Had a great morning tour with Dusty. We got to see several gators and even got up close and personal with a couple of them. Overall we had a great time and recommend the experience. Just remember to go early before it gets hot if during warm months. Ours was in early Sept. read more

Knowledgeable guide that took us on the tour! Saw so much local wildlife and enjoyed our guide's knowledge of the area and wildlife! read more

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Highlight of our week-long trip! Skip all the theme parks and book an airboat tour! Dusty was the perfect host and we had an amazing time! We saw so many cows, birds, and at least 30 alligators! There is nothing like this place and you will have a great adventure! read more

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A must do if in the area! Beautiful scenery, plentiful wildlife, tons of gators and a fun boat ride. Dusty was knowledgeable and made for an unforgettable experience. 10/10 would recommend! read more

Had another great experience with Dusty as our guide. It was an iffy day to see gators since the temp was low but he got us near a number of them. He really knows how to get the boat close and he a scholar on the wildlife. Great humor as well. We've been on another different tour nearby but this one's the real deal!! read more

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I would highly recommend you book a tour with this company. From the moment you step on the boat until the moment you step off, you will be entertained and educated about the wildlife you see along the way. It's a very personalized experience with only 6 passengers per tour. It was a lot of fun and we thank Captain Dusty for a fun afternoon! read more

5 stars for a heck of an airboat ride experience. My wife and I used to live in Florida, but we moved up to DC due to work a few years ago. One of the few "Florida things" we missed getting to try during our time down there was riding an airboat. Fortunately, we were down visiting her parents during the COVID pandemic and saw that Central Florida Airboat Rides, located in Geneva off Route 46 near Lake Harney, was operating and offering 30 minute rides for $20 and 60 minute rides for $40. After booking 30 minute rides for the family a few days before, we headed over to the venue around noon on a Saturday. The business operates in conjunction with Jolly Gator Fish Camp, so we pulled up to find tons of boats in a huge parking lot. We proceeded up to the boating area and met Captain Bruce. He has been operating the business for decades and owns what was described to me as the "Cadillac of Airboats." After a brief introduction, we hopped on board, put on the ear protectors, and headed out. I discovered over our 30 minute ride that Cadillac is the right way to describe this airboat because it can fly and boy is it smooth when transitioning back and forth from land to water. Captain Bruce took us around the St. Johns River and around a huge marsh area and made it seem like we were riding on a cloud. We encountered rain for a few minutes, which was rough, but he was able to steer us out of it pretty quickly and find alternate routes to avoid the rain. We got to see a couple alligators, some birds, and other various wildlife as we boated around. We then arrived back at our starting point, paid him for his time, and wished him farewell. Overall, a ride with Central Florida Airboat Rides is a great way to see and experience the outdoors in Florida (and is a great and safe activity during the COVID pandemic) for a very fair price. I would highly recommend catching a ride the next time you are in the area. read more

Central Florida Airboat Tours - Middle of the tour - Boat Tours Near Me - Cocoa, Florida

OMG we had a wonderful time! Dusty was our Captain, he was very funny! He made us laugh! He was so knowledgeable about the area, the plant life, and the wildlife. He knew just how to rouse the alligators to get them to surface. It was so exciting. We felt safe during the entire trip, was not sure what to expect being so close to alligators. We are not in Florida often, but will definitely remember Central Florida in the future. Diana and Mario G from Albuquerque read more

Fantastic spur-of-the-moment experience. Saw the Gator restaurant from the highway and decided to u-turn and go there for lunch. The airboat rides are a separate company but Captain Bruce stops right down the hill from the restaurant. After eating, I just went down and asked if we could take a ride. It was just my son and me. We had no reservations and lucky for us the weather was perfect and he had no other reservations. He charged us $50 for a 30 min ride which was appreciated since usually it's 3 minimum for $60 with a reservation. We were able to spot some bald eagles and a group of gators sunning themselves. The ride was great and the perfect way to spend part of an afternoon. I'm now an airboat fan. Can't wait for the next one! read more

I've been out with Captain Bruce four times now because each time someone comes to visit, we make sure this is a part of the stay. An airboat tour is the perfect way to see the true Florida; this is a fascinating land of waterways, wildlife and unrefined beauty. To embark on such a tour at the headwaters of Florida's main river, the St. John's, is even better, as its significance takes on an almost maternal feel there. But to experience this in the expert hands of Capt. Bruce is what makes it extra special. Capt. Bruce's first impression might be of a quiet and less than humorless man; the truth is actually much different. Not only is he a memorable and likable gentleman, he's truly adept at what he does, both in piloting an airboat like a dancer and in his knowledge of area waterways and wildlife. And his knowledge is broad. There's not a bird or creature he can't name and has first spotted with an almost bionic eye. What does one see on a Central Florida Airboat Tour excursion? Bald eagles, flamingos, a dozen other bird species, turtles, horses and livestock that call the marshland their home, and plenty of gators (small, large and enormous). Who knows what you'll see? There's a snack bar/restaurant near the dock. The bolder of your group can try gator tail. Do yourself a favor and experience Capt. Bruce's airboat tour - you'll be happy you did and you'll never forget it. Bring your camera! read more

We had such a great time on this tour! Captain Dusty is very knowledgeable about all the local wildlife and plants! He makes sure everyone is safe! He cracks jokes! The kids will love this!! The website answers a lot of questions you might have & made me feel prepared as far as clothing and sunglasses. The head sets with the radios really makes the tour fun because we can all talk to each other! Over all epic experience and my family will always remember this! read more

