Miami Night Tours FAQs
Dark times, the docks, what you pay on the night, drinks, age rules, storms and refunds, answered from the operators' own pages. Choosing between Miami Night ticket prices? The answers below settle most of it.
Two answers matter more than the rest. First, a night tour is only at night if it starts after sunset, and sunset moves from 5:29pm in December to 8:16pm in June. Second, some fares add a charge you pay on the night, such as a captain fee or a gate balance.
After that, it is where you meet. Several boats share one dock area at Bayside, so check the operator's name on your ticket before you step aboard.
What time does it get dark in Miami?
Sunset runs from 5:29pm in late November and early December to 8:16pm in late June, and full dark follows about 25 minutes later. The clocks go back on 1 November 2026, which moves sunset an hour earlier overnight, from 6:40pm to 5:39pm.
Do Miami night tours run after dark?
Only when they leave after sunset. The Big Bus night tour leaves at 8pm, which is before sunset from about mid-June to mid-July and in full dark from mid-September through March. On the water, pick a sailing that starts after the sunset time for your date.
How much does a Miami night tour cost?
A seat on a shared cruise costs $25 to $63.20, the Big Bus night tour $36 and the salsa night at Mango's $89. The private boats and one ATV ride add fees paid on the night, so read each price box to the end.
What is paid on the night on top of the fare?
It depends on the tour. The private boat adds a $70 captain fee, the yacht adds its crew at $100 an hour, a $100 marina fee and $100 fuel, and the Redland ATV park adds $100 a person at the gate. Aqua Party Boat's sunset and karaoke cruises ask a $10 cash tip a person, which their listings call required.
Can I cancel a Miami night tour?
Most tours here refund in full if you cancel at least 24 hours before the start. The LED kayak's terms contradict each other, so check them before you pay. If an operator cancels for bad weather, you are offered a new date or a full refund.
Where do Miami night cruises leave from?
From three docks. Miami Aqua Tours and Fiesta Cruises board at Bayside Marketplace downtown, Aqua Party Boat at Venetian Marina's Pier 3 on N Bayshore Dr, and the private boat at a marina on the Miami River. Several operators share the Bayside dock area, so check the operator's name before you step aboard.
What time does the Big Bus night tour leave?
At 8pm from Stop #1 at Bayside Marketplace, and on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays also at 8:01pm from Soundscape Park in Miami Beach. It is not hop-on hop-off, and seats are first come, first served, so arrive 15 minutes early.
Is there a private night boat tour in Miami?
Yes. A 2-hour private boat from a Miami River marina takes up to 10 with a captain, from $52 a person plus a $70 captain fee. A 3-hour private yacht takes up to 13 for $160 a group, plus its crew, marina and fuel fees.
Are drinks included on the cruises?
On the open-bar night cruise, yes, and the true-crime cruise pours one drink with bites. On most other cruises the bar sells drinks, while the private boat, the yacht and the pedal pub are bring your own.
Are Miami night tours good for kids?
The Big Bus night tour, the twilight cruise and the salsa class before 10pm take children. Miami Aqua Tours sells its open-bar night cruise to adults 21 and over, and the club night and the pedal pub are 21 and over too. The Redland ATV ride takes ages 10 to 70.
Is there an ATV night tour in Miami?
Yes, two, both on farm trails on the far south-west edge of Miami, so you drive or take a ride there. The Redland park ride lasts 45 minutes, needs a driver's licence and adds $100 a person at the gate; 305 Off Roading's glow ride lasts an hour on muddy trails.
Do the tours run in the rain?
Most run rain or shine. An operator may cancel a boat or a bus for bad weather, and then offers a new date or a full refund. The Big Bus top deck is open to the sky, so bring a light rain layer in summer.
Is hurricane season a problem?
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November. A named storm can cancel boats and buses, so in those months book tours with free cancellation and check the forecast the day before.
Is there a Miami and South Beach night tour?
Yes. Big Bus's night tour runs from downtown across the MacArthur Causeway to South Beach, past Ocean Drive and Lincoln Road, in 75 to 90 minutes. The panoramic bus starts in South Beach itself, outside the W hotel.
What should I wear?
