Everglades Airboat, Wildlife Encounter & Roundtrip Bus from Miami
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Miami, USA
- 5 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Explore the Everglades during a scenic airboat ride that includes the chance to see local wildlife like alligators. Take off down the canal and enjoy opportunities to photograph wildlife in their natural habitat including soft-shelled turtles, birds, and both large and small alligators. Learn how these reptiles live in the swamps and the recovery they've made from the endangered species list.
- Explore the Everglades by airboat adventure
- See alligators up close in the Everglades
- Learn about alligators from your guide
- Keep your eyes peeled for other wildlife
What's Included
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Guided Airboat Tour with Priority Boarding
- Roundtrip bus transfer in motorcoach
- Wildlife encounter exhibits with over 50 rescued and adopted animals
- "Meet a Baby Alligator" Experience
- Free Group Photo at Everglades Park
- No additional fees
- Hotel pick-up and drop off
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting points
Select a meeting point
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Miami (Pass By)
1
Sawgrass Recreation Park
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Most travelers can participate
- Please arrive 15 minutes in advance of your chosen departure time.
- The journey to the Everglades takes between 45-60 minutes. Total tour duration is approximately 5 hours.
- Please inform us in advance if you have accessibility requirements (e.g. if you are a wheelchair user) so we are able to make arrangements to accommodate you comfortably.
- Spanish Everglades tour option includes Spanish on bus only. Everglades tour in English.
- We recommend bringing sunscreen, water, and wearing comfortable clothing to ensure a pleasant experience.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 400 travelers
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Frequently Asked Questions (4)
Q:How far away is the Everglades from Miami?
A:The Everglades Natural Park is approximately 50 mins. drive away from Miami in each direction.
Mar 2021
The answers provided are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Ian_S
It’s a great trip. 2 things, first, go in the morning, if you can. The last show is 5pm, so, if you are on the 2pm trip and have traffic issues on the way, you will be late for the boat trip, which has to get you back for 5, so is a shorter boat trip. Second, VIATOUR/Big Bus Tour, please note. We and most of our group were at the bus stop early. However your bus arrived, also early BUT there were no signs or announcements. We assumed your bus was a hop on hop off, as that is what it said on the start. If, when the bus arrived and announcement was made or a flag waved or a notice placed on the pavement we could probably have been off 10 minutes early.
Having said all that, once our driver, Rafiel got going, he was great. None stop chat, all the way there and all the way back. Knowledgeable and friendly everything possible was pointed out and we got there and back safely. Our boat driver (whose name escapes us) was also very good. Wrapped up like a yeti we saw alligators, egrets, sprays and various other critters. He was very good and manoeuvred the boat so people on both sides got close to the action. Finally the ‘show’ was very good, entertaining and informative. The guy was very knowledgeable and entertaining and at no point was there any concerns about the welfare of the alligators. Looking at their options, they were in a great place, and they knew it.
Very good value, strongly recommend it, thanks all.
Reviews
4.3
based on 2,127 reviews
MartinDavid_F, Apr 2026
From start to finish, my Everglades experience was absolutely amazing. The day began with a comfortable bus tour from the Bus Company, where our guide immediately set the tone with their friendly attitude and impressive knowledge. They shared fascinating facts and stories throughout the journey, making the ride feel easy, relaxing, and far shorter than expected.
Once we arrived at the Everglades, the adventure truly came to life. With the help of our guide, we were lucky enough to spot crocodiles in their natural habitat—an unforgettable moment. There was also an engaging and informative talk about alligators, where we learned so much about these incredible creatures. The highlight for me was getting the chance to safely pet a baby alligator, which was both thrilling and surprisingly memorable.
Overall, it was a perfect half-day trip—well-organized, educational, and exciting from beginning to end. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone looking to explore the Everglades in a fun and accessible way.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Hello MartinDavid_F! We want to express our gratitude for your feedback. It brings us immense joy to hear that your experience in the Everglades was absolutely perfect from beginning to end. We're thrilled that you enjoyed your time with us in Miami, and we truly appreciate you sharing your experience here. We look forward to welcoming you back soon. Best wishes, Vlad from Big Bus Tours.
