Back to The Local Scoop
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Illustration of an airboat crossing an Everglades sawgrass wetland with cypress trees and a great egret, with The Friendly Scoop Everglades day trips guide branding
Things to Do

Everglades Day Trips from Broward and Palm Beach: Airboats, Wildlife Cruises and Quiet Paddles

October 10, 2026 · The Friendly Scoop · 17 min read

You don't have to drive to Miami for an Everglades day. The trick is knowing which boat you're booking, where it actually leaves from, and whether that advertised price is for one person or the whole family.

Jump to a section

The beach gets most of the attention. Meanwhile, there are airboats leaving from western Broward, a wildlife cruise at the refuge in Boynton Beach, and a canoe trail that puts you right in the wetlands without an engine at all.

This guide rounds up the operators and outings we could verify from their own websites, grouped by actual departure area. It includes the big parks, small private charters and quieter alternatives. It is a researched directory, not a guarantee that every independent captain is listed.

One important local detail: a website called "West Palm Beach Airboat Rides" may still send you to Parkland. A service area is not a departure address. Book first, then use the meeting point on your confirmation.

Details checked October 10, 2026. Published prices below are starting rates, not final quotes. Taxes, booking fees and extra riders may change the total. Where an operator's own pages disagree, we point you to the operator for a current booking quote rather than guess.

The Quick Scoop

  • A first airboat outing with more to do afterward: Sawgrass Recreation Park or Everglades Holiday Park. Both combine a boat ride with on-land animal attractions.
  • Just your people on the boat: look at the private operators along US-27, Alligator Alley or Loxahatchee Road. Compare the total for your group, not just the starting price.
  • An Everglades boat ride without an airboat: Heron Now Boat Tours at the Boynton Beach entrance to Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge.
  • A paddle instead of a motor: canoe and kayak rentals at the refuge, or a guided group outing with Waymaker Kayak.
  • No driving once the day starts: Everglades Day Safari from greater Fort Lauderdale, or an Everglades Holiday Park transportation package. Confirm the pickup area before paying.

Broward's two big airboat parks

1. Sawgrass Recreation Park, Weston

This is the park-style option: an airboat ride, then time in the animal sanctuary. It makes sense when the kids want more than the boat ride itself.

Go here: 1006 North US Highway 27, Weston, FL 33327.

What you can book: general admission airboat adventure and animal sanctuary admission, private rides, a private sunrise adventure and nighttime outings. The official FAQ describes the general admission ride as about 40 minutes.

Plan around: reservations are required. General admission reservations specify an arrival window, not an exact boat departure. The park says boats normally run every 20-30 minutes until 3:30 p.m., with a final adventure at 5 p.m. when exhibits close. Weather can change operations.

Cost check: the homepage lists $30.95 for ages 13+, $20.95 for ages 4-12 and free admission under 4. Its FAQ still shows lower prices, so use the live checkout for the amount you'll actually pay. Sunrise private tours are advertised from $325.

After dark: the park lists Gator Nights on Wednesday and Saturday, 8:30-9:30 p.m. Check the date-specific calendar before building your evening around it.

Official tours and reservations · Official FAQ · 954-389-0202

2. Everglades Holiday Park, western Broward

The other big local park pairs an approximately 60-minute narrated airboat ride with a Gator Boys alligator presentation. If visiting family wants the classic boat-and-gators outing, this is an easy place to start comparing.

Go here: 21940 Griffin Road, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33332.

What you can book: shared airboat rides, private tours, animal encounters and packages with transportation. The park lists one professional group photo per party with the standard tour.

Plan around: opens daily at 9 a.m. Its official pages disagree about closing and last-boat times, so check the current schedule directly and don't aim for the final departure. Arriving earlier gives you more room for weather and queues.

Published rates: $41.99 for ages 12+, $29.99 for ages 3-11, plus tax and the applicable booking fee. Private tours start at $449. The exact package matters, so read what your ticket includes rather than assume every add-on comes with admission.

