Everglades National Park airboat tour with naturalist guide

A naturalist-led day through three Everglades ecosystems, from mangrove islands to the Western Everglades

A nine-hour naturalist-led tour of Everglades National Park from Marco Island, with two airboat rides, a guided hike through Big Cypress National Preserve, and a boat tour of Chokoloskee Bay and the 10,000 Islands. Your guide is a trained biologist or certified master naturalist, and the company holds one of only a few permits to lead groups into the actual national park. All park fees, lunch and snacks are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Big Cypress National Preserve1h · entry included
2. Chokoloskee Bay1h 10m · entry included

Everglades National Park guided adventure

• Pickup from Marco Island location
• Travel to Everglades, spot manatees and owls
• Visit Everglades National Park, see wildlife
• Take 60-minute airboat ride on River of Grass
• Mail postcard from smallest post office
• Guided walk through Western Everglades habitat
• Tour old Florida village and hear stories
• Visit historic trading post
• Boat ride through 10,000 Islands mangrove maze
• Drive by Florida's Largest State Park

The experience

The day starts with a drive from Marco Island in a 15-passenger Sprinter van. You'll often spot manatees and burrowing owls on the way, and your guide stops to let you photograph them. Once inside Everglades National Park, you get your official visitor's stamp and move into the core of the tour: a 60-minute airboat ride deep into the River of Grass, where your guide explains the history of the Miccosukee Indians and the landscape itself. The airboat is the only way to reach the shallow interior, and few visitors ever make it this far.

After the airboat, you walk through Big Cypress National Preserve on a guided trail where your naturalist points out 47 species of rare orchids and other endangered plants found nowhere else. You'll also visit Chokoloskee, an old Florida village with stories of its wilder past, and stop at a historic trading post. The final boat ride takes you through the maze of mangrove islands in Chokoloskee Bay and the 10,000 Islands, where the guide watches for resident dolphins, manatee herds, roseate spoonbills and the endangered smalltooth sawfish. You also mail a postcard from the world's smallest post office.

Lunch comes from a local restaurant menu with fresh seafood, vegan and vegetarian options. Water and snacks are provided throughout. The company is eco-certified and holds special permits from the National Park Service to operate in Everglades, Big Cypress and Dry Tortugas: a credential the NPS grants only to top operators. All park entrance fees are included in the price.

What’s included

• Park entry and all activity fees.
• two airboat rides.
• a guided hike through Big Cypress National Preserve.
• a boat tour of Chokoloskee Bay and the 10,000 Islands.
• lunch with fresh seafood, vegan and vegetarian options.
• snacks and water throughout the day.
• hotel or Marco Island pickup.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:30

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (5 to 12 years) · Under 5: can't be booked

GroupUp to 14

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Wild Lime Adventures

Is this one for you?Small groups keep the pace intimate and the guide's attention on the wildlife and ecology, which is the point of traveling with a trained biologist rather than a standard tour operator. If you want to see the actual Everglades interior and not a roadside attraction, this permit-holding company is one of only a few that can take you there.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 12 years). Children under 5 can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What wildlife will I actually see on this tour?

Alligators and tropical bird species are common in Everglades National Park itself. On the airboat ride into the River of Grass, you may spot manatees, wading birds and burrowing owls. In Chokoloskee Bay and the 10,000 Islands, the guide looks for resident dolphins, manatee herds, roseate spoonbills and the smalltooth sawfish. On the drive to and from Marco Island, manatees and burrowing owls appear regularly enough that your guide stops for photographs.

Why does this company have permits when others don't?

Wild Lime Adventures holds one of only a select few permits from the National Park Service to lead groups into Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve and Dry Tortugas National Park. The NPS grants these permits only to companies that meet strict standards. The company is also eco-certified, meaning it meets high standards for respect toward wild animals and the environment.

What is the River of Grass and why do we ride an airboat there?

The River of Grass is the shallow, slow-moving heart of the Everglades: a vast wetland where water flows south from Lake Okeechobee to the Gulf of Mexico. An airboat is the only vessel that can navigate the shallow water without disturbing the bottom, and the 60-minute ride takes you far into this landscape where few visitors ever go. Your guide explains the ecology and the history of the Miccosukee Indians who lived here.

What's included in the price?

All Everglades National Park entrance fees, both airboat rides, the guided hike, the boat tour through the 10,000 Islands, lunch from a local restaurant menu, snacks and water are included. Gratuities are not included but are welcome.