Miami Shore Excursions
USA · 26 independent tours
Across USA — laws, safety & health
National rules and risks that apply anywhere in USA — relayed from official sources, not our verdict. We pass on what the authority says and leave the judgement to you.
Laws that catch visitors out
- The national legal age for buying and drinking alcohol is 21.
- Illegal drugs, including cannabis, carry severe penalties — a long jail sentence and heavy fines, including when transiting through airports. (US federal law applies even where a state has legalised cannabis.)
- Always carry a passport showing you have permission to enter or remain in the US.
- US law prohibits importing, exporting, making, selling or transporting drug paraphernalia.
Drones
Visitors flying a drone recreationally in the US must take the FAA’s free online TRUST safety test and carry proof. A drone of 250 g or more must have Remote ID and be registered — on the FAA DroneZone, or by filing a Notice of Identification if it is already registered in your home country. Fly at or below 400 ft in uncontrolled (Class G) airspace, keep it within sight, and do not fly over people.
via US FAA — Recreational Flyers & Community-Based Organizations · 25 Jun 2026
Scams to watch
Do not leave passports in rental cars (especially the boot) — vehicles driven by people who look like tourists may be targeted.
Health hazards
The FCDO health page lists Zika virus, West Nile virus and altitude sickness (in parts of the country) among the health risks in the US. There is no reciprocal healthcare agreement — treatment is expensive, so comprehensive travel insurance is essential. Check current detail and vaccine recommendations on TravelHealthPro before you travel. The FCDO safety and security page adds that the Atlantic hurricane season normally runs June to November and the Pacific season May to November, and that hurricanes can affect coastal regions, Hawaii and Guam. Its instruction is to monitor approaching storms on the US National Hurricane Center website and follow instructions from local authorities, including evacuation orders.
via UK FCDO travel advice — USA (health + safety and security) · 22 Aug 2026
Relayed from UK FCDO travel advice — USA · checked 18 Jul 2026
Traffic drives on the right. Look left first when you cross the road.
Docking & terminals in Miami
- PortMiami (Dodge Island) — About 5 minutes from central Miami and Bayside Marketplace, across the Port Boulevard bridge. (Taxi, rideshare or shuttle — the bridge links the island straight to Biscayne Boulevard in the city centre.)
Mobility & step-free access
Getting around between the pier and town:
- Taxi / rideshare — Wait at every terminal; the quickest way into the city centre, to South Beach (about 15 minutes) or the airport.
- Shuttle — Cruise-line and hotel shuttles serve the port and major attractions.
Step-free options vary by pier and by the day — confirm the specifics with your operator and the ship’s guest-services desk before booking.
Heading back at the end of the day: PortMiami has several cruise terminals along Dodge Island — lettered A to G plus Terminal AA (MSC) and V. Your ship is assigned one terminal per sailing, and they sit a shuttle-ride apart, so check the terminal letter on your cruise documents before arranging pickups.
Cruise lines don’t always tell you which pier you’re on, and it’s easy to forget once you’re ashore. As you leave the ship, note or photograph your pier’s name — then give your taxi that exact pier (or your ship’s name) for the trip back.
Your exact terminal is assigned per sailing — confirm the letter on the ship’s daily programme or gangway signage before heading ashore.
Getting around & must-sees in Miami
Getting around
The cruise terminals sit on Dodge Island, a few minutes over the Port Boulevard bridge from central Miami and Bayside Marketplace. Taxis and rideshare wait at each terminal; city centre’s free Metromover loop and the Brightline train reach South Beach connections and beyond, but you’ll need a car or rideshare to leave the island itself.
- Taxi / rideshare — Wait at every terminal; the quickest way into the city centre, to South Beach (about 15 minutes) or the airport.
- Shuttle — Cruise-line and hotel shuttles serve the port and major attractions.
Must-see sights
- Vizcaya Museum and Gardens — A historic estate with gardens and cultural exhibits.
- Everglades National Park — Protecting 1.5 million acres of wetland, forest, and marine habitats.
Taxis & ride-hailing — Uber and Lyft operate throughout Miami with designated pickup zones at the cruise terminals.
Getting back to the pier
Return by taxi or rideshare — pickups are signed at each terminal. Allow extra time on peak weekend turnaround mornings when several ships sail together.
- Taxi / rideshare — The dependable way back over the Port Boulevard bridge to your terminal; give the driver the terminal letter.
Key facts only — confirm times, fares and seasonal openings locally.
Operator policies we’ve checked in Miami
Before a tour earns its trust pills, we read the operator’s own site — their terms, cancellation and accessibility pages — and relay what they state. These are the operators’ own terms, not our verdicts; confirm when booking.
-
Admiral Tours Miami
- Free cancellation — verified with conditions: Full refund on roundtrip bookings cancelled more than 7 days before the sailing date. Cancel 7–4 days out and 50% is charged; 3 days or less, there is no refund. Changing the date instead costs $75 plus any fare difference.
