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Everglades Tours

Private Big Cypress Sightseeing Tours From Miami and Miami Beach | Miami Native Tours

Private Everglades Tours

Warning: It's mid January and our unusually high water levels have made the Half Day tour hard to find alligators. The All Day tour is as good as usual. I will remove this warning as things change.

Half Day Everglades tours (5 hours)
  1. Airboat to a Miccosukee tree island. A much better and longer ride than the cheesy airboat operators w an animal show.
  2. Stops in Big Cypress Preserve where wildlife increases dramatically

All Day Everglades Tours (8-10 hours) = Half Day Tour + 

  1. 90 min boat ride thru the Ten Thousand Islands to the Gulf of Mexico
  2. A stone crab lunch during stone crab season thru April 
  3. Usually stop in Fakahatchee state park for birds, a boardwalk, and manatees. Especially good November-January. 
 
What determines if the tour is 8 or 10 hours is my guests.  If rushed, I can finish in 8 hours, but looking for birds and manatees takes time.  And due to El Niño, alligators have been less than usual. 
 
The All Day tours sees dozens, not the 50-100 usually during the Winter/Spring.  

There are 4-5 parts to the All Day tour:

1.    Airboat to a Miccousukee tree island.  Other tours end here.  

2.    Stops in Big Cypress Preserve where wildlife increases dramatically  

3.   90 min boat ride thru the Ten Thousand Islands to the Gulf of Mexico  

4.   A stone crab lunch during stone crab season thru April 

5.  Usually stop in Fakahatchee state park for birds, a boardwalk, and manatees.  Especially good November-January. 

Most visitors and sightseeing tour operators only go to the first few airboats or Shark Valley and turn back to Miami. 

Miami Native Tours brings you to FOUR PARKS w an airboat ride to a Miccosukee tree island and a spectacular boat ride through the 10,000 Islands to the Gulf of Mexico. Tour includes transportation to and from your Miami or Miami Beach hotel. 

Parks visited:

  • Everglades National Park 
  • Big Cypress National Preserve
  • Ten Thousand Islands NWR
  • Fakahatchee State Park (time permitting)
  • Miccosukee Reservation
  • Everglades National Park 
  • Big Cypress National Preserve
  • Ten Thousand Islands NWR
  • Fakahatchee  State Park (time permitting)
  • Miccosukee Reservation
Private Big Cypress National Preserve Tours | Miami & Miami Beach | Miami Native Tours
Ten Thousand Islands, Gulf of Mexico | 90 Minute Boat Tour | Everglades Tour Guide | Miami Native Tours
  • A 90 minute boat ride through the Ten Thousand Islands to the Gulf of Mexico. Always the highlight of the day. Check tide table for best time for maximum wildlife seen.
  • All boats captains have 5 and 6 generations of history to the area

Hope to see:

  • Dolphins
  • Manatees (mostly Nov-April)
  • White Pelicans October – March
  • Rays
  • Land and Sea Turtles
  • Roseate Spoonbills
  • Wide variety of wading birds and song birds
  • 2-3000 year old Calusa shell mounds
  • Rare Sawfish
  • A 90 minute boat ride through the Ten Thousand Islands to the Gulf of Mexico.  Always the highlight of the day.  Check tide table for best time for maximum wildlife seen.  
  • All boats captains have 5 and 6 generations of history to the area
Hope to see:

A mild Boardwalk hike

Boardwalk in Big Cypress National Preserve

30 minute hike thru several ecological communities, ending with a beautiful cypress canopy and an opportunity to see various epiphytes and orchids.
A great bird spot for wading birds and raptors in the fall, and songbirds all year round.
There are several stops for gators and birds in Big Cypress and Fakahatchee, depending on water levels and migration. Gators seen are dozens in the summer, hundreds in the winter.
Usually stop at Clyde Butcher Photo Gallery, considered the Ansel Adams of Florida, which features a cypress swamp trail behind gallery.

30 minute hike on a Big Cypress Boardwalk with a beautiful cypress canopy and an opportunity to see various epiphytes and orchids.

A great bird spot for wading birds and raptors in the fall, and songbirds all year round.

Stop at Clyde Butcher Photo Gallery, considered the Ansel Adams of Florida, which features a cypress swamp trail behind gallery.

There are several stops for gators and birds in Big Cypress, depending on water levels and migration. Gators seen are dozens in the summer, hundreds in the winter.

Bird Rookery Ten Thousand Islands, Gulf of Mexico | 90 Minute Boat Tour | Private Everglades Tour Guide | Miami Native Tours

Sunset tours on the Gulf are especially magical. A bird lover's delight!

Sunset tours on the Gulf are especially magical. A bird lover’s delight!

Airboat to a Miccosukee Tree island

Airboat to see gators and possible wading birds, w a stop on a Miccosukee tree island

  • Airboat ride to tree island where Miccosukee lived for generations fleeing the US Army.

  • Tour highlights the unique history of the unconquered Miccosukee tribe

  • Airboat ride to tree island where Miccosukee lived for generations fleeing the US Army.
  • Tour highlights the unique history of the unconquered Miccosukee tribe
  • How they differ from Seminoles even though both came into Florida fleeing Andrew Jackson and the Indian Removal Act. 
Airboat to Miccosukee Tree Island | Private Everglades Tours | Miami Native Tours

*The 3-4000 year old Calusa mounds make archaeology and Native
American heritage an important part of the tour.