JULIE_C, Apr 2026
So fun and informative! The ride was like nothing else I've been on and we got to see all kinds of wildlife besides alligators. Highly recommend!
Joe_C, Apr 2026
First problem was my fault. I was supposed to book Everglades Holiday Park. This tour looked amazing.
First, the afternoon tour was overbooked by one so the tour started by listening to an argument between a family that flew in from another country and one of the big red bus staff. Big red bus staff was trying to reschedule the family off because the tour was overbooked.
Next, after a long bus ride we got off the bus and realized I booked the wrong Everglade tour. We were rushed to the area for a short presentation where I thought I would learn something about alligators (I didn’t). There was about 4 In closures that looked like they had other things in them but we didn’t have time to look because we were rushed to the airboat. Air boat, best part of the tour. After the airboat we were rushed back onto the bus for a long ride back.
Very rushed, not much to se for the length of the ride, missed out on learning much about the alligators.
OleChristianB_B, Apr 2026
we were picked up 45 minutes after the scheduled time and had to wait another 35 minutes before we could drive the tour into the swamp. this resulted in us not being able to do all the activities scheduled on the tour such as the crocodile show, walk to see the animals and time to eat. Since we where scheduled back at original time, lost time was not compensated and the tour was significantly shorter than planned. When we where going back, the bus driver was again 15 min late with all the people waiting in the sun. The boatride itself was good, but total feeling is that it was wasted money
Maria_P, Apr 2026
It was overall nice but I booked it in Spanish since my partner does not speak English, but it ended up being a 100% in English with no Spanish option.
Jill_C, Apr 2026
Family owned and operated. Great tour guided trip. Loved the alligator show and the ride through the everglades. Gift shop was so reasonably priced
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Hi Jill_C,
Thank you for your feedback! We are pleased to know that our staff provided you a great experience! We focus on continuous training for our team to guarantee you receive excellent service. We can't wait to have you back on one of our buses again! Best wishes. Cristian T, Big Bus Tours
Laurel_S, Mar 2026
Good guides. Very pleasant out on the water, but don’t expect to necessarily see a bunch of alligators since they are in their natural environment and have the choice on whether or not to be seen.
Amy_R, Mar 2026
Captain Andrew was smart and funny and the alligator presentation was very informative. Everyone seemed passionate about what they do. This was well worth t he money.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Hi Amy_R. We wish to thank you for your feedback. We are glad to hear that your Everglades tour was amazing, thanks to Andrew, who was both funny and insightful. We hope to have you back soon. Best, Vlad from Big Bus Tours.
Babak_D, Mar 2026
This was a great, family friendly tour. Rafael, our tour guide, was very enthusiastic and helpful. Highly recommended.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Hi Babak_D. We wish to thank you for your feedback. We are glad to hear that your experience had with us in Miami was great. We are delighted to learn the tour was family friendly, and that Rafael provided the right energy for an unforgettable experience. We hope to have you back soon. Best, Vlad from Big Bus Tours.
Lynda_S, Mar 2026
Very good experience! Boat captain Jack was very knowledgeable and funny.. even the host of the alligator exhibit was very funny and wise.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Hi Lynda_S. We wish to thank you for your feedback. We are glad to hear that your Miami tour was great, and that captain Jack enhanced your time spent with us, thanks to the insights shared, and the fun energy provided. We hope to have you back soon. Best, Vlad from Big Bus Tours.
Dena_D, Mar 2026
That it's a waste of money we seen 4 alligators in the water for almost 300 dollars the tour guide was very polite and knowledgeable
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Hi Dena_D. We wish to thank you for your feedback. We are sorry to hear that the tour in Miami was not as expected, due to the lack of wildlife. Indeed, depending on the season, the park can be more or less populated. However, we are glad that our guide could enhance the time had with us, thanks to the provided insights. We hope to have you back soon. Best, Vlad from Big Bus Tours.
