By Rowan Ellis · Updated · Affiliate links, explained in my disclosure
MYA Boat Charters
Miami Guided Private Boat Charter: Cruise, Swim & Explore
5.0 (377) · from $224
Choosing a boat tour in Miami is mostly a choice between a two-hour skyline cruise, a private boat for your group, a three-hour party on the bay and a long day trip to Key West. I compared all 19 trips that you can book on GetYourGuide right now, from an $18 bus-and-boat day to a $320 captained rental. Everything below comes from the operators’ own listings: prices, ratings, durations, meeting points and what is included. I haven’t been on any of these boats, so my picks rest on the data and the review snippets, not on a personal sailing.
My short answer for a first Miami boat tour: I’d book the MYA Boat Charters private charter at $224, because 377 guests give it 5.0 and it runs the full Downtown, Bayside and Star Island route. If you would rather pay less and share, I’d take the Miami Aqua Tours sunset cruise at $30, which sails 1.5 hours from Bayside Marketplace. Prices are in US dollars, checked in October 2026, and the booking links are affiliate links, as I explain on my about page.
Boat tours in Miami nearly all share one core route, whichever Miami boat tour you pick: you leave the Miami River or Biscayne Bay, pass the Downtown and Brickell towers, round Bayside Marketplace and then head east to the island chain where the celebrity mansions sit. What changes is whether you share the boat or have it to yourselves, and how many hours you buy. Biscayne Bay itself continues south into Biscayne National Park, which the National Park Service manages, but none of the 19 trips I compared goes that far south.
The two highest-rated private options start with the same idea and differ in price. The MYA charter costs $224 and lets you choose 2, 3, 4 or 5 hours; its listing names Downtown Miami, Bayside Marketplace, San Marco, Di Lido, Hibiscus, Palm and Star Island, Fisher Island and the Port of Miami. Captain and fuel are listed as extras at $50 per hour and $50 per tour. Reviewers name their captains and call the trip the top experience of their stay. The other, the Key West day trip with snorkeling or other options from US2U Tours, is a different animal: $79, 15 hours, 4.4 from 52 reviews, with a bus ride over the Overseas Highway and a choice of snorkeling, free time or another activity.
MYA Boat Charters
My pick: The best-reviewed private charter in my list: 5.0 from 377 reviews, from $224, with the full Downtown to Star Island route.
US2U Tours
My pick: Only for people who want a whole day in Key West: $79, 15 hours, 4.4 from 52 reviews, and most of it is on the bus.
Miami boat tours for a small group are where the listings multiply. The Exclusive Private Boat Guided Tour from Ocean Sunrise Boat Charters costs $255 and takes up to 12 passengers, with options from 2 hours of sightseeing to a 4-hour half day for birthdays. It leaves from DKR Marine on NW 7th Street and has a 4.9 rating from 219 reviews. The captain and fuel fees are paid separately at the marina, at $50 per hour and $50 per trip, so budget for that when you compare it with fixed-price cruises.
At the other end sits the Aqua Party Boat sunset tour of celebrity homes and the skyline. It costs $59, runs two hours, and departs from Pier 3 at Venetian Marina and Yacht Club. It is listed as a sunset trip to see celebrity homes and the skyline, so I treat it as the cheap shared alternative when private boats feel too expensive. It has 4.8 from only 31 reviews, which is enough to like but not enough to trust blindly. Two Miami boat trips, two very different budgets: that is the pattern across the whole list.
Ocean Sunrise Boat Charters LLC
My pick: Private boat for up to 12 from DKR Marine, 4.9 from 219 reviews, from $255 plus captain and fuel at the marina.
Aqua Party Boat
My pick: The cheap shared option: $59, two hours at golden hour, 4.8 from 31 reviews, leaves from Venetian Marina Pier 3.
Miami boat cruises on a private yacht are the step up from a rental, and the best-known boat tours in Miami for groups. The Bruschi Boat Rental BYOB yacht cruise costs $125 for two hours and offers two Sundancer yachts that take 10 and 12 people. You bring drinks, they supply a cooler with ice and a Bluetooth radio, and the listing adds a $50 fuel fee and a captain fee of $45 per hour on top. It scores 4.7 from 227 reviews, and the route passes Brickell, the port and Bayside’s Ferris wheel before you return to the marina.
