Florida Everglades Airboat Adventure and Wildlife Encounter
4.5
Florida Everglades Airboat Adventure and Wildlife Encounter
By Sawgrass Recreation Park
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About
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 4-99, max of 25 per group
Duration: 30m
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More
- 40 minute guided airboat ride
- Admission to Sawgrass Recreation Park
- Access to the park's Alligator and Reptile Exhibit
- Total duration of visit is about 2 hours
- Entry/Admission - Sawgrass Recreation Park
What's not included- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Food and drinks
- Captain's Gratuities (optional)
- Start:
- Sawgrass Recreation Park, 1006 US-27, Weston, FL 33327, USASawgrass Recreation Park is 2 miles North of I-75 on Highway 27, at Mile Marker 35
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
- Infants must sit on laps
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 5190AIRBOAT- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Reservation date and time required. Tours leave every 30 minutes from 9:30am to 3:30pm
- Any age child can enjoy the airboat tour. Children 3 years and under are free. It is not necessary to purchase a ticket for ages 3 years and under.
- Most travellers can participate
- Tour operator reserves the right to cancel the tour due to inclement weather
- If you have selected the 4 p.m. time please note that it is a check in time only and that your airboat adventure will be leaving the dock at 5 p.m. so that you have ample time to explore the exhibit areas before they close at 5 p.m.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 25 travellers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 5190AIRBOAT
From
$56.61
per adult
Select date and travellers
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Itinerary
- 1006 US-27, Weston, FL 33327, USASawgrass Recreation Park is 2 miles North of I-75 on Highway 27, at Mile Marker 35
- 1Skim across the grassy water at speeds up to 40 miles per hour while looking for wildlife like alligators, fish, turtles, and wading birds. This general admission ticket includes entrance to Sawgrass Recreation Park, a 30-40 minute guided airboat tour and an admission to our Alligator & Reptile Exhibit. Just 25 minutes from Fort Lauderdale, the safest and most entertaining and educational way to experience the Everglades’ unique subtropical ecosystem is at Sawgrass Recreation Park.
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- 451traciew0 contributionsPleasant day out with the kids and a kind, patient tour guide who ate sawgrass for our entertainment.The views were amazing @ sunset. We took lots of pictures and were not rushed. We saw alligators and exotic birds. Nice tour guide.Written 15 January 2025
- WeLoveSanDiegoCA0 contributionsPrivate tour is the way to go!Private tour was worth the money. Capt. Josh was knowledgeable & friendly. Took us over to 2 large gators and a fish camp!Written 5 January 2025
- viajeraOrange_CA0 contributionsMemorable experience 💖I rented the private tour for just my granddaughter (11) and I. We LOVED IT!! Memorable and very enjoyable. Our tour guide was very nice and, with a smaller boat, he took us to areas where we were the only ones there to watch alligators. He also took pictures of us - thank you! The animal farm was small but wonderful. My granddaughter got to touch small alligators. Afterwards, for pre-lunch we ate "alligator bites" (pricey and small plate) but very tasty. Overall, a very nice experience!!Written 4 January 2025
- O8802PKlorettab0 contributionsThourghly enjoyed the experienceFriendly and knowledgeable employees. Was a great start to our holiday. There were six of us and we really enjoyed our time at SawgrassWritten 31 December 2024
- doncO798EH0 contributionsSawgrass Rec Park Airboat Adventure ( Closest Tour to Greater Ft Lauderdale/Deerfield)We did a Private Tour for our family (7) with Jimmy our Captain- thoroughly enjoyed our trip and Jimmy did a great job of providing expert information on the wildlife and ECO system which is the Everglades - Would highly recommend and the airboat was smooth riding and ear plugs provided by tour operator- Great day!Written 28 December 2024
- imaginariumg0 contributionsHighly RecommendFantastic facility, staff, and experience! The tour was terrific; Captain Disco was informative and a safe, courteous driver.Written 19 December 2024
- P3012HPjohns0 contributionsGood ExperienceThe exhibit area was excellent- very knowledgeable staff that is super engaging…. Would highly recommend! The airboat was picturesque.Written 19 December 2024
- Peggy J0 contributionsGreat tour, highly recommend.We booked a 60 minute private tour during our mother/daughter trip to Florida. What a wonderful experience. Captain Blake was friendly, incredibly knowledgeable and answered all our questions. We had so much fun. Definitely recommend.Written 15 December 2024
- kathleenrS7498BL0 contributionsFabulous experienceCaptain Mike was absolutely amazing and so knowledgeable and friendly This was a great experience and anyone in the south Florida area should do this tourWritten 16 November 2024
