While my daughter was off riding the rollercoasters at Universal, I chose a different kind of thrill – a fun airboat ride near Orlando. Drifting through the wetlands of the Central Florida Everglades, I discovered a world of alligators, wading birds, gorgeous landscapes and even cows grazing in a lake that felt a world away from the dizzy heights of theme parks.
Wanting to make sure I had the best experience, I spent time poring over reviews and recommendations online, and Wild Florida came up top for the best airboat tour near Orlando, Florida. The free ticket to Wild Florida Gator Park with rescued alligators and exotic animals like sloths and lemurs at the same spot was a bonus. Not being too far from Orlando and having transport options makes it a great choice for experiencing ‘real Florida.’
In this post, I’ll share my personal experience at Wild Florida, including tips for making the most of your visit, why I chose the 60-minute airboat tour, and what you can expect at the Gator Park and a quick look at the optional add-on of the drive-thru safari park. I’ll also cover the best alternative airboat tours near Orlando, along with summaries of reviews.
Whether you’re planning a solo trip like me, a family outing or just looking for a break from a city work trip, this post will help you decide if Wild Florida, rated the best Nature and Wildlife Tours in Orlando according to Viator travellers, is the right adventure for you.
⌛ Short on time? Here are the best options for airboat rides near Orlando:
✅ Book a Wild Florida Airboat Tour with free admission to the alligator and wildlife park
✅ Airboat Tour and Gator Park including transport from Orlando or Kissimmee
✅ Wild Florida Adventure Package including transport and lunch
✅ Closest airboat tour to Orlando – Marsh Landing Adventures 90-minute tour
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Best Airboat Ride Near Orlando
Why Choose Wild Florida?
I started off searching for the nearest airboat ride to Orlando but then changed to looking for the best within 90 minutes of Orlando to have more choices. Next, I sifted through discussions on the best Everglades airboat tours on Tripadvisor and Reddit, checked the top-rated reviews on both Viator and Get Your Guide and read the reviews. I like to do a thorough search but personal reviews are always what clinch it for me.
Although Wild Florida was already in my top two, the added attraction of the Gator Park, which meant a longer day out, weighed in, too. Another factor was the option of transportation from Orlando, as I hadn’t yet decided to hire a car by this point. Even once I had my own transport, it was still my top choice.
There wasn’t much difference between them price-wise, although some offered added extras like animal parks or butterfly parks free of charge.
At around 45 minutes away, it’s not the closest airboat tour to Orlando, but it was still a comfortable distance to travel for the best choice. It was a really easy drive from International Drive, where we stayed even though it was only my second day driving in the US.
⭐ 4.8/5 rating and Best-seller on Viator
⭐ 4.7/5 rating and Top Pick on GetYourGuide
My Experience with Wild Florida Airboat Tour and Gator and Wildlife Park
The airboat fun was way more fun than I expected! I really didn’t want it to end and recommend everyone to try it. Gliding over the water and wetlands was almost like being in a VR experience! The scenery was gorgeous too.
From check-in to leaving Wild Florida, the staff were very friendly and proficient and everything went smoothly.
Although I’d originally planned for the 30-minute airboat ride, I eventually chose the 60-minute tour and was so glad that I did as I felt the 30-minute wouldn’t have been long enough. (I’d also have quite happily sat on for another half hour.) There were different sizes of boats and the one I was in could seat around 15 people. There were about seven passengers including me.
Our guide, Jimmy, knew exactly where to find alligators and we saw several in different locations – males, females, adults, adolescents and babies. We got up close enough to see them well without being too close to disturb them (or for the mother to go into protective mode!)
Most of the other wildlife we saw was birds, but we saw many different kinds, including herons, egrets, cormorants, shrikes, warblers and kestrels. They seemed used to the airboats and didn’t fly off quickly, so we could see many close up. (Unfortunately I caught the birds all on video rather than in photos.)
