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We enjoyed the tour, but we visited in June and did not see a single alligator. They said that in cooler months like March there are tons of alligators and June is too hot for them - just something to be aware of if you are going in the summer and hoping to see an alligator. However, the tour guides said it’s super crowded when there’s lots of alligators, which makes sense. You start the tour at the visitor center - note that masks are required in the building as of June 2022. Here you check in for the tour and there is a small store including souvenirs and snacks and drinks for purchase. It says to check in at least 30 minutes ahead of your tour - I’m not sure why… It took about a minute to check in, but then we just explored the visitor center and sat outside and waited for the tour. We bought drinks and brought them on the tour and we were glad we did! There are pit toilets near the visitor center. You can also get your National Park passport stamps here. The tour goes straight out to the observation tower and we had about 20 minutes to explore before the trip back. It’s an easy, paved walk to the top of the observation tower and a very pretty view from up there! There are also restrooms at this stop. The tram has 5 seats across, which worked well for our family of 4. Along the way we saw one turtle and several different kinds of birds. They slow the tram down and/or stop so that you can get a good look. I would recommend bringing water, sunscreen, and bug spray!…
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Date of experience: June 2022
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Review of: Shark Valley Everglades Guided Tram Tour
Enjoyed the 2 hour 15 mile tram tour. Our guide, was knowledgeable and entertaining. We saw a lot of wildlife including birds, turtles and alligators. Half way we stopped at the observation tower similar to Clingmans Dome at the Smoky mountains. We enjoyed it so much we came back 2 days later and rented bikes. The Everglades was the highlight of our vacation!…
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Date of experience: May 2022
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Review of: Shark Valley Everglades Guided Tram Tour
We did the 2-hour tram tour around the Everglades with Barbara as our guide and Bethany as the driver. Barbara was definitely great! She is enthusiastic, informative, and clearly seems to enjoy her job. We did get to see several gators and species of birds. Learned a lot. We had some people decide to sit where we'd been seated (unassigned) on the tram after the Observation Deck which resulted in us having to move and appear to "take" others' seats. That wasn't fun b/c but had no choice but to move when the woman became rude about us returning to where we had been seated. It made no sense what she was doing. They assigned her family two rows of their own before we got on so they could be together. Beware that you might encounter the same thing at the stop but not really an issue for the tour itself. Next time the bike tour might be a good choice because you can actually control stopping when you see gators that are missed by the guides.…
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Date of experience: May 2022
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Review of: Shark Valley Everglades Guided Tram Tour
When visiting the Shark Valley portion of Everglades National Park, you have the option of taking a guided two hour tour on the tram or bicycling the loop to the observation tower (and back). The tram was a great choice for many reasons: 1) we went 9am and it was already getting hot, can't imagine biking or being in full sun; 2) the guide and driver were wonderful, we learned so much from our guide, and our driver was always on lookout for gator and wildlife for us; 3) we were free to totaly enjoy the scenery and take pictures. You can get off the tram at the observation tower and walk a short trail and/or walk up the ramp to the top of the tower for a different perspective and more pictures. Recommend booking online in advance as some date/times seem to sell out. Also, try to go early in day for more wildlife sightings--you WILL see plenty!…
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Date of experience: April 2022
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Review of: Shark Valley Everglades Guided Tram Tour
I highly recommend the Shark Valley Tram Ride. We saw many kinds of birds and saw alligators close up. The guide was excellent - informative and entertaining. The tram ride included many short stops for a good look at the sites. Bring your binoculars. The tram has a roof so even if it's raining lightly it's ok.…
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Date of experience: April 2022
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