We had a great time on the boat tour of Lake Dora and the Dora Canal. Captain John and 1st mate Erin 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! read more

What an amazing tour...so two, two hour tours are usually offered daily 10am and 2pm. The boats leave 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! read more

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Lovely tour. Great cap'n and guide. Fascinating. I highly recommend the two hour tour so that you have enough time to make it to the canal where the amazing wildlife is. read more

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Outstanding trip with Capt. Doc and Fiest mate Paula. Cruise was amazing and very informative. Will visit again! Thank you! read more

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Very pleased with the trip, and the staff was great. The area is beautiful, great relaxing trip.

We had a wonderful time. The captain and the informant was outstanding. We highly recommend this business. The seating was very comfortable and they have a very clean restroom read more

My friend had done this tour a few month prior, and had a great experience with a small group of people in small boat, so we decided to do it again over the holidays. This time it was with a large group of people in a larger boat, and honestly, it wasn't as good as the small group tour. You catch the boat at the dock at Lakeside Inn, and you pay there also. Make sure to make reservations ahead of time. When you first head out, you hear this tinny recording over the speakers, telling you about the history of the lake. At least, that's what I think it was saying - you could barely hear it, and since people around us were talking, I caught about one word in ten. Then the "tour guide" of the trip takes over. She was very friendly, however she kept forgetting what she had already told us, so we heard many of the same exact details (egret feathers, alligator sizes, i.e.) multiple times. Both the tour guide and the boat operator were excellent about stopping whenever they saw something in the wild they wanted us to see. On this trip we saw a bald eagle, a couple of hawks, a couple of alligators, and some herons and egrets. It's a relaxing way to see Lake Dora and its surrounding canals, so if you are new to town, I would recommend this. read more

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If possible visit on a weekday vs. weekend. Much slower pace, hardly any other boats on the canal. Guides actually had time to stop the boat for detailed narration and photo ops. Paul and Paula were excellent guides catering to guests and ensuring everyone enjoyed there visit. read more

Have been on this boat trip many times over the last 10+ years. Always enjoyable and always learn something new. Great experience start to finish. read more

Great sunset / Christmas lights cruise. Tudor is a great captain. Hot apple cider and Christmas cookies hit the spot..... read more

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I thought it was a great toru. My only complaint was the parking. For some reason one of the entrances to the parking area was blocked off. Not being from the area I was unaware that there was another entrance. We ended up parking about a half mile away and nearly missed the tour. Other than that, it was great. read more

Our Laid Back Golf League booked a round trip with Captain Tudor to take 22 golfers to play Deer Island Golf Club across the lake. Took us about 10 minutes each way by boat - saving us a 30-minute car ride each way - on a beautiful day! We let Premier Boat Tours take care of the drive while we enjoyed a great day on the golf course and a cocktail on the way back!!! 5 stars, our group highly recommends Premier! read more

Premier Boat Tours - Golfers on boat - Boat Tours Near Me - Mount Dora, Florida

Capt Jonathan & Capt Doc where great host. Would recommend this tour if your ever in the area. Very informative and interesting. read more

Premier Boat Tours - Blue Heron - Boat Tours Near Me - Mount Dora, Florida

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Such a cool tour! Boats were clean, staff were helpful and knowledgeable and very personable! Captain Doc and Aiden were a pleasure to ride with. Just enough naarative to keep it interesting but not so much that it distracts from the stillness and beauty of the canal! Highly recommend these guys! read more

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We had a great time. The captain and his assistant were well versed & we saw a lot of natural wonder in the canal.

