Captain Dale was a great guide. Got to see a mother and her babies as well as another gator back…read morein the low tide. Very knowledgeable and was able to take us to areas where bigger boats couldn't go! Spirit of the swamp offers 6 man boats. This helps with getting into tighter areas and low water areas! It was very fun to slide around the marsh!

This was one of our best stops on the trip, by far. We toured with Captain Ryan, who was…read moreknowledgeable, friendly and skilled. Before going out, we got a comprehensive safety brief and were informed of an area to keep our belongings. As we were cruising, we wore headsets with speakers in which captain Ryan was speaking about the surrounding environment. The headset also had microphones in which we would reply to him. As we got into the swampy area, the ride was smooth and as someone who is scared of water, I felt completely safe. Captain Ryan brought us to some wonderful hidden gems such as a few alligator nests where he explained their structure in detail and answered any questions with complete answers. We got very close to alligators and baby alligators (freshly hatched the day before) and it was an amazing experience. Captain Ryan made us feel confident that we were not in danger and if we were, he would be able to handle it. As we were finishing our tour it started to pour and we switched our headset out for a water friendly version. Rather than bringing us directly back to the docking area, we sat under an overpass to prevent getting completely drenched and possibly hurt. We made it back and Captain Ryan made sure we were all safe getting off. Overall, a truly wonderful experience. More than worth the price. It was beyond what we expected in the best ways.

Captain Alyssa was great! She gave us the perfect tour- we saw baby gators, Mama gators guarding…read moretheir nests, and some really cool birds. She was knowledgeable about the lake and it's inhabitants. She was patient to let us get the photos we wanted, and she kept an eye out for the types of birds that my husband preferred to see. Highly recommend! 10 out of 10 would do it again!

Super fun time. Captain Cabe was great! Highly recommended to both us full time Floridians and…read morevisitors alike!

My husband and I were visiting from Pennsylvania, and this was our first time on an airboat. It…read moreturned out to be one of the most memorable experiences of our trip. The captain was fun, knowledgeable, and made the entire ride unforgettable--we'll definitely be talking about it for weeks. If you're in the area, I highly recommend giving it a try!

The place itself was clean and organized, and the airboat ride was okay overall, but we were still…read moredisappointed with the experience. We were a group of 7 people, and unfortunately it did not meet our expectations. We only saw one alligator swimming in the water during the entire tour. Instead of wildlife, the driver mostly showed us horses and cows from a farm across the resort, which was not what we came for. What made the experience worse was that the driver kept intentionally driving us into thick grass areas several times. He also stopped the boat in an area full of mosquitoes/gnats, and we kept getting bitten until we asked him to move immediately. Unfortunately, he repeated this more than once, which made the ride very uncomfortable. Overall, the experience was not worth the money for us. We would not return and would not recommend it.

What a wonderful tour!…read more The Orlando Lake Tour offers a relaxing 75-minute journey through the stunning Butler Chain of Lakes. You will cruise past beautiful scenery and impressive multi-million-dollar homes aboard a comfortable pontoon boat with sunshades. Captain Steve is both punctual and friendly. He has a lot of knowledge on the local wildlife, flora, and notable past and present residents of the area. All seats require advance booking by phone, and at just $25 per person - it's incredibly reasonable for everything you will see and learn. Be sure to take pictures! The lakefront homes are gorgeous. I really appreciated that the group size was small as it creates a more intimate setting and makes it easier to engage with Captain Steve and ask questions throughout the tour. 5 stars.

Easy solid five. What good fun! Was sort of a bucket list thing to do way down low on the list…read morebecause I grew up around here; even lived about across the street so many years ago but never fared the lakes. Makes for an especially excellent Floridian wildlife tour if you're not from here. You'll see a lot of wildlife ...and ridiculously opulent rich folks homes; swimming pools, movie stars, they always have the best stuff including some the most beautiful lakes in Central Florida. Anyway, when the opportunity presented itself, this was the tour we chose and I'm so very happy we did. Steve's Great. Friendly, helpful, and nice; informative. We really enjoyed ourselves and thank him for the memorable experience. Thanks Steve! We brought waters and recommend you sunscreen yourself up. And FYI, portable toilets are near the ramp and proper restrooms are at the front of the park. One of the locks doesn't work. Surprise, surprise, surprise!!! lol

Overall this was a great experience! The landscape was so beautiful and peaceful! We were only able…read moreto see three alligators on this outing but the last gator allowed us to see it up close for quite awhile before it submerged! Our guide was knowledgeable and easy to understand! Highly recommend this experience!

Had a great time on our tour with Juan! He was very passionate about the gators and gave us so much…read moreinformation about them that was super interesting. We were able to see several female gators! Definitely bring sunscreen, water, and maybe a sweat towel- it gets HOT!

