Skyline Sightseeing Cruise and Millionaire's Homes
A two-deck boat from the dock at Bayside, out for 90 minutes past the Venetian Islands, Star Island and Fisher Island, with a guide in English and Spanish.
From $30 per person
Check AvailabilityMiami Night Attractions
These are the landmarks you see lit on a Miami night, one at a time. For each you get what it is, whether it is open after dark, and which tour takes you past it. Looking at Miami Night guided tours? Check here which landmarks your route shows you, and which you walk to yourself.
Some of these you see only from the water. Others you can walk into until late. Only the park and its fountain keep a published evening timetable, so check the rest against your night.
The landmarks and the tours that pass them
Here is the short version before the detail. "Seen from" names only what a listing's own route prints.
| Landmark | After dark | Cost | Seen from |
|---|---|---|---|
| The observation wheel at Bayside | Hours on its own site | Paid | The van tour includes a ride |
| Bayside and the bayfront park | Mall to 9pm-11pm; park to 11pm | Free | The Big Bus route; the Bayside cruises board here |
| Ocean Drive's Art Deco hotels | Lit in neon | Free to walk | The Big Bus route; the salsa night is here |
| The Wynwood museum | Closes 6:30pm | Ticketed | A panoramic bus stop |
| Star Island | Private homes, seen from the water | No entry | The open-bar, skyline and private boats |
| PortMiami's cruise ships | Berthed ships, lit | No entry | The open-bar and twilight cruises; the Big Bus route |
| The MacArthur and Venetian causeways | Lit roads over the bay | One toll | The Big Bus, the van, the open-bar cruise |
Skyviews Miami at Bayside
What it is: Skyviews Miami, an observation wheel over 200 feet tall with 42 climate-controlled gondolas, on the waterfront at Bayside Marketplace.
After dark: The wheel lights up at night, and you see it from every Bayside cruise. Its own site publishes the hours and ticket prices, so check them there before you go.
Seen from: The small-group van tour includes a ride of about 50 minutes, the longest stop on its route. Miami Aqua Tours' boats board at the dock beside it.
Bayside Marketplace and Bayfront Park
What it is: Bayside Marketplace, the open-air mall at 401 Biscayne Blvd where most of the downtown boats board, and Bayfront Park next to it at 301 Biscayne Blvd: 32 acres of lawns and paths on the bay.
After dark: The mall is open until 10pm Monday to Thursday, 11pm on Friday and Saturday and 9pm on Sunday. Bayfront Park is free and open daily until 11pm. Its fountain plays water, light and music shows from 7pm, the last at 9:30pm, or 10:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
Seen from: The Big Bus night tour starts at Bayside and passes the park and the downtown waterfront. Walk it before or after a Bayside cruise.
The Art Deco Historic District and Ocean Drive
What it is: The Art Deco Historic District, a U.S. historic district since 14 May 1979, with about 960 historic buildings in the south of Miami Beach. Most were built from the Depression years to the early 1940s.
After dark: The Ocean Drive hotels, between 5th and 15th Streets, face the beach across Lummus Park and are lit in neon at night. The street is free to walk at any hour.
Seen from: The Big Bus night tour drives Ocean Drive without stopping. The salsa night is at Mango's, 900 Ocean Dr, and the panoramic bus starts farther north at the W hotel.
The Wynwood Walls
What it is: The Wynwood Walls, an open-air street art museum at 2516 NW 2nd Ave, opened in 2009. More than 130 artists from 30 countries have painted there.
After dark: The museum is ticketed and open daily from 10:30am to 6:30pm, so it is closed at night. The murals on the streets around it are on show at any hour.
Seen from: The panoramic bus lists the Wynwood Walls as one of its four stops. The Wynwood pedal pub rides the mural streets but does not go in.
Star Island and Millionaires Row, from the water
What it is: Star Island, a man-made island in Biscayne Bay, completed in 1922 by the Army Corps of Engineers. Its only road in is off the MacArthur Causeway, and its homes are private.
After dark: The mansions and their docks are lit from the water. One traveller on the private boat found the captain skipped the celebrity homes because it was dark, so ask before you set out.
Seen from: Miami Aqua Tours' open-bar cruise and its 90-minute skyline cruise, and the private boat. Aqua Party Boat's sunset and karaoke cruises pass Millionaires Row.
Want the islands from the water?
Only a boat gets you close to Star Island. See the top night cruises, with the dock each one leaves from.
PortMiami's cruise ships
What it is: PortMiami, the largest passenger port in the world, on Dodge, Lummus and Sam's Islands at the mouth of the Miami River.
After dark: The berthed ships are lit along the channel. There is no public access to the port.
Seen from: The open-bar cruise and Fiesta's twilight cruise both pass it. The Big Bus crosses the MacArthur Causeway past it.
The causeways: MacArthur and Venetian
The MacArthur Causeway: Six lanes from downtown to South Beach, opened in 1920 and renamed for General MacArthur in 1942. The Big Bus crosses it, and the van stops on it for about 10 minutes for the skyline.
The Venetian Causeway: The older route across the bay, on the line of the 1913 Collins Bridge, with two bascule bridges and a toll plaza. The open-bar cruise runs along it towards Star Island.
Questions about the landmarks at night
What is the Skyviews Miami wheel?
Skyviews Miami is an observation wheel over 200 feet tall at Bayside Marketplace, with 42 climate-controlled gondolas. The small-group van tour includes a ride on it.
Is Bayside Marketplace open at night?
Yes: until 10pm Monday to Thursday, 11pm on Friday and Saturday and 9pm on Sunday, though stores and restaurants keep their own hours. It is free to enter, with a paid garage.
Can you visit Star Island?
The homes are private, and the island's only road leaves the MacArthur Causeway. The way to see the island is from the water, on a Bayside cruise or the private boat.
What are the big ships you see from the bay?
The cruise ships berthed at PortMiami, the largest passenger port in the world. The open-bar and twilight cruises from Bayside both pass them.
Which tour takes in the landmarks on land?
The Big Bus night tour covers the bayfront, the MacArthur Causeway, Ocean Drive and Lincoln Road in 75 to 90 minutes. It does not stop, so you see them from your seat.
Where these facts come from
Hours come from each place's own site, checked 28 September 2026. The histories of the district, the island, the port and the causeways are Wikipedia's. What each tour passes comes from its own listing, captured on 27 September 2026.
- Hours, parking and directions (Bayside Marketplace)
- The wheel and the waterfront (Bayside Marketplace)
- Park hours on Biscayne Blvd (the park's management trust)
- The nightly fountain schedule (the park's management trust)
- Hours and address of the street art museum in Wynwood
- Miami Beach Architectural District (Wikipedia)
- Star Island (Wikipedia)
- PortMiami (Wikipedia)
- MacArthur Causeway (Wikipedia)
- The causeway over the Venetian Islands (Wikipedia)
Tours that pass the skyline, the islands and the port
2-Hour Miami Private Boat Tour: Skyline & Star Island
A boat and captain for your party alone for two hours from a Miami River marina, at the hour you pick. Bring your own drinks; a cooler, ice and a Bluetooth radio are on board.
From $52 per person + US$70 captain fee per booking, paid on the night
Check Availability
Miami Small-Group Night Tour with Skyview Wheel
An evening by van with pickup at downtown hotels and at most seven aboard: time on the wheel at Bayside, a stop at South Pointe Park and the skyline from the causeway.
From $99 per person
Check AvailabilityNext: plan the rest of the evening on what to do at night, find your dock on the meeting points map, or compare every tour on Miami Night Tours.