Chain of Lakes Tour: Explore Historic Lakes and Wildlife

Explore Winter Haven’s Chain of Lakes on a 2-hour pontoon tour. Capture wildlife photos, learn local history, and enjoy true southern hospitality.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Chain of Lakes Park - We will cruise by the famous Chain of Lakes Park where the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians once held their spring training.
  • Cypress Gardens - Take a tour past the historic Cypress Gardens and famous Florida shaped pool from the movie “Easy to Love” with Esther Williams. You will get the history and catch a glimpse…
What's Included
  • Bottled water provided
  • Guests can bring their own food and drinks
  • Lunch or Dinner reservations at Harborside restaurant available upon request
Additional Information

Join an award-winning tour of the Chain of Lakes in Winter Haven! This tour has been honored with the Certificate of Excellence and Travelers’ Choice awards annually since 2018. Experience genuine southern hospitality as you explore the authentic Florida landscape aboard a brand-new pontoon boat, guided by a local expert with over 40 years of…

Location
Harborside
7th Street Southwest
Your tour will depart from the dock at Harborside restaurant. Please proceed to the dock. DO NOT check in w/restaurant as they will not have any information about your tour. Restrooms do not open until 11:30am so please plan accordingly. Lunch or dinner reservations are available upon request.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(224 Ratings)
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1 star
B9514avpaulw
Sep 24, 2025
What an amazing peaceful experience. - This is a definite experience to have in Florida, do it! My wife booked a 2 hour historical and wildlife boat ride for 08:00 (best time to go for wildlife). We were especially blessed to have the owner of the business, Rue Denton, take us out for our trip. He has lived in Winterhaven all his life and was extremely knowledgeable about the lakes. We saw lots of wildlife birds, turtles and the iconic Bald Eagle. The 2 hours just flew by with our wonderful host, thank you Rue we will be seeing you again for sure.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Janice
Sep 22, 2025
WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE AND EXCITING - Grab a friend or do a solo trip because you won't be alone. This is a popular tour. The tour guide is very knowledgeable about the condition of each lake, the history and a bit about the homes and architecture on the lake. See the backs of restaurants, docks, birds, trees and the back of Cypress Garden. It's worth your afternoon to take a guest from out of town.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Christopher_c
Sep 20, 2025
Great tour of a beautiful... - Great tour of a beautiful area with a very informative guide. Wear sunscreen, you’re on the water! The restaurants in the area are great also.
Review provided by Viator
Mikeha9263er
Sep 18, 2025
Best - Rue was our captain and he was excellent. He knew his stuff and answered our questions. Even took care of lunch reservations at Harborside - made sure we got a good seat. A+
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Departure754229
Sep 14, 2025
Highly skilled guide - Our guide, Randy, was excellent. He was knowledgeable about what we saw, especially all the birds, many visible to him but hard for us to see, the waterways, the adjacent buildings, the local history and even the geology of the area. I have no doubt that the other guides would have had similar knowledge to share with us.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jes7732018
Sep 11, 2025
Top-notch hospitality and relaxation. - We had a fantastic time on the lakes in Winter Haven! The scenery was gorgeous, but what really made the day special were the guides. They were friendly, knowledgeable, and you could tell they genuinely loved sharing the history and beauty of the area. They went out of their way to make sure we felt comfortable and had fun, answering every question with enthusiasm and even pointing out little details we would have missed on our own. The whole experience was seamless from start to finish. If you’re looking for a tour that combines natural beauty with top-notch hospitality, this is the one. Can’t recommend them enough!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Carolyn
Sep 10, 2025
A day to remember. - We took part in this tour today with Captain Rue, it was a wonderful experience. The first hour flew by, full of interesting facts and sightings of many birds , turtles and alligators. After some lunch , we spent another hour exploring more lakes and beautiful views. We cant recommend this tour highly enough and suggest you contact Rue to book an exceptional experience. Thank you for a lovely day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dawn_p
Sep 9, 2025
Great Tour 2025 !! - Our We toured 5 lakes and learned many interesting facts about the lakes, saw many interesting birds and even a bald Eagle and an alligator !! “Captain D” (Darrell) was our tour guide. He was so informative, helpful and humorous. My girlfriends and I really enjoyed our “Girls Trip” tour !! Darrell was amazing!! He even took time to reserve a lunch spot for us at Harborside restaurant nearby. We will definitely book again!! Thank you! Darrell !!!
Review provided by Viator
338karenlb
Sep 9, 2025
Loved this tour and Captain D! - I took this tour with a couple friends and we had a fabulous time! Captain Darrell (Captain D) was outstanding. He was so funny and entertaining. He took the time to share the history and make sure we saw the plentiful wildlife. I definitely recommend this tour and Captain D!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kim_b
Sep 8, 2025
Family fun - Great way to spend a morning! Captain Roo (sp?) was very experienced and full of interesting facts about the string of lakes. We saw otters, alligators, "snake birds", turtles and many other birds. We also enjoyed looking at the beautiful properties around the lakes and learning about the history of the area.
Review provided by Viator
From $42
up to 10 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).