City Sightseeing Trolley Tour of Sarasota
Description
Sarasota's BEST City Sightseeing Tour, a wonderful way to learn where to eat, shop and visit, and about Sarasota's interesting past, whether you are a longtime resident, a newcomer, or a visitor. Guests will travel in our air-conditioned trolley.
Tour Options
Itinerary
On this air-conditioned City Sightseeing Trolley Tour, see the BEST places to eat, shop, and visit through Sarasota's historic downtown neighborhoods of Gillespie Park, Burns Court, Laurel Park, St. Armands Circle, and the Rosemary Design District. Tour-goers will also see our world-class artistic and cultural organizations: The Ringling Museum, Ringling College, Asolo Theater, Selby Library, Van Wezel Performing Arts Center, Selby Gardens, Sarasota Opera House, Art Center Sarasota, Sarasota Symphony Orchestra. Guests will learn more about the architects and developers who designed some of our most unique homes and buildings like the Blue Pagoda, Crocker Memorial Church, and Splendida. Circus history, Amish culture, real estate development booms and busts, and colorful stories about Sarasota’s founders give visitors a true overview of Sarasota’s rich and amazing cultural history.
On this air-conditioned City Sightseeing Trolley Tour, see the BEST places to eat, shop, and visit through Sarasota's historic downtown neighborhoods of Gillespie Park, Burns Court, Laurel Park, St. Armands Circle, and the Rosemary Design District. Tour-goers will also see our world-class artistic and cultural organizations: The Ringling Museum, Ringling College, Asolo Theater, Selby Library, Van Wezel Performing Arts Center, Selby Gardens, Sarasota Opera House, Art Center Sarasota, Sarasota Symphony Orchestra. Guests will learn more about the architects and developers who designed some of our most unique homes and buildings like the Blue Pagoda, Crocker Memorial Church, and Splendida. Circus history, Amish culture, real estate development booms and busts, and colorful stories about Sarasota’s founders give visitors a true overview of Sarasota’s rich and amazing cultural history.
Learn about John Hamilton Gillespie who introduced golf to Sarasota.
See the distinctive homes of many area cultural organizations, including the Sarasota Opera, which is supposed to be haunted!
Visit the Burns Court neighborhood, featuring Mediterranean Revival style architecture.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Guests must be 10+; no children under 10 allowed except on our family tours designed for children. Every guest must have a paid ticket in order to board.
Reviews(1,007)
Interesting historical tour about the growth of Sarasota
This was a wonderful tour! John, our tour guide was very knowledgeable and entertainingl, our trolley driver, also named John, safely navigated us through the busy streets, and Jo, the receptionist showed us great hospitality. Also appreciated the trolley was air-conditioned!!
Great to hear- do come back and try one of our other 17 tours! They are all terrific.
Patrick was very knowledgeable and humorous
Wow, we’ve visited Sarasota five times now and this was the best excursion we’ve done. Jon, our tour guide was fascinating, funny and so knowledgeable about the area. You could tell he loves Sarasota fondly and has such a passion that shines. Really enjoyable experience and cannot recommend this highly enough. Amazing
So glad to hear! Hope you return to try our many other equally wonderful tours!
John(driver)and John(guide) were an excellent team. John had a great personality and was very knowledgeable of the history of Sarasota. Also was up to date on current happenings in the area. Good bang for the buck!
John and Dan provided an outstanding tour of the Sarasota area. Their knowledge of the region's history, culture, and development made the experience both educational and entertaining. They took us through several of Sarasota's most notable districts, sharing fascinating stories and historical context that really brought the area to life. I especially appreciated learning about how Sarasota evolved over time, from its earliest inhabitants—including Native Americans and Cuban communities—to the arrival of European settlers in the mid-1800s and the growth that followed. The information was presented in a way that was engaging, insightful, and easy to follow, even for those who may not consider themselves history buffs. The tour struck a perfect balance between sightseeing and storytelling, and I came away with a much deeper appreciation for the area. My husband thoroughly enjoyed it as well, which is saying something because he's notoriously hard to impress and usually doesn't get excited about tours or attractions. Even he commented afterward on how great the experience was. The trolley itself was comfortable and equipped with excellent air conditioning, which was especially appreciated on a warm Florida day. Additionally, the woman working in the shop was incredibly sweet, welcoming, and helpful, adding to the overall positive experience. If you're visiting Sarasota or simply want to learn more about the area's rich history and unique character, I highly recommend this tour. It was informative, enjoyable, and one of the highlights of our visit.
What an extensive and informative review. Thank you.
We had a great experience, Pat was very entertaining with all the history and stories. John did a great job of driving us around.
Great tour, we really enjoyed it! Would definitely recommend.
Fun and informative. Nice having AC in trolly!
Jon was the best tour guide I've ever had on any tour experience. His enthusiasm was contagious, his knowledge was deep and varied, and his jokes were funny and charming (without being annoying). The tour covered lots of interesting sights and historical points of interest-- gave me really great insight into Sarasota. What a nice time!
Very happy to hear this!
