Apparently I am in a minority among those posting reviews. With one exception, this was a very disappointing tour.
You will not be picked up at your hotel if you are a solo traveler. You will have to find your way to Bayside Marketplace where the driver/guide will search for you and the other passengers.
Starting at Bayside Marketplace, our van crossed over to Miami Beach on the MacArthur Causeway, then immediately turned south. We had a 20 minute photo stop at South Pointe Park. From our location, there was nothing to see except the private and exclusive homes on Fisher Island. That was the extent of our visit to South Beach. The beach itself: Not included in the tour. The famous hotels and other landmark buildings along Collins Avenue and Ocean Drive: Not included in the tour. A visit to the Art Deco architectural district, north of 6th Street: Not included in the tour.
The next stop was at Ermita de la Caridad, the Shrine of Our Lady of Charity. Our guide provided a very informative explanation of the combination of Caribbean, African and Roman Catholic traditions among Cubans, represented here by the wearing of the color, yellow.
We drove briefly through Coconut Grove, the oldest and greenest (trees and vegetation) community in Miami. There was very little mention of the history of the neighborhood, from the original Bahamian settlers to the hippies of the 1960s. The main purpose of the visit seemed to be for spotting some of the peacocks which roam freely through the neighborhood.
We arrived in Little Havana. The passengers were told this was a one and three quarter hour lunch and shopping break, and then they were left to fend for themselves without any guidance. Before resuming the journey, passengers were offered a complimentary shot of Cafecito (espresso).
The Wynwood Walls were created when a failing warehouse district was revitalized by having its exterior surfaces covered with street art and graffiti. This was a 20 minute stop. However, the best of the art work is found behind locked gates and in the museum and gallery, a separate $10 admission charge as of May 2021. This was nothing more than a bathroom stop, and there was insufficient time to visit the exhibitions.
The final portion of the day was a 60 minute boat cruise, offered by a separate company, around Star Island and Dodge Island, starting and ending at Bayside Marketplace. I have posted a full review of the cruise at “Miami Tour Company.” By the time we arrived to board the boat, all of the upstairs, exterior seating was taken. All you could do was either stand in the crowd outside or sit inside. The narration, pointing out the homes of the rich and famous, was satisfactory. We were provided a coupon for one beer or soft drink.
The one positive was the tour guide and driver, Jose. He was friendly, courteous and informative. In anticipation of our visit to Little Havana, I had asked about the rules of dominoes, which would be played by many gathered at Domino Park. During the lunch break, Jose led me to Domino Park, borrowed a set of dominoes, and provided me with a 30 minute tutorial on the rules and strategy. This was an exceptionally courteous gesture for which Jose earned an extra tip.
But Jose’s courtesy does not make up for a flawed tour. All of the important sites were omitted at Miami Beach. There were no guided tours of Little Havana or of the Wynwood Walls, and no time to visit the paid exhibitions at the walls. The promised one and one-haf hour boat tour, lasted only one hour. The promised 8 hours of total touring was barely more than six hours. We did not leave Bayside Marketplace until 10:40 am and the boat tour ended at 4:50 pm.