I took the 2-Hr Sunset Cruise in July and had such a memorable time. Captain Sage gave an…read moreOUTSTANDING tour. Her knowledge, enthusiasm, and skills were everything you'd want on a boat tour, especially if you're like me visiting the area for the first time. I found the landmarks, wildlife, and local history to be fascinating, and this was also a wonderful way to beat the summer heat. It was just myself and another party of three on the tour. A relaxing time was had and I was so taken with the scenery and landscapes as they are so different from where I live. I highly recommend this tour for visitors and locals alike and would definitely take another tour of theirs if given the chance.

I'm a Florida native and have visited Winter Haven many times over the years, but I had never had…read morethe opportunity to experience the Chain of Lakes from the water. I'm so glad I finally did the Living Water Boat Cruises pontoon tour--it gave me an entirely different perspective on the area. One of the highlights for me was cruising past the former Cypress Gardens property, now part of LEGOLAND. I remember visiting Cypress Gardens as a child, so it was fascinating and nostalgic to see the property from the water, including the historic Florida-shaped swimming pool that is being restored and the beautiful old Florida vegetation. Our captain and guide, Sage, was excellent. She is also a Florida native and was extremely knowledgeable about the local history, the lakes, and the wildlife. During the tour we saw ospreys, otters, an alligator, and many different birds. We even got to watch floatplanes landing and taking off on the lakes, which was an unexpected treat. We toured the southern portion of the Chain of Lakes early in the morning, which was perfect because it was an extremely hot Florida day with temperatures expected in the 90s. The timing made the trip very comfortable and enjoyable. I especially appreciated that I happened to be the only guest on my tour and they still accommodated me rather than canceling. It ended up feeling like a wonderful private tour. This was such an enjoyable way to experience a part of Florida that I had never really seen before, despite growing up here. I would highly recommend it to visitors as well as longtime Floridians who want to see Winter Haven and the Chain of Lakes from a completely different perspective

We had a great time on the boat tour of Lake Dora and the Dora Canal. Captain John and 1st mate…read moreErin did a wonder job of narrating the tour and the things we saw. Would definitely recommend and look forward to doing this tour again in the future! Thank you!

What an amazing tour...so two, two hour tours are usually offered daily 10am and 2pm. The boats…read moreleave from Lakeside Inn, and there is plenty of parking in beautiful downtown Mount Dora. Premier Boats tours will give you a clean boat, even with a bathroom. You will learn about a few homes and take the majestic journey through the Dora Canal, seeing so much wildlife. You will see birds, turtles and if you are lucky an alligator. The boat is very comfortable and you will be talking about your tour for a long while. If you are lucky you will get Donna as your narrator! A must do and a great value!

Had the best time on Dawn and Todd on their beautiful boat. We had such a great time with them, we…read morehardly took any pictures of the gorgeous scenery. They made sure we saw an incredible sunset and took a group picture. But the most amazing part is their tours are private. So there's plenty of room. I will definitely make sure I plan another tour with them when I'm back in Orlando.

From the owner: New Dawn Boat Tours specializes in sunset cruises, sunrise cruises, eco-tours, team building…read morecruises, birthday & anniversary celebrations and beautiful, unique proposal locations.

I discovered Gator Airboat Rides through Groupon, and it ended up being one of the best finds of…read moreour trip! If you're looking for an authentic Florida adventure, this is it. This experience delivered **exactly** what I was hoping for. We headed out on the airboat, got to explore the beautiful wetlands, spotted alligators in their natural habitat, and even had the opportunity to hold a baby gator afterward! That was definitely a highlight and made for some unforgettable memories. The staff was fantastic from start to finish. Everyone in the office was friendly and welcoming, and our airboat crew was knowledgeable, entertaining, and made the ride both fun and informative. You could tell they genuinely enjoyed sharing their passion for Florida wildlife. Whether you're a first-time visitor or just looking for something uniquely Floridian, I highly recommend this experience. If I'm ever back in the area with family or friends, this will absolutely be my go-to airboat tour. A fantastic experience from beginning to end!

I booked a 30 min. airboat ride through Groupon, but unfortunately, the ride only lasted about 20…read moreminutes. I was expecting to get the full 30 mins. that I paid for, so that was disappointing. As far as the ride itself, there honestly wasn't much to see. I was really hoping to spot some alligators, especially with "Gator" in the name, but we barely saw any. It was basically just an airboat ride through the water w/o much scenery or wildlife(there was a couple of birds) to make it exciting. I think the name can give you the impression that you're going to have a better chance of seeing gators, so I'd def manage your expectations b4 booking. If you're simply looking for an airboat ride, it might be worth trying, but if you're specifically going for the alligators & wildlife, I wouldn't count on seeing much. Unfortunately, between the shorter than promised ride & the lack of gator views, I left feeling pretty underwhelmed. Maybe the night rides are more promising to spot gators.