Even at the risk of a little seasickness, there are plenty of reasons why you should add an airboat tour to your bucket list. Not only is it one of the few truly enjoyable family-friendly activities you can find, but it also gives you a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see a host of interesting plants and animals. Of course, for you to get the best of such an experience, picking the right location is essential. And, in the U.S., there are few better places than Orlando, Florida!
The 4 Best Orlando Airboat Tours in 2024 to Make Your Vacation Magical
To start with, there are lots of options you can explore when it comes to getting nice airboat rides in the Orlando area. That said, my top picks combine the best of safety, appropriate group sizing, pricing, and extra features to make for a more rewarding experience overall.
These tours include:
1. The 1-Hour Sunset Airboat Ride
Location: 2001 E Southport Rd, Kissimmee, FL 34746
The Everglades is arguably one of the most popular parts of Florida, and this airboat tour gives you a nice taste of its majesty. While you’ll certainly be able to get many standard boats to take you on a ride here, you might miss out on much of the experience. The biggest reason is that those boats can’t cover shallow waters. Yet, these are the areas packed with the local flora and fauna that make up the wildlife in this region.
In addition to this, the tour is always taken at sunset, adding a bit of magic and romance to the atmosphere.
2. The Kennedy Space Center Plus Airboat Ride & Transport
Location: Space Commerce Way, Merritt Island, FL 32953
If you’ve got the whole day on your hands and you’re a bit of a nature/space buff, I’d absolutely recommend you give The Kennedy Space Center Plus Airboat Ride & Transport tour a twirl! This 11-hour long tour starts at the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex, where you’ll get to see fun stuff like the technology used in the Apollo Missions. Then comes the luxurious airboat tour of St. Johns River and Lake Poinsett, followed by visits to top attractions like Disney and International Drive.
3. Central Florida’s Lowest Priced Eco-Friendly Airboat Rides
Location: 3702 Big Bass Rd, Kissimmee, FL, 34744
For strong environmental conservatives visiting Orlando on a budget, there’s perhaps no better airboat tour for you than Central Florida’s Lowest Priced Eco-Friendly Airboat Rides. It’s also one of my personal favorites because of the wealth of latitude you can get with the package.
For example, you don’t need to make a reservation if you’re visiting by yourself or with fewer than 15 family members. Also, it runs every day all year long! So, no matter when you come around, you can always be sure of a good time here.
4. VIP Private Airboat Tour
Location: 2001 E Southport Rd, Kissimmee, FL 34746
I recommend the VIP Private Airboat Tour for people who want to see their airboat exploration all through to the end in style. Not only is this tour group pretty small, it shows you a side of the Everglades that not many do. In addition to seeing the Butterfly Garden and a restricted alligator viewing area, for a little extra, you can also mine for gems and fossils and explore a native American village!
Takeaway
Airboat tours are one of the classiest ways of seeing the natural charms of Orlando. What matters most is making sure you choose a tour that checks all the right boxes with you. Hopefully, the pointers above can help with that.