I also put the Gray Line deep-sea fishing and sightseeing tour in this section because it is a cruise in the plainest sense. It costs $88 for four hours on a 70-foot licensed vessel, and the listing includes the fishing licence, an upper viewing deck and fish cleaning. It leaves from the Reward fleet dock at Bayside Marketplace Marina. It has just 11 reviews at 3.9, so I would read the recent ones first. Anyone who wants more on this side should look at my fishing charter page.
Bruschi Boat Rental
My pick: Two hours, BYOB, music from your own phone: $125, 4.7 from 227 reviews, fuel fee extra.
Gray Line Miami
My pick: A four-hour fishing trip from Bayside at $88; only 11 reviews at 3.9, so I'd read them before booking.
Star Island is the reason many people book a boat tour in Miami in the first place. It sits in Biscayne Bay between Downtown and Miami Beach, and it is named in the itineraries of the MYA charter, the Ocean Sunrise tour, the 37ft Party on the Seas yacht, the Miami Aqua Tours sunset cruise and the Aqua Party Boat sunset trip. The mansions are private, so the water is the only place a visitor sees them up close, and the boat does not stop. Wikipedia’s article on Star Island covers the island’s history.
The trips differ in how long they spend around the island group. On the shared cruises the pass is part of a 1.5 to 2 hour loop, so you get a few minutes per mansion and a guide’s commentary. On the private charters you can ask the captain to slow down or circle back, which is the main reason I would pay more for a private boat if Star Island is your priority. Check the listing for the exact route on your date, because captains adjust for wind and traffic.
People search for a boat tour Miami Groupon deal because shared Miami boat tours can be cheap. I don’t compare voucher sites, so these are the plain prices on GetYourGuide. The lowest is the Big Dave Tours Key West boat tour at $18, which includes round-trip transport from Miami Beach, hotel pickup and an open bar if you select that option. The meeting point is at the bus stop on Collins Avenue in front of the Claremont Hotel at 6:30 AM, and the day lasts 18 hours. It has 4.1 from 19 reviews, and the food and tips are not included.
Among boats that stay in Miami, the cheapest I found is the $30 sunset cruise, then $59 for the Aqua Party Boat tour, and $64 for a Bruschi Boat Rental private BYOB tour. The $99 customizable private rental by day or night has no rating yet, which is why it sits at the bottom of my list for value: I can’t tell you what guests thought of it. Prices on holiday weekends may vary, and the listing adds a captain fee of $50 per hour, fuel and a $20 boarding fee per person, so treat $99 as a starting point.
Big Dave Tours
My pick: The lowest price I found, $18 for an 18-hour Key West day with an optional boat leg; I'd read the options carefully.
Night tourMiami Beach Boat Rental Deal
My pick: From $99 for 2 to 6 hours, bring your own drinks; it has no rating yet, so it's a leftover rather than a pick.
Miami boat tours at night are about the skyline lights, and several listings run late. A late slot on the bay changes the skyline view completely. The Bruschi private tour lets you pick a day, sunset or night slot at $64 from, with a captain fee of $35 per hour paid on top, and that fee changes on Feb 14, Jul 4 and Dec 31. It leaves from a marina on NW 18th Terrace and lists Downtown, the Skyviews observation wheel, Joia Beach and Star Island among its stops. With 4.7 from 69 reviews, it is my pick for a couple or a small group.
For a louder night, the All-Inclusive Hip-Hop Boat Party from The Miami Experience Boat Party costs $120 for three hours and includes a three-hour open bar, a live DJ and MC and light snacks. It checks in next to Bayside Marketplace, it is for guests aged 21 and over, and it has 4.3 from 84 reviews. I wouldn’t send a family there, but for friends it is simple: one price, drinks included. My page on the party boat in Miami compares the three party options, and the sunset cruise page covers the golden-hour trips.
Night tourBruschi Boat Rental
My pick: Choose a day, sunset or night slot on a private boat from $64; the captain fee is extra, 4.7 from 69 reviews.
