Bayside Marketplace on a Miami Night: Docks, the Night Bus and Hours

When the mall is open

Those are the mall's hours; individual shops, bars and restaurants keep their own, and some stay open later. The docks run to their own timetables too, so a late cruise can bring you back after the mall has shut. Bayside is free to enter and walk around, and the waterfront promenade is where most people wait for their boat.

The dock by the wheel

The Miami Aqua Tours dock is at the water's edge below the big wheel, across from Hard Rock Cafe. Take the stairs down and line up in front of Landshark Bar & Grill, under the beige umbrellas. Arrive 30 minutes early; the crew checks you in 15 minutes before departure and hands you your ticket there.

The same company boards more than one cruise from this dock, among them the open-bar night cruise and a 90-minute skyline cruise with a bilingual guide. Other companies' boats tie up along the same waterfront. A traveller once boarded the wrong boat here, so check the company and the cruise name before you step aboard.

Fiesta's booth at Pier 5

Fiesta Cruises sells and boards from its own ticket booth at Pier 5, slips 11 and 12, behind Tasca Paella. Its twilight skyline cruise is an hour on the bay for $25, the lowest fare we list for a seat on a boat. Pier 5 is along the same waterfront as the wheel; follow the pier numbers. Collect your ticket at the booth before you queue to board.

Finding Big Bus Stop #1

This is the start that trips people up. The night tour leaves Stop #1 at Bayside at 8pm, and there is no hop on and off: miss it and the bus has gone. The booking describes the stop as the Big Bus kiosk in the outside plaza, south of Ben's Pizza. Big Bus's own site places it at the city bus stop in front of Island Queen Café. Both are on the Biscayne Boulevard side of the mall.

Check the stop printed on your ticket, and be there 15 minutes early: seats are first come, first served. The 8pm bus and the other night city tours compare on their own page. On Friday to Sunday nights the same tour also picks up at 8:01pm in Miami Beach, at Soundscape Park.

Which evenings do not start here

Bayside is the busiest start, not the only one, and several evenings people assume begin here leave from somewhere else. Check your ticket before you head downtown.

The pier north of Bayside is the Venetian Marina, at 1635 N Bayshore Drive, a separate start with its own check-in. The private boat starts at 2610 NW 18th Terrace, which is a rideshare, not a walk. If your evening is one of these, Bayside is a place to eat or watch the fountain beforehand, not the place to meet.

The wheel

The wheel you walk towards is the Skyviews Miami, over 200 feet tall, with 42 climate-controlled gondolas. One is a VIP gondola with leather seats and a glass floor. From the top you look down on the bay, the park next door and the downtown skyline, lit after dark. It sells its own tickets; check its own site for the hours and the price on your date. A small-group van evening includes a ride on it, with hotel pickup downtown.

Next door: the park and its fountain

Just south of the mall is Bayfront Park, 32 acres on the bay at 301 Biscayne Boulevard. It is free and open from 7am to 11pm. Its fountain runs a show of water, light and music several times each evening, and it is the best free thing to do while you wait for a boat.

• Sunday to Thursday. Shows at 7pm, 8pm, 8:30pm and 9:30pm; the fountain turns off at 10pm.
• Friday and Saturday. The same, plus 10:30pm; the fountain turns off at 11pm.

What else is lit up nearby, from the port to Brickell, is on Miami night attractions, and the evening beyond a tour is on what to do and see on a Miami night out.

Getting there, and parking

Bayside has a paid parking garage, and valet runs during some downtown events. Two van-accessible disabled spaces are on the south service road in front of the mall, and complimentary wheelchairs are available. Parking rates can change on event nights at the arena nearby.

Without a car, take Metrorail to Government Center and change to the Metromover; get off at the College/Bayside stop and walk one block east. From Miami Beach the S and C buses run to Biscayne Boulevard. Brightline's downtown station is within walking distance. Getting back to your hotel after a late boat is covered in the visitor guide.

Before you step aboard

• Know your dock. The wheel, Pier 5 and the bus stop are three different places.
• Check the name. Several boats share the waterfront; read the company on the hull.
• Be early. 30 minutes for the boats, 15 for the bus.
• Mind the clock. The mall may close before your boat is back; plan the ride home.

More on the check-in, the wind and the ride home is in what to expect on the night.

Evenings that start at the waterfront mall

Skyline Sightseeing Cruise and Millionaire's Homes

Ninety minutes on a two-deck boat from the dock at Bayside, past Star Island and the Venetian Islands, with a live guide in English and Spanish.

From $30 per person

Check Availability

Miami Twilight Skyline Cruise

An hour on Biscayne Bay from Fiesta's booth at Pier 5 inside Bayside, past the port and Fisher Island as the light goes. Drinks are sold on board.

From $25 per person

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Miami Small-Group Night Tour with Skyview Wheel

A small-group evening by van with pickup at downtown hotels: the wheel at Bayside, South Pointe Park and a causeway stop for the skyline. Up to seven aboard.

From $99 per person

Check Availability