One of the best ways to see the Everglades when you don’t have all day to explore is an airboat tour.
Coopertown Airboats has been my family’s go-to for years.
My grandparents used to take me (and all of their other visitors) here when they lived in South Florida.
Later, I took my husband here on our first Everglades trip together.
Coopertown is a great choice because it’s much closer to Miami than you might expect (only 20 miles from downtown).
You can also show up without a reservation and still hop on an airboat tour, though I recommend making a reservation anyway if you’re able to plan in advance.
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The Best Everglades National Park Airboat Tour
Coopertown has been rated the #1 airboat tour company for more than 75 years, so it’s a great choice if you want an Everglades airboat tour you can trust.
Coopertown is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm, and the last tour goes out at 4:30 pm.
Parking is free!
You can buy your tickets online in advance or wait until you arrive.
If you already made a reservation, you’ll check in when you get there.
If you didn’t, they’ll put you on the next available tour.
Adult tickets are $39, and tickets for kids ages 6-11 are $21.40.
There is also an additional $8 National Park entrance fee added to the cost of your ticket, although that fee is waived if you have your National Park Pass with you.
These prices are subject to change at any time though.
When JP and I went, we had a National Park annual pass, but we didn’t bring it with us on the trip because we honestly didn’t think about it, so we ended up having to pay the extra fee.
It wasn’t a huge deal, but it’s one of those little things that’s easy to overlook and little mistakes like that can add up over time.
If there’s a bit of a wait until your tour time, there are a few things you can do while you’re there.
You can browse the gift shop, take a bathroom break, and apply sunscreen before heading out.
It’s a good idea to take care of those things before your tour starts because once you’re on the boat, there’s no turning back.
We always like stopping in gift shops when we travel somewhere new because we collect Christmas ornaments from the places we visit, so that was an easy way for us to pass time.
Educational Presentation
Depending on the timing of your tour, you may do the educational presentation before or after your airboat ride.
This part lasts about 20 minutes and gives you more background on the Everglades and Coopertown Airboats.
During this portion of the experience, you’ll get to see alligators up close.
There is also an opportunity to hold a baby alligator and take a photo if that’s something you want to do.
You definitely don’t have to!
Airboat Tour
The airboat tour itself lasts about 40 minutes and covers around 9 miles roundtrip through the Everglades.
It’s a great way to see a lot of the area in a short amount of time, especially if you don’t have all day to explore.
As you ride through the Everglades, you can expect to see a variety of wildlife, especially alligators.
The guides do a good job of slowing down when needed so you can get a better look at animals or anything else they want to point out along the way.
That helps balance out the ride so it’s not just about speed, but also about getting to appreciate the environment around you.
At other points, the boat moves very fast, winding through the Everglades, and that’s part of what makes the experience so exciting.
This is also when it gets pretty loud, so they’ll give you cotton balls to put in your ears.
You can also bring your own ear plugs if that feels more comfortable.
It’s also a good idea to keep any loose items secure during the ride, especially hats and sunglasses, since they could easily fly off once the boat picks up speed.
If you want to see more of our experience on this tour, make sure to watch our YouTube video below.
This video is from when we did a week-long road trip around Florida, so it shows everything we did that day, from spending the morning in Key West to driving up to the Everglades after lunch and taking one of the last airboat tours of the day.
After that, we got back on the road and continued on to Tampa for the evening, so it gives you a look at how Coopertown fit into a full Florida road trip day.
Best Place To Stay: Homewood Suites by Hilton Miami Downtown
The photo below from Google Maps shows where Coopertown is in relation to Miami and in relation to the main visitor center of the Everglades.
This itinerary doesn’t cover other trails available from the visitor center, but if you wanted to visit that area, you can see that it is about an hour away.
If you stay in the Homestead area, you’ll be close by!
You can also see from the photo that Coopertown is only about 20 miles from Miami, so you can really stay anywhere in this part of Florida and not have to travel too far.
