Airboat Tours Near the Town of Palm Beach, FL

Why Airboat Tours Palm Beach Guests Book Are Private Only

Every Aces tour is private, which matters to island guests used to service built around them. You will never share a boat with strangers, never wait for a bus group to load and never sit in a middle seat. The captain answers to your party alone.

The fleet is deliberately small: four 2-passenger airboats, two 8-passenger airboats and one 15-passenger group boat. Every seat on every boat is a front-row seat. A couple can take a 2-passenger boat and have the marsh to themselves, and a family can fill an 8-seater without anyone looking past someone else. See the boats on our boats page.

The captains are the other half of the experience. Aces is family-owned by Captain Billy, who has spent more than sixty years in and around the Everglades, lives on a homestead he built and hand-built his own airboats. Captain Bill brings more than thirty years as a naturalist captain. Their bios are on our captains page.

Because the time is yours, so is the itinerary: a slow drift for photographs, long engine-off pauses to listen to the marsh, or a few high-speed runs across the grass. Our private airboat tours page explains the options.

How Far Is the Airboat Launch From Palm Beach?

From Palm Beach, the closest Aces launch is The Landing in Parkland. The usual route: cross to West Palm Beach, I-95 south to Glades Rd, west to US-441/SR-7, south to Loxahatchee Rd, then west.

• The Landing, Parkland: about 40 miles, roughly 60-70 minutes by car outside rush hour.
• Sawgrass Expressway at Atlantic Blvd: about 46 miles, roughly 60-70 minutes by car outside rush hour.

We also run trips from our Stub Canal launch on request; ask Captain Billy which ramp suits your group.

Times are measured from central Palm Beach and grow at rush hour and on event weekends. Captain Billy confirms the exact meeting spot, parking and what to bring when you text or call 561-660-2419. All three launches open onto the same wild, gator-rich northern Everglades, so pick whichever is easiest for your day. See every launch on our pickup locations page.

Alligators, Spoonbills and the Quiet of the Marsh

The American alligator is the star, and we see wild gators on the vast majority of trips. On cool mornings they bask on the canal banks, and on warm afternoons they drift with only eyes and snout showing. They are wild animals, so we never promise one. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission offers a good primer on them.

Birdlife rivals anything on the island. Great blue herons, great and snowy egrets, anhingas, white ibis and ospreys are regular sightings, and roseate spoonbills appear often enough to keep everyone watching the sky. Turtles line the logs, and lily-pad pools brighten the edges of the canals.

Island residents who walk the Palm Beach Lake Trail or visit Phipps Ocean Park, home of the Little Red Schoolhouse from 1886, already know how much coastal wildlife there is. The Everglades adds a freshwater world on a far larger scale.

For a deeper look, read our Everglades wildlife guide, or ask for one of our Everglades nature tours, which slow the pace for photography and questions.

Arranging Your Ride From the Island

Arranging airboat tours Palm Beach guests enjoy is a personal conversation, not a web checkout. Text or call Captain Billy at 561-660-2419, or have your concierge do it, with your date, your party size and the time of day you prefer. He will recommend a boat, confirm the launch and send directions.

Every tour is a private boat, so the rate depends on your party and the length of the ride. Ask Captain Billy for yours. During the winter season, when the island is at its busiest, a little notice helps secure the time you want.

Dress for the outdoors rather than for Worth Avenue: sunglasses, a hat that will not blow away, sunscreen and closed-toe shoes or secure sandals. Our what to wear guide has details, and our guest reviews explain the 4.9-star Google rating.