Night tourThe Miami Experience Boat Party
My pick: Three-hour open bar and a live DJ for $120; a loud night for guests 21 and over, not a quiet skyline view.
Dolphin tours in Miami are thin in my data: of all the Miami boat tours I compared, one listing names dolphins. The Key West Day Trip with Dolphin Spotting or Snorkeling from US2U Tours costs $68, lasts 15 to 16 hours, and has 4.5 from 556 reviews. You choose between free time on the island, a 2.5-hour dolphin-spotting boat tour, a snorkeling trip or a glass bottom boat. Hotel pickups run along Collins Avenue from Miami Beach, and gratuities are included according to the listing.
That means a dolphin sighting is a bonus of a long Keys day, not something a Miami cruise promises. No Biscayne Bay trip in my list advertises marine mammals, and I won’t tell you what you will see on any one day. If dolphins are the main reason you want to go on the water, this is the one to look at, with a long day on the bus as the cost.
US2U Tours
My pick: The only dolphin-watch option in my data: $68, 15 to 16 hours, 4.5 from 556 reviews, and the most reviewed Key West trip.
Booking one of the boat tours in Miami is easier than it looks, because every one of the 19 trips offers free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure. That means you can reserve a favorite date early and move it if the forecast turns. Read the line about extras before you pay, because the private boats list their captain and fuel fees separately.
Two bookings I would look at closely. The 37ft private yacht from PARTY ON THE SEAS LLC costs $215 for 2 to 5 hours, accommodates up to 12 guests, and leaves from 2151 NW 12th St. It lists the captain fee at $50 per hour and the fuel fee at $50 per trip as separate payments. It scores 4.8 from 162 reviews. The New Year’s Eve cruise from Aqua Party Boat costs $179 for three hours, boards at 11:00 PM and returns around 2:00 AM, with views of the midnight fireworks at Bayfront Park. It has only 7 reviews at 4.6, and it is a one-night product, so book it only for that date.
PARTY ON THE SEAS LLC
My pick: A private 37ft yacht for up to 12: $215, 4.8 from 162 reviews, captain and fuel fees paid separately.
Night tourAqua Party Boat
My pick: New Year's Eve only: $179, board at 11 PM, midnight fireworks from the bay, just 7 reviews so far.
Miami cruises usually means the big ships from PortMiami, and I don’t cover those. This section is about the Miami boat tours that are day cruises and parties on Biscayne Bay and the nearby lakes. The Boat Party with Live DJ, Unlimited Drinks and Food from goya events llc costs $120 for three hours, and you meet at Bayside near the Ferris wheel and the Lombardi’s restaurant. It has an open bar, food and a DJ, and it is for guests aged 21 and over, with 4.3 from 215 reviews.
The odd one out is the Peacock Bass Fishing Trip near Miami from Bass Online Fishing Charters. It runs on freshwater lakes rather than the bay, costs $183 for 2 to 4 hours, and starts from a boat ramp in Hialeah. The guide, rods and reels and a cooler are all included. It has only 4 reviews, so treat the 4.6 as an early signal, not a verdict. Both are cruises in the broad sense, but they are for very different groups.
goya events llc
My pick: The best-reviewed boat party in my list: $120 for three hours, open bar and food included, 4.3 from 215 reviews.
Bass Online Fishing Charters
My pick: A private freshwater fishing trip from Hialeah for $183; only 4 reviews, so it's a gamble on a guide.
Boat tours in Miami Florida, the way I sort them, range from a $30 shared sunset loop to a $320 private captained boat. The Sunset Champagne Cruise from Miami Aqua Tours is the cheapest shared sunset trip: $30, 1.5 hours, with live DJ music, a bilingual guide, a restroom on board and a champagne-style bottle per couple if you pick that option. You meet at Bayside Marketplace across from the Hard Rock Cafe, and a City of Miami surcharge is part of what the listing says is included. It has 4.0 from 136 reviews, which is the lowest score of the sunset trips.
At the top, the Captained Biscayne Bay Boat Rental for up to 6 from Aquarius Boat Tours costs $320 for two hours and has a perfect 5.0, though from just two reviews. It leaves from West Avenue in Miami Beach and lists Star Island, Palm Island, Biscayne Bay and Downtown Miami among its stops. I include it because a Miami Beach departure saves the drive to the river marinas. For more on the rental side, see my page on boat rental in Miami.