Official park and booking · Hours and prices · 954-434-8111

Private airboats in western Broward

These are booked outings, not parks to wander into. Get the captain's meeting instructions before setting out, particularly for roadside ramps.

3. Cypress Outdoor Adventures, US-27 near Weston

Captain Bill's company offers private daytime and sunset airboat charters, plus fishing-related outings. The published choices include 60-, 90- and 120-minute charters.

Departure: US-27 at mile marker 38.3. The operator says the launch has no conventional street address. Use its official directions and map link. 1006 US Highway 27 is a nearby restroom stop, not this company's departure point. There are no restrooms at the launch.

Published starting rates: $325 for 60 minutes, $350 for 90 minutes and $375 for 120 minutes. Check the full rider count and any additions at booking.

Booking: advance booking required. The site advertises daytime operation seven days a week and says it provides hearing protection. Tell the operator the ages of children and any life-jacket needs before arrival.

Official charters · Exact directions · 954-260-1096

4. Ride the Wind, US-27 near Weston

A private airboat outing with Captain Randy. Its official site also advertises a supervised opportunity to try the controls. Ask about that option when booking; don't promise the kids they will get a turn.

Departure: US-27, mile marker 38.5, Weston. Follow the operator's launch instructions.

Booking and cost: private charters; packages describe included riders and extra-rider charges. Get a total for your exact party and chosen duration before paying rather than compare an isolated headline price.

Official tours and booking · 305-299-1366

5. Epic Airboat Tours, US-27 near Weston

Captain Michael's private tours are another option at the US-27 ramps. The site lists alligator tours lasting 60-120 minutes for up to six guests, plus separate fishing and hunting outings.

Departure: US-27, mile marker 38.5, Weston. Confirm the precise meeting instructions with the captain.

When: by reservation, seven days a week; the site describes tours running from sunrise to sunset.

Cost check: the homepage displays different starting amounts in different sections. Ask for the current quote for your group rather than treat either as a guaranteed rate.

Official tours · Contact and launch location · 954-663-9453

6. Everglades Swamp Tours, Alligator Alley

An option if you want to head out onto Alligator Alley rather than US-27 or Parkland. The company lists private, group and nighttime rides, plus an Everglades cruise.

Departure: Broward County Rest Area on I-75 North, 3500 Everglades Parkway, mile marker 35. Use its directions and confirm the ramp before you leave.

Published private rates: one hour from $250 for two people; 90 minutes from $325 for two. The one-hour listing says $60 for each additional person and tours from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Other durations and night tours have separate terms.

Booking: reservations required. Read the exact tour description because the private ride and per-person group options are different products.

Official tour choices and directions · 305-849-0135

7. Mack's Fish Camp / Gladesmen Culture, Broward/Miami-Dade border area

This is a fish-camp outing rather than the big-park format. The official site lists private eco airboat rides, airboat bass fishing, fishing guides, jon boat and canoe rentals, and camping.

Departure: Danell Lane, listed by the operator as Pembroke Pines, FL 33029. This is a border-area listing, not a confirmed Pembroke Pines municipal location. Official fishing information distinguishes the camp from an across-canal airboat ramp in Miami-Dade. Confirm that your meeting pin is the camp itself; do not substitute a nearby public ramp or rely only on a city label.

Published eco-tour rates: $249 for a one-hour private ride with two riders, $325 for 90 minutes with two and $399 for two hours with two. Extra-rider charges vary by duration.

Booking: contact the camp in advance to set up the outing and confirm the route, total and meeting point.

Official camp · Private tour choices · 954-536-7400

The Parkland and Loxahatchee Road operators

Several companies use 15490 Loxahatchee Road, Parkland, FL 33076 as their meeting area. Sharing a ramp does not make them the same tour. Equally, several similar-looking websites do not necessarily mean several different boats. Check the company name, captain, confirmation and departure pin together.