We came here today for a fun boat tour with my parents for the first time. This was a fun time tour to take to see the area and to go down the canal. The captain, Jonathan, and first mate, Kenneth, were fun and had good jokes and stories to tell about the area. We only saw two 4' gators today, but saw plenty of turtles (terrapins), birds, and gnomes. It would be fun to do a boat tour again when it's warmer to see if we find more gators. read more

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Donna was a great tour guide! She taught us so much about the area and the wildlife. I was very impressed with this tour and would definitely do it again. read more

Really worth it! This tour of lake Dora and the Dora canal is so worth i! The narrators are awesome. We saw so many wild creatures, including gators, and a multitude of birds. I took my entire family and we had an absolute blast. Nature at its finest! read more

We had a great time. Took our Yorkie along for the ride. He gives it a paws up also. They were great giving history along with what is happening in the future. Will do again most likely in the summer when my son and daughter in-law bring our 3 yr old granddaughter. She will have a blast. read more

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The entire 2 hr dora canal journey was fabulous. Capt Jon and 1st mate work as a team insuring safety and fun. Highly recommend this boating tour read more

We had such a nice ride on this tour boat. Our captain was Mike and our tour guide was Kenneth. I hope I got their names right. It was well worth the money to go on this tour. Mike did a good job maneuvering the boat and Kenneth knew so much about the lakes we were on. And the high light of the tour was when Mike stopped the boat so we could see the beautiful sunset. I would highly recommend them. read more

Captain Mike and First Mate Kenneth did a fabulous job on our tour. Kenneth has so much knowledge of the critters on the lake and in the canal! Thet were both fun and engaging. You're going to love this tour! read more

This was so amazing. I bring all of my out of town guests here. I liked this ride so much I have been on it three times in the last 9 months

Nice relaxing ride. Crew was knowledgeable and friendly. Weather was perfect. Do to the hot temperatures the big gators were under the water. But we did see a couple babies, turtles and many birds. read more

Premier Boat Tours - Baby gator resting in the canal. - Boat Tours Near Me - Mount Dora, Florida

Jonathan and Ken were AMAZING!!! Very knowledgeable and funny!!!!! Highly recommend this tour! (2 hr tour)

Great tour. The captain and guide are great and welcoming. They take their time and really allow you to enjoy the views of the canal. I would highly recommend for anyone who is visiting. I will likely do this again if ever visiting Mount Dora again. read more

We had a great experience with Captain Doc on a 2 hour private tour. We had friends in from Pennsylvania and wanted to do something different with them. This was perfect. We toured Lake Dora and the local canals. We saw alligators, turtles and lots of birds. Capt Doc was very knowledgeable about the history of the area and of the wildlife. It was a lot of fun and we all agreed we would do it again. read more

Captain John and Sandy made us feel welcome on our 2 hour trip on Lake Dora, and the canal to Lake Eustis. The pair take turns contributing to the tour and add occasional humor. I could tell, both are well-seasoned at this job, but I felt like they wanted us to enjoy the tour. The boat was comfortable and I could hear everything through the sound system. Like everything in Mt. Dora, the price was high, but we had a good time. read more

Premier Boat Tours - That's captain John piloting. - Boat Tours Near Me - Mount Dora, Florida

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Great for the price kind of a tad awkward of an outing. We did see a lot of wild life and it was a most beautiful day . Unfortunately the captain cut off another boat in the canal and we have concerns for the lady speaker that have a fear of low bridges . Just kind of odd since we went under a few of them. Other than that lots of gators , turtles and a most beautiful bald eagle . read more

It's five stars all the way for the 2-hour Premier Boat Tour, a must-do when in Mount Dora. They refer to it as an Eco-Tour and indeed it is as you'll see plenty of natural wildlife from bald eagles, to herons, ducks, egrets, gators, and much, much, more. But most impressive is the natural d pristine beauty of the heavy air fern-draped Dora Canal. Their pontoon tour boats are most comfortable and make scenic easy. The tours are fully narrated by live knowledgeable friendly and delightfully humorous tour guides who will delight in pointing out a sleeping alligator situated in a "No Wake" zone. LOL! Overall, it's really educational, informative and a lot of fun. read more

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This is a first class outfit. The customer service is very responsive. I set up a reservation for 12 people. It was easy. They even sent a confirmation a few days before just as a reminder. The boat was very nice. It had a cover and comfortable seats. The tour guide was very knowledgeable. Her name was Donna. The captain was Mike. He was very skilled. Overall a great experience. read more

the captain and first mate were pleasant and informed and we were fort to see a beautiful sunset. would definitely recommend.

