Frequently Asked Questions

Individual bookings of 5 or fewer guests can be cancelled with a refund or rebooked to another availability or activity up to 48 hours prior to activity.

Individual bookings of 5 or fewer guests will not receive a refund for cancellations or changes to bookings within 48 hours of their activity.

Private bookings or bookings of 6 or more guests can be cancelled with a refund or rebooked 14 days prior to trip.

Private bookings or bookings of 6 or more guests will not receive a refund for cancellations or changes to bookings within 48 hours of their activity.

If a Biscayne National Park Institute activity must be cancelled due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances, you will have the opportunity to rebook for another day or receive a full refund.

All bookings will be considered a “no show cancellation” if you have not checked into the park store and signed the waiver at least 5 minutes before the activity and a refund will not be issued.

Refunds and rebookings cannot take place the same day as your activity. We strongly recommend trip insurance to cover unforeseen circumstances.

If you have a question, please contact the call center at (786) 465-4058 between 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. est. You can also contact us through email at [email protected].

Excursions can be canceled due to weather, boat maintenance, etc. If we cancel the trip, you will be given the chance to rebook or get a refund.

Some excursions can be canceled while others don’t on a certain day, and this could be due to many factors. Please see the trip details to understand why it could get canceled.

Our website is live and up to date with availabilities, so if you are not seeing the options you would like, it means we do not have it and would suggest looking at a different date, time, or excursion to fill your needs.

Private trips are available but if the website is not showing the option to book it, it means we do not have it available for the date you are looking for.

We would also suggest looking at our other Institutes to see if there’s an excursion available on the day that you’re interested in.

There is no waitlist, but cancellations can occur, we would suggest monitoring the website for availability on the live calendar.

Depending on the time of year and season, we suggest booking ahead of time and if plans change you have 48 hours before your excursion to rebook or refund your trip. We can’t guarantee that there’ll be spots available if you try to book as a walk up.

We highly suggest booking big groups, private tours, and tours during our busy holiday month (November-beginning of January) at least two months in advance to assure a reservation on a desired trip date and time.

Our tour guides, Naturalists, are continuous students of the natural world and provide interpretive, educational, and historical programs in South Florida’s National Parks. Each are trained by the National Park Service to ensure they are equipped with and can provide the most up to date information, research, and opportunities when connecting with guests.

Interpretation is a purposeful form of communication that seeks to translate the world around us. Our Naturalists help interpret the natural environment, history, research, etc. to support guests in broadening their perspectives, deepening their understanding, and inspiring them to cultivate meaningful connections with South Florida’s National Parks.

We recommend bringing the following in all Everglades National Park Institute activities:

• Sunscreen
• Hat
• Sunglasses
• Snacks
• Refillable water bottle, refill stations are located throughout the park

If your activity involves being on or in the water, you may want to bring a dry bag, a bug jacket, and insect repellent.

For all van tours and wet walk, the naturalist will pick you up at the Ernest F Coe Visitor Center in a shuttle bus that can accommodate up to 14 passengers. Passengers must climb three stairs to enter the bus. If you are handicapped and require the use of an ADA certified vehicle, please reach out to us beforehand by calling (786) 465-4058 or by email at [email protected]

For the Nine Mile Pond paddle, you will meet the naturalist on site using your own personal vehicle. You must be in an even group number and will share a metal canoe with one other person.

For the Eco-Tour, travel to Flamingo will be done in your own vehicle. From there, you will take a power boat to the kayak location, and an inflatable kayak to explore the backcountry.

For the Van Tour, you will be in the vehicle for approximately 10-20 minute sittings. In between, you will be outside the van, exploring a trail or historic site.

For the Paddle, you will be in the canoe for approximately 3 hours. It takes about 40 minutes to drive to 9 Mile Pond from the Ernest Coe Visitor Center.

For the Wet Walk, you will be in the vehicle for about 20 minutes before reaching the predetermined location.

For the Eco-Tour, travel to Flamingo from the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center takes about 50 minutes. Travel in the power boat will be in approximately 30 minute increments and depending on the trip, time in the kayak could be from 1-2 hours.

Restrooms are located at the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center, Royal Palm, West Lake, and Flamingo.

If you are Paddling, please note that there are no restrooms at 9 Mile Pond.

The Eco-Tour is a backcountry trip and is primitive. No bathrooms are provided.

Yes. If you wish to bring food, please bring options that are not messy and do not require heating.

Food can be purchased at the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center, Royal Palm, and the Marina Store in Flamingo. There is also a restaurant located in the Flamingo Lodge.

Various tours leave from various locations in Everglades National Park. All trips require you to use the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center entrance station. Please see details of your specific trip to learn about your meeting location.

ADA Service animals (any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability) are allowed on Everglades Institute tours EXCEPT the Wet Walk and Eco-Tour. This does not include Emotional Support Animals.

If you bring your pet to Everglades National Park, please protect them, others, wildlife, and park resources by abiding by these regulations.

• Pets are allowed anywhere cars are, they must be always kept on a leash no longer than 6 feet and under control.
• Do not leave pet unattended while tied to picnic tables, trees, or other stationary objects.
• Do not leave pets inside vehicles. Even if the window is cracked open, temperatures inside can rise quickly even on cooler days.
• Pet excrement must be immediately collected and disposed of in the nearest trash can.
• Pets (non ADA) are not allowed inside any Visitor Centers.

We can’t guarantee how much wildlife you’ll see and each is dependent on the tour you will be taking. Some common wildlife you might see in Everglades National Park are:

• Alligators and/or crocodiles
• Wading Birds, diving birds, shorebirds, songbirds, and raptors
• Fresh or saltwater fish
• Fresh or saltwater turtles
• Snakes
• Lizards
• Butterflies

Our institutes want everyone to be safe and comfortable on our trips, so we put age limits to control fatigue and ability to do the activity.

• For safety reasons, if a child 5 or under requires a car seat or booster seat, they must go in their own vehicle. If you have a child under 5, please give us a call to ensure this tour is right for your kiddo.
• 9 Mile Pond Paddle is 12 and older because the paddle length is 3.5 miles guests must keep up with each other. Children must be accompanied by an adult per canoe
• The Wet Walk is 12 and older due to some areas having high water; for an adult, the water can reach the waist. This is also an environmentally sensitive area and requires participants to be calm and aware of their surroundings at all times.
• The Eco-Tour requires guests to be 12 and older due to the strenuous nature and backcountry location of the trip.