Layers for the open top deck and the boats, where it is breezy once you are moving. Clothes that can get wet for the kayak, and ones you do not mind getting muddy for the ATV trails. Mango's asks for no hats, sleeveless shirts or swimwear.
Which boat is mine at Bayside?
Several operators board from one dock area inside Bayside Marketplace, so check the operator's name on your ticket before you step aboard. Miami Aqua Tours lines up at Landshark Bar & Grill by the Ferris wheel; Fiesta Cruises boards from its booth at Pier 5.
How early should I arrive?
Thirty minutes before for the Miami Aqua Tours cruises at Bayside, 15 to 20 minutes for the Venetian Marina boats and 15 minutes for the Big Bus. The boats leave on time, and a late arrival can miss the sailing.
Is the open-bar cruise two hours on the water?
It is sold as a 2-hour booking, and boarding comes out of that time. Travellers describe between an hour and an hour and a half on the water, so plan your evening around the booking, not the sailing.
Does a sunset cruise leave at the same time all year?
No. The sun sets anywhere from 5:29pm to 8:16pm through the year, so a cruise timed for sunset moves by close to three hours. Check the time on your booking for your date.
Which night cruise is cheapest?
Fiesta's twilight cruise from Bayside, at $25 a person, for about an hour on the bay. The ATV park's $15 fare is lower, but it buys park entry only, with $100 a person due at the gate.
Can I bring my own drinks?
On the private boat, the yacht and the pedal pub, yes: the private boat supplies a cooler with ice, and the pedal pub asks for no glass. The shared cruises sell drinks on board.
Do I need cash?
For two things. The Redland ATV park takes a $100 deposit per ATV in cash, and Aqua Party Boat's sunset and karaoke cruises ask a $10 cash tip a person for the crew.
Do I tip the captain on a private boat?
Tips are not in the fare. Travellers on the private boat say to budget for a tip on top of the $70 captain fee.
Is there parking at the docks?
Bayside Marketplace has a paid garage. The Miami River marina has no parking of its own, with street parking about two blocks away, and parking at Venetian Marina is not part of any fare.
Are the tours in Spanish?
Some are bilingual: Miami Aqua Tours guides in English and Spanish. The Big Bus night tour's live commentary is in English only.
Is the true-crime cruise a ghost tour?
No, it is not a haunted boat tour. Its live host tells documented stories from Miami's past, with a digital case file of archive photos and documents, and the fare includes one drink and bites.
Is the salsa night for beginners?
Yes. Both lessons, bachata at 8pm and salsa at 9:20pm, are beginner classes, and the room is open to all ages until 10pm. After that the Mango's nightclub is 21 and over.
Is transport included on the club night?
No. You make your own way to the rooftop pre-party and on to the club, which is about a 15-minute rideshare from most hotels.
What ID do I need for the club night?
A passport or government photo ID showing you are 21 or over. The club can refuse entry, and there is no refund if it does.
Is there a dress code for the club night?
Yes, a strict one: no shorts, sportswear, trainers or sandals. Men wear a shirt, trousers and shoes; women wear heels, boots or wedges.
What is the pedal pub?
A 15-seat pedal bike with electric assist, a guide who drives, music and a cooler for your own drinks, stopping at two bars in Wynwood. It is 21 and over.
How long is the ATV ride?
45 minutes on the Redland park ride, after a safety briefing, and an hour on 305 Off Roading's glow ride. Allow for the drive south to the farm as well.
Who can ride the Redland ATVs?
Riders aged 10 to 70 with a driver's licence or ID. The park is not suitable for anyone with back problems or over 297 lb (135 kg), and the address works in Uber, Google Maps and Waze only.
Is the kayak tour safe for beginners?
Guides brief the group and paddle with you, and travellers new to kayaking describe patient guides who put safety first. Expect to get wet, and bring a change of clothes.
Is there a night tour with hotel pickup?
Yes: the small-group van tour picks up at downtown Miami hotels, and only downtown. It ends with a ride on the Skyviews Miami wheel before it drops you back.
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.
Still deciding? The practical detail is in the visitor guide, and what travellers made of each tour is in the reviews. Every fare sits side by side on Miami Night Tours.