If your dream Everglades tour is you taking a selfie with a baby alligator having its mouth taped shut, I am NOT your ideal guide.

Rates (minimum 4 people)

Optional add ons. $$ means added cost

Dawn Patrol Sunset boat ride on the Gulf Make Airboat ride private $ Extended time on boat ride thru Ten Thousand Islands $ Swamp walks with another guide with BICY permit. $$ Canoe or Kayak with another guide $$ Extra time for photographers and birdwatchers $

  • Sunset boat ride on the Gulf
  • Dawn patrol
  • Make Airboat ride private $
  • Extended time on boat ride thru Ten Thousand Islands $
  • Swamp walks with another guide with BICY permit. $$
  • Canoe or Kayak with another guide $$
  • Extra time for photographers and birdwatchers $

4 people minimum: $225 each
5-8 people: $205 each
9-13 people: $195 each

Rates for Half Day Everglades (min 4 people)

Everglades Airboat Tours | Private Everglades Tour Guide | Miami Native Tours

Florida may have the most interesting Native American history in the country. The tour details 5 tribes:

Calusa

Tekesta

Seminole 

Miccosukee

Black Seminoles

The Calusa mound pictured built 3000 years ago is an important part of the tour.  

Options and/or Upgrades to your Everglades tour: 

Dawn Patrol usually means seeing more wildlife and beating the blue hair invasion from Naples that crowds our stone crab restaurant

The itinerary is set by guests, pickup time, lunchtime, the order of the tour. 

I do not charge extra if the group uses a third party for:

  • Swamp walks
  • Swamp buggy rides
  • Private airboat
  • Kayaks
  • Fishing guides

Important: Third parties must have a Big Cypress permit, as I do.

Third parties for swamp walks and swamp buggies take guest to places I can not and don’t want to do.

Swamp walks are usually led by hunters. Swamp buggies by old time Gladesmen, similar to my boat captains.

  • DOWNGRADES:

Once or twice a month during the winter a strong SW or NW wind makes conditions for the boat trip thru the Ten Thousand Islands less than ideal. I usually know 3-5 days ahead of time and can offer additional options:

  • Downgrading to the 5 hour tour
  • More time spent in Big Cypress
  • Rescheduling

The days before and after the strong winds are usually very good days, so my preference is to to reschedule if possible. 

Half Day Private Everglades Tours

(Approx. 5 hours – Private Tours Only)

Big Cypress

I’m going to be honest.  I don’t like doing this tour because i know just 20 miles farther birds are everywhere, we can get a stone crab lunch at the docks, and a spectacular boat ride with dolphins, birds, sawfish, manatees.  I only recommend this tour if there is a smal craft warning for the Ten Thousand Islands, making the All Day tour not worth the effort.    

I only sell this tour when time is tight for my guests but they have to see alligators.  We do an airboat ride to a Miccouskee tree island on their reservation, and we continue on to Big Cypress National Preserve.   

Big Cypress is home to many unique fauna and flora such as the Florida panther, black bear, the American Alligator, wood storks, the Big Cypress fox squirrel and the ghost orchid. The best time to see wildlife is in the early morning so Dawn Patrol is a highly recommended in order to experience the best of the Everglades. Transportation is included to and from your Miami or Miami Beach hotel. We also pick up and drop off at the Port of Miami and Miami International Airport (MIA). View our prices and tour details below.

Parks visited:

  • Everglades National Park
  • Big Cypress National Preserve
  • Micoosukee Reservation
  • Fakahatchee can be added for birdwatchers in the fall and winter

Boardwalk

A 30 minute hike on a Big Cypress Boardwalk under a beautiful Cypress canopy. Epiphytes, flowers and a variety of orchids fill the trees and swamps in the summer months. 

A great bird spot for migrating wading and raptor birds in the fall, and songbirds all year round.

Stop at Clyde Butcher Photo Gallery which features a cypress swamp trail behind his gallery. Keep your eyes open for his resident alligator Lily. 

There are several designated stops for gators and birds in Big Cypress, depending on water levels and migration. Expect dozens of gators in the summer, and sometimes hundreds in the winter. 

Lots of Backroads in the Everglades

Ask any local and they will tell you the best place to see “Old Florida” is traveling through the backroads of the Everglades. Both Loop and Turner Road are well known but never crowded, which increases your chances for seeing more wildlife. Few tourists visit these spots and even fewer operators offer them as an option on their tours. These roads drive through the heart of Big Cypress passing through marl prairies, pinelands and cypress swamps and offer exceptional opportunities for viewing alligators, birds, turtles, and snakes up close without ever leaving the comfort of the passenger van.

Airboat ride to a Miccosukee tree island

  • Airboat ride to tree island where Miccosukee Indians lived for generations fleeing the US Army. 
  • Tour highlights the unique history of Miccosukee tribe.
  • How they differ from Seminoles even though both came into Florida to escape the Indian Removal Act. 

Rates ( minimum 4 people)

  • Adults (4-6 People) – $135 each
  • Adults (7-8 People) – $1120 each
  • Adults (9-11 People) – $110 each
  • Seniors, veterans and and elementary school kids are less $10
Everglades Airboat Tours | Private Everglades Tour Guide | Miami Native Tours