ORLANDO
Orlando’s best days out.
The 15 most popular wildlife tours around Orlando, from the theme-park gates out to the spring runs and the Space Coast. Prices, run times and who to book each one with.
Wild Florida near Orlando: 30–60 min airboat through 4,200 acres, live alligator demo, and wildlife park admission.
Most Popular“First time doing something like this and it was absolutely amazing. Jeff was an amazing guide. Highly recommend fitting this in.”
Ride the Banana River eco tour from Cocoa Beach for dolphin and manatee spotting, narrated by a naturalist, with a restroom on board.
“Rich and Pat were very entertaining. It was a cold morning on the water and there were only 4 passengers, but they still gave top-notch service! We were able to see 2 small groups of dolphins.”
Paddle through the Banana River at night and watch plankton glow in the dark on a small-group bioluminescence kayak tour.
“Was a beautiful night but the bioluminescence was disappointing Also at times can be stressful if you’re not a experienced kayaker because you are bunched up with other kayakers and you might run into them.”
2-hour clear kayak in Silver Springs for $80. See manatees, turtles, and wild monkeys with a guide.
“Steve was great . We got to see lots of wildlife not just manatees . Would highly recommend the glass bottom kayaking”
A small-group 2-hour pontoon cruise through Winter Haven’s Chain of Lakes with wildlife spotting, local history, and photo stops.
“We saw 7 beautiful lakes with nature at their best. Our tour guide was awesome explaining history behind the landscape and different varieties of birds. We left around 10am little windy and chilly so couldn’t see too many alligators but had an awesome experience and would come back in May.”
A 90-minute airboat ride through the Orlando Everglades with small-group wildlife spotting, a creek-origin story, and gator and eagle chances.
Kayak the spring-fed Silver River on a clear kayak. Spot manatees and monkeys with a small-group guide in about 2 hours.
“10/10 Highly Recommended!! The water is so clear!! Even in over 30 feet of water you can see the bottom of the spring. We saw lots of manatees, gators, some sea lions, turtles, fish, turkey and other birds. Even if we didn’t get to see the manatees, the tour was beautiful. Aly was our guide…”
Kayak Haulover Canal for manatees and dolphins on Florida’s Space Coast. Small group wildlife spotting, gear included, calm water.
“The westher was really good! The boy guíe Excelentt person and cool guy!! The manaties do friendly and no dangerous is a good tour”
Cocoa Beach manatee and dolphin kayak or paddleboard tour through mangroves. Small group, gear included, photos sent after. 90 minutes.
“Wonderful experience and Captin Mike was very knowledgeable about wildlife and fauna. We saw dolphins, cone jellies and Horseshoe crabs on our kayak trip.”
A 1-hour private pontoon cruise through Winter Haven’s Chain of Lakes for wildlife, local history, and spring-training lore.
“The boat captain was incredibly nice and very informative. The pontoon was very comfortable to ride on and a great way to slowly enjoy the beautiful nature scenery as well as the houses in the area. We all had a wonderful time and would absolutely do it again.”
Self-guided clear canoe at Silver Springs. Paddle the Silver River, spot manatees, gators, turtles, and maybe rhesus monkeys.
“Relaxing sighting seeing kayaking with many different wild animals including herons, turtles, fish, cormorants, ibis, and manatees.”
30-minute Kissimmee airboat ride through Everglades headwaters, with wildlife spotting, safety gear, and a chance to hold a baby gator.
A one-hour Everglades wildlife airboat tour from Kissimmee with a max-8 group, included ear protection, and a family-run feel for $58.50.
“Amazing experience with friendly and knowledgeable staff”
Sunset kayaking or SUP in Cocoa Beach’s wildlife refuge for possible dolphins, manatees, mangroves, and great photo ops. Small group.
“Ethen did a great job showing us the dolphins, many birds and mangroves. He was knowledgeable about the area. Kayaking was great even though the weather was a little cold.”
Kayak Silver Springs with a small guided group to spot wildlife like manatees in clear spring water. Gear included; state park fees extra.
“SCAM PAGE BEWARE!!”
From the springs to the Space Coast, and every way to spend the day.