Roadwork note: the City of Parkland currently reports that Loxahatchee Road from just east of NW 61st Way to US-441/SR-7 remains closed to traffic through fall 2026, with access to properties farther west via Parkside Drive. The refuge also posts a Hillsboro-area detour notice. Follow current posted detours and confirm your route with the captain rather than rely on an old straight-through route. City roadwork updates · Refuge alerts

8. Florida Airboating

Private airboat rides from the Parkland ramp, with one-hour, 90-minute and two-hour choices. The official site lists starting rates of $300, $350 and $400, respectively, with two riders included. Extra passengers and children's terms are listed separately; use a quote for the whole family.

When and where: reservation only, 15490 Loxahatchee Road. The site lists 7 a.m.-8 p.m., but your reserved departure is what matters.

The website Airboat Ride West Palm Beach also lists this ramp and the same 954-997-9553 number. Don't count that marketing name as a separate Palm Beach departure.

Florida Airboating · West Palm Beach-branded site · 954-997-9553

9. Loxahatchee Everglades Airboat Tours / Everglades Airboat Tours VIP

Private one-hour, 90-minute and two-hour rides from 15490 Loxahatchee Road. The official site advertises starting rates of $300, $350 and $400 with two riders included, and a maximum of eight passengers including children.

Booking: appointment only. The website has inconsistent contact numbers in different sections, so use its booking form or contact details shown on your reservation. Confirm any children's rate rather than assume all children travel free.

The Airboat Tours Fort Lauderdale website also advertises Parkland departures and overlapping tour choices. Treat these as booking routes to verify, not additional walk-in parks.

Official VIP tours · Fort Lauderdale-branded site

10. Florida Love Airboat Tours

Private one-, 90-minute and two-hour rides. The site lists base rates of $325, $400 and $475, respectively. Its extra-rider wording is inconsistent, so ask for the total with everyone's ages included.

Departure: 15490 Loxahatchee Road, Parkland. The Boca Raton address on the website is not the published boat launch.

Booking: book online or call. The operator recommends at least six hours' notice.

Official tours and booking · 561-990-3696

11. Swamp Monster Airboat Tours / Airboat Tours Palm Beach

Despite the Palm Beach branding, the published departure is the Parkland ramp. Its tours are private and 90 minutes long, with up to seven riders per boat.

Departure: 15490 Loxahatchee Road, Parkland.

Family note: the operator says no children under 3. Larger groups need to call about multiple boats.

When: first listed ride 9 a.m.; last listed ride 3 p.m., any day of the week. Arrive 15 minutes early. Check the booking quote for pricing.

Official tour and booking · 561-247-0393

12. Everglades Airboat Excursions

Private rides with one-hour, 90-minute and two-hour options, plus sunset and Red Eye nighttime tours. One hour is advertised from $325 and 90 minutes from $375; check how many people your quote includes.

Departure: 15490 Loxahatchee Road, shown on the operator's site with a Pompano Beach mailing label. Confirm the exact Parkland-area ramp pin in your booking.

Access note: the company advertises a wheelchair-accessible airboat. Contact it before paying about the specific boat, boarding setup and date. That is more useful than assuming every departure is accessible.

Official tours and booking · 754-946-9350

13. Captain Wayne's airboat booking sites

Captain Wayne's Airboat Rides advertises private Everglades outings by appointment. Its Fort Lauderdale site explicitly says not to show up at the office at 817 NE 4th Avenue; call or email for ramp schedules and availability.

The sites Airboat Rides West Palm Beach, West Palm Beach Airboat Rides and Airboat Rides Parkland carry Captain Wayne branding or shared contact details. The West Palm Beach pages explicitly describe departures from the Loxahatchee preserve in Parkland. Keep these on your comparison list, but do not mistake each city-named site for another attraction in that city.

Booking: confirm the captain, current rate, duration and ramp with the particular site you use. Published contact numbers differ across these sites.

Captain Wayne's Fort Lauderdale site · Airboat Rides West Palm Beach · West Palm Beach Airboat Rides · Airboat Rides Parkland

Palm Beach County boats and paddles

Not every Everglades outing needs a loud engine. The refuge's Boynton Beach entrance is a different experience from the Parkland airboat ramp, so choose the entrance carefully.

