Miami to Key West Day Trip: Dolphin Boat & Beach Time

The Dolphin Boat Leaves at Mid-Morning: Six Hours in Key West from Miami

You get round-trip coach transport from Miami, arrival in Key West by mid-morning, and your choice of a 2.5-hour dolphin boat tour or free exploration time. Either way, you have several hours to walk around, eat, and see the island before the return drive to Miami. Hotel pickup is included, so you just need to be ready at your door.

Step-by-step itinerary

Miami to Key West day trip

• Pick up in Miami
• Coach travel to Key West
• Choose dolphin watch boat tour
• Explore Key West for three hours
• Return coach trip to Miami
• Drop off in Miami

The experience

The coach picks you up from your Miami hotel sometime in the early morning (the exact window arrives in an email a few days before), and then it's a straight drive down the Overseas Highway toward Key West. You're on the bus for around three hours, which gives you time to settle in, watch the water get bluer, and mentally prepare for the day ahead. Once you arrive in Key West, you've got a choice to make: either join the 2.5-hour dolphin watch boat tour and still have roughly three hours to wander around town, or skip the boat entirely and have the full five to six hours on your own to explore the island.

If you go for the dolphin spotting option, the boat heads out into the ocean looking for wild dolphins: the kind that show up on their own schedule, not in a tank. You're out on the water with other travelers, scanning the horizon, and if the dolphins are around that day, you see them. If they're not, you don't, which is just how it works with wild animals. Either way, you come back to Key West with a solid chunk of afternoon left. The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum is there if you want to pay extra and go inside, or you can just walk the streets, grab lunch at one of the waterfront spots, hit a beach, browse the shops. The rhythm of the day is yours to set once the boat tour ends.

The return trip follows the same route back to Miami, so you're looking at another three hours on the coach. Pickup and drop-off are included from select hotels, which means you don't have to figure out parking or navigate to a terminal. The bus comes to you and brings you back. The whole day is structured around the drive and the choice you make in Key West, so there's no scrambling for tickets or coordinating with a guide once you're there.

What’s included

• Round-trip coach transportation from Miami to Key West.
• hotel pickup and drop-off from select Miami hotels.
• six hours in Key West with free time to explore, eat, and walk around.
• optional 2.5-hour dolphin watch boat tour (additional cost).
• optional snorkel activities with instruction and equipment provided (additional cost).
• optional visit to the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum (additional cost).

Options for this experience

2 options

Guide in English or Spanish06:30

Guide in English or Spanish05:30, 06:00, 07:00 and 07:30

You pick the guide language when booking. Options with the same name differ in details you'll see when you pick a date.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day5 departure times: the first at 05:30, the last at 07:30

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (10 and older) · Child (under 10)

GroupUp to 49

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 17 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by US2U

Is this one for you?Book this if you want a full day out of Miami without renting a car or arranging your own transport. The coach handles the drive, and you decide whether to add the dolphin boat or just have time to yourself in Key West.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 10).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24h before the start.

How long is the drive from Miami to Key West?

About three hours each way on the Overseas Highway.

What time does the coach pick me up?

Pickup times vary depending on your hotel location. You'll receive an email with your exact pickup window a few days before the tour.

Can I skip the dolphin boat and just explore Key West?

Yes. You can choose round-trip transportation only and have five to six hours of free time in Key West without booking the boat tour.

How long is the dolphin watch boat tour?

The dolphin tour lasts 2.5 hours, leaving you with about three hours of leisure time in Key West afterward.

Is the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum included?

No, it's an optional add-on at an extra cost if you want to visit.

What's included in the price?

Round-trip coach transport from Miami and hotel pickup and drop-off from select hotels. The dolphin boat tour is a separate option.

Do I need to know how to swim for the dolphin tour?

The dolphin tour is a boat ride where you watch from the deck, so swimming is not required. However, if you choose a snorkel activity, you must know how to swim.

Are there snorkel options available?

Yes, snorkel activities are available as optional add-ons. Instruction and equipment are provided, but you must be able to swim to participate.