- krisi123450 contributionsPrivate tour worth it!Took a private airboat tour and it was worth every penny. Captain Mike was fun and knowledgeable. Only saw one alligator but it was a hot day and that usually drives them under water. Seeing the Everglades is amazing and everyone should do it at least once!Written 15 November 2024
- 770sonyar0 contributionsNighttime tour with Captain Disco!We did the nighttime tour with Captain Disco. This was our 2nd nighttime tour and 4th tour overall. It was by far the best tour we have been on!! Captain was engaging and informative while finding a lot of gators for all of us to see! Best airboat tours around!Written 13 November 2024
- tanahopke0 contributionsNight airboat alligator tourIt was amazing to see the gators at night. The weather was rainy, but we still had a fun boat ride and saw several alligators. The kids and I loved it!Written 10 November 2024
- stevekY608LN0 contributionsOx Bow RubyFood was very good and the Hostess: RUBY was AMAZING - she worked hard to get us a table on the water and pulled it off in style! She Rocks!!!Written 10 November 2024
- 260brittanyn0 contributionsWonderful ExperienceThis was a great thing to do for our first trip in Florida. The boat ride gave us an opportunity to see far more than we would anywhere else. We even got to see 2 gators! At the park. The alligator encounter was pretty cool. We especially appreciated Shane, the guy showing us the gators and teaching us about them. He was very knowledgeable and seems to truly care about taking care of them. All of the staff in general was great! This was well worth the money and we would absolutely do it again!Written 4 November 2024
- MichelleU3472KH0 contributionsAbsolutely brilliant! My family and I loved our everglades airboat experience. Don’t hesitate to make the booking.Brilliant informative and great fun! We had a wonderful time on our private air boat tour. The captain was very entertaining and told us everything about the everglades wild life. Going fast on an airboat through the beautiful everglades of Florida is stuff dreams are made of! It was perfect.Written 27 October 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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4.5
894 reviews
Excellent
577
Very good
163
Average
70
Poor
41
Terrible
43
Lindsay G
Melbourne, Australia62 contributions
Nov 2019
We were in a larger boat with about 20 people. Their boats are open air and not closed in.The larger boats are driven by 2 fans powered by V8 engines.The ride is fast and exhillarating in parts,and going slower or stopping where the alligators swim right up to the boats. I am not sure if the "private" tours on the smaller crafts justifies the extra price. They probably see the same thing but maybe skim across the water at a bit faster speed?The wildlife encounter was a dissapointment with really not much to see,or do.This place is about a 40 minute drive from Fort Lauderdale, sort of in the middle of nowhere, and transport to this place would be difficult if you do not have a car. We stumbled across a tour company that picks you up and drops you off at your Fort Lauderdale hotel.Highly recommend Sun island Tours and Transportation (Miami). Tour cost includes transport and SawGrass entry and boat ride. Would have given 5 stars if the "wildlife encounter" was a lot better.
Written 3 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lisa
2 contributions
Dec 2019
My husband and our two teens loved this 30 min air boat ride through the Everglades. Fast, loud and we were able to get up close to 2 alligators! Captain Bob was a terrific guide! He was entertaining and educated us on the history of the Everglades and the important work being done to get them back to their original state. After the boat ride were able to see alligators being fed and hold a baby alligator in their sanctuary. Definitely a highlight of our trip.
Written 4 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Korri M
Dallas, OR56 contributions
May 2021
We went with this particular company and the 30 minute larger boat tour because it was offered through the Go Miami pass. I think I would have preferred to purchase outside of that pass and get the 1 hour more personalized boat tour. The driver was great, offering some humor and some educational information as well as answering questions. The ride was fun but seemed short. We only saw 1 alligator but apparently they are more active in the cooler parts of the day (which we didn't know) and had gotten on the 12:30 ride. I would suggest booking in the morning if possible.
They have several animals including gators on exhibit to see. One of the caretakers let us all pet a baby alligator. He offered some helpful info about alligators too.
They have a food truck on site and a nice picnic area. The prices were very reasonable considering a lot of places like this charge high prices because you don't have a lot of other options. We decided to try the Grilled Alligator Tail Bites. They were pretty yummy! There is a small gift shop too and their prices also seemed very reasonable.
They have several animals including gators on exhibit to see. One of the caretakers let us all pet a baby alligator. He offered some helpful info about alligators too.
