Guide to the Best Miami Boat Tours

Miami in Florida is a fabulously fun coastal city. Famous for its beautiful beaches, Art Deco architecture and energetic nightlife, Miami offers something for everyone. Miami’s coastline is made up of a series of islands and atolls and a quintessential Miamian way to explore is by boat. Don’t worry if you don’t have your own yacht, yet, boat tours are plentiful and run often.

However, with so much choice, how do you know which Miami boat tour is the right one for you? Our guide will help you decide.

Different Types of Miami Boat Tours

You can get wet and wild or go mellow and mild out on the water. There is a variety of different boat tours to suit your preference.

Speedboat Tours

For thrills and spills, a speedboat tour is great fun. This is also an ideal option if you are in a rush as you can cover a lot of distance in a short amount of time. Speedboats can take you on a sightseeing tour to the best beaches, idyllic islands and other areas of outstanding natural beauty. You can also go star-spotting Downtown past the homes of the rich and famous.

Speedboat tour operators in Miami include Jet Boat Miami, Ocean Force Adventures, Speedboat Tours of Miami and Thriller Miami Speedboat Adventures.

Top Tip: Hold on to your hats, and the sides, speedboats can reach speeds up to 60 miles per hour.

Cruise Tours

If you prefer to see the sights at less breakneck speed, a cruise tour is a very pleasant way to enjoy the waterways of Miami. Cruise tours are usually narrated so you get a tour guide and history lesson as you gently cruise around. Cruises can last from 90 minutes up to half a day, so you are sure to find one that suits your schedule.

Many cruise boat tours have licensed bars onboard, serve snacks and have entertainment. So it is a fun and social way to sightsee. Cruise boat tour operators in Miami include Bayride Tours, Captain Jimmy’s Fiesta Cruises and Island Queen Cruises & Tours.

Sailboat Tours

Sail off into the sunset onboard a sailing boat tour. There are a wide variety of sailing tours on offer so you are sure to find one to match your mood. Enjoy a dinner cruise, sunset cruise, or a cruise that includes water activities like paddleboarding, kayaking and snorkelling. One of the best things about sailing boat tours is that they usually anchor up and you can jump in the water and go for a swim.

Sailboat tour operators in Miami include Miami by Sail, Sailing Adventures Miami and Tropical Sailing.

Airboat Tours

Airboats are also called swamp boats, bayou boats and fan boats. These flat bottomed vessels are propelled by giant fans instead of motors. These boats operate inside the Everglades National Park, the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States. Nature lovers will get a kick out of seeing reptiles, birds, turtles, deer and wild boars. You might even catch a glimpse of the elusive Florida Panther.

Most tour operators from Miami provide a combo tour by bus and boat. They bus you to the Everglades and then you enjoy the airboat ride inside the park. Airboat tour operators in Miami include Airboat Rides Miami and Everglades Holiday Park Tours

Alternative Boat Tours

There’s all manner of aqua vessels to take you out on the water in Miami. Duck Tours South Beach will take you on a tour of famous Miami landmarks in South Beach and the Art Deco Historic District on a semiaquatic vehicle.

If you want to get out on the water without going on a group tour, Biscayne Lady Yacht Charters has a fleet of sport yachts, motor yachts, party vessels and luxury sportfishing boats available for private hire.

Miami’s Marinas

Miami is the perfect year-round port of call. But with so many marinas and ports in the city, which one should you choose for your boat tour departure point? Well, that depends on where you are based, what you want to do and where you’d like to go.

At the marinas in Miami, you can charter a fishing boat, take a boat tour and climb on board a dive boat. Many marinas are destinations in themselves with lots of wonderful attractions, restaurants and beaches.

Here are some of the most popular marinas in Miami where you can join a boat tour.

Bill Bird Marina in Sunny Isles Beach

Bill Bird Marina is located in Haulover Park on the Intracoastal Waterway. It is an ideal location to board a boat tour to Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic coastline and to charter a deep-sea fishing boat too.

Crandon Marina on Key Biscayne

Key Biscayne is an island town in Miami-Dade County south-east of Miami. If you would like to go diving or fishing, Crandon Marina on Key Biscayne is a great place to book an excursion and charter. Some of Miami’s most popular boat tours also depart from Key Biscayne.

Dinner Key Marina at Coconut Grove

Miami’s flagship marina is located just south of Downtown in historic Coconut Grove. It is the city’s largest wet slip marina. It is a great place to book a fishing or sailing charter.

Herbert Hoover Marina at Homestead Bayfront Park

Herbert Hoover Marina at Homestead Bayfront Park is located in South Miami-Dade. It is the gateway to Biscayne National Park, the Everglades National Park and the Florida Keys.

Miami Beach Marina

Miami Beach Marina is located at the southern tip of South Beach. Several boat tour operators run tours from here every day. It is a great starting point for boat tours to Biscayne Bay, the Atlantic coastline and the Intracoastal Waterway.

Miamarina at Bayside

Miamarina at Bayside is located in the heart of Downtown Miami and is the embarkation point for several boat tours, charters and watersports excursions, making it one of the most popular boating destinations in the city.

PortMiami

Welcome to the “cruise capital of the world” and the largest passenger port in the world. PortMiami is where you’ll find large cruise ships heading off to the Caribbean, the Bahamas and Mexico.