Night tourMiami Aqua Tours I
My pick: The cheapest shared sunset cruise: $30, 1.5 hours from Bayside, 4.0 from 136 reviews.
Aquarius Boat Tours
My pick: Captained rental for up to 6 from Miami Beach, $320 for two hours; 5.0 but from only 2 reviews.
A boat ride in Miami Florida can be as simple as a two-hour pontoon on the water or as showy as a pink yacht, and either one counts as a Miami boat tour. The Pink Yacht Experience from Miami Elite Jetski Rentals costs $120 for three hours, leaves from Gate 4 at Chamonix Marina, and lists a licensed captain, a stewardess and a sound system. Its extras are steep: crew at $100 per hour, a $100 fuel surcharge and a $100 docking fee, so the real total is much higher than $120. The listing says you cruise the Miami River, pass Star Island and anchor at Monument Island for photos. It has 4.8 from 55 reviews, and it is aimed at birthdays and girls’ trips.
The 2-hour pontoon from Upisle Rentals costs $299, uses a Sun Tracker DLX and can be booked with or without a captain; if you add the captain, it is $45 per hour, and gas is $25 per hour according to the listing. It departs from a marina near Hallandale, so it is farther north than the rest, and the location is confirmed after booking. It has no ratings yet. I would only pick it if you want to drive yourself and the others feel too formal.
Miami Elite Jetski Rentals
My pick: Three hours on a pink yacht from $120, with crew, fuel and docking fees on top; 4.8 from 55 reviews, best for celebrations.
Upisle Rentals
My pick: A self-drive or captained pontoon for $299; no reviews yet, with captain and gas as extras.
The route in the infographic below is the one the MYA private charter lists, and most boat tours in Miami follow a shorter version of it. You start on the Miami River, pass Downtown and Bayside Marketplace, go out to the Venetian islands, Star Island and Fisher Island, and return past the Port of Miami. Shared cruises from Bayside skip the river and head straight to the islands, which is why they take 1.5 to 2 hours, not 2 to 5.
Stops on the route
Two things worth knowing before you choose a Miami boat tour. First, the skyline looks best from the water in the last hour of daylight, and my sunset cruise page gives approximate sunset times by month. Second, the bay is busy with other boats, so the water can be choppy near the island cuts. Neither is a reason to skip a Miami boat tour, but both are reasons to pick a trip with a flexible start.
The boats on every Miami boat tour leave from three clusters. Bayside Marketplace in Downtown is the base for the Miami Aqua Tours cruise, the two boat parties and the Gray Line fishing boat. The Miami River marinas, such as DKR Marine and the NW 12th St dock, serve the private charters. Venetian Marina and Chamonix Marina cover the Aqua Party Boat and pink yacht trips. In a straight line, Bayside is about 0.6 miles from the Frost Museum of Science, 2.8 miles from Vizcaya and 3.2 miles from South Pointe Park. All these are views from the water or short rides away.
Tourist attraction
4.5 · 80,378 Google reviews
401 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33132, United States
Tourist attraction
4.7 · 21,849 Google reviews
301 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33132, United States
Tourist attraction
4.7 · 5,827 Google reviews
401 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33132, United States
Tourist attraction
4.5 · 7,985 Google reviews
1103 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33132, United States
Tourist attraction
4.4 · 8,357 Google reviews
1101 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33132, United States
Marina
4.7 · 2,555 Google reviews
300 Alton Rd, Miami Beach, FL 33139, United States
Park
4.8 · 10,920 Google reviews
1 Washington Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139, United States
Open in Google Maps
Tourist attraction
4.7 · 16,464 Google reviews
3251 S Miami Ave, Miami, FL 33129, United States
Marina
4.5 · 1,042 Google reviews
3400 Pan American Dr, Miami, FL 33133, United States
My data splits the 19 Miami boat tours into seven types, and each has its own page. Prices are the lowest listed for that type, and durations come from the listings. Some products appear in two types, so the counts overlap.
