Welcome to Miami Beach & Your Personal Tour Guide

ART DECO WALKING TOUR

#1 Tour in Miami Beach 

Take the #1 walking tour in South Beach with the most popular tour guides in the district. Christine & Company will enlighten and entertain you with fascinating facts and stories. Two hours (and 15 minutes) will fly by fast. Stroll along Ocean Drive and learn about the history, the significance of Art Deco, the role of Miami Vice and Hollywood and other pop culture. You'll admire the architecture from the outside and design & decor on the inside. No bumping elbows in a packed group. Get the VIP treatment with small group or private tours with exclusive access to select buildings not permitted to large groups. Your guides will keep you engaged with lively conversation and trivia! Tours are offered several times a day. (We also offer tours for large group requests and we provide more than one tour guide to split up the group for ease of moving along).

Tours offered daily at 10am, 1pm, 5pm.  Tours last 2 hours and 15 minutes. Private tours also available.
    
Reservations Required. Email or text is best. artdecotours@yahoo.com or 305-814-4058.  Be sure to state the number of people (adults and if any children) and a contact phone number if you are in the U.S. or Canada. Also please advise if you have a baby stroller or wheelchair as these require a separate route for ramp access.

*** Please know we do NOT begin at the Art Deco Welcome Center. The meeting point (an Art Deco Hotel) is provided at the time of reservation***


For pricing, click here. 



AVAILABILITY of upcoming Walking Tours

IMPORTANT:  We will be closed May 25 and 26 due to Memorial Day weekend. That weekend is also host to the Urban Hip Hop festival. We will not be conducting tours given the extreme crowds and road closures.  We do not recommend visiting South Beach that weekend unless you are attending the festival.   Given heightened security, only guests with hotel reservations may enter hotels. Feel free to visit mid Miami or north Miami Beach.

Tues, May 21, 5pm
Wed, May 22, 10am, 1pm, 5pm 
Thurs, May 23, 10am, 1pm, 5pm
 Frid, May 24, 10am 
 Mon, May 27, 5pm 
 Tues, May 28, 10am, 1pm, 5pm

AVAILABILITY OF Cocktail Tour

Thurs, May 23, 5pm
Tues, May 28, 5pm

*** Please email/text/call us us to inquire for availability any other day ***

 

TRAFFIC ADVISORY: We are now in peak season from end of November to end of May. Please be advised that traffic is heavy Friday-Sunday after 11am.  Please allot extra time to drive into South Beach and locate parking regardless if you are crossing the bridge or driving south on Collins Avenue or A1A from the north.  
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WHY WE'RE RATED #1 TOUR in MIAMI BEACH

Have you ever traveled to a city and taken a large group tour or small private tour? Which was better? Sure, everyone loves the VIP Treatment--personal, undivided attention, catering to your interest, pace and questions and a memorable visit. Half of our customers are from word of mouth. Tours available in English,  Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, German, and Dutch.  We're open 7 days a week including most holidays!

*** Announcing our New Cocktail Tour***

This is a new and separate tour from our walking tour.

CLICK HERE to learn more.

Introducing...

YOUR PERSONAL TOUR GUIDE

Christine & Company (C&C) are certified tour guides and offer customized South Beach/Art Deco Walking tours for two or more people. Whether you're a couple, a family of three or more, or a convention group,  C&C are your personal walking tour guides for discovering Miami Beach. 

BENEFITS OF THE TOUR

It's your trip, and this is your tour! There are many benefits to having your own personal tour guide:

1. GET THE VIP TREATMENT! This is a small group  tour with personal attention (Private tours available also) where you can freely talk with the guide and ask any questions and get exclusive access to select Art Deco buildings not permitted to any other tour company.

2. You're not limited to one time frame as offered by large group tours. We're a boutique tour service that offers the walking tours more than once a day. Our most popular tour is the twilight tour, around 4:00pm as the sun is setting so you see the buildings in daylight and dusk.

3. Are design or architecture your cup of tea? Or do you enjoy a good thriller full of mafia/criminal (true) stories? Or do you sport a capital "HB" for history buff? C&C can laser in on your preference but be sure to let them know before the tour. If you enjoy all three, ask for the "garden variety"!

4. Be in all the photos! No matter the size of your group, C&C  are ready to act as photographer so everyone is in the picture!

5. A popular benefit is the "tour after the tour". Christine will email you the highlights of the tour so you don't forget those fascinating details. Even better if you keep a travel journal or blog, you'll have plenty to write about!

6. Book a tour and your guide will go beyond and answer any questions about restaurants, other activities and so much more. You have your own local contact--just like having a personal friend or family member to ask for suggestions, ideas and opinions.