Kayla_D, Mar 2026
Well run experience! Bus driver shared a lot of local facts to and from the park. Boat captain put us on gators and made it a fun, memorable experience.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Hi Kayla_D. We wish to thank you for your feedback. We are glad to hear that you enjoyed the tour in Miami, and that our staff enhanced your experience. We hope to have you back soon. Best, Vlad from Big Bus Tours.
Garrett_K, Mar 2026
They should change their cancellation policy. We saw weather coming and tried to cancel. They charge a 100% cancellation fee for cancellation within 24 hours. We went on the bus ride to the Everglades taking a chance and they cancelled on us due to weather so we still didn’t get to go. Contacted Viator to get our money back. If they allowed us to cancel for impending wether we could have better utilized our time rather than sitting in a bus for three hours.
Matteo_A, Mar 2026
Great experience but better be very prepared if cold/rainy/windy.
With good weather the experience would be 10/10
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Hi Matteo. Thank you for your review. We are happy to hear that you had a great experience. We hope to see you soon! Ana from Big Bus Tours.
Carla_G, Mar 2026
We saw a couple of alligators and learned about them and their eating habits during the show. I would go back.
Kimberly_L, Mar 2026
This was a great tour... the airboat ride was awesome! Our guide Ronet was friendly and fun, adding facts to the ride through town and to the Everglades to make it fun. Highly recommend!
Elizabeth_C, Mar 2026
This was a bit of a bus ride, but worth it not only for the ride around the Swamp plants, but also the educational experience included afterward
David_C, Mar 2026
Our driver Ronat was great. Informative made the journey fun. The everglades Air Boats we enjoyed and saw alligators. So happy days
Xin_Q, Mar 2026
The tour organizer is professional and friendly. The vehicle was clean and air conditioned. The airboat trip part was also nice on a perfectly sunny morning, regardless of how many gators one’d see. There’s not much to do other than the airboat. It was at Sawgrass recreation park, so we were only shown a tiny bit of Everglades and there were no hiking trails etc where one could freely explore the nature with the remaining time, besides a tiny tiny zoo/conservation center which probably only took us 10 min to see everything.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Hi Xin! Thank you so much for your kind review. We're delighted to hear that the tour was both professional and friendly, and that you had a great experience on your Everglades tour. We can't wait to welcome you back soon! Warm regards, Ana from Big Bus Tours.
Michael_B, Mar 2026
The rec area we went to was 5 stars. The boat ride was great, saw all sorts of wildlife including 2 gators. Transportation there and back dragged the rating down. Communication was an issue the whole trip. I would suggest finding another company to transport you there.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Hello Michael! Thank you for your feedback. We're thrilled to know that you enjoyed the boat ride, and we truly value your comments regarding our communication. Looking forward to seeing you again soon! Best, Ana from Big Bus Tours.
Angela_L, Mar 2026
We enjoyed ourselves. The driver was nice, and the place was interesting. We learned a few things about alligators. The scenery was beautiful. We did not see alligators in the wild but that's nature being nature probably because of the noise of the boat.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Hello Angela! We appreciate your feedback. It's wonderful to know that you found the driver pleasant and enjoyed the views. Looking forward to seeing you again soon! Best, Ana from Big Bus Tours.
Michael_M, Mar 2026
It’s a fun trip - be aware the bus could take 1 to 1.5 hours to get to sawgrass from Miami Beach depending on traffic and their are several stops between Miami Beach and Miami
Dan_K, Mar 2026
Seeing an alligator in the wild was a highlight for us. The air boat was a fun way to travel and our captain was entertaining and informative. The exhibit area was ok as well.
jSparta1987, Mar 2026
The experience was really fun. The captain of the airboat was nice and made sure both sides of the boat got good views of the alligators. We saw 3 alligators in the wild. The petting zoo was fun as well.