When we went on this trip, we stayed at Homewood Suites by Hilton Miami Downtown/Brickell.
We prefer to stick with one brand as much as possible so that we can earn loyalty rewards for extra perks and free nights!
Click Here To Book Your Homewood Suites by Hilton Miami Downtown/Brickell Stay Today!
Frequently Asked Questions
These are the most frequently asked questions we get about visiting Everglades National Park.
Can You Do The Everglades In One Day?
Absolutely!
An airboat tour + presentation can be done in just 1 hour.
You can also drive another hour South to the visitor center of Everglades National Park to walk some short boardwalk style trails and see other areas of the park.
How Much Time Should I Spend At Everglades National Park?
At a minimum, you can go for an hour, take an airboat ride, and you’ve seen the Everglades.
But if you want to see a few different areas, walk some of the trails, and stop by the visitor center, then you want to plan for at least a half day of about 4-6 hours.
Do You Need A Reservation To Visit Everglades National Park?
No.
To visit Everglades National Park, you don’t need a reservation, but some tours you may need to book in advance if it’s peak travel season.
What Is The Best Time Of Day To Visit Everglades National Park?
It depends on what you want to see and do.
The earlier morning hours before about 11 am are nice for visiting on hot and humid days because it’s more tolerable earlier in the day.
The best time of day to visit the Everglades for animal activity is early morning or late afternoon.
During these times, temperatures are also usually milder and the lighting is favorable for photography and wildlife observation.
Additionally, the midday heat can be intense in the Everglades, making it less comfortable for outdoor activities.
What Is The Best Time Of Year To Visit The Everglades?
The best time of year to visit the Everglades is during the dry season, which typically runs from November to April.
During this period, the weather is cooler and drier, making outdoor activities more comfortable, and the reduced water levels concentrate wildlife around accessible areas.
It’s an ideal time for birdwatching, hiking, and wildlife viewing.
However, keep in mind that this is also the park’s peak tourist season, so popular spots may be more crowded.
The wet season, from May to October, brings higher temperatures, humidity, and frequent rainfall, so tours may get cancelled or delayed due to weather much more often.
More Fun Places To Visit In Florida
I grew up spending every Summer in Florida, went to college and part of grad school in Florida, and now much of my family lives in Florida.
So JP and I visit all the time.
Below I’ve compiled a list of all of my favorite places in Florida that I recommend visiting at least once.
St. Augustine
St. Augustine is the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the US.
This historic town is the perfect place for couples to spend a day or weekend getaway.
Kennedy Space Center
The Kennedy Space Center is an experience everyone should have at least once.
It’s on Florida’s Space Coast near Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach.
There are outdoor and indoor exhibits, interactive exhibits, and you can even meet real astronauts.
Florida’s Treasure Coast
Florida’s Treasure Coast is made up of towns like Vero Beach, Port St Lucie, Fort Pierce, and Jensen Beach.
It’s a quieter and less visited area, which makes it perfect for a couples weekend!
Florida’s A1A Road Trip
Florida’s A1A runs from Miami all the way up the east coast of Florida to Fernandina Beach.
This road trip route, in either direction, takes you to some of Florida’s best destinations.
Biscayne National Park
Biscayne National Park is just outside of Miami and is almost entirely under water.
A day trip here consists of snorkeling, stand up paddle boarding, picnic lunches on an island, and more.
Disney World
Disney World is a great place to go whether it’s for your first visit or your hundredth visit.
Having grown up visiting Disney World multiple times a year and then later working there for several years in college, I decided to create a list of my favorite hidden gems at Disney World.
These are all things that not every guest gets to experience when they go.
The Ultimate One Week Florida Road Trip
When JP and I took our Coopertown Airboat tour, we were on a week-long road trip all over Florida.
Everything listed above is what we did on that road trip.
I’ve compiled it all into a simple one week itinerary for you to check out and get more ideas for places to go around Florida.
