The best part of the tour was the van ride back to Miami.
The good… The sprinter van was very comfortable and nice. Our driver, Antoine, was on time, a very personable guy, and informative about both Miami and the Everglades. The short alligator show after the boat ride was kind of cool.
Now the bad:
For starters, they don’t take you INTO the Everglades. You get out of the van only a few feet from the highway that runs along side the Everglades at a place called, “Everglades Holiday Park”. That’s who runs the boat tour and show. You get about 45-minutes before you get on the boat to spend money in the gift shop. The boat they finally pack you onto has a metal roof and is closed off in the front with a plexiglass shield that is so filthy you can’t see through it. It has 4 rows, 6 people per row, and the poor people in the middle 2 seats of each row can’t see a thing because of the extremely dirty front window, tight space, and closed roof. (See photos)
We thought they would take us deeper into the Everglades once we got on the boat… nope. You pretty much stay right there along the road as the boat driver goes in circles looking for an alligator. Our driver, who didn’t seem very knowledgeable about the Everglades, found one alligator. We hung around the gator for about two minutes, and then after that we headed straight back to the dock. It seemed finding a gator was the goal of the “tour.” While you are definitely not guaranteed to see any alligators, what you will see is a lot of grass, many power lines (see photos) and a lot of other extremely packed, very loud boats. If you are hoping to become one with nature, this is not the tour for you.
We paid $70 each for this tour. I checked the Everglades Holiday Park prices and if you buy directly from them it’s $39 for the 1 hour boat ride, alligator show, and picture. We got all of that, so that means we paid an extra $31 for the drive. It was an hour ride each way from Miami. Honestly, as rides go that’s pretty cheap. My issue isn’t the price. It was just EXTREMELY touristy, and a total waste of half a day.
Bring small bills because all of these people are “volunteers” and they only get paid only through tips.
Maybe the shuttle service, which was nice, should find a better Everglades boat tour company to partner with. As it stands, the great Trip Advisor reviews for this experience make zero sense.
Одговор домаћина
Nov 2024
We are thrilled that you were pleased with our service, encompassing everything from the tour guide to the Van.
That's precisely what sets us apart from the others.
We are delighted that you also relished the alligator demonstration.
We regret learning about your experience with the boat.
To begin with, the location we visited is, in fact, the Everglades.
The duration of the boat journey is approximately 60 minutes. This extended shared boat excursion distinguishes it from other destinations offering only a 30-minute ride.
As is customary for us, we promptly inform park staff of any concerns raised by our customers.
This includes the dirty front glass on the boat and the performance of the driver. We learned that the driver was a recent hire who had begun working not long ago.
We were also very kind to offer you a discount in your ticket.
This experience comprises a variety of components.
It's truly disappointing that we have not received some recognition for all of them, with the exception of just one.