Tour The Glades - Private Wildlife Tours — Attraction in Everglades City

Our group of three from Chicago took the Tour the Glades all-day Daytripper tour with Logan and Captain Rob in early January 2019. The private tour for just the three of us was everything we had hoped it would be and more.

The tour began at Port of Islands marina on the western side of the Everglades, an easy drive from Naples where we were staying. The morning was spent wandering through the mangrove maze of the Everglades by kayak (we used three solo kayaks, but doubles are available) with Logan, a trained biologist, who showed us plants, marine life, and the amazing array of bird species to be experienced in this unusual and vast part of the world. We are all beginner kayakers and had no difficulties at all. After an hour or two Logan directed us to a sandbar where we paused and had snacks and conversation. Then we continued through the green labyrinth and eventually ended up back at the marina. With a two-hour lunch break we drove into Everglades City to try a restaurant Tour the Glades had recommended — Camellia Street Grill, a funky, laid-back crab shack on the water with indoor and outdoor seating, and very good key lime pie.

Back at the marina, Captain Rob piloted a red pontoon boat to guided the three of us on a 3-hour zigzag tour through the Ten Thousand Islands, the enormous cluster of uninhabited islands that comprise southwestern Florida. Rob explained the history and the biology of the area, as well as both older and more recent conservation efforts to preserve the area’s pristine wildness. Beyond basic introductions and information, both Logan and Rob basically customized the tour to our interests in real time by responding to the specific questions we asked. Rob took us to the edge of the Gulf of Mexico (the gulf itself was choppy that day) where he dropped us on an uninhabited outlying island to look for seashells and to take a short hike. There we happened upon a few wilderness campers who were staying the night. Before we returned, Rob appeared to spot something in the distance and steered the boat in that direction.

Two pods of North Atlantic dolphins playfully encircled the boat and breached our wake as we made our way back. Seeing these incredible (and incredibly smart) mammals up close is a wonderful experience in the broadest sense of wonder — it fills you with genuine awe to enter their world and to feel so welcome.

On the ride back as the January sun was setting, Rob pointed out the hundreds of birds who were flying in the same direction as we were traveling. “They’re going to the rookery,” Rob said, indicating that we might have enough light left before dark to witness their arrival. At the rookery in the Ten Thousand Island National Wildlife Refuge a couple miles west of the marina, thousands of birds returned to their breeding ground. In the twilight, an observation tower allowed us and other visitors to watch them, hundreds at a time, approach the trees where they made their landing. The sound was loud and raucous.

Tour the Glades is a first-class operation offering a safe and easy way to experience the Everglades up close and personal. Our guides Logan and Rob were enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and eager to teach us about the astounding ecosystem that is the Everglades. They are both veterans of the area who showed us both the excitement of watching dolphins playing in the boat's wake, and the sublime tranquility of silently kayaking through the cattails and mangrove tunnels of the Everglades. The private aspect of the tour was remarkable — young naturalists leading us on a relaxed, serene, magical excursion through this unique region.

Tour the Glades provides a fascinating private one-on-one introduction to one of the most interesting places left on earth. It was worth every penny and we would do it...

My friends and me did the classic Day Tripper Tour in September. We started with the motorboat. Rob was very welcoming and it was no problem that we arrived 15minutes late. When we told him that we would like to see a dolphin, Rob tried hard to find one. Unfortunately, we werent successful, but we do understand that you cant control animal behaviour. However, we did spot three manatees and some nice birds. We also stopped at a remote island and collected some shells. Rob tried his best to answer every question and make us feel comfortable. The oranges he gave us were incredibly juicy and tasty!

In the afternoon we then continued with the kayak tour. I want to mention that nobody in our group had any experience with kayaking or water sports at all. So the tour felt a little bit adventurous! But thats exactly what made the tour so amazing in my opinion! Cody explained the basics of kayaking and tried to make us feel comfortable. The first quarter of the tour we paddled into the grass a lot. Cody always waited when he was starting to get ahead of us. Again, we learned a lot about the plants in the Everglades. The most amazing part, however, was meeting the alligators! On the way back there was an alligator just in the middle of the passage. When we came close he stayed totally calm and only moved his head a little bit (so that it was easier to pass him). I found the alligator quite cute for some reason. I also didnt feel threatened by him at all. This was a very nice experience for all of us. We even spotted a few more alligators on the remainder of the tour (Cody helped us with this), but they were either far away or submerged when we came closer. But just knowing that they are around made it a special trip!

All in all we were very happy that we booked this tour. You can tell that Rob and Cody are from the area, as they know so much about the Everglades and how they changed over the last few years (for example during Hurrican Irma).

So how did i find TourTheGlades and why did i choose them? I read about them on Tripadvisor. I found several different tour operators and many had really good ratings. However, TourTheGlades had the best ratings and apparently the support (in case you needed something) seemed to be outstanding. And thats also the reason why they really deserve 5 Stars in my opinion. My friends and me definitely were NOT the easiest customers. We had many questions and "needed" a lot of administrative attention (for example, we had to change our tour itinerary twice). We even had some issues arising shortly before our trip. However, Lashaun and Tod gladly helped us with every issue and every question. Even after the trip they asked us more than once to make sure that everything is okay. It actually felt like we became friends. Again, thank you so much for assisting us with the tour and making our Florida trip special! Although i never did something like this in my life before, i now feel the urge to do it again. So yes, i can totally...

YOU CAN CHECK THE REST, BUT BOOK WITH THE BEST!!! There is not just one reason,, but many reasons that TOUR THE GLADES has a perfect 5 STAR RATING!

Never having been to the area, there are multiple options from which you can choose. My wife and I were looking to do a Kayak tour, and I probably spent at least an hour reading Google reviews on other options. Now while I'm sure some of the negative comments may have been over exaggerated, I just wasn't comfortable with taking a chance on them. Then, I came across TOUR THE GLADES, and saw a perfect 5 STAR RATING. It seemed too good to be true, but here are several things that put TOUR THE GLADES way ahead of the rest.

1. Their people and their great communication. Whether it was Chris, Lashaun, or Todd (the owner who I spoke to several times...wow), we always got great information in a timely manner that just made the experience comfortable and easy to understand. These folks are genuine and real. They truly care to make sure you are very happy with your experience.

2. The Experience. The question is, do you want to be part of a massive group or 2 people with a guided experience. It was awesome! There might be companies that are a few dollars cheaper, but I would much rather tour the mangrove tunnels in the wilderness than right behind some condos as some groups apparently do.

3. Local Knowledge. Some of the companies in this area employ less knowledgeable people from "the outside." The folks at TOUR THE GLADES are all local with a plethora of knowledge. They have invested their time and energy in the area, and it really comes through to you.

4. Knowledge of Wildlife and the Environment. Chris was phenomenal! I mean, the guy is a Master Naturalist and there were no questions about the trip that he couldn't answer! He made the trip impactful with his information, pointing out many many things that I would have otherwise overlooked, stories of the area history, and great personality and helpfulness.

I could go on, but trust me, you won't be disappointed if you're looking for the best experience you could possibly have.

Thanks to everybody at TOUR THE GLADES for an amazing...