Big Cypress National Preserve Self Guided Driving Audio Tour
- 2–3 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
Take the road less traveled with this self-guided driving tour through the lush wetlands of Big Cypress National Preserve. Stroll along scenic boardwalks through the preserve’s diverse habitats, dig into the fraught history of this fragile ecosystem, and of course, keep your eyes peeled for alligators! As you tour this serene and strangely beautiful land, you’ll hear about the Seminole tribe, plans to destroy the preserve to build an airport, and a whole lot more. After booking, check your email/text to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action while connected to WiFi or mobile data. Enter the password, download the tour, and enjoy it offline. Follow the audio instructions and route from the designated starting point. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want. This isn't an entrance ticket. Check opening hours before your visit.
Inclusions
What's included
- Just bring your car and phone; the app guides your tour.
- Support is available via chat, email, or phone if you need help.
- Planning tools, route maps, scenic stops, and area previews included.
- Private tour experience for your family, in your own car.
- Lifetime access: use the tour anytime and keep it for future trips.
- Works offline with GPS route guidance and automatic audio stories.
- One purchase covers everyone in your car, not per person.
- Flexible tour: start, stop, and pause anytime during your trip.
- Access your tour in our separate audio tour app after booking.
- Hidden gems and local stories included along the route.
What's not
- No live guide. Entrance fees, parking, food, and car rental are separate.
Itinerary
Continue straight. The Miccosukee were far from the only tribe to call this region home. Over the centuries, South Florida was home to numerous distinct tribes, including the formidable Calusa. One of the last tribes to form in the region were the Seminole, descendants of the Creek tribe in Georgia. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want. The tour is over 42+ miles long, with more than 27+ audio stories, and takes about 2-3 hours to complete.
Coming up shortly will be a chance to visit Miccosukee Indian Village. This village, run by members of the Miccosukee tribe, sells Native arts and crafts and features a museum about their history. The tribe has a long history in southern Florida. During the Indian Wars in the 1800s, 100 of them fled into the Everglades and hid to avoid being captured.
Coming up soon is a short trail with a very special attraction. It’s the Tree Snail Hammock Trail, a quarter-mile loop through hardwood forest which takes only five minutes to complete if you only want to stretch your legs. But most folks will want to linger a little longer. That’s because this is a great place to spot the elusive tree snail.
Just ahead is H.P. Williams Roadside Park. If you’ve been hoping to see plenty of wildlife, this is the spot for you. A boardwalk runs along a waterway which is a favorite among alligators, turtles, and the occasional snake. It’s also a great place to see herons and egrets wading in the water, as well as hawks perching in the trees above.
Continue straight. You’re cruising along what’s called the Loop Road. It might be easy to drive, but it certainly wasn’t easy to build. Back in 1915, Miami businessman James Jaudon had an idea. He envisioned a highway which cut across the South Florida swamp, allowing for easy transport of goods.
So how did this place end up becoming a national preserve anyway? Well, it actually started with plans to build an airport. See, when the Everglades became a national park in the 1940s, the federal government wasn’t able to purchase this land from private owners, so it wasn’t included. That left it vulnerable to development. In the 1960s, the government unveiled a plan to build the Big Cypress Jetport within the area. At the time, it would have been the largest airport in the world.
Up ahead is Gator Hook Trail, an experience like no other. This moderately challenging, 5-mile round trip hike starts on dry land but doesn’t stay there for very long. Hikers will soon find themselves stepping into ankle-deep water, then wading in deeper until it reaches their knees or, on shorter travelers, their hips!
Coming up shortly is Kirby Storter Roadside Park, one of the most iconic attractions in Big Cypress. The main draw of this park is the mile-long boardwalk which winds through lush hardwood and cypress trees. The trail is strikingly green and pleasantly shaded. If you want to be surrounded by some of the most striking natural scenery Big Cypress Swamp has to offer, this is a must-see trail.
Welcome to your tour of Big Cypress National Preserve! Your tour begins at 29701 Southwest 8th Street in Miami. You should see Buffalo Tiger’s boat shop on your right. If you aren’t already there, head there now. Note: This 48+ mile-long tour covers the essentials of Big Cypress in 3-5 hours.
Keep an eye out up ahead for a little white shack. That’s the Ochopee Post Office, the smallest post office in North America! If you’d like to stop in and get something postmarked, they’re usually happy to do so. It’s the kind of souvenir you just can’t get anywhere else!
Coming up in a minute is the Nathaniel P. Reed Visitor Center and the end of our tour. At this visitor center, you can find all the usual amenities, as well as some of the paintings by famous Everglades artist Sam Vinikoff. But it’s also an interesting facility in its own right, as the whole thing was carefully designed with energy conservation in mind.
Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk, located about ten miles from the Nathaniel P. Reed Visitor Center, features some truly iconic Big Cypress scenery. This half-mile boardwalk weaves through an old-growth cypress grove, which is every bit as lush and green as it sounds.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
4.2
- 54
- 41
- 30
- 20
- 11
Ratings come from 6 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- You can also begin the tour from 33000 Tamiami Trl E, Ochopee, FL 34141, USA. The tour works in both directions, so you can begin in Miami and end in Ochopee, or vice versa.
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Operated by
- Drive with Action
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Roadwork Delays: US Highway 41 (Tamiami Trail) remains open, but travelers should expect up to 15-minute delays due to ongoing construction.
- Easy to use: GPS-triggered audio plays automatically along the route for a hands-free experience.
- Private tour: Explore in your own vehicle without crowded buses or large tour groups.
- At your own pace: Start anytime and pause for hikes, picnics, photos, or scenic stops.
- Works offline: Once downloaded, the tour works using GPS without Wi-Fi or cellular service.
- Good value: One purchase covers everyone in your vehicle, not each person separately.
How it compares in Miami
- Its from-price is 86% below the median of the 1172 experiences we list in Miami.
- Its length is typical for the group.
- By number of reviews it ranks 483 of 1172.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Miami
Sun-drenched and multicultural, Miami mixes Art Deco beaches, Latin rhythms and turquoise water, with the Everglades on its doorstep.
South Beach is the classic image: pastel Art Deco hotels along Ocean Drive, a wide sandy beach and a strip of sidewalk cafés and clubs. The Art Deco Historic District is best explored on foot, and Lincoln Road is a pedestrian mall of shops and restaurants.
Top-ranked sights in Miami: Bayside Marketplace, Little Havana, South Beach.
Special offers in Miami
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
