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    Speedy's Airboats

    4.5 (81 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

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    Boat
    Jeff M.

    We called around 12:30pm and made a reservation for 1:45pm same day. We got there a half before as advised and we were greeted by the girl working the counter. We were checked in and waited until our tour time and we were pleased to find out the 2 of us were the only ones on the boat. Our guide was Freddy. He was fantastic. Funny and informative. He took us on a great ride through the mangroves and in the open water. Every few minutes he would stop, talk to us and look around for any form of wildlife. We were able to see 2 gators, a manatee, hawk and some ducks. Although we didn't see more gators, the trip was so much fun. Remember, the guides can't control the wildlife, they can only go where they may have been spotted in the past. Great job today Freddy!!!

    Not only does he drive...Hoss is a great photographers as well.
    Jerry Q.

    Took my son (12) for an airboat ride and ended up on the boat all to ourselves. We couldn't have asked for a better host. HOSS was our driver and damn if he didn't embody the true spirit of Everglades City! Simple, straight to the point in his descriptions of the environment we were floating in. this was matched only by his expertise in navigating his flying through the mangroves at just the right speed to remind you he had been doing this since her was 10. I highly recommend this location and suggest you request HOSS for an authentic experience.

    Sunny P.

    Super fun experience! The boat fits 6 people and it's entertaining for all ages! Definitely wear shorts because you might get some water splashed on you. Our guide was fun and told us jokes here and there. If you're lucky you can see some alligators on the ride!

    Capt Greg!
    Craig D.

    So FUN! Captain (or Pilot) Greg was fabulous. Provided lots of interesting information and local color, exceptionally knowledgeable, and obviously enjoys piloting airboats. The terrain was varied and interesting, a very enjoyable and interactive experience for our group, even got quite close to an alligator enjoying the sun.

    Steve S.

    When we went on vacation to Marco Island recently we were really looking to mostly relax, but wanted to throw in a couple of short outings for the kids, and one of the outings was an airboat trip in the Everglades. My wife had done one of these airboat trips before and had a blast so we did some research and also asked the concierge. Speedy's Airboats was recommended by a number of people as well as the hotel so we made a reservation. On the morning of our trip we had to get up a bit early for vacation as it was about 45 minutes away. Our plan was to stop for a nice breakfast then head out...but we were running late and this was the day we discovered Empire Bagel Factory as well (http://www.yelp.com/biz/empire-bagel-factory-marco-island#hrid:nIAKQz7b4E8SdNUjfzlMOA ). Anyway, as we're heading out to Speedy's I can practically hear the banjos playing because we are in the BOONIES. When we finally arrive, we were actually early so our 10am reservation became a 9:30 departure...which was nice. Our boat driver (captain?) was great and I swear it seemed like we were in some sort of amusement park water ride because it all seemed so surreal. It was a beautiful morning and no one cared about the spray or the waves coming over the front of the boat on sharp turns. We stopped out in the middle of nowhere and he told us about where we were, the wildlife, and when I asked him how fast we had been going he was a little bummed because the gov't has put restrictions on their speed. Not supposed to go over 30 mph and each boat has a GPS on it so they can be monitored. On the way back, I'm positive he kicked it up over 30 a couple times, which was pretty cool... Yeah, something like this is very touristy, but we had a lot of fun and we got to see some wildlife, including a very large gator. It's also kind of pricey-kids over like 8 are cosidered adults for pricing-about $40 per person. When we asked about seeing more wildlife, they told us about the Big Cypress National Preserve and the Turner River Road site where we might see more gators, great birds and possible manatees-so that was where we turned next. My only complaint is that I wish we were out longer...start to finish was less than an hour. If the trip were longer this would be a 4-star review.

    Angela K.

    This place was great! From the moment i called i knew this was the place to go. I was looking for an airboat tour and Speedy's came recommended by a couple different hotel staff. The lady who answered the phone was super nice and when i told her i was I was ubering she suggested renting a car or a car service because it's hard to find an Uber back. Of course i checked myself to see if that was true and buy it was! We saw a lot of wild life and grassland on our tour. Boat went up to 30-40 mph. My two kids 5 and 11 had a blast and so did my 80 year old mother. Would definitely do this again and i highly recommend them.

    Snappy the Gator, rescued from a farm.
    Susan L.