The only downside was the bus. It was noisy, smelled like gas and condensation leaked from the air panels. The bus driver took forever to leave Miami. Although that part was not totally his fault as he had to deal with irate customers.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Hi jSparta1987, thank you for your honest review. We are happy that you had a positive experience overall. We regret that the bus trip was not up to your expectations. Rest assured your feedback has been passed along. We hope to have the chance to welcome you on another Big Bus Tour soon! Best, Denisa from Big Bus Tours
Nicola_F, Mar 2026
We really enjoyed this trip. The coach was comfortable and had air-con. The alligator show was interesting. The air-boat experience was awesome. Captain Nick was excellent with really informative commentary. We saw several alligators including one with a hump (Esmeralda), and lots of Osprey. The best bit was captain Nick speeding us around the Everglades. It was exhilarating!
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Hello Nicola! We appreciate your feedback. It's wonderful to know that you enjoyed our Everglades tour. We look forward to seeing you again soon! Best, Ana from Big Bus Tours.
John_M, Mar 2026
Great experience and highly recommend. We saw some great wildlife and the alligator show and zoo was great.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Hi John_M,
We appreciate your feedback! We're happy to know that you enjoyed your time during our tour! We prioritize ongoing training for our team to ensure you receive outstanding service. We hope to see you again on one of our buses in the future! Best wishes. Cristian T, Big Bus Tours
cara_f, Mar 2026
The tour its self was very good
However the bus travel was poor. The bus broke down and everyone on the bus was left out in the rain standing for over 30 minutes. When a new bus came It didn’t have enough seats for everyone leaving people standing and crammed for the remained of bus journey
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Hi cara_f,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us! We are very sorry that this incident happened. We understand that it created frustration.In such cases, please do not hesitate to contact us via our webform on the website or live chat, so we can offer you a solution. Our dedicated team is available 24/7 for you! We really hope that you will consider giving us another try in the future! Best wishes. Cristian T, Big Bus Tours
Barbara_B, Mar 2026
It takes more than 4 hours due to traffic. It's a nice adventure - encounter with wildlife and pretty high speed:)
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Hi Barbara_B,
Thank you for your feedback! We apologize for the delays created by the traffic, but we're glad to know that you had fun! We hope that we will see you again riding with us in the future! Best wishes. Cristian T, Big Bus Tours
Keith_O, Mar 2026
We got to the bus on time for the excursion only to be told that the excursion was cancelled. No notification. We paid for a lyft from our hotel and then had to pay for a Lyft back to the hotel with no excursion. Not only disappointing but unprofessional. In the days of technology there is no excuse that a text or email could have been sent out as soon as you knew. Now we have to deal with getting a credit.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Hi Keith_O,
Thank you for your feedback! We apologize for this situation, as we understand why it created frustration. In such cases, please do not hesitate to contact us via our webform on the website or live chat, so we can offer you a solution. Our dedicated team is available 24/7 for you! Best wishes. Cristian T, Big Bus Tours
Joshua_R, Mar 2026
An all around great way to experience part of the Everglades environment, from the bus ride from South Beach to the Fan boat ride and the gator show. Everyone was superb especially Willie our bus driver, he was professional and courteous and helpful. He pointed out points of interest along the way. Our fan boat driver also had a lot of knowledge and was very good at pointing out the gators and other wildlife of the Everglades. The entire trip only took about a half a day about 5 hours, 8:30am - 1:30pm. Definitely recommend this trip if you are in a hurry don’t want to drive from Miami and can’t spend a lot of time but still want a good Everglades experience.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Hi Joshua_R,
Thank you for taking your time to write your feedback! We truly appreciate your kind words and are delighted to hear that you were pleased with the service from our team. We offer regular training to our staff, to make sure you always receive a 5* service. We hope to see you again in the future! Best wishes. Cristian T, Big Bus Tours
From $49.80
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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