Manatee Snorkeling Adventure Tour with Lunch & Hotel Pickup
Recommended by 93% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Orlando, USA
- 8 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Spend a day with central Florida’s manatees on this small-group river cruise and wildlife park adventure. Begin with a boat ride on the Crystal River. Snorkel near these gentle giants, then enjoy the afternoon at Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. This is one of the best places in the state to watch manatees, as well as other animals in their natural environment. An airboat tour on the Withlacoochee River is also included on select days.
- This small-group tour helps keep your sightseeing personal
- Get up close and personal with manatees and other wildlife
- Snorkeling equipment, picnic lunch, and more are included
- Round-trip transit from Orlando makes getting there easy
What's Included
- Driver/guide
- Pickup and drop-off from designated hotels
- Use of snorkel equipment, mask & snorkel
- River cruise to look for the manatees
- Admission into Homosassa State Park
- Airboat Ride on Tuesday and Thursday tours
- Picnic Lunch
- Gratuities
- BreakfastBring your breakfast with you to enjoy on the transport vehicle if you wish.
- Airboat Ride on Fridays & Saturdays - tour is priced lower
- Wetsuits must be hired$15.00 per person
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Operating hours.7:00 am
Itinerary
Meet the guide and the rest of the tour group on a pickup from select locations.
Then, head to Crystal River, a gem of Florida's coast and home to one of the world's largest populations of endangered manatees. Board a boat for the cruise through the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge where you can keep an eye out for manatees in their natural habitat. You can also swim or snorkel in the water if you choose to do so.
Your next stop is at the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, and your admission ticket is included for you to make things easy. Take time to walk around the park in search of wildlife and, of course, manatees. See the manatees in the park's underwater viewing chamber. Enjoy a picnic lunch while you're there.
The adventure continues in the afternoon (if option selected) with an airboat tour along the Withlacoochee River. Keep an eye out for manatees, dolphins, and a variety of other wildlife.
Finally, return to Orlando after a fun day out.
Then, head to Crystal River, a gem of Florida's coast and home to one of the world's largest populations of endangered manatees. Board a boat for the cruise through the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge where you can keep an eye out for manatees in their natural habitat. You can also swim or snorkel in the water if you choose to do so.
Your next stop is at the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, and your admission ticket is included for you to make things easy. Take time to walk around the park in search of wildlife and, of course, manatees. See the manatees in the park's underwater viewing chamber. Enjoy a picnic lunch while you're there.
The adventure continues in the afternoon (if option selected) with an airboat tour along the Withlacoochee River. Keep an eye out for manatees, dolphins, and a variety of other wildlife.
Finally, return to Orlando after a fun day out.
1
Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge
Admission Ticket Free
2
Crystal River
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
3
Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
4
Withlacoochee River
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Infants must sit on laps
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- A small amount of walking is involved at your leisure through the State Park
- 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
Featured review
Lucinda_M
I had a lovely day and everyone was so lovely. Highly recommend this experience and stepping away from the parks.
I'm gutted as forgot the name of my tour guide for this trip. He was lovely, Knowledgeable and deserves recognition.
Thank you 😊
Reviews
4.7
based on 264 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Emma_s, Jul 2026
An amazing experience, we were lucky to see 2 manatees during our swim, onto the wildlife park where we saw more manatees close up. The airboat was amazing, we saw lots of wildlife during our trip. My only criticism was our guide talked non stop about himself all day and made it known that he wanted to get home so the day felt very rushed.
Amanda_C, Jul 2026
We took the 4th July trip to Crystal River & Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park tour with Gray Line Orlando, and despite heavy rain and electrical storms from mid-morning, it turned out to be a fantastic day thanks to our guide, Adam.
The swim itself was limited by lack of manatees at this time of year, and the need to get out the water with the lighting overhead, however Gina & Cpt Michael made sure we managed to get one great manatee sighting in during our experience.
Rather than letting the weather ruin the trip, Adam went above and beyond to keep the group entertained. He organised a great lunch from Publix, took us on an impromptu local tour, stopped at Monkey Island for drinks and ice cream, and even used AI to share the history and stories of the area while we waited for the weather to improve.
Once the storms passed, we were still able to visit the wildlife sanctuary. Throughout the day, Adam's enthusiasm, knowledge and genuine care for the group made all the difference. He kept everyone engaged, informed and connected from pick-up to drop-off.
Adam is a real credit to Gray Line Orlando. We have another tour booked next week and are hoping he's our guide again. Highly recommended!
Susan_B, Jun 2026
Brian was awesome!!! A memory everyone will remember for a lifetime!!! Swam next to and around the manatees!!! Birds Underwater is the best!!!! Now addicted to snorkeling and manatees!!!
Gay_C, Apr 2026
Oscar is very knowledgeable and he's so pleasant to spend the day with. Couldn't ask for a better guide.
HannaLeena_J, Apr 2026
Based on the other reviews, our expectations for this trip were quite high. Some parts of the experience did meet those expectations. The airboat ride and the visit to the park were enjoyable, and our guide Adam was energetic, helpful, and very punctual. He even called to confirm our pickup just a minute before we arrived at the meeting location and worked hard to keep the group’s energy up throughout the day.