They have a food truck on site and a nice picnic area. The prices were very reasonable considering a lot of places like this charge high prices because you don't have a lot of other options. We decided to try the Grilled Alligator Tail Bites. They were pretty yummy! There is a small gift shop too and their prices also seemed very reasonable.
Written 1 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pericles223
Aldie, VA16 contributions
Let me start by saying, regardless it was worth the $25 per and I paid for 2 adults and 5 children. As long as you arrive 10-15 before the ride parking is right there, very easy to find, nothing confusing. If you booked online, go into the main office and get your wristbands and ear plugs, and you’re off. The captain was a sweet older man,temperatures were in the mid 50’s. Dress super warm. I promise you it is cold, when moving on the water. Not sure if he kept speed to a minimum but it’s not by any means a thrill ride. The cold Kept the alligators out of sight and unwilling to surface therefore the entire ride we could not spot a single gator. He basically apologized but said there was nothing he could do due to the colder temperatures. Wish he had told us that before we embarked. He basically mentioned that every ride out for the day had not seen a gator yet. Too little too late. Regardless I wish he would’ve hit the gas a little more and given us a ride to remember. Did I mention it was cold real cold. I was prepared. My kids were dressed in double sweaters, scarves, 3 blankets, and still it was cold. I had on a long sleeve rash guard type shirt, a fleece sweater, and a beach style rain jacket, and could feel the chill. My 15 year old was texting, my 13 year old was kinda into it, my 10 and 7 year old daughters were too cold including my wife and mg 4 year old, was neither here nor there. I guess it really depends on the captain and their personality. We were not traveling fast as he was trying to locate a gator, and speeds never really got up to anything exciting or worth remembering. After exiting the airboat we had an opportunity to go to the reptile exhibit there was a 13 foot python coiled up really not doing much because it was cold. Some other lizards. The highlight was being able to pet a baby alligator, then there was Mom and Pop a 9’ and 13’ in the pool, and another that had us completely fooled on the grass. It looked so fake and was motionless and began to move, minutes later. That was incredible. It was 4’ feet away and could not tell the difference till the exhibit host, told us more about her. He was very nice, and very knowledgeable. Overall, I’m sure my kids will remember it as a memory in the future. So will I. Nothing to rave about but thankful for the experience.
Written 26 December 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a detailed review! We hope you are able to visit again on a warmer day. As it warmed up toward the afternoon, the alligators started coming out a bit more. See you next time!
Written 27 December 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
4NY2VA
Crozet, VA570 contributions
Jan 2020
Before we even started the airboat tour (around 2pm) today, the guide told us we probably wouldn't see any alligators because of the weather (temperatures were in the 60s so many of us wore jackets/jeans). We didn't see any so that made the boat ride just okay. We didn't even go super fast so it wasn't even thrilling. The guide did show us and talked about an invasive bird, a snail shell and cattail. About 30 minutes and its over (we stopped 3 times, so really we didn't do much). It seemed that the other boats went farther than ours.
On the website, the video shows a fast boat with a few people, but that is for the VIP boat ride since the boat we had accommodates 20+ people and seemed much slower than what is on the video.
We paid around $21 per person, buying tickets in advance on the website. We did get to hold a baby alligator and walked around to look at the animals, but there was a sign on several exhibits that it was too cold for some of the reptiles so they were not on display.
Overall, the adventure was just okay. Nothing memorable except holding a baby alligator.
On the website, the video shows a fast boat with a few people, but that is for the VIP boat ride since the boat we had accommodates 20+ people and seemed much slower than what is on the video.
We paid around $21 per person, buying tickets in advance on the website. We did get to hold a baby alligator and walked around to look at the animals, but there was a sign on several exhibits that it was too cold for some of the reptiles so they were not on display.
Overall, the adventure was just okay. Nothing memorable except holding a baby alligator.
Written 5 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
savvytravelers46
Jacksonville, FL4 contributions
Mar 2021 • Family
arrived on time made to wait 1 hour until 5 other parties arrived. Instead ofWe honoring our reservation time, they preferred to have us wait, so paid groups could be clumped together. It was suggested that we keep ourselves busy by viewing the caged animal exhibit. After an hour, we boarded a boat with others. Immediately given a disclaimer, "now I can't guarantee you'll folks will see any 'gators but we'll try real hard to find 'em". My B.S. meter went off. I knew this was a joke. Periodically he'd slow the boat, giving the impression a "'gator was spotted". Like fools we'd stretch our necks looking about. The second time I put my phone away knowing we were being toyed with. A mysterious black bird followed us throughout, threatening to land on our heads. It was annoying but comical. I turned to discover the driver had crackers to feed the birds. The bird was the wilderness highlight of my birthday adventure. This swamp location may have 'gators but with the loud boats I doubt you'll see them. HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT 😩
Written 20 March 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are so sorry to hear you were not able to see alligators on your airboat tour. Our captains will slow the boat down to look for alligators and also to give you information about the Everglades ecosystem.