7. Price is important, for just a few dollars more than a small group tour, get the personal attention, the exclusive access, the VIP treatment!

8. Last but not least, your business helps us give back and make a difference in our community.

By the end of the tour, you'll enjoy the full flavor of Miami Beach, it's colorful history and characters.

SHABBY CHIC PRICES
Unlike other small group tours which charge $75/person, this two-hour tour is available for just $30/person ($35/person for tours in non -English language) (For groups of 20 or more people, please contact Christine for special rates).  A minimum 50% deposit is required. Full payment may be requested during peak season November 1 - May 31. The tour is offered for maximum two sets of customers or six people so you may be joining another party. 

For an absolute PRIVATE TOUR, to focus on your specific interests or combination (history, architecture, design, etc) the rate is minimum $40/person or more depending on the day of the week and season. Please contact Christine for private tour rates.

To inquire about reservations, please contact Christine at artdecotours@yahoo.com or text at 305-814-4058. Email or text work best as we're often giving tours.

To learn more about the Art Deco Walking Tours, click here.

Art Deco Walking Tours

Miami Beach aka "America's Riviera" boasts a colorful past and present. More than neon or pastel colors and Miami Vice stories, Miami Beach offers an eclectic history and a true melting pot of founders, pioneers and residents. For a city known for Cuban food, Salsa dancing and rhythms, and other Caribbean influences, did you know the name "Miami" is a native American Indian word for "Big Water"? Learn about the city's origins ...

Take a Walking Tour of the South Beach Art Deco District--the first 20th century buildings to receive historic designation. Hear the story and learn about a frail, widow's fight to protect these 1930's treasures against deep-pocket developers with political ties.

Return home with more than a sun burn and sand in your shoes. Impress your friends and neighbors with an entertaining history of Miami Beach--the architecture, the role of the Miami Vice series and the influence of the fashion industry and the mafia. Or don't tell them and beat them at Jeopardy or Trivial Pursuit. Did you know Miami Beach was the only city to prosper during Prohibition and the Depression? Miami vices actually galvanized the young city.

CHILDREN, SCHOLARS, GENERATIONS X, Y, AND Z
Come as a family, group of friends or on a tour, C&C can tell a tale to keep your child's attention, or speak architect-ease for scholarly tours. There's something for everyone.

THE ACTUAL TOUR
We are mostly walking outside throughout South Beach primarily between 10th and 15th streets. The tour steps inside a few buildings to point out Art Deco and modern design and decor and other highlights. For private group tours, we can begin and end anywhere within the Art Deco district.

Tour stops include the Versace mansion (the outside only), and Art Deco classics such as The Carlyle Hotel, The Cardozo, Jerry's Famous Deli, the 11th Street Diner and the Wolfsonian. Find out which of these buildings were backdrops for the Miami Vice scenes, and movies like the Birdcage with Robin Williams. Legend has it Capone ran his gambling syndicate from the 2nd floor of a small hotel also used in a film with Sylvester Stallone and Sharon Stone.

PRICES

• For PRICE and DEPOSIT and Cancellation Policy, click here.

TIMES

In the winter season, times are 10am, 1pm and 4pm. From March 10  (when Daylight Savings ends in US), the times are 10am, 1pm and 5pm. During the summer, tours for the most part are offered at 10am and 6:00pm. We are flexible with times and if you have a special request, please send  an email. Beginning November 3rd, due to Daylight savings, the twilight tour begins at 4pm as it gets dark at 6pm.

*** Remember to wear comfortable walking shoes and drink or bring cold bottled water! ***

PAYMENT:

Reservations and a deposit are required. In the event of a Hurricane Warning, the tour may be cancelled by you or Christine.  While it may be pouring rain in one part of Miami, it may not rain at all in South Beach so we always meet at agreed time.

RESERVATION or INQUIRIES:

Christine is ready to answer any and all questions to help customize your visit to Miami. Please contact her, artdecotours@yahoo.com. Or you may call 305-814-4058. Email or text is best as you'll receive a quicker response.

YOUR VISIT SUPPORTS LOCAL CHARITY
Christine and company are passionate about a little known cause and working hard to give back and make a difference! Click here to learn more.

Looking forward to meeting you in Miami!

ABOUT Christine Michaels

A resident of Miami for 15 years, Christine is a former public relations manager and spokesperson for local icon company. She is also a certified tour guide through the Miami Design Preservation League. Christine enjoys highlighting the best of Miami. From Salsa dance lessons, to eating black beans and rice and fried plantains, to bike riding to the beach in the middle of winter (a cool 75 degrees), Christine savors every sight, sound and aroma of exotic, tropical Miami!