However, the biggest disappointment was the snorkeling experience. For context, we are “tree huggers” and fully understand that wildlife encounters are never guaranteed—we don’t expect nature to perform like a theme park.
The snorkeling took place in a muddy bay very close to shore (about a 5–6 minute boat ride). The water was extremely murky—to the point where I couldn’t see my own hand when stretched out in front of me. We were essentially snorkeling between boats, which did not match the expectations set by the photos.
Before the trip, my husband also asked if larger masks were available for people who wear glasses. While it’s completely understandable that they might not have them, the response he received was disappointing: “You don’t need your glasses—you won’t be able to see anything anyway.” That alone set a very low expectation, which unfortunately turned out to be accurate.
There was only a short safety video, with little to no information about manatees or their habitat. We were told that more manatees can be seen in January, which makes me question whether this experience is suitable during other times of the year.
At the end, we spent about 15 minutes in a nearby spring, which was actually a welcome stop, as it allowed us to rinse off after being in the muddy water.
Overall, the snorkeling portion felt poorly executed and not worth the time or cost. I’m not sure if this reflects all providers or just this particular operator, but it left us feeling like the experience was more about their convenience than quality of the trip.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for your thoughtful feedback. We’re glad you enjoyed parts of the day and Adam’s efforts, but we’re sorry the snorkeling experience did not quite meet expectations.
Water clarity in the area can vary significantly day by day, especially following recent rain or storms, but we understand your disappointment and have shared your comments with our team to help improve the experience moving forward.
Paige_Y, Apr 2026
I'm writing this review because our tour guide driver Adam told us about 10 times on our tour "write me a 5 star review". Here's why I'm not giving 5 stars: first of all this guy had so much energy all day we thought maybe he was on drugs, there were a couple of times people were trying to sleep on the shuttle and he woke us up. And lastly towards the end of the day he was making racist jokes calling a colored lady crossing the street "come on lakisha you can walk faster than that". I get wanting to make jokes but dude this is your job keep it professional.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
We’re so glad you joined us, but we’re sorry to hear about parts of your experience that could have been even better. What you’ve described does not reflect the level of professionalism or guest respect we expect from our team. Your comments regarding both the repeated review requests and the inappropriate remark are taken seriously and will be addressed.
We hope that you had a safe trip back home at the end of your travels and that we may have the opportunity to bring you on another Gray Line adventure in the future!
Stephen_M, Apr 2026
We thoroughly enjoyed this trip. All three activities were amazing. I wasn’t expecting to see any manatees during the snorkelling due to bad weather but we saw three just a few moments after going on the boat. Lunch was provided and was presented in a lovely box with a sub, chips (crisps), cookies and a drink. The visit around Homosassa animal park was great and we were lucky enough to see three manatees in the observatory. The airboat ride was fun too - although I’m not sure alligators should be kept in captivity for entertainment purposes. Mike, the driver, did a fantastic job at getting us to places on time and was very knowledgeable.
Jessica_M, Mar 2026
This experience was great! Water was very cold. The wet suit was very welcome. If you are hoping to see more manatees go earlier in the season. (We went late March)
Adam was great. He made sure we had everything we needed and then some.
Lavonne_S, Mar 2026
We enjoyed our tour today. The ride from Orlando is quite long, be prepared. Our driver Mike was personable and courteous. Our tour guides were Captain Misty and Heidi, both very knowledgeable and courteous. You can tell they really care about the manatees and wildlife there.
Valarie_L, Jan 2026
Great day. Short trip to Springs. Driver was friendly and knowledgeable. Snorkeling with manatees worth every dime. Springs are beautiful. Lunch was good also.
Patrick_L, Jan 2026
Grayline Tours canceled the trip without prior notice. We woke up early for the scheduled pick up and needlessly worried we missed the pick up time or misunderstood the pick up location. Only after we called Grayline Tours (we called them, not them calling us) did we find out the tourguide called in sick, and an alternate tour guide couldn’t be arranged. We were not able to reschedule to any other days, so had to cancel the day tour. We are getting a full refund, but because of the last minute change of plans, we didn’t have time to make other arrangements for the day. We’d really looked forward to swimming with manatees, and that in itself was disappointing. Grayline Tours poor management and lack of professionalism made it even worse.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
We appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback, and we’re truly sorry for the frustration this caused.
Unfortunately, on this occasion our scheduled guide became ill unexpectedly on the morning of the tour, and despite our best efforts we were unable to secure a qualified replacement at such short notice. We fully understand how disappointing it is to be ready for an early pickup and then have plans change last minute—especially for an experience you were genuinely looking forward to.
While we did process a full refund immediately, we recognize that this does not make up for the inconvenience or the lost opportunity to enjoy the day as planned. We sincerely regret that we did not meet your expectations in this instance and appreciate you bringing this to our attention, as it helps us review and improve our communication and contingency planning.
Thank you again for your understanding, and we truly hope we have the opportunity to welcome you on a future tour under better circumstances.
