Private Everglades Airboat Tours from Fort Lauderdale

Staying in Fort Lauderdale and want to see the real Everglades without being packed onto a big shared airboat? With us, your group gets the boat to itself. Most of our boats seat 6–7 guests, and you're out on the sawgrass with one of our USCG-licensed, CPR and first-aid certified local captains. Our team is led by owner Captain Greg Mislow.

Our dock is on the Tamiami Trail (5334 FL-90, Miami), about an hour's drive from most of Fort Lauderdale. You can drive yourself, or we can pick up your group at your hotel, FLL airport or the cruise port and bring you back. Private tours start at $250 for one hour for the first two guests, and kids 5 and under ride free.

Last updated October 5, 2026.

How far is the Everglades from Fort Lauderdale?

Our dock is southwest of Fort Lauderdale, on the edge of the Everglades off the Tamiami Trail. Fort Lauderdale is your starting point or pickup spot, not the airboat launch point. These drive times are honest estimates for normal traffic:

• From FLL airport or Port Everglades: about 45–65 minutes
• From Fort Lauderdale Beach / Las Olas hotels: about 50–75 minutes
• From hotels farther north (Pompano, Deerfield): add about 15–20 minutes

Weekday rush hour (roughly 7–9:30 AM and 4–7 PM) can add 20–30 minutes or more. Check your map app the morning of your tour, and plan to arrive 15 minutes early. Free onsite parking is available at the dock. Follow your confirmed booking directions; specialty trips may use a different meeting point.

Pickup from your Fort Lauderdale hotel, FLL or the cruise port

If you'd rather not drive, we can arrange a private van for your group.

• $400 round trip per van, for up to 13 guests. This is separate from the tour price.
• Minimum 4 guests and a tour of at least 1.5 hours.
• Where we pick up: Fort Lauderdale hotels and vacation rentals, FLL airport, and the cruise terminals at Port Everglades and PortMiami. Drop-off can be a different place, like your hotel after a cruise or the airport before a flight.
• Pickup time: usually about 1 hour before your tour starts, depending on how far away you are.
• Every pickup is confirmed with you before you pay: the exact address, the times, the return stop and your luggage.

Use our Fort Lauderdale airport pickup information as the starting point. Share your flight details if arriving at FLL, or your complete hotel address if already in town.

Port Everglades cruise days and beach hotel pickups

Yes, we can pick up your group at the Port Everglades cruise terminals or your Fort Lauderdale beach hotel, take you to our dock for your private tour, and bring you back. It's the same private van described above: $400 round trip for up to 13 guests, with a 4-guest minimum and a tour of at least 1.5 hours.

• Pickup and drop-off can be different places. For example, we can pick you up at the cruise terminal and drop you at FLL airport for your flight home, or collect you at your beach hotel and drop you at the airport.
• Pickup time: usually about an hour before your tour starts, depending on how far you are from the dock. We confirm the exact time when you book.
• Luggage: bags are welcome, as long as they fit in the back of the van, or between guests when the van is full.
• Child seats: we don't provide them, so please bring any your children need and tell us when you arrange pickup.
• Service area: we pick up across Miami, Fort Lauderdale and the Keys. For a Keys pickup, call (305) 766-1929 first so we can talk through the distance.

Cruise days: send us your ship name, the date, and the time you get off or need to be back on board. After you disembark, allow extra time to get off the ship and collect your bags before your driver meets you.

Leave plenty of buffer. Work backward from your ship's all-aboard time or your flight's check-in time, not just the departure time, and allow for the drive, traffic and terminal or airport lines. If the timing is tight, plan your tour for the day before you sail instead. Every pickup and drop-off is confirmed with you when you book.

Private airboat vs. park-style rides near Fort Lauderdale

Park-style airboat rides near Fort Lauderdale are usually big shared boats on a set schedule and a short, fixed loop, often sold together with park admission and animal shows. A private tour gives your group its own small boat and captain, for as long as you choose, at the time you choose. A park ride is closer to most Fort Lauderdale hotels and can suit a quick stop. If you want real time on the water, a captain who answers your questions and the boat to yourselves, private is worth the drive.

Our tours run outside Everglades National Park, along the Tamiami Trail, so your captain can legally bring you closer to wildlife than park rules allow, while never feeding, touching or chasing animals. Here's what else you can count on:

• Your group only. Even a party of two gets its own boat and captain.
• Small boats. Most seat 6–7 guests, so everyone gets a good view and can talk to the captain.
• Your schedule. We're open 24 hours, so you pick the start time, including sunrise, sunset and after dark (subject to availability).
• A local captain who knows the water. Our USCG-licensed, CPR and first-aid certified captains are led by owner Captain Greg Mislow. They'll slow down for wildlife and photos and answer your questions along the way. Wildlife is wild, so we never guarantee particular sightings.
• Simple policies. Full payment books your tour, and you get a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours ahead. Kids 5 and under ride free.

Bigger group? We can run more than one boat. Tell us your headcount when you request a date.

Private tour prices from Fort Lauderdale

A 1.5-hour daytime ride for four paying guests costs $470: $350 for the first two and $120 for the next two guests. Adding the separate $400 transportation charge brings that example to $870. This example is for that tour length and guest count, so ask for the total for your actual party.

For guests who drive themselves, standard daytime tours start at $250 for one hour for the first two people. The other daytime base prices are $350 for 1.5 hours, $450 for two hours and $550 for 2.5 hours. Additional guests are $60 each, and children five and under ride free on all tours.

New to private tours? Here's how pricing and planning work for a private airboat tour.

Best time to go from Fort Lauderdale

For the most wildlife and the most comfortable weather, come in the dry season, roughly December to mid-May, and book a morning or late-afternoon tour. Summer and early fall are hotter and greener, with afternoon storms, so an early start or a sunset or night tour works best then. We run all year, 24 hours a day.

