Tours in South Miami

A two-day pass aboard the Hop On Hop Off Tour provides riders with accessible transit and the cranial expansion of local knowledge. Throughout the route, a narration crafted by expert locals will keep you up to speed on where you are, where you are going, and where to direct your photographic and human irises. Non-English-speaking guests or bilingually curious natives can tune in to multilingual headsets along the ride. In addition to directing rubberneckers, the local good-times gurus at Gray Line lead wide-eyed wonderers into cultural hotbeds and fashionable storefronts. Riders who want to simply sink into the sun-soaked sand can browse the beach buffet out their window, hopping off when the bus reaches a towel-worthy strip.

Miami’s azure beaches and kaleidoscopic cityscapes beckon eyes downward as Miami Seaplane Tours’ Cessna 172 Seahawk skirts across the horizon. With more than 30 years of experience, pilot Tony Anderson flies jet-setting adventurers above Miami in the renovated interior of his ultralight Cessna, which accommodates up to three passengers. The aerodynamically enhanced craft now offers four distinct seaplane tours, ranging in length from 30 minutes to two hours. Passengers soak in panoramic views of downtown Miami’s hotels, beaches, and mansions, or sail over the soiree of Fort Lauderdale. Tours can also glide north of the city, all the while dodging clouds and errant beach frisbees thrown by Dan Marino.

On the sidewalk outside the Wolfsonian’s sprawling white walls, six people crane their necks to take in the building’s ornate golden detailing as their guide chats animatedly about Miami’s penchant for art deco architecture. The balmy breeze that's familiar to the city follows the group as they wend along Lincoln Road, propelling them into an area restaurant for a relaxed meal whipped up by some of the city’s finest chefs. This tour of South Beach, part of a trio of Miami art, architecture, and culinary tours, enables guests to experience the city’s bountiful cultural offerings through the anecdotes and historical tidbits poetry-slammed by a knowledgeable guide.

For more than 20 years, the FAA-certified flight instructors at Washington International Flight Academy have safely guided pupils skyward and imbued them with the skills necessary for numerous licenses and certifications. Under an instructor's watchful eye, guests control a Cessna 172 on a 30-minute airborne trek during discovery flights, which can later be applied toward courses for a private or commercial pilot’s license with optional multiengine rating. A commercial pilot’s license qualifies more seasoned flyers for instructor certification, where they learn how to teach essentials, including how to tell the difference between a landing airplane and a diving roc.

Along with in-depth courses, Washington International Flight Academy accommodates patrons with rentals of its massive fleet, charts and piloting supplies from its fully stocked shop, and lodging for out-of-state students.

Miami Gliders’ crackerjack aviators bring a wealth of experience to an air-tripping array of glider rides in addition to other airborne adventures. During 40- to 50-sky-spanning minutes, gliders traverse a lush panorama of Florida’s scenic vistas as they gently descend from an Icarus-melting height of 5,280 feet. Guided by a skilled pilot who melds an airy blend of telekinesis and earthly physics to keep afloat, passengers indulge peepers with VIP views of the Everglades, Redlands, and Biscayne National Park. Bring your own camera or take advantage of the aircraft's recording device, which grants guests striking snapshots from the outside of the glider, capturing the area’s picturesque landscapes and Dadaist crop signs.

For the past three decades, the Davis Tours fleet of buses and motorcoaches have ferried tour groups to scenic locales, from the island landscapes of Key West to the killer-whale tank of the Miami Seaquarium. Their staff can plan entire custom trips, from transportation to meals, or they can simply furnish groups with a bus. The prepackaged tours, meanwhile, whisk groups through the Florida Everglades in an airboat or off to a Brazilian dinner theater show with unlimited sangria.