14. Heron Now Boat Tours, Boynton Beach

A small-group pontoon wildlife tour, not an airboat ride. Captain Mike is a wildlife biologist, and the outings focus on the refuge's birds, wildlife and wetland scenery.

Departure: Lee Road boat ramp at Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. Use 10216 Lee Road, Boynton Beach, FL 33473, enter the refuge and continue to the ramp at the end of the road. Other refuge entrances will not put you at this boat.

Duration and fare: the official FAQ says standard tours last approximately one hour; private tours can last 1-3 hours. The operator's linked day-tour booking page displays $39 for ages 10+ and $32 for children under 10. These are displayed ticket rates, not a final all-in quote; check your chosen date and applicable fees. Refuge vehicle admission is separate.

Booking: use the official site for the current schedule and your exact tour's terms.

Official tours and booking · Official FAQ · Day-tour listing

15. Master Gator Airboat Tours, advertised for Palm Beach County

Captain Steve offers private airboat tours, with the official site describing Lake Okeechobee and Everglades outings. It lists a 90-minute day tour at $375.

Location and booking: the site lists West Palm Beach, FL 33470, but does not give a precise public launch address. Call 561-662-7170 for an appointment, the launch pin, rider limit, what the quoted price covers and whether your chosen tour is in the Everglades or on Lake Okeechobee. Do not head to a guessed boat ramp.

Official tours

16. Loxahatchee refuge canoe and kayak rentals, Boynton Beach

For a self-guided trip, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists canoe and kayak rentals at the Lee Road launch. This is not a guided airboat tour.

Published daily rental rates: single kayak $35, two-person kayak $45 and canoe $40. Call 561-733-0192 ahead. The refuge says weekday rentals are unstaffed but may be issued by phone.

The marked canoe trail is a 5.5-mile loop. The refuge says to allow 3-5 hours for the full loop. That is a real paddle, not a quick lap before lunch. Ask about conditions and a route that fits your group.

Refuge basics: 10216 Lee Road, Boynton Beach. Headquarters outdoor areas are open daily 5 a.m.-10 p.m.; the visitor center is listed as 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on select days, closed Thanksgiving and Christmas. Confirm the opening days before going. Standard vehicle admission is $10 unless an accepted pass or other applicable entry arrangement covers you. Rental costs and refuge entry are separate things to check.

Official boating and rentals · Official visit information

17. Waymaker Kayak, Boynton Beach refuge

Guided tandem-kayak outings on a portion of the refuge's canoe trail. This is a group, recovery-focused program, not simply a drop-in rental stand or a standard two-person sightseeing tour.

Departure: Lee Road boat ramp, 10216 Lee Road, Boynton Beach.

Published terms: $75 per person; the website lists a 12-person minimum and 30-person maximum, or a minimum trip fee of $1,000. It describes a three-hour session with about one hour and 45 minutes on the water, plus instruction and reflection time.

Booking: contact the guides about group fit, availability and the final quote. The site lists morning and afternoon sessions and a 25% booking deposit.

Official program and booking · 561-701-2871

Tours that handle the driving

Everglades Holiday Park transportation packages

Holiday Park's website advertises a partner-operated VIP transportation package with an airboat ride, alligator presentation and group photo. A related Everglades Airboat Tours site lists a West Palm Beach transportation package. These take you to the Broward park; they do not create a new boat launch in Palm Beach County.

Check whether your hotel or address is in the pickup area, what is included, how long you'll be out and the final total. For families without a car, that pickup detail matters more than a low headline fare.

Park transportation information · Tour-package site

Everglades Day Safari from greater Fort Lauderdale

A naturalist-guided full-day outing with round-trip transportation, an airboat ride, nature walk, mangrove boat ride and lunch. The route travels beyond Broward into Big Cypress and Everglades National Park areas, so this is a tour from Broward, not a series of attractions located within it.

The official page lists adult tickets at $225 and describes roughly a 10-hour day from Fort Lauderdale. Listed pickups include greater Fort Lauderdale locations and Weston. Confirm your actual pickup, child eligibility and return time when booking. This is the longer-day choice, not something to squeeze between a morning game and an afternoon birthday party.