What a treat! We took the sunset cruise after a long hot drive to Mount Dora, and it was a journey to another world. Their pontoon boat took us along the shores of Lake Dora. Two crew members pointed out parks and natural areas that were dotted with birds -- ducks, song birds, even a bald eagle. But I loved the experience of sitting on the lake and absorbing the quiet and the bird calls and waves lapping as the sun sank in the west. Wonderful. We took the 2-hour cruise another day, and slowly made our way through the canal to the next lake. I got photos of a wood stork, a great blue heron, and an Egret, plus a big ole alligator in a backwater resting with turtles. And of Donna, our guide, enthusiastically pointing out the gator among the centuries-old cedar trees. Anyone that likes to learn more about the natural beauty of Florida's chain of lakes will enjoy these boat tours. read more

8/9/23 - A fabulous tour across the lake and into the Dora Canal! Both captain and narrator were very well versed in local lore, wild life, vegetation and more. Two hours went by very quickly. Great narration by Donna who seemed genuinely happy to answer everyone's questions. Great skill and eye sighting a bald eagle perched high in a tree blending in among the branches, as well as several baby gators that so easily look like the surrounding swamp. Lots of heron, egrets and more. Excellent description of their preferred habits and habitats. Very glad we did this tour.! read more

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We've taken both the private and group tours several times. The captains and crew are very knowledgeable and friendly. Well worth the money. read more

I can't say enough about this boat tour with Captain Mike and first mate Paula. I took the 11am canal tour and I can't believe how inexpensive it was. We got to see so much of lake Dora and cruise the canal to lake Eustis. Mike and Paula were so knowledgeable and helpful in answering questions. I knew I had to take this tour before leaving Mt Dora and I'm so glad I did. If I'm ever back in the area I will definitely go again (they said their sunset cruises during the Christmas season were spectacular!) read more

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We had great hosts in Nate and his second mate. Fun times and an enjoyable ride. Well worth the money. Take a trip on the canal with Premier! read more

Came into town for a day trip, worth a visit. The boat trip was kinda touristy for my taste, yet was a nice guided excursion around lake Dora, it's ecosystems and culture. The kids enjoyed it and it was a beautiful day to be out on a boat. It was safe and relaxing. read more

Premier Boat Tours - Beautiful day - Boat Tours Near Me - Mount Dora, Florida

When planning our trip to Mount Dora, we plotted out a few different activities we wanted to do. We both love nature and in my opinion, Florida has some of the best nature around. During our research, we learned that Lake Dora and the Dora Canal were must sees in the area. We booked the tour prior to our arrival to make sure we had a seat on the boat. We are glad we did because the boat was full! It was $28 dollars per person for the 2-hour boat ride. We took this ride at the end of February so it was beautiful out, cool and sunny. On the lake, almost a little cold with the breeze but better than sweating profusely. The Captain was an older gentleman and his first mate was a younger guy. They kept things lively with their information about the lake and it's surroundings coupled with their corny jokes that had everyone chuckling. Over the course of the tour we saw a bald eagle, a couple alligators, tons of birds and turtles. The lake was beautiful and we learned some history about the area. Our favorite part was the Dora Canal though. This small stretch of water is half man-made. Its quiet and calm, connecting Lake Dora with Lake Eustis. There is lush vegetation and it's mostly shaded. There are homes along a part of the canal and we liked it so much, we looked up real estate for our parents. On our way back the younger guy, the first mate, went down the aisle of the boat and took everyone's picture too. He just used our own phones which was convenient and it was really nice to have the picture. This is one of those things that you do once, maybe twice. It's a nice ride and the scenery is beautiful. If you visit Mount Dora, you have to see the Dora Canal and Premier Boat tours offers an excellent and informative tour. read more

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I think it was a little pricey for what it was. However, It was a smooth operation, the guides were knowledgeable and it was an enjoyable tour. read more