Scenic Boat Tour in Winter Park, Florida | Worth it?
Curious about the Scenic Boat Tour in Winter Park? Want to know if it’s worth your time and money! Find out here.
Spring Break in Florida is known for its wild parties. Since Florida is pretty much wide open for tourists to come and visit, most visitors are flocking to Miami Beach and the theme parks. I made the mistake of trying to book a day at Universal Studios the day of, just to find out that all parks are tickets are no longer available. So instead, I went on a little city tour with my family, and what better way to see another side of Orlando than by water.
According to other blogs, The Scenic Boat Tour in Winter Park is a highly suggested attraction to do in Orlando. So out of curiosity, I had to take the boat ride for myself to see if it’s actually something I would suggest to you and my friends. The questions I’ll be answering are: Is this highly rated boat tour worth the time and money? Or is it just another tourist trap? Read our experience to hear our thoughts!
The Details
Scenic Boat Tour
Address: 312 E Morse Blvd, Winter Park, FL 32789
Hours: Sunday-Saturday 10 AM to 4 PM
(The tour leaves every hour and the last boat leaves at 4 PM)
Closed on Major Holidays. Also, call for reservations for groups of 10 or more.
Phone: (407) 644-4056
Cost: (as of 3/2021) tickets are $14 each for adults and $7 for children.
The website will state that they take cash or check only. Although, they do have a card reader now.
Website: https://www.scenicboattours.com/
Parking is free
How long is the Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour?
On scenicboattours.com, the company states that the Scenic Boat tour is about an hour long.
What you’ll see on the Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour?
While on the tour, we saw multi-million dollar homes ranging from modern to more traditional Florida homes, most have pretty baller boat houses. Also, you’ll get to go through the canals which feature many different plant life that exists in the humid Orlando weather. Plus a few wildlife, such as birds. The guide said alligators may exist on the lakes, although, we didn’t see any. You may also see members of the private liberal arts college in the area, Rollins.
Is there a public restroom in the area?
Yes. There are two bathrooms on the dock right before the ticketing area.
The Experience
Since the last tour was taken off at 4 pm, my family and I called ahead to let them know that we were a party of 4. The staff member on the phone suggested we arrive 15 minutes early to purchase tickets and get settled in before the boat takes off.
The dock is only 5 minutes from the fabulous Winter Park’s shopping district, Park Avenue. My suggestion to grab a bite to eat in that area but more on that later. The parking situation is pretty simple. Before arriving at the dock, they have a few spaces that are completely free.
We arrived 30 minutes early, but since they have a few boats, we were able to get on one before our 4 pm time slot. Right away, our tour guide and driver will start telling nice stories about the lake and the homes in the area. I won’t spoil the stories in case you want to go but you’ll see a lot of amazing homes. Some of the homes that are in a film, and others owned by the elite and famous.
My personal favorite part is going through the narrow canals because of all of the beautifully lush and sub-tropical trees and flowers. The scenery is pretty amazing.
Is the Scenic Boat Tour Worth Going to?
Yes. The views you’ll see are pretty cool. Especially if you appreciate nature from the wildlife. And if you love to look at lavish homes. Although, I didn’t really care for the narration from the tour guide. The reason being is because our guide was hard to hear even from the intercom. Is this something to take kids on? Yes. If they don’t mind boat rides and sitting still for an hour. So if you have an hour to spare maybe for lunch or after Sunday brunch, the scenic tour is a pretty cool attraction to do at least once.
For more things to do in Florida, check out my page here: Kristina Kayla takes Florida
