Shark Valley Tram Tours, Miami

Our tram was small, about 12 people per guide. We saw alligators and 3 kinds of rare large water turtles, all sorts of bird life, and two baby alligators. I think the tour was fascinating to learn about the Everglades and being on a shaded tram going along the water is much better than taking an airboat which, from what I understand, the loud noise scares away a lot of the wildlife so they have to Chum the water to get the alligators to come- which is illegal! Do you really want to encourage alligators to approach people or boats? No! Once alligators learn to do that then they are killed by Fish and Game because they are considered a threat. Please do not support that activity. I highly recommend this tour, well worth the $25 tram tour, and you get to see the animals in a natural environment. Please note there is a $25 entrance fee to Everglades National Park (much cheaper than our national parks in California!) This is good for 7 days in any part of Everglades National Park, so other review saying this is a "parking fee " is not accurate. Shark Valley will take about 2 hrs to tour, and plan another hour here if you want to walk/bike around after to explore on your own. There is not shade if you choose to rent a bike or walk on the paths, be prepared with hats, comfy shoes and water. Please note there are two seasons in Florida here, the dry season (about Dec-May) where the Everglades are mostly dry and the gators hang out on the paths, but you may not see much other Wildlife such as the turtles, fish and birds. Wet season (about June-Nov) the area is lush, green and full of water, so the alligators are more spread out and are in the water but you have a chance of seeing much more Wildlife. Choose based on your interest.

Loved the Shark Valley tour. The tour itself is 2 hours long and the tour guide was very informative. 2 hours are packed with lots of information. I've been living in FL for years but I learned a bunch of stuff that I wasn't aware of. Interesting isn't it, I didn't know about things in my backyard. The tour has a stop an observation tower. Good place to stretch your legs. Overall, very impressed with the tour.