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Other Specialty Tours

OTHER TOURS

If you have already taken the Art Deco Walking Tour and are interested in other cultural tours, below are a few to consider.

Mimo Tour (Monday - Friday; tour begins anytime between 10:30am and 3pm)
This tour is part 2 of the Miami Beach History. It begins with a chauffeured ride to the MiMo district which took the spotlight after Art Deco. If you are staying at a hotel in downtown or South Beach, Christine will pick you up in a sedan and drive you up "Millionaire's Row" . This tour entails stories of the architecture (MiMo = Miami Modern), the mafia, and the other colorful characters as you then walk through the Eden Roc and Fountainbleau --rival hotels during their heyday.This tour is for 2-4 people maximum. Duration approximately 2.5 hours. PRICE- $150 TOTAL* for 2-4 people. Advance reservations required.

Little Havana ( Monday-Saturday 10:15am, 3:00pm and Sundays 10:15am)
This area was once the future Hollywood of the Southeast and an exclusive neighborhood. Learn how history changed its course and is home to cuban coffee, pastelitos and more. Visit a cigar factory and watch workers roll and tip fresh cigars, see elderly men stay youthful playing Dominoes at Domino park and sample authentic Cuban bites.  Duration is 2 hours. PRICE - $40/person. We meet in Little Havana. Address provided at time of reservation. (Christine can pick you up if you are staying in Downtown Miami only). Click here for more information.

Customized Tour
The beauty of a small boutique/concierge service is that we can customize any tour for you! We have had requests for an Art Deco with Shopping tour in South Beach, or Christine can pick you up in a sedan and chauffeur you for a Miami highlight tour. The latter is especially popular for those who are in a wheelchair or have limited walking abilities. One photographer wanted to see all the famous Miami pools. Christine heightened the experience with stories to match. These tours should be booked well in advance. Prices vary depending on the season, length of time, and type of tour.

TIMES, PRICE, DEPOSIT, REFUND policy

The tour is exactly two hours and 15 minutes and the price is  $30 per person (children under 12 are free) English language, for small group tour where you join another customer. For PRIVATE tour, the rate is minimum $40 per person depending on day of week and season.   For a group of 20 or more the rate is $20/person. 

For tours in other languages (Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Hebrew)  the rate is $35 per person. Advance reservations are strongly recommended.

Tours available daily: 10am, 1pm; 5:00pm. Just email us for availability.  In the summer beginning June 1, tours are offered 10am and 6pm only.

RESERVATIONS MUST BE MADE by: Email: artdecotours@yahoo.com or call 305-814-4058. Email or text message is best as we're often giving tours and sometimes the voicemail message is not clear.

DEPOSIT or FULL PAYMENT REQUIRED
Full payment will be required for reservations made within 48 hours or during peak weeks during high season. If not, then a minimum 50% nonrefundable deposit is required. Christine will advise at time of inquiry. Payment/Deposit is made via three methods. For groups of 3 or more, we reserve the right to ask for full payment in advance.

CREDIT CARD
1- Receive a payment link to your email and comfortably pay with your Credit Card (the email will come from service@PayPal but you do not have to register with PayPal unless you already have account)

--or-- if you do not have access to internet

2- Pay with credit card over the phone. Please know there is a $2.00 service charge for this method.

PAYPAL
3- Art Deco Tours accepts PayPal funds. If you already have an account, just click on the Deposit button on this website, and pay with PayPal funds OR your credit card.

The balance is paid in cash on the day of the tour.
 Upon receipt of the deposit, a confirmation will be emailed with the meeting place and other helpful tips.

Please do not hesitate to ask any questions. Large group tours or customized tours are available. Advance planning is recommended.

CANCELLATION/REFUND POLICY
All payments and deposits are non-refundable except for an official Hurricane Watch/Warning. Since this is a walking tour primarily outdoors, if it should rain for more than 20 minutes along the tour route,  you may terminate the tour and decide what amount to pay for the tour. However you  must show up for the tour despite if it's raining in other parts of the city. The deposit is also 100% refundable if it rains more than 20 minutes during the tour.

Continue the Tour!

Who said the tour has to end!

Continue the tour, the experience, the glory and drama of South Beach or treasure a small deco gem as a keepsake with a number of COFFEE TABLE books and DVDs including the one about Cocaine Cowboys. Read below! For Art Deco posters, click here.

Amazon has the best prices and if you purchase through my links below, a small percentage goes directly to our new non profit Pawsitively Humane, Inc to help reverse the trend of homeless pets in South Beach. Thank you for supporting a special cause!

BOOKS
For the ideal coffee table book and souvenir to remember your trip, I highly recommend the book In the Spirit of South Beach. It's a condensed and easy read and the cover is the stunning aerial view of the Raleigh Hotel pool. Order your copy now as this book is out of print!

