About Everglades Excursions

  Went on the Everglades excursion, with our guide Kenny Hill , he was a funny guy , very knowledgeable about the history and environments in the area . Went on… read more air boat ride it was fun . Would highly recommend.

  wonderful experience! Highly recommend when visiting Naples! Kenny was an amazing tour guide! Very knowledgeable of the area, history and nature.

  Overall we had a slightly disappointing experience that probably could have been a lot better with a few small modifications. We took the half day trip, our guide, Kenny was… read more great at answering questions and providing interesting information on the area and wildlife. The drive over was a nice chance to get caught up on the area and wildlife, but the excursion to the post office was boring and felt like a way to burn time rather than do anything productive. The airboat tour was interesting though from the description I expected a naturalist who could provide us with more useful information than what we received. The "sanctuary" we went through was by no means the highlight of our trip, and the animals were in small enclosures, though Kenny explained to us that it was either this or the animals were euthanized. There was an alligator "show" that was by no means enjoyable for the alligator, who was dragged by his tail and had his mouth prodded, nor the audience, who were mainly just bored or somewhat sickened. Overall, probably not an experience I would do again unless the post office and sanctuary parts were removed from the itinerary.

  A very enjoyable day trip. We spent about 4+ hours. The guide who drove the van told enjoyable stories and historical tidbits while we drove to the air boat and… read more animal preserve. We learned the history of the area and much about the local wildlife and vegetation. The airboat ride was well done by a guide who lives and breaths the everglades. We had a 3 year old with us. The boat provided ear protection. The 3 year old did pretty well, a bit noisy for him, but ok. After the ride, the alligator show and the wildlife preserve was very interesting. The kids loved it. Seeing turtles, alligators, crocodile, tigers and other wildlife. You are able to hold a baby alligator which is a huge highlight. Then traveling to see Everglade City and learn its history. Be prepared to make 3 tips, the air boat driver, the alligator show presenter, and the trip driver/guide

  10/10 recommendation for the Everglades tour with Kenny, an incredible tour guide. Kenny is so knowledgeable about the area, the history, the culture, the wildlife and nature and the communities… read more from Naples all the way down to the Everglades. He took extra time to point out animals and their habitats and went above and beyond so much that we even got to see a manatee and an alligator in the wild. The tour conveniently picked us up and dropped us back off directly at our hotel (the JW Marriott). We loved visiting the Ochopee post office and were so happy that everyone on our tour agreed to stop at a local seafood restaurant for lunch. The air boat ride and alligator preserve were also a unique and fun experience for us and our teenage kids. We’ve been to Florida loads of times, but had never been to the Everglades. I’m so glad we made time for this. 100% worth the investment and highly recommend!

  Staying at JW Marriott for a corporate event. This was offered by our group. Easy pickup right in front of our hotel. The drive takes approximately 45 minutes… read more to reach the destination. Our host/driver was Kenny. Can’t say enough good things about him as a guide. He really knows a great deal about the area and provided us with great Information about places. We enjoyed all that he offered. I can’t remember our Air-boat driver but Kenny said he was the best and he was. Really fun ride thru the ‘glades. Then an alligator show afterwards with a photo opportunity at the end.

Thankfully everyone in our group elected to take Kenny up on his lunch offer. The place he took us in Everglade City was something my wife and i enjoyed. While Kenny promised to turn his microphone off for the drive back, it didn’t mean he would stop providing more information. Had a good group of people and an enjoyable half-day trip.

Highly recommend

  Great tour that left right from our hotel (JW Marriott on Marco Island.) Our guides were friendly and informative. Some of our favorite parts of the tour were parts that… read more were not advertised, such as spotting the burrowing owls, pulling over to look for manatees, and the drive-through of Everglades City.

The tour guide uses Wooten’s Airboats Rides and Animal Sanctuary for the active portion of the outing, and those guides were also great hosts. The airboat ride was really fun (note: you will likely get wet!) and we saw a ton of gators. The everglades are more beautiful and interesting than we imagined. Back at Wooten’s, the alligator "show" was really more a lesson on alligator behavior (which is good, I think, because we don’t love animals being used for entertainment) and the holding a baby alligator was neat for the kids, though that happened in a much larger group than I was anticipating.

  The only reason you should use this company is if you don’t want to drive your self to one of the many airboat companies offered from Naples, to the Everglades… read more area. The tour was not only too long, the information shared included…the New Publix, the area IHOP and Olive Garden, a stop on the same overpass twice to "find wildlife" that clearly was not there.

