphins all around the boat 🐊🚤🐬—sounds like an unforgettable adventure. Thanks again for joining us, and we hope to see you back out there again!

Great Well-Organized Day Trip

susankimurayahoocom, Feb 2026

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Thank you so much for the 5-star review! 🌟 We’re glad you had such a great group—having fellow birders along really does elevate the experience. It sounds like the Everglades delivered in a big way with both birds and alligators! We’re also glad you appreciated the pacing and organization of the trip—that balance is something we work hard to get right. Thanks again for the recommendation, and we’d love to have you back out in the wild with us anytime.

A Big Day for a Big Year 🐊

Amy_S, Jan 2026

It was a great day!!!! So many birds, it honestly felt unreal. Rachel was fun and knowledgeable, and you won’t be disappointed.

Fun day in the Everglades

Penney_M, Dec 2025

This trip is outstanding! Our guide Mo was very knowledgeable. Both boat captains Fred and Dave were outstanding.

Worth Every Penny

David_V, Dec 2025

This full day adventure is worth every penny. Pete, who is the owner, was amazing. Every activity was well timed and executed. The nature walk was very informative, the air boat ride was incredible. We saw hundreds of birds and dozens of alligators. Lunch was delicious and Pete called in the order ahead of time. The boat ride through the ten thousand islands was so enjoyable. We had dolphins jumping out of the water and following the wake of the small boat for a long time. We also saw an island with hundreds of white pelicans. We truly can't say enough about how professional and knowledgeable Pete was. We also want to thank Emily. Emily was being trained by Pete this particular day. Thanks for a great time.

Response from Host, Dec 2025

Thank you for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful review. I’m glad to hear the full-day tour came together well and that you enjoyed each part of the experience, from the nature walk and airboat ride to lunch and the Ten Thousand Islands boat cruise. Wildlife days like that — dolphins following the boat, large pelican roosts, and plenty of birds and alligators — are always special, and I’m happy you were able to see the Everglades at its best. I also appreciate you mentioning Emily. She’s been doing great during her training, and your feedback is encouraging. Thanks again for joining us and for sharing your experience.

Everglades Day Safari

BarbandTom_K, Sep 2025

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Thank you for the 5-star review! We're so glad you enjoyed every part of the safari and got to see the baby alligators on the airboat ride — that’s always a highlight. Mark will be thrilled to hear your praise; he loves sharing his stories and knowledge. We truly appreciate your recommendation.

Awesome experience! I...

Cathy_M, May 2025

Awesome experience! I love that it was a small group (6 people). Our guide Pete was just fantastic. So friendly and knowledgeable about everything. We saw tons of wildlife- birds, gators, dolphins, butterflies - and cool trees and flowers. Both boat rides were really fun and lunch was delicious. It really was a great adventure and I highly recommend it.

Heidi is so fun and so...

Kari_S, May 2025

Heidi is so fun and so knowledgeable and passionate about the parks and the animals. Such an amazing experience!

Great trip! Pete was...

John_G, Mar 2025

Great trip! Pete was fantastic, very knowledgeable, funny and just a great tour guide! Saw some fantastic birds and flora on hour hike. The boat tour into the mangroves was amazing, dolphins swam in our wake. The fan boat tour topped off a great day! We had to see over 150 alligators some within as close as five feet. Thanks!!

Fun and informative.

CATHY_B, Mar 2025

It was very informative. The fact that you had a walk, boat ride and an airboat ride made it a good day since you got a bit of everything. Each guide had a good personality and made it enjoyable.

Worth every penny and much more!

Fred_S, Feb 2025

What a wonderful time! Heidi, our guide was very knowledgeable, friendly and has a great sense of humor. We got to see a wide variety of wildlife (birds, alligators, turtles, dolphins), as well as see the incredible Florida Everglades. This was a full day of non-stop fun. Thank you very much for a wonderful time!

Great experience!

