Best Food Tours in Miami
A big part of the charm of traveling to a new destination is soaking up the local cuisine, Miami as a city is no exception to the rule. Want to know the best food tours available? Read on!
Miami | ©Antonio Cuellar
Without a doubt, taking a culinary tour of the city's neighborhoods is one of the best experiences Miami has to offer travelers. Whether you call yourself a travel aficionado or not, anyone who has experienced this vibrant city will agree with me on this point: the diversity of Florida's cuisine is one of a kind.
That said, you won't be surprised to discover the diversity of alternatives when it comes to food tours in the city, as the different operators have managed to offer the traveler different routes and approaches.
Gastronomic and cultural tour of Little Havana
A small part of the Caribbean island of Cuba can be found in Miami's Little Havana, one of the city's most popular neighborhoods that served as a refuge for thousands of Cuban exiles who fled the communist regime to save their lives.
In Little Havana, the traditions of this town, its music and, of course, its food, are still alive!
A gastronomic tour through its streets is one of the most popular and fun tourist activities you can do in the city.
What do these tours include?
An excursion to discover Cuban gastronomy will always include a local expert guide and a series of tastings at different family and traditional restaurants in the area.
Being one of the most popular gastronomic tours to take in Miami, Little Havana tours are conducted every day, with several groups and at different times; the starting time ranges from 11 am in the morning to 3:30 pm in the afternoon. This type of adventure is usually managed in small groups of 8 to 15 participants, starting the tour at a central point in the heart of the city.
If you are going to Miami with small children, keep in mind that some activities that require walking distances have a minimum age requirement of 4 years old per participant. If this is your case, be sure to coordinate the details with the company preferably before the day of the excursion.
Useful information
- Price: The adult ticket is available from 65€ per person, while children pay around 50€.
- Duration of the excursion: On average you should book between 2h 30min and 3h for the tour.
- Recommended if... You are passionate or curious about Caribbean cuisine and its characteristic exploration of flavors. These tours are generally structured to take the traveler through the local food stalls with the most delicious dishes and drinks.
Art Deco and food tour of the South Beach District
No tour of Miami would be complete without an adventure to the South Beach area. This area is very famous for its architecture, color and for having one of the best shopping areas in the city, the beautiful open-air Lincoln Road Mall.
Combining these activities with a food tour results in the best plan to enjoy and do in South Beach Miami.
What do these tours include?
As with other food tours in the city, when you hire this type of excursion you are in for a fun adventure that brings together a group of traveling tourists just like you.
Depending on the company you hire you will find that the tours are organized in small groups ranging from 8 to 12 travelers per tour.
As is to be expected in this type of experience, tastings at different restaurants or food and beverage outlets are always included in the price, and the tour group will be accompanied at all times by an expert guide who will take you through the highlights of South Beach.
In South Beach it is very worthwhile to be accompanied by a guide to learn interesting details of the Art Deco architecture in this area of the city and to soak up the history and evolution of the place.
Useful information
- Price: From 60€ for an adult ticket and about 50€ for a ticket for children under 13 years old.
- Duration of the excursion: You will need to reserve an average of 3 hours for this excursion.
- Recommended if... In addition to the gastronomic experience of Miami you are interested in learning about the art and architecture for this area of the city, considered one of the most artistic and interesting areas of the city of Miami.
Wynwood Art District Gourmet Tour
The Wynwood Arts District is another area of Miami characterized by its particular charm and flare. I recommend my traveler friends who are going to be in Miami for more than a day to take the time to walk through its streets at their leisure, as fine dining and avant-garde art combine here to give us a decidedly unique experience.
What do these excursions include?
Regardless of the company you hire for the experience, a gastronomic tour of beautiful Wynwood should include a food and drink tasting in selected establishments to enjoy the local gastronomy. Keep in mind that the food, drinks and places to enjoy may vary greatly from one company to another.
These types of tours are usually handled in small groups of 8 to 10 participants. At all times you will be accompanied by an expert guide, which is especially important to get to know the highlights of the neighborhood, such as the beautiful graffiti in the Wynwood Walls museum.
It is important to keep in mind that the food tours to Wynwood are less popular than the tours to other areas of Miami, such as Little Havana; as a result, tours are generally not organized every day.
My recommendation? If this is a tour you want to do , make your reservation in advance as the available groups usually fill up very quickly.
Useful information
- Price: Adults must pay a fee of around 70€ each; children pay around 60€.
- Duration of the excursion: You will need to book a full 3 hours for this experience.
- Recommended if... In addition to enjoying delicious food, you want to soak up Wynwood's alternative art, trendy stores, breweries and other entertainment alternatives unlike any other district in the city.
Food tour of the Design District
Located north of Wynwood, going to the Design District is something that all fashion lovers visiting Miami should include in their tour. This area of the city is known for hosting world-famous luxury stores such as Prada, Cartier, Louis Vuitton or Hermès.
If your thing is fashion at the highest level, don't miss the opportunity. The gastronomic tours in this area of the city are certainly different but equally interesting.
What do these tours include?
Gastronomic tours of the Design District usually start at a meeting point previously determined by the company offering the experience.
Here you will meet an expert guide not only in local gastronomy, but also in the evolution and growth of the city itself, who will be able to accompany the group of travelers and reveal all kinds of interesting facts.
It is important to keep in mind that the restaurants can vary greatly depending on the company you choose for the experience.
However, almost all excursions usually complement the tour of the different food places with visits to the most outstanding spaces in the city, such as the famous Buckminster Fuller, an outstanding work of modern architecture in Miami.
This type of excursion is usually done in small groups comprising an average of 8 to 10 travelers.
As it is a less requested tour than others analyzed in this post, these tours only take place one or two days a week, so if you are interested it is best to book in advance.
Useful information
- Price: The adult rate is from 70€ per passenger, while children under 12 years old must pay 60€.
- Duration of the tour: Like other gastronomic tours in the city you should book between 2h 30 minutes to 3 hours to carry out this experience.
- Recommended if... The best thing about this type of excursion is the possibility of combining the gastronomic tour with the experience of seeing some attractions in this area of the city. Totally recommended especially if you have visited Miami in advance and are looking for a different tour.
What foods can you expect to find on a Miami food tour?
As it happens in other big cities in the United States, the cultural mix in Miami has left an evident imprint in the culture, in its people and especially in its food! A gastronomic excursion through the city is synonymous with a mixture of flavors and a lot of color.
Such is the case of Cuban Caribbean food. On a tour you should be prepared to taste typical foods such as fried plantains, the strong flavor of Cuban coffee, traditional Cuban sandwiches, key lime pie, delicious cheese dip or Cuban guarapo.
What are the advantages of taking a guided tour vs. taking a food tour on my own?
A guided food tour of Miami is a great advantage for those travelers looking for a more structured and educational experience; it is equally valid for those who prefer to plan as little as possible but enjoy their vacation with the least amount of hassle.
Since an outside company plans every detail of the experience, your only responsibility is to arrive at the meeting point at the agreed time and day and, of course, be prepared to eat!
You don't have to worry about group gastronomic tours either, because depending on the approach and the number of participants, both experiences can be equally interesting.
Tours with large groups of more than 10 participants usually resemble a small party with friends, where laughter and interesting stories are not lacking. On the other hand, smaller group tours with 8 or less participants are ideal for a sense of intimacy and camaraderie.