Checked 4 Aug 2026 · covers 1 tour listed on this page
-
Aqua Party Boat
- Cancellation policy — All ticket sales are final and non-refundable, for both shared and private bookings. Every guest must sign a waiver before boarding.
Checked 4 Aug 2026 · covers 1 tour listed on this page
-
Big Bus Tours - Miami
- Cancellation policy — No customer-initiated cancellation refund — refund only if Big Bus cannot provide the service; once activated, tickets cannot be cancelled.
Checked 16 Jul 2026 · covers 1 tour listed on this page
-
Big Dave Tours
- Cancellation policy — No customer-initiated refund — refund only if the seller cancels; same-product exchange allowed within 6 months; no withdrawal once the activity is performed.
Checked 16 Jul 2026 · covers 2 tours listed on this page
-
Everglades Alligator Farm
- Cancellation policy — The operator publishes no cancellation terms on its own site.
Checked 4 Aug 2026 · covers 1 tour listed on this page
-
Flysobe Parasail
- Free cancellation — verified with conditions: Full refund if you give at least 24 hours’ notice before the scheduled departure time. Cancel later than that and the refund may be forfeited; if the operator cancels for weather, you are refunded in full.
- Accessibility — The operator states that the combined weight of parasailers must be above 150lbs and cannot exceed 500lbs, and that each trip is limited to 12 passengers.
Checked 4 Aug 2026 · covers 1 tour listed on this page
-
Gator Park Airboat Tours
- Cancellation policy — Tickets bought online are non-refundable. The operator does state it may postpone or cancel tours itself because of weather.
Checked 4 Aug 2026 · covers 1 tour listed on this page
-
Miami Everglades Connection Airboat Tours
- Free cancellation — verified with conditions: Full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours ahead. Cancel inside 24 hours and 50% is charged; no-shows are not refunded. If the operator cancels for weather, you are refunded in full.
Checked 4 Aug 2026 · covers 1 tour listed on this page
-
Museum of Ice Cream Miami
- Cancellation policy — Tickets are not refundable. Refunds are only possible if you buy the venue’s paid ticket-insurance add-on at the time of booking.
- Accessibility — The venue states that Museum of Ice Cream Miami is wheelchair accessible.
Checked 4 Aug 2026 · covers 1 tour listed on this page
-
PARTY ON THE SEAS LLC
- Free cancellation — verified with conditions: Free reschedule or cancellation with at least 24 hours' notice (by WhatsApp or phone); nothing is charged online — you settle in person on the day.
Checked 16 Jul 2026 · covers 1 tour listed on this page
-
Soflo Water Adventures
- Cancellation policy — The operator publishes no cancellation terms on its own site.
Checked 4 Aug 2026 · covers 2 tours listed on this page
-
Water Taxi Miami
- Free cancellation — verified with conditions: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure; in severe weather they reschedule at no charge or refund in full.
- Accessibility — Lower deck is fully accessible; strollers and wheelchairs board free; ADA-accessible boarding.
Checked 16 Jul 2026 · covers 1 tour listed on this page
Local know-hows in Miami
Money
- Currency
- United States dollar (USD)
- Cards
- Credit and debit cards are accepted almost everywhere, including for dining, hotels and transport.
- ATMs
- ATMs are widely available.
- Tipping
- Tipping is customary in the U.S. — typically 15–20% at restaurants, and a few dollars for taxis, porters and housekeeping.
Practicalities
- Language
- English; Spanish is also very widely spoken across Miami.
- Tap water
- Tap water is safe to drink. The Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department reports its water consistently meets or exceeds federal, state and local drinking-water standards, running more than 320,000 water-sample analyses a year; the supply is drawn from the Biscayne Aquifer.
- Plugs
- Type A / Type B sockets, 120 V, 60 Hz (North American standard). Non-US appliances may need a voltage converter.
Key facts to know before you step off — confirm anything time-sensitive locally.
Port busyness in Miami
Usually quiet
Miami is a large city with extensive infrastructure that easily absorbs cruise crowds. PortMiami is one of the world’s busiest cruise ports, so terminals and the Port Boulevard bridge are busiest on weekend turnaround mornings, but the wider city and its beaches rarely feel crowded.
- large city
- weekend turnarounds
- multiple terminals
This shows a typical day for the time of year — actual crowds vary on your date, and it isn’t a guarantee.
What we’ve checked in Miami — and when
We last checked the facts on this page on 13 Jul 2026. Live travel advisories refresh automatically from the official sources.
- Docking & getting ashore
- Verified by The Excursion Edit against official sources · 13 Jul 2026
- Getting around
- Verified by The Excursion Edit against official sources · 13 Jul 2026
- How busy it gets
- Verified by The Excursion Edit against official sources · 13 Jul 2026
- Operator policies
- From each operator’s own site and terms · 4 Aug 2026
- Travel advisories
- FCDO (GOV.UK) & US State Department · refreshed automatically