My husband and I came here while vacationing in Daytona. He had never been on an airboat ride before and let me tell you, we were both impressed! Captain Bruce was extremely entertaining and friendly, made you feel like you have known him your whole life. We booked a longer tour with him on a cooler day so we were not expecting to see a whole lot of wildlife. We walked down to the boat with about 20-30 minutes before our tour and he welcomed us and chatted for a bit before telling us we can get started whenever everyone else is ready! You can tell he genuinely cares about the satisfaction of his guests, even turning around during the tour if any of us pointed something out that we had seen. We ended up observing a ton of gators, enjoying the fun facts he shared and his spur of the moment tricks on the boat! Would definitely come back here before going anywhere else! read more

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Took an hour tour with Central Florida Airboat Tours. Rod was our captain and did a great job. We saw tons of alligators, several bald eagles, some Roseate spoonbills and several other waterfowl. The airboat ride was great. Rod gave us plenty of great information but also gave us time 2 enjoy the quiet of nature. Highly recommend this tour. read more

My family and I did the one hour ride. We saw so many gators and birds. This was one of the coolest experiences I have ever had! Thank you so much for an unforgettable time! read more

So for my birthday I wanted to do something different. So my girlfriend, buddy and I went on an air boat ride with Bruce our navigator. This isn't one of those 16 person commuter air boats, no sir, this is a 502 V8 500+ horse powered air boat. If you don't know what that means it is equivalent to riding in a sup'd up camaro as opposed to a city commuter bus. I had a blast! We got close and personal with some gators and saw some bald eagles. The scenery was gorgeous and I was thouroughly impressed with the type of terrain the air boat could go right through/over. Not to mention the air boat was very nimble and very fast. I am definitely going to do this again and I recommend this to any one looking to have a good time and do something out of the ordinary. read more

Central Florida Airboat Tours - Us out in the middle of the swamp on an air boat!!! - Boat Tours Near Me - Cocoa, Florida

This was recommended to me by a friend and she was right! This was the best thing we did during our week in Orlando. It was a nice break in the middle of the theme park frenzy. It felt like we were the only ones there (besides the gators, birds and cattle). Did not see another boat or person during our tour. Captain Bruce was fantastic with his narration and boat skills. Was such a blast. I would recommend this to anyone and everyone! read more

Central Florida Airboat Tours - Boat Tours Near Me - Cocoa, Florida

Captain Paul was experienced, safe, and considerate of his passengers. He narrates the tour, but does not talk too much as some tour guides do. We are local, and we will be back. When people come in from out of town, we will take them to Central Florida Airboat Rides. Excellent time, and an excellent value for the money. read more

Just took a tour with Captain Bruce and had the most fantastic time! We saw a ton of gators, birds and even a bald eagle. There were six of us in our group and Bruce showed us all the wild life and told us historical facts about the area we were in. He was intuitive to what we were interested in and always slowed down when we took our cameras out, he even let us sit for a minute to listen to the amazing quiet of the marsh! I highly recommend stopping by to go for a ride and say hi to all the really nice people at the Jolly Gator and try their key lime pie! read more

Central Florida Airboat Tours - Boat Tours Near Me - Cocoa, Florida

My first time visiting Florida-- I only had 2 days. So my friend and I booked a 1 hour tour and had a great time! Captain Bruce is very knowledgeable and friendly. He made sure we saw many alligators, and tons of bird life. It was beautiful, and really fun to boot. Bruce also recommended we try the gator bites back at the Jolly Gator Fish Camp Restaurant, and they were delicious! Thanks Bruce for making my trip to Florida complete! read more

What an amazing day filled with incredible memories to wrap up our Florida experience! Dustin was a great guide! I have never seen so many crocodiles. The boat was super safe and by far my favorite adventure. Highly recommend getting the full experience from a very knowledgeable team that knows the water like none other. Thank you Central Florida Airboat Rides and Tours! read more

Just to be clear, we called three times, of which we were purposefully hung up on twice. We would've gladly paid full price and asked nicely if there were any discounts since we had 5 people interested in the tour. Instead, we received a very rude response - nothing worthy of what our original intent was. As a business owner, one should be able to deal amicably with his/her potential clients. We never met this "Capt." because he never gave us a chance to meet him. However, I did get this text from him this morning. "Jean G just because you and your husband were too cheap to pay our fair prices for a tour doesn't mean you need cry on yelp.com about it. CHEAPSKATE!!" read more

My first airboat tour I've ever been on. Very good tour, he stopped whenever he saw a group of gators and always cracked a good joke. Would recommend going around noon, the gators come out when it gets warm. Very good tour all around! read more

It was point two of us, so we had to pay for three ppl. Didn't like the sound of that but once we got out there, it was well worth it. Saw a few gators. Went fast. It was a good ride. I would come again if I'm in the area.... And there was a wonderful little Florida restaurant. Food was great! The owner was a pleasure to talk to. She was very nice. All around, great set up read more

Horrible customer service. Not friendly. Don't bother wasting your time. Other places around that are better.

we booked a 1/2 hour tour. Withen 3 minutes we were seeing alligators. By the end of our ride, which lasted about 45 minutes, we saw dozens of gators, many types of water birds and a bald eagle. We were very pleased with this service. read more