    Airboats? Gators? 70 degree balmy weather with a slight breeze? Now this how you start your day in Florida! Speedy's Airboats delivered in all aspects in my expectations and then some in my airboat ride. Our group figured there were plenty of airboat tour spots along the Everglades and there were. However, Speedy's Airboats stood out among the others with its bright yellow building. We were greeted by two friendly ladies at the register who explained the prices per person (about $80 something per adult, less for kids) and how long the ride was for (about an hour an a half or so). Captain Miles was our airboat driver and although he is young, he is extremely professional and informative. It was a lot cooler in Florida than usual, so even though I had a light long sleeve sweater on, Captain Miles suggested we grab a windbreaker (provided) in case of water splashes and the cold wind during the ride. I decided to put on the Paddington bear raincoat on and I hopped in the airboat. Sound cancelling headsets are a must as the engine is pretty loud (also provided). Right off the bat we spotted a mama dolphin and a baby dolphin. Miles said they usually don't see them when it's this cold, so it was a treat for him too. Adorbs! We proceeded to ride into a labyrinth of mangroves and it truly was like going into another world. The silt brown water against the bleach white mangrove roots and then the bright green leaves shading the pathway was mesmerizing. Miles explained they are able to go on some private routes exclusive to them and he expertly navigated through the mangroves to the open swamp like area. We saw some big alligators, a young alligator, two raccoons grabbing little fish from the shore (because it was low tide), buzzards circling a particular area (apparently a big gator had died, you can smell it), and plenty of ibises. Miles informed us of the animals seen and although there wasn't as much alligators out because it was cold (some were out to get some sun), but that didn't bother one bit. I saw enough of a variety of critters in their natural habitat that it was plenty for me. The rest of my group agreed this was a much better experience because they got to see more of the nature side of things not just a slew of gators like it was a gator farm. The captain was also pretty funny keeping the whole trip light. He was educational and provided plenty of pic opportunities. His driving skills really showed as there were practically no splashes and was super smooth in the turns. #smoothoperator! Overall, I absolutely would recommend Speedy's Airboat Rides. For me and the group, we all truly had a unique experience and had plenty of pics to remember them by. Prices are very reasonable and the time was more than plenty for me. Bring cash to tip because the family works really hard to provide excellent service and for me they went above and beyond. Also, they have one rescue gator named Snappy saved from a gator farm ( you are allowed only one permit for rescues ). You can pet him if you ask, but be careful he is not domesticated and is not a toy. So if you are looking for an airboat ride, I highly recommend Speedy's. Happy ridings!

    Ashley C.

    We were very excited to do our first airboat tour today with Speedy's. It was about 40 minutes from our hotel in Marco Island. We booked the 9:30 trip to avoid the heat of the day and it was perfect. We got a private boat for the four of us and Capt. Hoss was our guide. He was great- he gave us lots of information about the area and plant and animal life. He was very knowledgeable and was great with families. The boat ride was thrilling but not scary. Ear protection was provided. I was glad we had sunglasses and sunscreen. The Everglades were absolutely beautiful! Much more luscious than I expected. We saw one big gator, but Capt. Hoss gave USS one directions to another area close by where we saw tons of alligators. We would definitely love to do another tour with Speedys and Capt. Hoff!

    Jessica K.

    This was so fun. I'm on Christmas vacation and was so interested in checking out the everglades. There are so many airboat companies we were having trouble nailing a specific one down. We wound up asking a hostess at our hotel, the Bayfront Inn. She recommended Speedy's for one pretty big reason. Apparently in the past ten years, there has been not one complaint, or accident at Speedy's. Apparently, at other companies, they will feed the alligators in the water in order to have them all come up and swim around the tourists. (I swear, my dad and I saw what looked to be a white mouse floating in one of the canals.) And unfortunately on one occasion, one boat operator didn't have food, the alligator came by, and bit his hand or arm off. So that's fun. No gimmicky frills at Speedy's. Just a gorgeous ride through the Everglades, an informative driver who told us all about local wildlife and the different kinds of vegetation due to the fresh water, salt water, and the area where the fresh and salt meet. The area is so gorgeous that it just looks fake. The water is like glass and so still that you don't know which way was even up or down, the reflection of the sky and the trees in the water made you feel like you were just going to fall through. At one point I made a comment that I felt like I was on a Disney monorail ride, lmao. The operator at one point stopped right by an alligator getting a tan on a piece of land. It was just so still, and silent that I thought it was a statue and I asked if it was fake. Lmao. I'm a city girl, I know nothing. Our airboat operator Lyle was very good. He knew the ins and outs of those canals, and we were definitely Tokyo Drifting on a lot of tight turns! We went super early, 9am, and we were the only people there aside from the employees, so we got our own airboat (two people). What was also great was that we were the first boat to go out in the morning and we saw three alligators! I saw some reviews where people saw none, I'm glad we were able to spot a few. Definitely check this out if you're in the area!

