By: Shayne Benowitz
Greater Miami & Miami Beach is a rich cultural melting pot with heritage neighborhoods that tell a fascinating story of the city’s history through its people. From Little Havana to Little Haiti and Historic Overtown to Liberty City, Miami is a celebration of pan-Latin and Caribbean cultures. The best way to get a taste of these multicultural heritage neighborhoods is through the city’s diverse tour offerings.
One of the many colorful murals in Little Haiti
Urban Tour Host
Specializing in African-American, Caribbean, and Latin Heritage Tours, Urban Tour Host offers customizable tour experiences with group, private, and VIP tours of many of Miami's neighborhoods (including Historic Overtown, Little Haiti, Little Havana, Coconut Grove and Liberty City, as well as Wynwood, Downtown Miami, South Beach, Coral Gables and the Everglades). Operating since 2003, they can tailor tours for conference-goers, corporate and executive excursions, academic and school groups, media, non-profit organizations and family reunions. Whether it's a bus tour, walking tour, culinary tour or a combination of all three, Urban Tour Host can create the perfect heritage tour, in any language, to meet your specific needs.
Miami's oldest African-American church in Coconut Grove Village West
Big Bus Tours Miami
Big Bus Tours Miami is the ultimate hop-on, hop-off narrated open-top bus tour for visitors with both a Miami Beach and a City loop. The City loop takes you to Little Havana and Coconut Grove. In Little Havana, you can visit the Bay of Pigs museum, see Maximo Gomez Domino Park and sample the flavors, sights and sounds of Calle Ocho. In Coconut Grove, discover Village West, home to Miami’s first Bahamian immigrants. These two-hour tours run hourly, Thursday through Monday, allowing plenty of flexibility to hop off and explore the heritage neighborhoods on the loop.
A Purvis Young mural is one of the hidden gems you'll find in Historic Overtown
Tours 'R' Us
Discover Miami and its many unique cultural neighborhoods with Tours R Us. Run by George Neary and his team, the tours will introduce you to some of the most beautiful hidden gems in the city, from iconic architecture to sites of historical significance. You’ll get an intimate look at Miami’s most fascinating heritage neighborhoods when you book a tour through Coconut Grove Village West, Historic Overtown, Little Havana or Little Haiti.
Try a flakey guava pastry
Miami Culinary Tours
You won’t want to miss Miami Culinary Tours’ Little Havana Foot & Cultural tour. Sometimes, the best way to discover a culture is through its cuisine, and that’s certainly the case with the Cuban culture. This two-and-a-half hour walking tour traverses eight blocks along Calle Ocho where you’ll sample food at several iconic restaurants, all while learning about the historical, architectural and cultural contexts of the neighborhood and its people.
Enjoy private & custom tours organized by HistoryMiami year-round
History Miami Tours
The venerable HistoryMiami offers an extensive and ever-changing calendar of city tours throughout the year, many of them led by Miami historian Dr. Paul George. Plan ahead and join their Little Havana Walking Tour, Little Haiti Culture Walk or a Historic Coconut Grove Boat Cruise. Private, custom tours are also available by request.
Be sure to sample the Cuban coffee
Little Havana Tours
Offering a variety of Little Havana cultural, food and walking tours, Little Havana Tours allows you to take a deep dive into the Cuban Culture
Choose from two- to three-hour itineraries led by a knowledgeable guide where you’ll learn about the Cuban diaspora, religious rituals, cigar rolling and local art. You’ll experience salsa and bachata music and sample Cuban coffee, cuisine and even a mojito in these informative and entertaining tours.
Visit the Lyric Theater - a historic theater included in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
CHAT Miami
CHAT stands for Cultural Heritage Alliance Tours and they specialize in both walking and bus tours of Miami’s heritage neighborhoods, including Overtown, Little Haiti, Little Havana and Coconut Grove’s Village West. Most walking tours are two hours, but you can also embark on a four-hour multi-neighborhood tour that includes lunch. Highlights include the Lyric Theater in Overtown, the Little Haiti Cultural Center, Maximo Gomez Domino Park in Little Havana and Kroma Art Gallery in Village West.
Learn about 100 years of Jewish history & architectural styles in Miami Beach
Jewish Miami Beach Walking Tour
If you’re in town on the second Sunday of the month, make plans to join the Miami Design Preservation League’s Jewish Miami Beach Walking Tour departing from the Art Deco Welcome Center on Ocean Drive by appointment. A knowledgeable guide will discuss the history of Jews in Miami over the last century with stories of prominent individuals and institutions, while also exploring Miami’s unique architecture of this time period.