Jasmine_G, Nov 2025
Amazing experience for our family from Grandma to our 6yo. Truly appreciate being able to get RT transportation from Orlando. The instructors and Kevin made everything easy and fun. Definitely memories for a lifetime.
Julie_K, Nov 2025
Had a kovely time,the guides were lovely,and knew all qbout the manates and cared about them passionatly.i didnt go in the water,as i get cramps when too cold,and the water was pretty cold. Still saw manatees and enjoyed the trip.
cindy_h, Nov 2025
Amazing experience, to be so close to these animals. Very well looked after by both the boat crew and our tour guide/driver
Cathy_M, Oct 2025
Such a great adventure! We saw lots of manatees. Had a really nice picnic lunch. Comfortable ride throughout the day. Everyone we interacted with was super nice and fun. The day ran smoothly and on schedule. It was just such a great time. We really enjoyed it.
Elena_Z, Oct 2025
Day full of fun outdoors exploring a beautiful nature, easy transportation, friendly guide, small group
Response from Host, Oct 2025
So glad to hear you had such a fun day out in nature! Thanks for joining us — hope to see you again soon on another Gray Line Orlando adventure!
Julia_S, Aug 2025
Nicely planed. It was a pleasure to be on the tour. Everything worked smooth. The guide took good care of us
Jayne_R, Aug 2025
What a fantastic day. Oscar our guide was superb, kept us complete informed of each step of the day. Swimming with the manatees was incredible. The wildlife in the Homosassa park was such a delight, seeing the manatees being fed was a super event. The airboat ride is not to be missed- an experience we will never forget
Lucinda_M, Jul 2025
I had a lovely day and everyone was so lovely. Highly recommend this experience and stepping away from the parks.
I'm gutted as forgot the name of my tour guide for this trip. He was lovely, Knowledgeable and deserves recognition.
Thank you 😊
Sarah_W, May 2025
This was a unique and fun experience. I would recommend this to others, but would recommend coming in the winter so you have a better chance of seeing manatees. Our guide, Carmen, was great. She was very friendly and full of fun facts.
Michelle_K, Apr 2025
Exactly as described. Professionally and knowledgeable staff at all sites. Picked up on time. Manatee experience wonderful even though water was a bit murky due to time of the year. Park was great, saw lots of cool animals. Airboat ride was awesome, saw lots of alligators and other wildlife. Would highly recommend.
Gresilda_C, Apr 2025
It was great I had a good time our driver is also good..At swim with manatee I had a great time it's my 1st time to do snorkell and to think I don't how to swim but I manage to do it see a lot of fishes and manatee and captain with a guide so nice that they encourage me to do it & teach me how to.I had fun at airboat tour too...it's awesome.
MarilynK_M, Apr 2025
Every activity worked like clockwork. Saw wild manatees, including a mating pod, and rescue manatees. Lots of native Florida animals at Homosassa. The air boat ride found lots of alligators, and the driver jumped the wake a few times, great fun! Our Greyline driver, Oscar, did a fantastic job of getting us where we needed to be on time and safely, and was very personable.
Ranel_M, Mar 2025
Unless you go in the peak season don't expect to see more than a few manatees. We went late March and only saw one.
Nicky_G, Mar 2025
I enjoyed swimming in the Crystal River although I didn't manage to see a manatee underwater. Apparently January and February are the best months to go as more manatees are usually present in the river. (From March onwards many of the manatees migrate to the open ocean). It was a new experience for me to wear a wet suit and use a snorkel. It would be helpful if participants had some previous experience of using a snorkel although this is not essential. Participants also need to be able to swim to a basic standard. The walk around the park after the swim was very interesting with the chance to see manatees (along with other animals.)
Angela_E, Mar 2025
This was a great experience made even better by our amazing tour guide Carmen!! It was cold but we loved seeing the manatees, animals in Homosassa Park, and the airboat ride.
Nathalie_S, Feb 2025
Very friendly knowledgeable tour guide and driver. Enjoyed swimming with the manatees. Driver as on time
David_C, Feb 2025
This was an amazing excursion. The price included pick up and drop off from hotel, began with manatee swimming which was incredible and very lovely staff at bird underwater dive center. It was great to experience manatees in the wild and all the instructions were given to ensure the animals were safe and unbothered. We then went to a wildlife park which was beautiful, was given a delicious packed lunch and finished the day with an airboat ride seeing more wildlife and gators! The airboat was better than lots of the theme park rides! Excellent value for money, great driver and staff. Would highly recommend!
Melissa_B, Feb 2025
Early pickup was on time. Driver was helpful and friendly. Snorkel guide was very attentive, we swam around a momma and baby - it was cool.
Lunch at the State Park was refreshing and filling. Walk around the Park was shaded - lots of animals to see. Airboat was exciting - gators of various sizes. Well worth the money and a great way to spend a day!
Jennifer_D, Jan 2025
Everything was very organized. The manatee swim was fun. We enjoyed walking through the wildlife refuge. The airboat ride was exciting and my son loved seeing alligators along the bank of the river.
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