Official itinerary, pickup list and booking · 239-472-1559

Worth the longer drive

Shark Valley is in Miami-Dade, outside this guide's two-county core. It belongs on the list of possible bigger Everglades days because of its tram, bicycle and walking options. It does not have airboat rides at the visitor center.

The National Park Service lists three park airboat concessions farther east on US-41: Coopertown Airboats, Gator Park and Everglades Safari Park. They are Miami-Dade outings, not Broward or Palm Beach locations. If your plan is specifically an airboat ride, don't accidentally drive to Shark Valley expecting to board one there.

NPS Shark Valley directions and airboat-location information

How to plan the day

Pick one main outing. A morning airboat and lunch is enough of a day. A full refuge paddle or Day Safari is already the whole plan.

Choose the format before the company. Big park with exhibits, private captain, pontoon cruise or kayak: those are different days, even if every listing uses the word "Everglades."

Send the ages when asking for a quote. Swamp Monster excludes children under 3; other companies have their own rules, rider limits and children's charges. Confirm before paying, especially with toddlers.

Ask about hearing protection and boarding. Airboats can be loud. Check what is supplied, whether children need particular gear, and whether someone in your group needs help getting aboard. Don't buy a life jacket without first asking the operator about its requirements and supplied equipment.

Get the launch pin. Parkland, US-27 and Alligator Alley are not interchangeable. An office address, restroom stop and boat ramp can be three different places.

Look at the weather and cancellation terms. Ask what happens if storms or water conditions affect the ride. A reservation does not make an outdoor tour weather-proof.

Pack light. Water, sun protection, a secured hat, sunglasses, phone and a small bag are usually a better starting point than a wagon full of gear. Ask whether snacks or coolers are permitted. Keep belongings secured and follow the captain's instructions around wildlife.

Don't build the day around a guaranteed alligator. These are wildlife outings. Enjoy what the guide finds; no particular animal sighting is promised here.

Related: 50 free and cheap places across Broward and Palm Beach

What to Bring for an Everglades Day

Start with what you already own. These are optional helpers, not a shopping list you need to finish before booking. Ask your operator what it supplies and what is allowed on the boat.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Sun, heat and bugs

Water and snacks

Birds, wildlife and the ride home

A small bag, not a whole trunk

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Sources

Official sources checked October 10, 2026. Operator schedules, rates, routes and rules can change. Use the live booking quote and confirmation for your visit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can we take an Everglades airboat ride without driving to Miami?

Yes. Sawgrass Recreation Park, Everglades Holiday Park and the private operators in this guide offer Broward-area rides. Check the actual launch location, not just the city in the website name.

Are there Everglades boat tours in Palm Beach County?

Yes. Heron Now offers a pontoon wildlife tour from the Boynton Beach refuge entrance. Master Gator advertises private Palm Beach County airboat outings, with its exact launch and route confirmed by appointment. The refuge also has paddling options.

Is the Boynton Beach refuge entrance the same as the Parkland airboat ramp?

No. The Boynton Beach outings use Lee Road. The Parkland operators commonly list Loxahatchee Road. Follow your specific reservation's directions.

Which option is best with little kids?

Start by checking ages, noise, boarding and life-jacket rules. The big parks add animal attractions to the boat ride, while a private charter keeps the boat to your group. Swamp Monster explicitly does not take children under 3. There isn't one universal age policy.

Do we need reservations?

Book ahead. Sawgrass requires reservations, private captains work by appointment, and wildlife cruises or guided paddles need their own confirmed place on the schedule.

Can we bring a stroller, snacks or a cooler?

Ask your operator about the exact boat and outing. Do not assume a small private airboat can take the same gear as a park's shared tour or a pontoon cruise.

Are these tours inside Everglades National Park?

Do not assume so. "Everglades" describes the wider wetland region too. This guide includes Broward conservation-area outings, the Loxahatchee refuge and tours traveling to national park areas. Shark Valley's visitor center has no airboats; NPS lists its airboat concessions separately along US-41.