    Brittany P.

    AMAZING!! Highly recommend for anyone who is visiting SW Florida- we drove 45 mins from Marco Island and would have driven much longer to go. It was the highlight of our vacation. We met Squirt, a baby gator and he was SO adorable. The guy (I can't remember his name but he's in one of my pictures) that checked us in and introduced us to Squirt was AMAZING. Our tour guide Ryan was AMAZING, hilarious and shared a ton of great stories. He was incredibly knowledgeable and taught us a ton. I felt like we got the true Everglades experience would go back 100%!!

    Alligator
    Maria Simone S.

    Just got off the airboat and wauw what a trip. Capt. Tony was really informative about the wildlife, and we saw a bunch of birds and had a close-up of an alligator. It was amazing. We're currently considering if we can make another boat ride before we leave Everglades City.

    Fred is the man!  Great time in the Everglades.
    Jim P.

    Speedy' was a great, fun and worth while airboat tour. The guide, Fred was a great driver and also had high knowledge of the wildlife. He kept the tour engaging with his humor. The scenery takes care of itself and even though we didn't see a gator, the ride and vegetation made for a fun experience.

    Chris W.

    Super cool excursion, I was born and lived in south florida for 15 years and never actually went out into the everglades until I did so as tourist. :) My in-laws recommended this company as they had used them twice before. It was a very beautiful tour through the everglades and some brief history of events. The majority of the tour is scenic vs a tour guide talking and telling you things. They stop a few times to talk and explain some things but out of the 1 hour tour 45 mins of it is riding around and 10-15 is them actually stopping and talking. I would recommend this as it is very informative and beautiful to see the everglades from actually going into it.

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    8 years ago

    It's a blast. It's authentic. It's affordable. We go every year and bring friends with us. The guides are really great at what they do.

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    5 years ago

    What a ride!! This place has friendly and jocular guides. We had a wonderful up-close experience. The Everglades at their best.

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    I was looking for an airboat tour and Speedy's came recommended by a couple different hotel staff.

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    Everglades City Airboat Tours

    Everglades City Airboat Tours

    4.5(101 reviews)
    0.2 mi

    I have always wanted to do an airboat ride and finally got around to doing it here. This company is…read morelocated in the small town of Everglades City and is appropriately named and easy to find. I did not make a reservation for my late January ride and was able to get on a boat only having to wait about 40 minutes for a seat. The lady behind the ticket counter was very friendly and accommodating. I could tell that this is a family owned business. Finally Captain Matt arrived back at the dock dropping off his passengers to pick up a new group counting 5 including me. Their boats are not large and can only take 6 passengers at a time. That's good because the smaller boats are faster and more maneuverable. The tour lasted 50 minutes and was a lot of fun. Every passenger wears electronic ear muffs that allow communication between the passengers and captain so that he can narrate certain parts of the tour. The ear muffs are also necessary because the airboat engine is loud. The engine decibel level along with the other airboats operating in the area doing the same thing means that you really don't see much wildlife. Maybe a few birds but good luck on seeing an alligator or big fish as the noise scares them away. Matt told us that the day before he saw a dolphin.... However the fun is the speed and turns the boat makes. At times we were going 35-40 mph going down the narrow water streets with vegetation on both sides and then doing turns in the open water areas. This tour was fun and well worth the $52 adult cost. They operate a few boats at the same time. I recommend this company and ask for Matt. I would go it again!

    Amazing tour. 55 minutes of great guided site seeing and journey through the mangroves. We saw…read moredolphins (momma and baby). The guide (Travis) was amazing and knowledgeable and so friendly. He made the tour for us and our kids. Family operated (support local).

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    Everglades City Airboat Tours
    Everglades City Airboat Tours
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    Speedy's Airboats - boating - Updated May 2026

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