More about: Miami Hop-On Hop-Off Buses
Miami's weather is to be enjoyed and one of the best feelings I remember from visiting this city is sitting on the bus with the Miami Beach breeze blowing in my face.
Miami Sightseeing Bus Options
For a quick look at the city with all the comfort possible, Hop On Hop Off bus tours are a very interesting option, which can also be used as a means of transport around the city. I'll tell you about the best options:
- Miami Big Bus Tour Bus - from CAD 66
- Miami All-Inclusive Pass - from CAD 157
Miami Hop On Hop Off Miami Sightseeing Bus
With these tickets for the Big Bus tourist bus, you will be able to tour the city comfortably and see its main points of interest. In addition, you have the option to include some extras such as a boat ride on Biscayne Bay, or a bus tour at night.
The full bus tour consists of 40 stops throughout the main areas of Miami, and the entire tour will take about an hour and a half to complete. During the experience, you will be able to listen to an audio guide that will tell you about the importance of the sites you see.
Why the Sightseeing Bus is worth it
If you want to see Miami in a comfortable and relaxed way, or if you've just arrived in the city and don't know where to start, the bus tour is perfect for getting to know the main areas and then visiting them on your own.
What you will see
- Bayside Marketplace
- South Beach
- Lincoln Road
- Miami Beach Boardwalk
- Collins Avenue
- Wynwood Walls Wynwood Walls
- Miami Beach Botanical Garden
- Port of Miami
- Lummus Park Beach
- Bayfront Park
- American Airlines Arena
- Freedom Tower at Miami Dade College
- Ocean Drive
- Little Havana
- Brickell City Center
Night Tour Tour (if you choose this option)
You also have the option of the Big Bus night bus tour, which will give you a great view as the sun goes down over Miami. Here are some of the places you'll see on the night bus:
- Bayfront Park
- Bayside Marketplace
- Port of Miami
- Holocaust Memorial Miami Beach
- Miami Beach Botanical Garden
- South Beach
- Lincoln Road
- Brickell City Center
Miami All-Inclusive Pass with Miami Sightseeing Bus included
The Miami All-Inclusive Pass is a tourist pass for days: you can choose a duration of 1, 2, 3 or 5 days during which you can use the pass to access a number of attractions in the city, including tickets for the Hop On Hop Off bus.
Included on this sightseeing pass: an excursion to Key West, a tour of the Art Deco Historic District, admission to the Miami Zoo, a speedboat ride around Miami, a paddle surfing or kayaking experience, bike rentals and a trip to the Everglades, plus the city's sightseeing bus.
This pass is especially worthwhile if you're in Miami for three days to a week, as you'll be able to make the most of the city without having to worry about planning your trip.
About the Miami Sightseeing Bus
Once you have booked your Miami sightseeing bus tickets, you will receive a confirmation email and just show it to the driver when you get on the bus.
If you have booked any of the additional experiences, you will also be able to show your proof of purchase in the email to access them (unless otherwise stated, in which case you will usually be asked to print a voucher).
The bus is owned by the Big Bus company and is recognisable by its maroon colour with gold lettering. You'll probably see other tour buses around the city, from CitySightseeing, whose routes are very similar to those of the Big Bus.
Miami Sightseeing Bus Schedules
The first bus leaves at 8:55am from the Lincoln Rd stop and the last departure is at 5pm from the Bayfront Park stop. You can get on and off the bus at any stop you like, but these times are approximate so that you can consider what time of day you can take the bus tour.
As you know, once you get off the bus you can get back on the bus at any of the other stops on the itinerary on the day you have chosen for the experience.
Latest Miami Sightseeing Tips
The most useful tip that no one tells you is that you can use the tour bus as a method of transportation to explore the city, which is especially valuable when you've just arrived in Miami and aren't quite getting your bearings yet.
Since the tour bus experience is quite dependent on the weather being right (which is almost always going to be the case in Miami), I recommend that you book your tour tickets and activate the tour when you're sure the weather is going to be perfect.
Try to get off at all the stops that catch your eye, but remember that you are paying for a full itinerary! My advice is to save the exhaustive sightseeing for another day and take the sightseeing bus experience as a taster of every point of interest in Miami rather than a long, arduous tour.
Other experiences to do
If you prefer to discover the city of Miami on foot, feel free to check out this article on Day Trips from Miami. It is undoubtedly one of the most complete tours of the city.
Finally, Miami has excellent connections to the Caribbean Sea. Would you like to take a day trip to the Bahamas and enjoy one of the best beaches in the world? Don't hesitate to read this article related to Cruises and Boat Rides in Miami.