| Trip type | Price from | Typical duration | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yacht charter | $120 | 2 to 5 hours | Birthdays and groups who want a crewed yacht |
| Boat rental | $99 | 2 to 6 hours | Private boats, with or without a captain |
| Party boat | $120 | 3 hours | Open bar, DJ, nights out with friends |
| Snorkeling tour | $18 | 15 to 18 hours | A full Key West day with snorkeling or dolphins |
| Sunset cruise | $30 | 1.5 to 2 hours | Skyline and golden hour on a budget |
| Fishing charter | $88 | 2 to 4 hours | Deep-sea or lake fishing |
| Private boat tour | $99 | 2 to 6 hours | Couples and groups who want the boat to themselves |
Here is how I’d pick among the boat tours in Miami in four questions.
All 19 trips offer free cancellation 24 hours ahead, so book early and move the date if the weather turns. Whichever boat tour in Miami you choose, confirm the meeting point and the time in your confirmation email, because several private operators only send the exact marina after you book.
The 8 most-reviewed boat companies on Google Maps in Miami, with what I found about each. Ratings and reviews are Google's.
Fishing pier
4.8 · 8,263 Google reviews
Not in my GetYourGuide comparison: book direct
Boat tour agency
4.6 · 5,243 Google reviews
Not in my GetYourGuide comparison: book direct
Boat tour agency
4.9 · 4,675 Google reviews
4 of the tours I compared · from $59
Boat tour agency
4.6 · 3,823 Google reviews
Not in my GetYourGuide comparison: book direct
Boat tour agency
4.8 · 3,456 Google reviews
3 of the tours I compared · from $30
Sightseeing tour agency
4.9 · 2,155 Google reviews
Not in my GetYourGuide comparison: book direct
Boat tour agency
5.0 · 2,120 Google reviews
5 of the tours I compared · from $30
Boat tour agency
5.0 · 2,082 Google reviews
3 of the tours I compared · from $64
For most visitors I'd book the Miami Guided Private Boat Charter from MYA Boat Charters: $224, rated 5.0 from 377 reviews, 2 to 5 hours, with a route past Downtown, Bayside Marketplace and Star Island. If you are on a budget, the Miami Aqua Tours sunset cruise starts at $30. For a group party, the three-hour open-bar boat parties cost $120.
Prices on GetYourGuide run from $18 for the Big Dave Tours Key West day trip with an optional boat leg to $320 for a captained Biscayne Bay boat rental. Shared sunset cruises cost $30 to $59, boat parties $120 to $179, private yachts $120 to $255. Captain and fuel fees on some private boats are paid separately.
Most shared cruises in my data leave from Bayside Marketplace in Downtown, near the Ferris wheel, or from Venetian Marina and Yacht Club at 1635 N Bayshore Dr. Private charters use marinas on the Miami River such as DKR Marine and 2151 NW 12th St, or Chamonix Marina. Some listings send the exact point after you book.
Shared sightseeing and sunset cruises run 1.5 to 2 hours. Boat parties last three hours, deep-sea fishing four, and private charters can be booked from two to five or six hours. The Key West trips are 15 to 18 hours because most of the day is spent on the bus along the Overseas Highway.
Yes. The itineraries of several trips name Star Island, and the sunset cruises from Venetian Marina and Bayside both advertise celebrity mansions. The private charters from the Miami River also pass Hibiscus, Palm and Di Lido islands. The shared sunset trip from Aqua Party Boat costs $59 and is listed at two hours.
All 19 listings offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start, according to their booking pages. That is enough time to rebook if a storm is forecast. Some private operators also change the captain fee on Feb 14, Jul 4 and Dec 31, so check the extra costs for your date before you pay.
On the private boats, yes. The BYOB yacht cruise from Bruschi Boat Rental at $125, the 37ft Party on the Seas yacht at $215 and the MYA charter all provide a cooler with ice. The big party boats and the sunset cruises sell or include their own drinks, and the open-bar parties are for guests aged 21 and over.
Only on the Key West day trips. US2U Tours lists a dolphin watch or snorkeling boat tour from $68, and the Big Dave Tours option with snorkeling and an open bar starts at $18. They take 15 to 18 hours including the bus ride, so they are a day out of Miami, not a short Miami boat tour.