The airboat ride was fun, but lasted 28 minutes of the total 4.5 hours. Lastly, we returned late to the starting / ending location with again very little gained for the additional time.

  This was the second time I went on this tour with a group of guests — it is still a big hit! Extremely knowledgeable guides – on this occasion… read more Tom was terrific. There was not a question that he was not able to answer. Tons of information about the Everglades, wildlife, and history of the area. Alligators, crocodiles, manatee and birds galore. The air boat tour is always fun! Would love to see the flat boat tour in the 10,000 Islands available in the future —

  (I left this same review on Google Reviews, so if it looks familiar..)

Our Everglades Excursion originated at our hotel on Marco Island. Tour guide Tom provided a lot… read more of interesting information, pointed out sights and wildlife on the 45-minute +/- trip to Wooten Air Boat Tours, which is also a small alligator/ crocodile/ wildlife sanctuary. That Tom is a walking (OK, driving) encyclopedia on the history/wildlife of the region.

The highlight of the 4-hour trip was the 45-minute air boat ride. Oh My Gosh. Wife and I are on either side of 60 years old, have experienced a lot of things, but had never been on an airboat. It was one of the most fun/thrilling things we’ve ever experienced. We are so glad we decided to do that excursion. The day we were there in mid-January, the weather was unusually cool (mid-50’s), so the alligators in the mangrove swamp were not very active/visible. We still had a wonderful, wonderful time and would do it again in a heartbeat if we’re ever down there again.

One thing I will mention – the part of the Everglades where Wooten is located is not the “grassy” part of the Everglades (the saltwater part, I believe), it’s in the mangrove (freshwater?) part. So, it’s, like “channels” and islands in a foot of water or less that you’re zooming around, not through grass like you might have seen on TV.

Meanwhile, the Alligator Show at the sanctuary was pretty good, the kids especially enjoyed it. The sanctuary also has a white Bengal tiger, a “traditional” Siberian tiger, and a boy and a girl lion. The facility and animals were clean and well cared for. The restrooms at the facility were very nice, clean, well-maintained.

Finally, on the way back to Marco, we made a brief on-the-bus tour of Everglades City. Very interesting history, that place. And, of course, tour guide Tom was a wealth of knowledge and had many pictures to show what the place looked like decades ago compared to now.

Just an all-around wonderful trip.

Oh wait…don’t forget to tip your tour guide and airboat pilot!! We went with the hotel concierge’s recommendation of $10/guide/person. So, each of those guys got $20 from us.

  Kenny was a great guide! Lots of interesting information and very funny stories that my kids loved. Everything ran on time and was well organised and the bonus lunch stop… read more was so delicious! The airboat ride was thrilling and we saw many alligators!
It’s not a cheep tour but it was absolutely worth the money.

  Our family of four with two kids age 6 and 10 went on this tour It was AMAZING! The mini bus driver was so informative and kept giving us so… read more much info on the history of Florida in land fresh water system, eco-system, and everything that we saw on our way to the city of Everglades. The air boat tour was just crazy, making 360 turns, so some amazingly large alligators, many bird species. Gator show was also very nice and unique. All in all, worth every penny and strongly recommended.

  The trolley tour of Naples was a great way to see the city and Steven really gave us a great tour.It was easy to find the location of the tour… read more also.We just rode the entire length of the tour then went out exploring on our own.

  Enjoyed the whole experience. Kenny took great care of us. He was very entertaining and knowledgeable. The airboat ride was great, and it was really cool seeing alligators in their… read more natural environment. The Everglades are awesome. Well worth the time.

  Kenny was very awesome. Had a great time and learned a lot. He even took us to a local spot for lunch that wasn’t part of the tour. Airboats were… read more super fun and so beautiful out there. Great way to spend the morning and still had time for Segways in the afternoon.

  Kenny! What an amazing day. Thank you so much. From start to finish Kenny made sure we had the best day. So accommodating and kind. Would highly recommend- this is… read more a MUST! Kenny, you made our day great and we thank you so that!

  Our tour guide Kenny was outstanding. He was very knowledgeable and you could tell he loved what he was doing. Very professional, friendly, and went above and beyond to ensure… read more the best experience for everyone on the tour.

  Excellent way to spend a Morning and lunch. We learn a tremendous amount and had a blast. Kenny was fantastic!!!!
Money well spent..