Something I’ve learned over my many years of travelling and visiting wildlife parks is not to expect to see every species that lives there. So many factors come into play in what you’ll see and not see. Expect to see a few and then, if you see more, it’ll be a bonus. My goal was to see alligators and I wasn’t disappointed.
The guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. He was able to tell us all about alligator breeding habits, behaviour, life expectancy, etc. and identify many of the birds. He also emphasised the importance of human behaviour when interacting with alligators, such as not feeding them.
Exploring Wild Florida Gator Park
After I finished my airboat tour, I headed over to the Wild Florida wildlife park at the same location. Admission to the park was included with the boat tickets.
Although the Gator Park is quite small, it’s home to quite a few animals, including many rescued alligators and other animals like sloths, lemurs and exotic birds. Among the most interesting are the albino alligators, Snowflake and Blizzard, who live separately from the others, and as you might expect, in the shade.
My favourite animals were probably the lemurs, but the three-banded armadillo was very adorable! I met him during the exotic animal show, which is free and held several times a day.
Different animals may be shown at the show depending on whose turn it is and what their favourites are, but you’ll most likely meet Fluffy, the cute young alligator. You can also queue up to hold him and take a photo with him afterwards like I did. (The digital version was $10, and a printed one is a few dollars more.)
Other free shows included the Alligator Feeding Show with whoever was hungry and motivated enough jumping up to get the prize of a dead bird. The other show is with Crusher, the biggest alligator but he wasn’t in the pool that day, so they didn’t force him to perform.
Throughout the show, the handler taught the audience lots of facts about alligators and educated them about how humans feeding alligators not only puts humans in danger but also the gators. As alligators become more familiar with people, they come closer and then get euthanised or, if they’re lucky, end up at this or another gator park as a rescue. Still not ideal though.
You can also walk through the bird aviary and if you like, buy bird feed for $2. You can also buy feed for the farm animals. For a higher price, you can have a close-up encounter with some of the other animals, like sloths, capybaras, lemurs, porcupines and albino alligators, or feed the alligators yourself. These start at $45 except the gator-feeding, which is $15.
One thing that really stood out during my visit to the park was the love and care the employees showed for the animals. They were all dedicated to the animals and educating people about them.
Hawk Swamp is easy just to walk past but I really recommend walking through it. The conservation area is full of cypress trees with the knees (the knobbly bits) sticking up from the water and you could easily imagine a horror movie being shot there!
The Chomp House Grill provides plenty of dishes for snacks or lunch, including burgers, hot dogs, nuggets, wraps, ice cream and hot and cold drinks. There is a large indoor seating area, a porch with rocking chairs and a large outdoor but sheltered seating area too. Further inside the park is a picnic area if you prefer to take your food.
Wild Florida Drive-thru Safari
My one regret is not doing the wildlife safari. Many years ago, our car aerial (yes, that’s how long ago!) was pulled off by a monkey in a drive-thru safari park and that memory together with having a rental car put me off. That was silly really and if I go back (already planning to!), I’ll do the drive-thru safari too.
Anyway what I missed, and hopefully you won’t, was more than 150 native and exotic animals roaming freely in 170 acres, including giraffes, zebras, bison, oryx, elands, llamas and antelopes. You can see the safari park on the left of the map of Wild Florida below.
You can also pay extra to feed the giraffes. As I’ve learned elsewhere, there’s no guarantee that the giraffes will be interested in your food though!
Here’s a review from a recent visitor:
Seeing the different species living together in harmony. We could learn from them. The drive thru was good, and exciting to see how the animals came so close to your vehicle. The walking tour was also very enjoyable.
Practical Tips for Visiting Wild Florida
Here are a few quick tips to make your visit go smoother:
- Consider using sun protection for the airboat tour and if you want to wear a hat or a scarf around your neck, go for something that won’t blow away easily. (Yeah, a flimsy, silk scarf round my neck didn’t last long 🙄)
- Wear the ear defenders provided to protect your ears from potential damage and remember that you’ll be wearing them if you’re choosing hats or hairstyles beforehand.
