Everglades Day Safari: Airboat, Big Cypress, manatees

Airboat swamps, Big Cypress backcountry, mangrove islands and a cypress grove where alligators nest

A full-day Everglades safari from Fort Myers pairs an airboat ride through pond apple swamps and cattail marshes with a wildlife drive through Big Cypress National Preserve, a nature walk among ancient cypress trees, and a boat cruise through the Ten Thousand Islands to spot manatees, dolphins and osprey. A naturalist guide leads all four segments, lunch is included, and hotel pickup is provided for select properties.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Everglades wilderness and wildlife

• Airboat ride through swamps and marshes
• Wildlife drive in Big Cypress Preserve
• Lunch in the heart of the Everglades
• Boat cruise through Ten Thousand Islands
• Visit Smallwoods Store Museum
• Nature walk to ancient cypress grove and gator hole

The Experience

The day starts with a 1-hour airboat ride through the Western Everglades, where the boat cuts through pond apple swamps and cattail marshes in search of alligators, turtles and wading birds. This is the segment most tours skip or abbreviate, and it sets up everything that follows: you see how the water moves, where the animals shelter, and why the Everglades works the way it does. From there, the van moves into Big Cypress National Preserve for a wildlife drive through the backcountry—the first preserve in the National Park system—where the landscape opens up and larger animals become visible.

Lunch happens in the heart of the Everglades with over 20 choices (burgers, chicken, fish, salads), then the tour shifts to water again. A 1-hour boat cruise through the Ten Thousand Islands—the second-largest mangrove forest in the world—takes you into the southern frontier of Everglades National Park to hunt for dolphins, manatees and coastal species among the mangrove channels. A stop at Smallwoods Store Museum, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, breaks the rhythm: the building stands frozen in time, a window to the era when this was the trading post for island life. The final segment is a nature walk through a grove of ancient cypress trees out to a "gator hole" where female alligators have been nesting for decades.

Hotel pickup is included for select properties in the Fort Myers and Naples area; if your hotel is not on the list, pickup is at Perkins Restaurant on South Tamiami Trail at 7:35 am. The tour runs 9.5 hours total, with transport in an air-conditioned 13-passenger van and a naturalist or biologist guide who narrates the whole day. Children from age 6 are welcome, and all areas are wheelchair accessible.

What’s included

• Narrated van tour with an expert naturalist or biologist guide.
• 1-hour airboat ride through Western Everglades.
• wildlife drive through Big Cypress National Preserve.
• lunch with over 20 menu choices.
• 1-hour boat cruise through the Ten Thousand Islands.
• nature walk through ancient cypress grove.
• Smallwoods Store Museum visit.
• hotel pickup and drop-off for select properties.
• transport in an air-conditioned 13-passenger van.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelWheelchair accessiblePets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditions

Operated by Everglades Day Safari

Is this one for you?The guide speaks English throughout, so the commentary and wildlife information are live and in real time rather than recorded or translated. Children from age 6 can join, and the mix of airboat speed, van drives, walking and boat cruising means the day has rhythm and variety—no single segment lasts so long that younger travelers or anyone with limited stamina gets stuck in one mode.

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Top questions

What wildlife will I actually see on the Everglades airboat ride?

The airboat ride through pond apple swamps and cattail marshes targets alligators, turtles and wading birds. The guide searches the water and vegetation as the boat moves, so sightings depend on the season and time of day, but the habitat is built for these species to be there.

How long is the airboat ride and what's it like?

The airboat ride lasts 1 hour and moves through the Western Everglades at speed, which is why it covers so much water and why wildlife spotting is possible. The boat is loud and fast, so expect wind and spray and the sensation of moving across shallow water quickly.

What is Big Cypress National Preserve and what do you do there?

Big Cypress National Preserve is the first preserve in the National Park system, and the tour includes a wildlife drive through its backcountry. You stay in the van for this segment, watching for larger animals and getting a sense of the landscape beyond the water.

Is the Ten Thousand Islands boat cruise the same as the airboat ride?

No—the Ten Thousand Islands cruise is a separate 1-hour boat ride through mangrove-lined channels in the southern part of Everglades National Park. It is slower and quieter than the airboat, and it focuses on manatees, dolphins and osprey in coastal habitat rather than swamp wildlife.

What is the nature walk like and how long does it take?

The nature walk moves through a grove of ancient cypress trees out to a "gator hole"—a depression where female alligators have nested for decades. The guide leads you on foot through the grove, so you are walking at ground level among the trees rather than viewing them from a vehicle.

What happens if my hotel isn't on the pickup list?

Pickup will be at Perkins Restaurant at 14801 South Tamiami Trail, Fort Myers, FL 33908 at 7:35 am. You arrange your own transport to that location, and the tour van collects you from there.