Riding an everglade airboat is a popular activity for visitors traveling to Florida. My family of seven recently got a chance to experience this ride for ourselves, and we were not disappointed! Now I want to help others understand what to expect if they choose to go on an airboat tour. In this post, you will find out:
- How much does a tour cost?
- What will I see on the tour?
- What should I bring on the tour?
- Should I worry about motion sickness?
- Is it worth the money?
How Much Does A Tour Cost?
Everglades Swamp Tours and many other everglade airboat tour companies offer two types of tours – group or private. If you want the boat just for your group and don’t mind paying a bit more, a private tour is the way to go. This is what my family chose to do because there were seven of us, so we just about took up a whole boat anyway. The cheaper option is going on a group tour, which means other families and tourists may be on the boat with you. Unless you are traveling with a large group, the cheaper tour may be your best option. After all, meeting fellow travelers is part of the adventure! Below are the different lengths of tours available at Everglades Swamp Tours and their costs:
- 1 hour group tour – $50 per adult and $25 per child (age 6-12)
- 1 hour private tour – $200 for 2 people and $50 for each additional person
- 1.5 hour private tour – $275 for 2 people and $50 for each additional person
- 2 hour private tour – $375 for 2 people and $50 for each additional person
What Will I See On The Tour?
When we took this tour we saw a lot of sawgrass and water, as well as some amazing creatures! The Everglades are mostly covered in sawgrass with sections that have been cleared out either naturally or by boat tours. I anticipated we would stay along the cleared out paths, but that was not the case! Our driver went off the beaten path straight into sections of sawgrass! Every boat driver we saw out there did the same thing. Riding through sawgrass was actually my favorite part!
Of course, the most amazing parts were when we saw gators in their natural habitat. In a cleared out area our driver stopped the boat as he saw a gator approaching. It swam over toward us and went alongside the boat, almost as if he was greeting us! It was AMAZING, and I know these boat drivers do their best to give everyone a similar experience. We saw plenty of wildlife on the tour, and even got to see mother gators protecting their nests. I would encourage anyone visiting Florida to take an everglade airboat ride!
What Should I Bring On The Tour?
There is not a cover on the boat, so don’t forget your sunscreen! I would not count on a hat covering your face as it would fly off during the ride. In fact, the driver recommends everyone wearing a baseball cap turns it around so the bill is in the back. I didn’t notice a bug problem as we were going fast most of the time, but if you are worried about it then wearing bug spray is a good idea. Wearing sunglasses is also recommended. If you have those few things, you should be good to go! The driver provides water and earplugs which is very convenient, as well as a gator head for photo ops!
Should I Worry About Motion Sickness?
My family has several people who get motion sickness easily. If we are planning on anything from long car rides to theme parks to boats, we make sure to have motion sickness pills. This is one boat where none of us needed it! The ride is surprisingly smooth, and none of us felt remotely sick the entire time. If you are still a bit nervous about getting sick, I always recommend Bonine. It’s what I use every time I know I could get motion sickness, and it has never made me drowsy.
Is It Worth The Money?
Yes! This everglade airboat tour was DEFINITELY the highlight of my family’s trip! I would highly recommend it to anyone. Our tour guide was funny and informative having grown up in the area. Everglades Swamp Tours is also great about rescheduling, especially for bad weather. There was a thunderstorm the day of our initial booking which made it unsafe to go out. The company changed our booking for us at no extra cost! That being said, I would plan on doing this earlier in the trip rather than later in case something like this happens to you.
Anna’s Pick of the Week
The Florida sun can be brutal, especially on an everglade airboat with no roof. Several of my family members (including myself) were unprepared. This is why I recommend you prepare for the sun with a sun-protecting shirt. These kinds of shirts are lightweight so you won’t get too hot, but they do a great job of protecting you from the sun!
