4-Hour Boat Rentals in Miami
Four hours on a private boat in Miami, with a captain: time to cruise the bay, anchor at a sandbar, swim and be back in the afternoon.
88 boats offer 4-hour trips. From $517 for the whole boat, service fee included.
88 experiences found
4h 102 ft · Maiora Elegant Harbor Retreat
Maiora 102 Flybridge2001Up to 13 guests
4h 48 ft · Solaris Yachts Power Island Escapade in Miami Beach
Solaris Yachts Sport Turismo2026Up to 10 guests
4h 65 ft · Viking Princess Cancun Celebration Cruise
Viking Princess Flybridge 652006Up to 13 guests
4h 57 ft · Azimut Monaco Twilight Voyage
Azimut 55 Evolution2008Up to 13 guests
4h 58 ft · Azimut Thales Luxury Escape Through Miami Beach
Azimut 58 Evolution Flybridge2010Up to 10 guests
4h 45 ft · Tempest Dun Deal Island Escapade
Tempest Sport 452006Up to 13 guests
4h 44 ft · Azimut Atlantis Soiree at Elliott Key
Azimut Atlantis2015Up to 13 guests
4h 55 ft · Pershing SlamD Island Escapade
Pershing 552010Up to 13 guests
4h 65 ft · Prestige Exuma Island Escapade
Prestige 6302023Up to 13 guests
4h 54 ft · Sea Ray Archemist Evening
Sea Ray 540 Cockpit2001Up to 10 guests
4h 55 ft · Technomar Island Odyssey
Technomar EVO 552026Up to 13 guests
4h 60 ft · Sea Ray Latitude Celebration Cruise
Sea Ray 600 Sun Sport2003Up to 12 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.
Four hours leaves room for one real stop. A typical half day is a cruise past the skyline and the islands on the way out, a couple of hours anchored at a sandbar, such as Nixon near Key Biscayne or Haulover at the north end of the bay depending on where the boat leaves from, and the ride back.
In summer, morning trips are less likely to run into the afternoon thunderstorms that build over South Florida, and they get the strongest sun at the sandbar. Afternoon trips can end close to sunset.
The cards on this page show the four-hour price for the whole boat, service fee included. Weekends can cost more; choose a date on the listing to see the exact amount. Each listing says what is included and whether you can bring your own food and drinks.
Related reading
Frequently asked questions
What fits in a 4-hour boat rental in Miami?
A cruise past the downtown skyline and the islands plus one long stop, usually a sandbar where you can anchor and swim. The captain decides the route on the day, based on the weather, the tide and the departure point.
Is fuel included on a 4-hour trip?
On most listings, yes. Each listing shows whether fuel and crew gratuity are included before you book.
What happens if the weather is bad?
Each boat has its own weather and cancellation policy, shown on the listing before you pay. The captain can change the route or decide not to go out if conditions are not safe.