Sunset Cruise Miami

A sunset cruise in Miami is the cheapest way I found to see the skyline from the water: three trips, from $30, each between 1.5 and 2 hours. They sail from Bayside Marketplace, Venetian Marina or a private marina on the Miami River, and they all pass Star Island and the Downtown towers. For the wider list of boats I compared, see my guide to boat tours in Miami. Prices are in US dollars, checked in October 2026, and booking links are affiliate links, as I explain on my about page.

My pick for a sunset cruise in Miami is the Aqua Party Boat tour at $59: 2 hours, 4.8 from 31 reviews, leaving from Pier 3 at Venetian Marina, close to the Venetian Islands and Star Island. If I wanted the lowest price, I’d take the $30 Miami Aqua Tours cruise, and if I wanted privacy, the $64 Bruschi tour.

Sunset Cruise Miami Florida

A sunset cruise in Miami Florida lasts only as long as the golden hour, so the start time matters more than the length. Here are approximate sunset times for Miami’s coordinates, calculated with the standard NOAA solar formulas and shown as local clock time for the middle of each month. They can be a few minutes off, and you can check any date on the NOAA solar calculator.

Month	Sunset (mid-month)	Month	Sunset (mid-month)
January	5:50 PM	July	8:15 PM
February	6:14 PM	August	7:58 PM
March	7:30 PM (after clocks change)	September	7:26 PM
April	7:43 PM	October	6:54 PM
May	7:59 PM	November	5:33 PM
June	8:13 PM	December	5:32 PM

The swing is nearly three hours between winter and summer. A cruise that is a true sunset trip in June is a dusk trip in December, and the listings don’t give departure times that I can see, so look at the times offered for your date on the booking page. I’d board about an hour before sunset, so the boat is on the water as the light turns gold.

Sunset Boat Tour Miami

The Aqua Party Boat sunset boat tour is my favorite of the three on paper. It costs $59, lasts two hours, and its listing describes a sail across Biscayne Bay at golden hour past Millionaires Row, Brickell and Downtown, then up the Miami River as the lights come on. Music plays on board, a licensed captain and crew run the boat, and the restroom is on the boat. Beer, wine and hard seltzers can be bought on board, and crew gratuities are extra.

Its meeting point is clear: Venetian Marina and Yacht Club, 1635 N Bayshore Dr, Pier 3, the main commercial pier, where all of the operator’s vessels depart. That’s a plus for a first-time visitor. The caveat is the review count, 31 at 4.8. It is a strong score, but it isn’t proven over hundreds of trips, so I’d read the latest comments before booking.

Aqua Party Boat

Sunset Boat Tour to See Celebrity Homes & Skyline

• ★ 4.8 (31 reviews)
• 2 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: My pick: $59, two hours, celebrity homes and the skyline at golden hour, 4.8 from 31 reviews.

from

$59

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Sunset Cruise Miami Beach

A sunset cruise from Miami Beach isn’t in my data; all three sail from the mainland side. That’s less of a problem than it sounds, because the best skyline view is from the bay looking west to Downtown, and the sun sets behind the city. Miami Beach hotels are a short cab ride from Venetian Marina, and in a straight line Bayside Marketplace is about 2.8 miles from the Miami Beach Marina.

If you are staying on the beach, pick the Aqua Party Boat tour from Venetian Marina over the Bayside cruise, because it is nearer the causeway. Allow extra time for traffic around sunset, since everyone else is heading the same way. A rideshare back to the beach afterwards is easier than a rush to get there.

Sunset Cruise Miami Beach Fl

A sunset cruise at Miami Beach, FL, in the sense of a boat that leaves from the beach, is the one thing my three trips don’t offer. What they do offer is the Star Island view, which sits between the two shores. Star Island is named in the stop lists of both the Aqua Tours and Aqua Party Boat cruises, and the Bruschi private tour names it too.

A short loop around the island is the part of the trip that shows the mansions, and that’s what you pay for. If you want to see more of them, ask on the private tour whether the captain can take a second pass. On the shared boats the route is fixed.