For the design and architecture enthusiast, Deco Delights is the first all-encompassing book covering the original Art Deco buildings, the dates and historical photos. The most recent book published on Art Deco and the best reference with over 200 photos, is South Beach Deco, Step by Step (2007). Follow up on your lesson of symmetry and other Art Deco rules. Do you remember them? If you really enjoy design and want to compare the Deco style to Mediterranean revival, and post modernism, Miami Mediterranean Splendor & Deco Dreams a hardback book, has it all and makes for an eye-catching coffee table book. For a comprehensive review of changes in art, culture, lifestyle for the past 100 years, The Style of the Century is the book to add to your repertoire. 

HISTORY OF MIAMI
Miami, The Magic City-- This 500 page book is the third edition of the history of Miami leading up to the 90's. Arva Moore Parks is a Miami native, historian, preservationist and community leader. She has studied Miami and its roots for more than four decades and delivers with rich compilation of photos on every page. 

The House of Versace, The Untold Story of Genius, Murder and Survival. 
Versace's talent and life impacted a city and and industry.   Unlock the iron gate and pent up secrets behind the walls of the famed Mediterranean mansion on Ocean Drive.


DVDs
Join the action with the entire series of Miami Vice which put South Beach on the Hollywood map. Follow the dapper duo, Crockett and Tubs, as they fight the cocaine industry in their fashion heightened attire. Relive the bouncy bikinis, leggy models, heavy accents, and thriller boat rides. Storylines are historical fiction.

Wade deeper into the dark side with the documentary Cocaine Cowboys which chronicles the players and boom of the "other white powder" and it's not beach sand. The fearless leader of this $77 billion industry, Griselda Blanco, the ring leader, is considered one of the 10 most dangerous women in US History!

The cocaine wars and criminal refugees go hand in hand in the history of Miami's darkest period. Scarface is a famous movie story of a "marielito" (named for the port of Mariel, Cuba where Castro sent all of the islands prisoners and mentally ill to the US) who rose to the top of the cocaine trade. Warning: this movie is very violent.

For a more current action movie, purchase The Specialist starring Sylvester Stallone and Sharon Stone. Scenes of the movie were filmed at the Clay Hotel on Espanola Way.

On a lighter side, capturing the imagination of Hollywood producers, several movies were filmed in South Beach. The Bird Cage is a fictional comedy featuring Robin Williams and Nathan Lane. These personas try to deceive a Congressman and his wife by covering up the fact they are gay when Williams' son announces he's marrying their daughter.


For unique Art Deco posters CLICK HERE.


Cheers,

Christine Michaels

www.artdecotours.com

1920s Art Deco industrial ice box

Cancellation / Refund / Rain Policy

During the summer, statistically, rains last 20 minutes or less in South Beach. Often it will rain inland and not even touch South Beach. Therefore we require all clients to appear for the tour. In the event that it rains more than 20 minutes, clients may cancel the tour and pay any amount they feel is appropriate or ask for full refund. In the winter, it rains seldom and showers last less than 20 minutes.

Since we specialize in small group tours and limit the number of people, the deposit is non-refundable except for an official Hurricane Watch, Hurricane Warning  (on the day of the tour) or if it rains more than 20 minutes during the tour (you  must appear for the tour), if you cancel within 72 hours or if tour operator must cancel for other reasons.

Pets Welcome!

Pets are welcome on the walking tour!  At Art Deco Tours we believe pets are family members too. No need to leave them at the hotel or home. Bring the pets, take the tour, and stay for lunch or dinner to round out your South Beach experience.  There are many restaurants with outdoor eating and they all welcome pets!

Since the tour enters hotels and other buildings where pets are not permitted inside, Art Deco Tours will provide a pet companion to watch your pet while the tour enters buildings. The fee is minimum $30 depending on number of pets and different species. For example, for two dogs, the fee is only $30. For a dog and cat, the fee may be more. 

Requirements:
  * Based on availability of pet sitter.
  * Pet reservations must be made at least 2 weeks in advance.
  * Pet guardian must provide collar, leash and any treats for dogs.
  * Cats must be on leashes or in carrier or stroller.
  * Pets must be accustomed to traveling and handled by non pet owners. 
  * Pets must be micro-chipped. 

Art Deco Tours will provide water, water bowl and poop scoop bags.  Other pets permitted. Please advise what type of pet and other pertinent details.

Christine Michaels, owner and founder of Art Deco Tours, is also the founder and President of local animal welfare nonprofit, Pawsitively Humane, Inc. and Riverfront Cats.   Donations of any amount are welcome.