Key West is a tourist town, and you can take many different kinds of tours on this little island. I imagine that someone coming from the mainland might be a little daunted by which Key West Florida tours are worth their time and which ones are best left to the suckers. It’s hard to tell sometimes, am I right?
Here’s a look at the best and worst Key West Florida tours, from boats to ghosts and dolphins to helicopters.
What Makes a Good Key West Florida Tour?
For every Key West traveler, there is the perfect tour. Maybe your thing is doing a Duval pub crawl, or maybe it’s spending the early-morning hours paddling a kayak through the mangroves with the manatees and birds.
The first step to picking the right tour is nailing down what you want to do. Do you want to hit the water or spend the afternoon exploring the quirky little back corners of the island? Here are some thoughts on finding the perfect tour to make your Key West trip one for the scrapbook.
Take a Tour of Key West, Florida, By Land!
The most famous tour of the island is the incomparable Conch Tour Train, Key West, Florida’s most noticeable attraction. The long ‘train’ winds around the island like it’s part of Disney World. The drivers and guides point out all the spots worth mentioning — and some that probably aren’t — as they buzz around the back streets and down Duval.
Is the Conch Train worth your time and money? There are two things it has going for it. First, they let you hop on and off at different stops, so you can use it like your own shuttle to break up walks along the island. Secondly, it’s a nice way to spend a few minutes on a hot day, with a little breeze on your face, and you might learn a thing or two. The Conch Tour Train in Key West has 4.5 stars on Tripadvisor and many happy reviews, so most people enjoy it. However, some people note that not every guide is the best and that the seats get uncomfortable during the 90-minute tour.
Of course, the Conch Train isn’t the only tour of Key West you have to pick from. There are countless other vehicle tours, like the hop-on hop-off Old Town Trolley Tour. There’s at least one guided bike tour in Key West, Florida, plus the Pedicab rickshaw thing where you sit comfortably while some poor schmuck peddles you around. In the words of Newman, “Pace yourself; you’ll have to do this all day for very little money!”
And, of course, not all tours in Key West, Florida, will keep your feet on the ground. If you head to the airport, you can hop aboard some helicopter tours of Key West, Florida, thanks to Fly-Key West. Understandably, they have a perfect 5-star rating on Tripadvisor, considering helicopters are awesome, and you just can’t go wrong with spending a few minutes in the clouds. If you prefer gracefully flying over beating the air into submission, Key West Seaplanes also offers sightseeing tours in their floatplanes, plus their standard trips out to the Dry Tortugas.
If that’s too fast-paced for you, consider a walking tour. I personally do not recommend booking a walking tour for 2:00 pm on an August afternoon, but if you pick the right time when the sun is low, and the air is cool, walking around Key West is absolutely lovely. Best of all, with walking tours you can pick your theme: drinking, fooding, more drinking, Jimmy Buffett lore-seeking, Hemingway following, some more drinking…well, the list goes on. (Don’t worry; there are also plenty of tours that also allow you to enjoy Key West sober.) Tripadvisor has a whole page dedicated to Key West walking tours, including guided and self-guided options. And ghost tours in Key West, Florida, may be offered year-round thanks to our spooky history, but they make a great treat in the fall.
Key West Florida Tours By Sea!
All that time on the island is well and good, but you really can’t say you’ve seen the Keys until you get out on the water. The lovely coral reefs, sandbars, and mangrove creeks of the Florida Keys are unique ecosystems you’ve got to get out and experience firsthand to understand properly. You haven’t had a Keys experience until you see a wild dolphin jumping in the boat’s wake or a small shark or ray swimming over the seagrass flats.
So, which Key West, Florida, boat tours are worth it? It depends on your budget and what you’re into. The cheapest option is the large boat tours in Key West, Florida, like the snorkeling boats or sunset catamarans. These let you pay per person for a few hours on the water, and you get to step aboard and enjoy the ride. It’s a big tour experience, but at least you can feel the sea breeze on your face for a while.
If you’re not a diver or snorkeler, consider hopping on one of the glass bottom boat tours in Key West, Florida. These boats take you to the reef and let you see the corals, fish, and undersea critters without ever getting wet. Plus, a guide will point out all the cool stuff.
If you want more time on the water, pick between touring on a jet ski, kayak, or other water sports in Key West. Jetski tours in Key West, Florida, are limited to group activities. Sunset Watersports offers tours in small groups that will let you buzz around the island and explore a bit of the backcountry. If you’d like your time on the water to be more peaceful and quiet, kayaking or paddleboarding is the tour for you. The best kayak tours are a bit away from Key West; check our list of adventure tour companies where you can get out and paddle in the mangrove creeks of the backcountry.
Consider booking private boat tours in Key West, Florida, for more time on a boat and more control over your vacation. Boat rides in Key West are the best, and a private charter lets you live the life of a local. You can book a half-day or full day, get the whole boat to yourself, and have your own private captain and tour guide. This way, you can combine boat tours by doing both snorkeling and sandbar exploring, or fishing and dolphin watching…whatever you want to do. Private boat charters are the best type of dolphin tour in Key West, Florida, because they give you the most time on the water. Plus, these smaller boats with knowledgeable captains are more likely to explore quieter waters where you’ll get to see what you’re looking for.
Ready to hit the water?
Of all the possible Key West Florida tours you might be interested in, a boat tour makes the most sense. Time on the water, the possibility of dolphins, and getting away from the crowds and hustle of town….what could be better?
Call Captain Zak at Casual Monday today and book your private Key West Florida boat tour.
