Millions of tourists flock to Florida every year to experience the many pleasures of the Sunshine State. From theme parks to cruises, Segway tours and swamp adventures, full-time and part-time Floridians are limited only by their imagination. Below you’ll find 9 of the very best guided tours to help you get acquainted with Florida, and keep you coming back year after year.
Experience the Everglades Safari Park, Key West, Sawgrass Mills Mall, Palm Beach, and Fort Lauderdale on this wonderful guided tour. You’ll hit a different site each day of the tour, as directed by your personal tour guide. Few better ways exist to get acquainted with a large portion of Florida’s most-visited locations than jumping aboard one of these guided tours.
Florida Water Tours in St. Augustine, Florida offers a variety of incredible waterway tours. One of the most popular is the Dolphin Tour, for ages three and up. You’ll board their 45-foot U.S. Coast Guard inspected vessel, called the “Osprey,” to be taken out on the water for animal sightseeing. Keep an eye out for birds, dolphins, manatees, and turtles, as well as landmarks St. Augustine Bayfront, Castillo de San Marcos fort, Mission Nombre de Dios, Bridge of Lions, and the St. Augustine Lighthouse.
Wild Willy’s Airboat Tours in Saint Cloud, Florida offers a unique method of seeing Florida’s natural habitat. Over the course of your hour-long airboat tour, you’ll get up close and personal with Florida wildlife, including alligators and bald eagles. Sunset tours are available from November to March. Check their website for a full list of rules and regulations, as well as up to date pricing information.
A member of the 2015 TripAdvisor Hall of Fame and recipient of the Certificate of Excellence, the Kissimmee Swamp Tours “is a unique and different adventure from anything you will ever experience. Kissimmee Swamp Tours is an amazing, exciting, and informative 60 or 90-minute airboat tour through the untouched and pristine headwaters of the Florida Everglades.” You won’t find any man-made structures on one of these swamp tours—only 36,000 acres of undeveloped land. If you’re looking for a tour away from the tourist spots, this one is for you.
Explore the beautiful Florida coast with A Day Away Kayak Tours. Choose from the Moonlight Tours, Sunrise and Sunset Tours, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge Tours, Manatee Encounter Tours, Silver River Tours, and so much else. Each tour is led by a professional, trained guide to ensure your safety, enjoyment, and education. Check their website to sign up for a tour, an event, rent a kayak, or even take classes.
Zip line fanatic? Then you must stop by the Canyons Zip Line and Canopy Tour in Ocala, Florida, for the fastest, longest, and highest zip lines in the state. Their professionally certified guides will “lead you through a two and a half to three-hour tour through the beautiful and remote natural area.” Your guides will outfit you, train you, and educate you about the cliffs, lakes, canyons, and surrounding forest. Learn about nature while zipping through it with Canopy Tours.
Conveniently located at the confluence of the Rainbow and Withlacoochee River, the Rainbow River Canoe and Kayaking company offers guided tours and river trips to bring you closer to nature. Choose from the Withlacoochee or Rainbow River tour. Withlacoochee is about nine miles long and requires 3-4 hours of paddling, and is much more remote. The Rainbow River is around two hours of paddling, by contract. Your guide will take you through the tour and make sure you’re aware of everything there is to see along these beatific routes.
History buffs, take note. The Tampa History Cruise “explores one of Florida’s most picturesque harbors.” Take a gander at the pirate ship known as the Gabrielle. Soak in the million dollar homes. Cruise past the “Planet Hotel.” Your guide will let you in on special tidbits and little-known nuggets of history all throughout.
St. Petersburg is home to the world’s first commercial flight, the Tocobaga tribe, and decadent Victorian homes. See it all from the comfort of your very-own, small-group Segway tour. Each tour is limited to seven people, ensuring you’ll receive the utmost attention and have ample opportunity to ask questions of your guide. The tour is one hour long and will take you through around eight miles of downtown St. Petersburg. For a unique perspective of the city, you can’t go wrong with a Segway.