Dry season vs. wet season

• Dry season (about December to mid-May): cooler, less humid and usually fewer mosquitoes. As the water drops, fish gather in the deeper spots, and herons, egrets, ibis and alligators follow them, so wildlife is often easier to find. Winter also brings migrating birds. Very low water late in the season can change the route your captain takes.
• Wet season (about mid-May to November): hot and humid, with short afternoon thunderstorms on many days. High water lets animals spread out across the marsh, so sightings can take a little more looking, but the sawgrass is green, the skies are dramatic and there’s plenty of water to explore. Late summer is when baby alligators hatch. If weather makes us cancel, you get a full refund.

No season guarantees a particular animal, and water levels vary from year to year. Our seasonal conditions guide explains more.

Time of day

• Sunrise: start about 30 minutes before sunrise for cool air, calm water and birds feeding in the first light. From Fort Lauderdale that means leaving about an hour and a half before sunrise. See sunrise airboat tours.
• Morning: this is the easiest plan from Fort Lauderdale. It's cooler, wildlife is often more active, and you're back by early afternoon.
• Midday or afternoon: this works well on a beach-and-Everglades day. Bring sun protection.
• Sunset (1.5-hour minimum, from $450 for the first two guests): the sky over the sawgrass is the reason to choose this one. Sunset in South Florida runs from about 5:30 PM in winter to about 8:15 PM in early summer. You can start before, during or after sunset. Count back your drive time (about an hour) plus 15 minutes for arrival. See our sunset tour page.
• Night (1.5-hour minimum, from $450 for the first two guests): come out after dark for gator eyeshine and night sounds. Eat dinner before you go if you're heading back to Fort Lauderdale late.

See our private night airboat tours for what a night trip is like, or compare every option on the full tours hub. Check pickup availability for your selected experience.

Prepare your group and return plan

Pack comfortable outdoor clothing, secure footwear, sun protection and insect repellent. Complimentary water and ear protection are provided for airboat guests. Discuss any accessibility or boarding questions before booking. If you are arriving with suitcases, confirm luggage arrangements rather than assuming all bags can go on the boat.

A group of two can book a private airboat ride, but the transportation option still has its four-person minimum. Smaller groups can compare a rental car with an on-demand ride. If using an app, check how you will return and do not assume a later driver will be available.

Reserve once the whole itinerary fits

The boat time is only one part of your day. Include travel in both directions, the 15-minute early arrival and any airport or cruise requirements. Avoid scheduling another time-sensitive commitment immediately after the advertised tour duration.

Full payment is required to book. Cancel at least 24 hours ahead for a full refund under the published policy. Read our terms and cancellation information, then send the date, guest count and pickup details with your request. Your final plan should identify both the airboat experience and the transportation arrangements.

Fort Lauderdale questions

How far is the Everglades from Fort Lauderdale?

Our dock at 5334 FL-90 (Tamiami Trail) is about 45–65 minutes from FLL airport and Port Everglades, and about 50–75 minutes from Fort Lauderdale Beach hotels. Rush hour can add 20–30 minutes or more.

Do you pick up from Fort Lauderdale hotels, FLL or the cruise port?

Yes. A private van is $400 round trip for up to 13 guests, with a 4-guest minimum and a tour of at least 1.5 hours. We pick up at Fort Lauderdale hotels, FLL airport, Port Everglades and PortMiami, usually about an hour before your tour. Every pickup is confirmed before booking.

Can you pick us up at Port Everglades and drop us at FLL airport?

Yes. Pickup and drop-off can be different places, so we can meet your group at the Port Everglades cruise terminal and drop you at FLL after your tour. The private van is $400 round trip for up to 13 guests, with a 4-guest minimum and a tour of at least 1.5 hours. Leave plenty of buffer before your flight. Every pickup and drop-off is confirmed when you book.

Can we bring luggage and child seats in the pickup van?

Luggage is welcome as long as it fits in the back of the van, or between guests when the van is full. We don't provide child seats, so please bring any your children need and tell us when you arrange pickup.

How much is a private airboat tour from Fort Lauderdale?

Private tours start at $250 for one hour for the first two guests. They're $350 for 1.5 hours, $450 for 2 hours and $550 for 2.5 hours. Additional guests are $60 each, and kids 5 and under ride free. Pickup is an optional $400 per van.

Is the airboat private, or will we share it with other people?

It's private. Your group has the boat and captain to itself, even if there are only two of you. Most of our boats seat 6–7 guests, and larger groups can book more than one boat.

How is a private airboat tour different from a park airboat ride?

Park rides near Fort Lauderdale are usually big shared boats on a short, set loop, and they're closer to most hotels. On our private tour your group has its own small boat and captain, you choose the start time and the length, and the captain slows down for wildlife and photos. We run outside Everglades National Park, so your captain can legally bring you closer to wildlife than park rules allow.

Can we do a sunset or night airboat tour from Fort Lauderdale?

Yes. Sunset and night tours are 1.5 hours minimum and start at $450 for the first two guests. We're open 24 hours, so you choose a start time before, during or after sunset, subject to availability. Allow about an hour each way for the drive.

What's the best time of year for an airboat tour from Fort Lauderdale?

The dry season, roughly December to mid-May, is the most comfortable and usually the best for wildlife, because falling water gathers birds and alligators around the deeper spots. Summer and early fall are hot, with afternoon storms, so book a morning, sunset or night tour then. We run year-round, 24 hours a day, and no season guarantees a particular animal.

What is your cancellation policy?

Full payment is required to book, and you get a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before your tour.

Questions about prices, extra guests, kids, pickup, cancellation or weather? See our main Everglades airboat FAQ.

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