Written 23 March 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Explore54578
Buffalo, NY2 contributions
Apr 2021 • Family
I have visited several times and have enjoyed the tour very much. However this experience left me with having no desire to return. The boat captain makes or breaks this experience. We got a dud. We were boat number 14 scheduled for 2 pm on April 10. Our tour guide stopped the boat once and commented, unenthusiastically, about what we were seeing. Other than that he made no other comments throughout the entire tour. It was awful! He was also sarcastic toward the passengers. I overheard an elderly passenger ask iif he should wear a life jacket. He looked at him and asked, “are you over six years old?” I could tell the passenger got his feelings hurt. In the past other guides stopped and told guests about alligator breeding, the problems with pythons in the state, and spoke of the vegetation in the Everglades, all the while making it a super fun experience with comedy in the presentation. Bottom line for future guests, if you have a grumpy tour guide, it is not worth the money! I won’t be returning! Just awful. My son was extremely disappointed!
Written 12 April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are so sorry to hear your tour was not at all up to expectations. We very much appreciate your details as this information will allow us to remedy the issue immediately.
Written 14 April 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Susanne D
1 contribution
Jan 2023
Born in S FL I'm ashamed to admit that while I have camped in the Everglades I'd never been on an airboat! I wanted to take family from out of town out to experience the Everglades. I was very impressed with this encounter. We went very early in the morning (before the cruise ship passengers started to arrive) and it was not crowded at all. Our boat captain was very informative and managed to navigate us to hiding spots for three huge gators & we saw a few birds (it is important to remember that the Everglades is significantly impacted by climate, rainfall, etc. so there is never any guarantee that conditions for wildlife to be in any location for viewing). It was a bit cool with the wind so bringing a jacket was a good idea. After the boat ride there were several exhibits to explore, also well-narrated by staff. The site is also relatively close to western Ft. Lauderdale (compared to other rides/parks far west and in Miami). For the entertainment/experience provided it was an excellent value. No guarantee the company will continue to do this but if you are a FL resident they give you a return pass good for an entire year so you can come back free. This will be a great idea to keep the grandkids occupied from time to time.
Written 31 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Eliza B
1 contribution
Nov 2022 • Couples
We booked this tour through Trip Advisor for 4:00pm as a last hurrah before flying out of Florida. Upon arrival we were told that the tour did not begin until 5:00. We could not wait an hour and safely make our flight. The tour operator could have refunded us immediately had we booked through them. Instead, I’ve been trying to work this out with Trip Advisor for many hours, and it is still not resolved. The airboat adventure looked like fun, but I recommend booking directly through the company at Sawmill Recreational Park.
Written 10 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Genevieve
Laurencekirk, UK71 contributions
Would highly recommend. We saw an alligator and an iguana but just being out on the Airboat was worth the money. Really enjoyed our trip. Customer service was excellent, when due to a delayed flight I needed to change the date of my booking. They emailed me back within about 10 minutes and didn’t quibble about changing the date.
Written 5 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We're so pleased you were able to visit even despite your delayed flight. Thank you so much for taking the time to write a review!
Written 8 July 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Like California, we figure trips in SE Florida in terms of TIME. If you plan to stay on Ft. Lauderdale Beach, allow about 45 min. if you leave between 10 am to 2 pm. After 2 pm, figure up to 60 min.
We recommend that you use WAZE for time and routings.
Written 9 February 2024
We have 15 adults and 2 kids. It would only let me book 15 total. Can we get all of us on one boat?
Written 13 February 2022
Pretty sure all of you could get on one boat. With that many of you, it might just be better to book a private tour. You should call them and see what works for you.
Written 15 February 2022
Yes... there really isn't too much to see though. If you can get discount from somewhere like workingadvantage it's still totally worth it.
Written 27 November 2021
Cuanto tiempo dura el recorrido en el aerodeslizador? Y cuánto tiempo se requiere para la visita al parque ?
Written 23 September 2021
Fiama G
Las Vegas, Nevada
If we have a person 2 month pregnant woman in our group, would she be able to join the airboat ride?
Written 29 May 2021
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