Christina_S, Feb 2025

The guide was extremely knowledgeable and helpful in pointing out different wildlife. She also did a great job of teaching us on the ecosystem. The boat ride through the Everglades was also vey interesting and Christian had great stories. We saw so many gators on the fan boat and were close enough that we could have grabbed one! Highly recommend this tour-it’s well worth the price

A tour to remember

Hannah_K, Jul 2024

An awesome Trip! Our guide Addison was so kind and knowledgeable and showed us a lot of animals we didn't even realize when walking by. Lunch was good, a lot of dishes to choose from. The air boat trip was a real adventure through the wilderness and the captain showed us some Alligator nests, one with the mother Alligator nearby. The secpnd boat trip was the highlight with dolphins playing in the waves of our boat. The captain was fantastic! A great way to get to know the Everglades and a lifetime memory!

Great boat operators and easy coordination for a day in the everglades- trust but verify the facts shared by the driver

STEPHANIE_S, Apr 2024

The boat operators were great and having that coordination was invaluable. The tour driver, Mark, was tricky sharing verifiably incorrect information - -Florida has more cattle than Texas -Texas is the largest cattle state in the US (see USDA) -We might see a red wolf today- The red wolf is one of the most endangered wolves and is listed as extirpated in most of its historic range. The only "wild" population is in NC (see USFWS) Finally his conversation style would often over talk the guests and his constant mentioning of his impending move to Africa became almost a point of ridicule to the group as well as with other tour groups.

A Lot of Shortcomings

Susan_B, Mar 2024

The safari was disappointing. Way too much time spent in a van! I had a backache for 2 days. The “nature hike” was a 10 minute walk in a public park (seriously?) and a lot of time spent there on a lookout site staring at mangroves. Lunch was at a very tired diner/restaurant where there was a lot of chaos and the food was mediocre at best. The 2 boat rides were the highlight of the day - if only to get out of that blasted van! Our guide, Mark, was very knowledgeable and accommodating. If they were to consolidate the proximity of the activities, rework their nature hike into somewhere more interesting, and for the love of God, pick a different restaurant, this excursion would be a whole lot better and worth the admission price.

This is our second time...

Judith_F, Mar 2024

This is our second time with this particular tour. Both trips were excellent and we plan to do it again soon with sons’ families.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

I really appreciate you returning for another tour. It means a great deal that you enjoyed it so much you came back again! Thank you for the 5-stars!

DO not recommend

Paige_M, Feb 2024

IF you are a person that makes mistakes, please do not book with this company. I was booking an event for me and my husband's honeymoon. Unfortunately, I booked this event on the week of my wedding, 2/19 at noon, and had a lot going on. I booked the date for 2/20 when it was supposed to be for 3/20. So, in reality I had less than 24 hours to realize the mistake I made. I woke up the next morning with a notification stating my event was about to start. Freaking out I reached out to guy that text me the day before and he said there was nothing he could do. Then I reached out to the company I booked though (Viator), and they were not able to reschedule or give a refund. $450 is a lot of money to us and couldn't understand how we were not able to get a partial refund, refund, or move the date. Extremely frustrating and extremely disappointing that we will not be able to gain this experience on our honeymoon. So again, IF you are human and make mistakes, please DO NOT book through this company because they have zero desire to help make things right.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Hi Paige, A few points of clarification - I understand that mistakes happen and we always do our best to help our guests. When you reached out to Everglades Day Safari on the morning of the tour that you scheduled (2/20) and asked to reschedule or get a refund, my reservationist said that there was nothing that he could do because the tour was booked through Viator. The payment was made through Viator and they have a 24 hour cancellation policy. Everglades Day Safari did not collect your money and cannot provide a refund. I understand you were frustrated but instead of reaching out to me - the owner of the company, you submitted surveys and reviews of my company, blasting us and saying terrible things about my staff and guides despite never even going on the tour. When we finally did speak and I agreed to ask Viator to refund your tour I asked you not to write a bad review on Viator because I've been down that road in the past where we try to make things right and the aggravated guest just tees off anyway. And what do you know - you got your way - and you gave us a one star review. But that's ok. I'd like to think it says more about a person that booked a tour, didn't read the confirmation and took it out on a company and their staff for the guest's mistake than the company itself. The rest of our excellent reviews speak for themselves.