- Pack binoculars if you have them.
- Take cash to use in the Grill and kiosks in the Gator Park if you want to avoid the 3% surcharge for cards.
- Wear a thin layer and take an extra layer if the weather is unpredictable.
- Flat shoes will be most practical for both the airboat and the Gator Park.
Alternatives to Wild Florida Airboat Rides
From my research for my own trip, and also a bit of extended research to add more options for readers on this post, I can suggest these alternatives for airboat rides near Disney World, Universal and Orlando:
Gator Airboat Rides has the advantages of being closer to Orlando and offering night boat rides. A disadvantage is that has no other attractions or activities.
Marsh Landing Adventures offers a 90-minute Airboat Tour with a rating of 4.9 on Viator. An advantage is that it is closer to Orlando and a disadvantage is that it has no other attractions or activities.
Boggy Creek offers a 30-minute airboat tour plus gem-mining and native American village or a 60-minute airboat tour and entry to Lily’s Butterfly Garden. They also have the advantage of a one-hour sunset boat tour.
If you’re already planning on booking a tour with transportation to the Kennedy Space Centre, you could consider combining KSC with an airboat tour. This is ideal if you’re short on time to do all your chosen activities near Orlando.
If you’re looking for Orlando airboat tours with transportation though, Wild Florida was the only one I found.
Recommendations
My recommendations for your airboat tour near Orlando are to book a morning slot at Wild Florida, book the 60-minute or 90-minute tour, attend the free animal shows in Gator Park, make sure to walk through the swamp boardwalk, consider adding on the drive-through Safari and buy a sloth cup with a Swamp Slushy!
Also, if you want to stay somewhere nearby, this place, Camp Mack, a Guy Harvey Lodge, looks pretty cool, especially if you like the outdoors. I’ve added it to my saved list for future trips!
FAQs
What is an airboat?
An airboat is a flat-bottomed boat powered by a large fan at the back, which allows it to glide smoothly over shallow water, wetlands, and marshy areas. It’s commonly used for places like the Everglades where traditional boats can’t navigate.
Do you need ear protection on an airboat?
Yes, not wearing ear protection could damage your hearing. Tour companies usually provide ear defenders, but some people like to use earplugs as well. Then, you should bring your own.
Will I get motion sick on an airboat?
It’s very unlikely as the water is still and the boat doesn’t rock or vibrate. I sometimes suffer from motion sickness but I didn’t experience it on the airboat.
How much is an airboat ride in Orlando?
Airboat rides in Orlando start at around $32 for an adult and around $25 for a child.
What to wear on an airboat ride?
You’re not likely to get wet but you will be in the full sun, so dress according to the weather that day. Avoid hats and scarves that can get blown off. The boat doesn’t go fast enough to get cold.
What is the best time of day to ride an airboat?
When the weather is warmer, animals tend to sleep or be less active in the middle of the day. Plus, rain is more likely to fall in the afternoon in Florida, so morning is usually good.
How fast do airboats travel?
Airboats usually travel at 25-40 mph in the Everglades. They can sometimes travel faster, but this can negatively impact the ecosystem.
Can I book a private airboat ride in Orlando?
Yes, most of the providers mentioned in this post offer private tours.
Wrap-up on the Best Everglades Airboat Ride Near Orlando
I had a great day out at Wild Florida, enjoying the thrill of the airboat ride and the fun and learning experience at Gator Park. Gliding across the Everglades’ serene wetlands and enjoying exotic animal encounters was a perfect way to discover more of the ‘real Florida’ beyond the theme parks and beach resorts.
Whether you’re travelling solo like me, with family, or just looking for something different from the usual tourist spots, Wild Florida is a really fun day out. So, what are you waiting for? Plan your Orlando adventure with a visit to Wild Florida and book your Everglades Airboat Tour today!
🛶 If you liked this post, you might also like Kaying near Orlando with Manatees and for evening fun, see Best Things to Do at ICON Park Orlando 🎡
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