Miami Art Deco Gems & Jewels Small Group & Exclusive Access Tour
Description
Step into Miami's Golden Era with this intimate small-group walk through the most beautiful & culturally significant examples of Art Deco architecture in Miami Beach and enjoy exclusive access to the interiors of historic hotels and other landmark gems where large groups are not allowed for a much more memorable experience! Get an in-depth introduction to Miami Beach history, architecture, art, and culture within the Miami Beach Art Deco Historic District. You'll be amazed to discover the brief but intense history of a city that transformed in 100 years from a swampy sandbar to a billion-dollar paradise, from a coconut plantation to an exclusive beach resort. This history is filled with hurricanes and mobsters, Jewish elders, Cuban refugees and drug dealers, Versace, Miami Vice, Scarface, and celebrities. You'll experience the magic and discover the glamour, vice, and secrets hidden in plain sight. Private & Spanish language tours available; inquire directly at Sobeach Tours website.
Tour Options
Itinerary
*Please arrive 15 minutes before tour start time. It's not possible to join any of the tours halfway or once they have started. * Reach out to Sobeach Tours for any questions or assistance. *We do not recommend driving in Miami. Consider a ride-hailing company like Uber or Lyft, taxi, private car or public transport. Reach out to Sobeach Tours to ask about alternatives. *It's hot in Miami from May-October. Come prepared to walk outside in the heat for an extended period of time. Temperatures usually range in the low to mid 80sF (30C), however, during heatwaves temperatures can reach well over 90F (35C). We recommend bringing a hat, bottled water, and sunscreen. We'll go inside buildings, try to keep you in the shade and make some stops but the tour is approximately a 2-hour walking tour outdoors.
We take you to the rooftop of Art Deco historic hotels to enjoy panoramic views of South Beach, the ocean, landmark architecture and the Versace Mansion's rooftop observatory.
Visit the former Versace Mansion in Miami Beach and learn about the role the show Miami Vice and designer Gianni Versace had in revitalizing South Beach and bringing it to its former glamour. Hear stories of celebrities, lavish parties and murder.
Visit the most popular gay bar in Miami Beach famous for its Drag Queen shows and performances. See the Rainbow Crosswalk and hear stories on how the rainbow colors saved the Art Deco hotels from demolition.
Delve deep into Art Deco history and architecture and visit the interior of Art Deco hotels and movie locations such as the Birdcage, Something about Mary, Any Given Sunday, Scarface, and Frank Sinatra's movie, A Hole in the Head.
Go inside the most famous retro railway dining car in South Beach featured in a popular television show and check out photos of celebrities who visited the diner.
Visit the interior of buildings where Al Capone held his nightly clandestine gambling operations, enjoy 1930s original art deco architectural details, murals and recognize clues on the floors.
Go inside a museum built in 1927, originally built as a warehouse to store illegal gambling paraphernalia during prohibition. Hear stories of celebrities, mobsters, clandestine gambling, vice and secrets of Miami Beach.
Visit top attractions and hidden gems scattered throghout Miami Beach, meet cool locals, see how they live, learn about local culture and cuisine, and hear tips on other tours, activities, and dining recommendations.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(57)
Paula was intelligent, knowledgeable and very pleasant. She shared her knowledge about the art deco/south beach history with us. We were kept busy the whole two hours. Great tour!
Thank you Mary for the kind review! It was a pleasure having you and your friends accompany us on the tour. Hope you had a fantastic time in SB!
Paola was an excellent tour guide. She led us on an easy walking tour of the area, pointing out landmarks, telling some history, and teaching about art deco architecture. It was a fun way to spend a couple of hours and helped us recognize and appreciate the local aesthetic.
Excellent tour. The tour guide knew her stuff. When we asked questions about what was original in a hotel, she pointed out what was original and what was a reproduction. We not always saw the exterior of many art deco hotels but we saw some incredible interior ones as well. The fact that our tour was only for four people made it extra good.
Paula was fabulous ! Knowledge was outstanding We were really impressed Went in and out of so many buildings Would do the tour again
Paula was great. She welcomed us by name and was enthusiastic, easy going, knowledgeable and fun to have as a guide. The group was only two couples so we lucked out. I will tell my friends. The two hour tour lasted 2 3/4 hours. Good value!
My wife and I had a wonderful time with Paola wandering the streets of Miami’s South Brach Art Deco neighborhood and learning about its history and Art Deco roots. We went into quite a few buildings and learned about both the interior and exterior features of Miami Art Deco buildings. Our group was only 3 people and Paola took us places larger groups could never access. She answered all of our questions and kept us engaged for over 2 hours. This is a great tour and I highly recommend it.
Paula was a wonderful guide—funny, friendly, knowledgeable. I learned so much history and gained a deep understanding of the art deco movement and its impact on Miami Beach.
I did my your with Howard B and it was amazing! He was very knowledgeable and made the tour engaging. I learned a few things about Art Deco and Miami Beach, which made the rest of the days more meaningful. I highly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to learn and understand the history of the city.
This was a small tour group, 3 of us plus the tour guide Paolo. It was great. Paolo really knows her history and made the tour really fun. It was great being part of a smaller tour. We passed one of the other tours that had about 30 people. The small group was much better and provided more personalized information.
The tour exceeded all our expectations. Paula is a wonderful tour guide. We loved the Art Deco architecture and really enjoyed the tour.