Sunset Cruise Miami South Beach

A sunset cruise from Miami South Beach has the same answer: you go to the mainland. South Pointe Park, at the southern tip of South Beach, is about 3.2 miles from Bayside in a straight line and has a pier you can watch the boats from. The park scores 4.8 from more than 10,000 Google reviews, so it’s a pleasant place to walk before a cruise.

The Miami Aqua Tours cruise starts at the other end of that distance. Once inside Bayside Marketplace, you head toward the Ferris wheel, and the meeting point is directly across from the Hard Rock Cafe. At $30 it is the cheapest, runs 1.5 hours and has live DJ music, a bilingual guide and an open-air terrace. A champagne-style bottle per couple comes with the option you choose. Its 4.0 from 136 reviews is the lowest score of the three, so it is a value pick, not my favorite.

Night tour

Miami Aqua Tours I

Sunset Champagne Cruise Biscayne Bay & Skyline Views

• ★ 4.0 (136 reviews)
• 1.5 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: The cheapest sunset cruise: $30, 1.5 hours from Bayside, live DJ and a bilingual guide, 4.0 from 136 reviews.

from

$30

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Miami Boat Tours Sunset

Miami boat tours at sunset also come as private trips, and the Bruschi Boat Rental tour is the one that is built for it. It is sold as a tailor-made private BYOB day, sunset or night tour, starting at $64 for two hours, with a cooler, ice, a Bluetooth radio, fuel and docking fees included. The captain fee of $35 per hour is not, and it changes on Feb 14, Jul 4 and Dec 31. Its itinerary lists Downtown, the Skyviews Miami Observation Wheel, Joia Beach and Star Island.

You call the operator after booking to get the exact departure point, and the street parking is a 4-minute walk. With 4.7 from 69 reviews, it is a strong small-group option, and for two people on a budget it can beat the shared boats once you add the captain fee. For bigger groups, my yacht charter page compares crewed yachts that take 10 to 12.

Night tour

Bruschi Boat Rental

Tailor a Private BYOB Day, Sunset or Night Boat Tour

• ★ 4.7 (69 reviews)
• 2 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: Private BYOB boat at sunset from $64, captain fee extra; 4.7 from 69 reviews.

from

$64

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What to Bring on a Sunset Cruise

For the shared boats, bring a light jacket in winter, because the breeze on the bay cools quickly after sunset, and sunglasses for the last of the light. A phone with a charged battery is the real essential, since the skyline at golden hour is the reason to go. The Aqua Party Boat and Aqua Tours cruises sell or include drinks, so you only need cash for tips. On the private Bruschi tour you bring your own drinks and snacks, and the boat supplies a cooler with ice and a Bluetooth radio for your playlist.

Arrive early at Bayside or Venetian Marina, because both are busy in the evening, and check the weather: a sunset behind clouds is still a good cruise, but a storm is not. All three trips offer free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead, so you can book early and rebook if the forecast turns.

Compared

Trip	Operator	Price from	Duration	Departs from	Rating	Cancellation
Sunset Champagne Cruise	Miami Aqua Tours I	$30	1.5 hours	Bayside Marketplace	4.0 (136)	Free up to 24 hours
Sunset Boat Tour to See Celebrity Homes and Skyline	Aqua Party Boat	$59	2 hours	Venetian Marina, Pier 3	4.8 (31)	Free up to 24 hours
Tailor a Private BYOB Day, Sunset or Night Boat Tour	Bruschi Boat Rental	$64	2 hours	Marina on NW 18th Terrace	4.7 (69)	Free up to 24 hours

How I’d Choose a Sunset Cruise in Miami

For a first evening, the Aqua Party Boat sunset cruise is the Miami sunset cruise I’d book. For the lowest price, the $30 Aqua Tours trip. For a couple or a small group that wants its own boat, the Bruschi tour, with the captain fee in mind. If you want a louder night after the sun goes down, my party boat page covers the three-hour boats.

Whichever Miami sunset cruise you choose, check the sunset time for your date, ask about the departure time, and confirm the meeting point. Then see the rest of the list in my guide to boat tours in Miami, or go back to the Harbour Advisor home page.