2-Hour Boat Rentals in Miami
A two-hour private boat trip in Miami with a captain: enough to cruise Biscayne Bay, see the downtown skyline from the water and pass the islands between Miami and Miami Beach. It suits a sunset, a first time on a boat or a short celebration.
15 boats offer 2-hour trips. From $259 for the whole boat, service fee included.
15 experiences found
2h 65 ft · Viking Princess Cancun Celebration Cruise
Viking Princess Flybridge 652006Up to 13 guests
2h 57 ft · Azimut Monaco Twilight Voyage
Azimut 55 Evolution2008Up to 13 guests
2h 50 ft · Sunseeker Twilight Bliss Cruise
Sunseeker Manhattan2005Up to 13 guests
2h 46 ft · Silverton Yachts Santorini Biscayne Bay Escape
Silverton Yachts Sport Bridge 4102004Up to 13 guests
2h 48 ft · Viking Princess Gazzella Celebration Cruise
Viking Princess 46 Sport Cruiser2001Up to 13 guests
2h 25 ft · Yamaha Coastal Splash Cruise
Yamaha 255XD2023Up to 8 guests
2h 27 ft · Sea Ray Unforgettable Sunset Sail
Sea Ray SDX 2702021Up to 12 guests
2h 44 ft · Sea Ray Biscayne Bay Islands Escape
Sea Ray 410 Sundancer2002Up to 13 guests
2h 45 ft · Sea Ray Island Glimpse Cruise
Sea Ray 400 Sedan Bridge2005Up to 13 guests
2h 46 ft · Sea Ray Sea Mo Celebration Cruise
Sea Ray 460 Sundancer2005Up to 13 guests
2h 68 ft · Sunseeker Money Waves Biscayne Escapade
Sunseeker Manhattan 662007Up to 12 guests
2h 45 ft · Meridian Crescendo Island Sunset Cruise
Meridian 391 Sedan2011Up to 13 guests
What you can see from the boat
Places on and around Biscayne Bay that many trips pass or stop at. No trip covers all of them: the captain decides the final route depending on the weather, the tide and where the boat leaves from.
Downtown Miami and Brickell
The towers of downtown and Brickell rise right from the edge of the bay. From the water you see the whole line at once, and it looks its best around sunset, when the buildings light up.
PortMiami and Government Cut
Cruise ships tie up along Dodge Island, and Government Cut is the channel boats take to reach the ocean, between South Pointe and Fisher Island. Expect some wake when big ships are moving.
Star Island
A small private island off the MacArthur Causeway, lined with waterfront mansions. Its streets are gated, so the water is the easiest way to see it.
Venetian Islands
A string of residential islands joined by the Venetian Causeway between Miami and Miami Beach. The channels around them are slower and calmer than the open bay.
Miami Marine Stadium
The concrete grandstand on Virginia Key was built in the 1960s for powerboat races and faces a sheltered basin. It has been closed for decades and is known today for its graffiti.
Nixon Sandbar
A shallow sandbar on the bay side of Key Biscayne, named after the president who had a house on the island. Boats anchor in shallow water and people wade between them; it gets crowded on weekends.
Cape Florida Lighthouse
The 19th-century lighthouse at the southern tip of Key Biscayne, inside Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park. From the water you see it standing above the beach and the trees.
Stiltsville
A handful of wooden houses built on stilts over the flats south of Key Biscayne, inside Biscayne National Park. The water around them is very shallow, so most boats see them from the channel.
Haulover Sandbar
Just inside Haulover Inlet, at the north end of the bay, a wide sandbar fills with anchored boats on weekends and holidays. It is the usual stop for boats that leave from the north end of Miami Beach.
What fits in 2, 4 or 6 hours
2 hours
A loop of the bay: the downtown skyline, the islands along the causeways and the cruise port, or the sunset if you book an evening slot. From marinas up the Miami River, part of the time goes to the slow ride out to the bay.
4 hours
The bay plus one long stop, usually a sandbar such as Nixon or Haulover depending on the departure point, with a couple of hours to anchor and swim.
6 hours or more
Time to go farther and stop twice: Key Biscayne, the Cape Florida lighthouse, Stiltsville seen from the channel and long stretches at anchor. A full day of 8 hours adds an easier pace.
The captain decides the final route on the day, depending on the weather, the tide and where the boat leaves from.
Two hours is the shortest trip most boats offer, and it works best when the boat leaves close to the open bay. Boats that leave from the Miami River pass under several bridges in no-wake zones before they reach the bay, so a two-hour trip from there is a cruise rather than a stop to swim.
The price on each card on this page is the two-hour price for the whole boat, service fee included. Some dates, such as weekends, cost more; choose a date on the listing to see the exact amount. When a boat asks for a refundable security deposit, it is shown separately.
If time at a sandbar is what you want, look at four-hour trips instead: getting to a sandbar and back takes a good part of two hours from most marinas.
Related reading
Frequently asked questions
What can you do on a 2-hour boat trip in Miami?
Usually a loop of Biscayne Bay: the downtown skyline, the islands along the causeways and the cruise port, or the sunset if you book an evening slot. The captain picks the route depending on the weather and where the boat leaves from.
Is two hours enough to stop at a sandbar?
Usually not for a real stop. From most marinas the ride to a sandbar and back takes a good part of the two hours, so plan on four hours if swimming is the main goal.
Is the captain included?
Yes. Every trip includes a professional captain. Each listing says whether fuel and crew gratuity are included.