Very enjoyable day. Mark...

Elizabeth_B, Feb 2024

Very enjoyable day. Mark was a great guide. We love the birding and wildlife experience. If you are in the area I recommend this tour.

Everglade adventures 2024

Ella_H, Jan 2024

Our guide for the day Mark was awesome and very informative. Both boat captains were very skilled and provided excellent information about the areas we were in.

Would be 5 stars, but giving it 3 because of back-busting airboat ride

Rena_F, Jan 2024

Would have given 5 stars if the airboat ride wasn’t so uncomfortable, noisy and rough. Much of this trip was great, the arrangements were smooth and the day was fun. Heidi was a terrific and knowledgeable guide, the birds were many and beautiful, the gators memorable, and the first boatride caught a dolphin swimming in our wake, which was playful and lovely. But the airboat as late, and the rough bumpy fast ride over the lake gave my partner and me serious backaches today ( we are “moderately fit”, as Viator requests, and have been in many kinds of boats all over the world). Upshot: don’t do this ride if you’re over 50 or have back problems as you might be injured. This should be stated in the advertisement for this trip. It was also incredibly noisy even with headsets to muffle the noise, and disturbed the wildlife. But clearly warning folks about this piece would take care of the problem, the rest was great.

Fantastic adventure!

Yolande_H, Jan 2024

Mark Hamilton Quinn was our superbly knowledgeable and experienced guide and “David Attenborough of The Everglades”. His extensive worldwide knowledge about animals and botany was only exceeded by his kindness, wit and great sense of humour.

Awesome day experience!

Debra_C, Nov 2023

Our guide, Mark, was very knowledgeable about the area and the wildlife. He went out of his way to try to find birds and animals for us to see.

Bad start, but great excursion.

Steven_C, Oct 2023

Unfortunately Viator sent us to the wrong pick up point. I had to contact the Owner of the safari to ask why no one was there to pick us up. That is how I found that we were not expected to be at that pick up point, but at a different one 20 minutes away. The ticket Viator sent us was wrong. Fortunately he called the van driver and he waited for us. The safari itself was great. The guide was extremely knowledgeable and was able to give us information about all aspects of what we were seeing. The airboat ride was incredible, and the boat ride at the end was fantastic. The walk through the forest was also very informative. Lunch was decent. I would highly recommend this excursion, but be wary of anything from Viator.

Your was okay could have been better for price quoted.

reenav210, Oct 2023

Itinerary took all day and more than 1/3 of it was spent driving. Managed to minimally encounter about 3-4 alligators. Tour around the Everglades was okay. Airboat experience was fine, driver was good. Part that didn’t appeal to me much was driving thru tall blades of grass (causing all the bugs/mosquitoes to swarm over all of us) and stopping over it. Yeah that was no fun. I highly recommend that you wear long sleeves, hat/visor, and looser pants of some sort. Mosquitoes can still bit thru leggings/skin tight clothing. The lunch spot/menu was good. It was good they offered to take our order in advance to avoid waiting. Blackened fish sandwich was yummy. Part of the tour I least enjoyed was the walk thru the forest. It was hot and we just became an open buffet for mosquitoes. Long sleeves/pants highly recommended + spray bug spray even over your clothes to deter bugs from even coming close to you. We closed off the tour with a boat ride to spot dolphins and manatees. Didn’t see any manatees but spotted the fin of a dolphin. The boat ride/driver itself was good, smooth, and the highlight of that leg. Boat Guide knew that part of the Everglades like the back of his hand and knew practically where all the sandbars were and avoided getting trapped. Our primary tour guide was very knowledgeable about the Everglades, the different animals that inhabited the area. Pointed out so many different animals (many of which he did while he was driving at least 40-50 mph). By the time we tried to spot the animal - we passed it already so didn’t spot many of the ones he pointed out. He had alot of humor so it kept the chit chat more lighthearted during the drives.