How can you go to Miami without going to the Everglades?
We'd been warned there are some dodgy airboat rides where they take you out for 10 minutes and then tell you there's a restriction stopping them going any further that day. We bought this tour as part of a combined package with a Miami harbour tour and I'm pleased to say it was very good. Whilst you won't see Alligators every 10 yards (thats not how they live in the their natural habitat!) the guides take you to locations where they know they lurk and you get a really good idea of the scale of the wilderness that is the Everglades. It makes you glad you have a guide who knows the Everglades well!

Went here as part of a three in one Miami tour and this was definitely the most disappointing part. The airboat ride was quite short and we saw no wildlife apart from a flock of birds which was not identified by the guide. I understand that, by its very nature, wildlife sightings cannot be guaranteed. However, to be told that the lack of it was because of the "cool" weather, the animals wouldn't come out, and then to read in these reviews that other tourists had been told on different occasions was that it was too hot to bring out the wildlife, was a bit much. I'm sure that its the airboats themselves that scare off the animals. The guide was touting for tips at the end - I didn't see any of the disgruntled passengers give him any and he was sarcastically saying "glad you enjoyed the boat trip" as we left.

On to the "show". Again the excuse that it was too cold was trotted out to explain the alligators' lack of interaction with the trainer, so - no show!

The worst part of the experience was when I asked the trainer if the show alligators actually lived in the show pool in which we saw them. The pool is crescent-shaped with not particularly clean water, no vegetation of any sort and too small to accommodate the number of alligators there. The trainer replied that yes, they did live there, as to take them out (to anywhere decent) would lead to the loss of "interactivity" between him and the 'gators. I think this is disgraceful in the modern age.

I would like to see the Everglades properly, from a proper boat and without the animals being caged in such an offensive way. I believe that this can be achieved in other parts of the Everglades, but it seems you do need your own transport to achieve this. In the meantime, I recommend that animal lovers steer clear of Everglades Safari Park.

My third time in the Everglades but my first time at this park; the grounds are nicer compared to others and there is a full size restaurant. Ample parking and space to walk around a bit before the airboat ride. The airboat ride itself was pretty uneventful with only one stop (other parks had 2-3) and the best part was the actual fast ride through the glades which lasts about 3 minutes, before you slow down and "cruise". Our guide was funny and knowledgeable and able to answer our questions. We didn't see much wildlife, but of course there's no guarantee that you will. Apparently the winter months are better for viewing, since it's the dry season and water levels are lower. (Dec. - April). Overall an OK experience, but although I didn't keep time, it seemed that the airboat ride was a bit short. For best wildlife viewing, I would recommend Shark Valley, just down the road and then you can do an airboat ride in any park, just for the ride's sake. Take some extra time to get there, because there is major road work going on right now well into December
We made a day of the Everglades and what really worked for us was the following:
1. Start with Shark Valley to see Alligators and birds (it's also the furthest point on Rt 41
2. Back track and do any airboat ride along the way (on the south side of the road)
3. Continue back tracking then take the 997 south to Florida city, then the 9336 to "Royal Palms Visitor Center" to do the Anhinga trail. It's a bit of a drive but really worth it! Nice boardwalk, wheel chair accessible and a good short family walking trail on a boardwalk. Lots of birds, alligators and flora etc.
That would make it a full day and worth the drive to the Everglades (1 hr from Miami, 1 1/2 hrs from Ft. Lauderdale)

We did the 45 minutes airboat trip which was exciting but certainly does not give you enough of an impression of this huge area that are the Everglades, so we combined it with the tram tour not far away from the Safari Park.