Busch Gardens, Sea World and Discovery Cove have tours that will enhance your park experience. Some let you see how things work behind the scenes, some let you see things most park guests can’t see and some let you have a guide to the most popular attractions. Let’s explore a few that can be available for you!
Busch Gardens in Tampa is all about the animals, so of course, there are going to be some great tours featuring those amazing attractions. For those of you that love Wildlife Docs, you’ll have the opportunity to check out where they work in the Animal Care Center Behind the Scenes tour, and if you’re lucky you may even see them filming! Mornings are when they usually do procedures, so you may catch one of those as well when you also will have some hand-on experience with hi-tech equipment.
Another popular tour is the Serengeti Safari. Take an open-air truck to tour off-road around the Serengeti where you can see animals up close for some great photo opportunities. You even get to feed giraffe!
Sea World is another park focusing on the animals where you can see some amazing marine life up close. You can see penguins, sea lions, sharks and dolphins up close and learn more about them and their habitat—and what you can do to protect them!
You can do a behind-the-scenes tour that goes to their animal hospital. During this tour you will see manatees and sea turtles that have been rescued. If possible they try to get them back to their home, but if not they give these animals great homes where they teach us more about what we can do to help them so some of these injuries don’t happen.
Discovery Cove is located near Sea World, and is an all-inclusive day where you feel like you’re on your own oasis in another world. It’s the most amazing place to leave the outside world behind while you enjoy a day swimming in a saltwater reef, feeding birds and playing in the sand. Although most of the park is inclusive, including food and drinks, there are also some great additions you can add to your day that will enhance your experience. Want to swim with a dolphin—no problem! You can book your day either with or without a dolphin swim. Even if you can’t swim well, they can still accommodate you so you won’t miss out.
You can also add on SeaVenture, which is an underwater walking tour using a dive helmet. You’ll get to touch some unique sea life, see schools of fish and stingrays while you walk along the bottom of the reef.
All locations offer trainer for the day programs as well as VIP tours that let you ride with front-of-the-line access and see the shows in reserved seats.
Most tours have minimum ages so be sure to check with your travel counselor if you’re interested as they can help you book these great experiences. You’ll be glad you did!
