Welcome to Minneapolis, Minnesota. Locals have been known to call their city "Mini-Apple" in reference to this prairie city's abundance of art galleries and theatres. Whether you're moving here, traveling for pleasure or on business, a friendly local guide is waiting to show you the best of their city on a private Minneapolis tour.

If you'd like to walk along the banks of the Mississippi River, take a stroll down St. Anthony Falls Heritage Trail; your guide can help to explain the historical markers along the way. Shop for local produce at the Mill City Farmer's Market, and learn a bit of prairie grain history at the attached museum. Minneapolis' other nickname is the "City of Lakes"; join the locals picnicking, boating and cycling along the Chain of Lakes on a hot summer's day.

Your guide is looking forward to sharing the best of their hometown with you on a private Minneapolis tour.

Minneapolis

Minneapolis & St. Paul Highlights Riding Tour with Private Transportation

During this private, 3-hour adventure, we'll see the best features of Minneapolis & St. Paul, the "Twin Cities, " and marvel at famous attractions plus discover my local sites that are off the beaten path. You'll learn about the area's history, both past and more recent, and hear what it's like to live today in my flourishing metropolis. From spots of quiet, natural beauty to humming downtown locations, we'll experience a wide range of venues of surprising breadth and diversity.

In town for a limited time? Have an available half-day that is part of your planned visit? My professionally guided private riding tour is for you. It's a fun way to get an overall feel for the cities in an entertaining, "at-a-glance" way. Many guests use my tour to become oriented so they can return later on their own to deeply explore their favorite locales.

"He took us to great out-of-the-way places we would never have seen on our own. " Karale F, CA

"Recommended for anyone! We learned, got to know the city. " Holly K, CA

Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis has been a popular attraction for both locals and tourists since the 1850s. You'll see for yourself during this tour.

View the "people's house," the Minnesota State Capitol.

Water-water everywhere in the Twin Cities. See it flowing down the mighty Mississippi, spilling over two historic falls and shimmering in many beautiful lakes.

All ages can enjoy the highlights tour - seniors, juniors, mom & dad, friends & co-workers, locals & distant travelers.

The Twin Cities are beautiful during every season, including winter. A winter tour can reveal a new view of many attractions.

Snap and post at Minnehaha Falls - welcoming travelers like you for 160 years.

Private transportation for this tour is provided in a chauffeured executive "town car" Lincoln Continental sedan that comfortably seats 2 guests. The sedan includes a professional, licensed and uniformed driver. Transportation is included in the tour price. For groups of 3 or 4 guests, a chauffeured luxury SUV vehicle is available. Please inquire.

Private transportation for this tour includes a professional, licensed and uniformed driver. Transportation is included in the tour price. For groups of 3 or 4 guests, a chauffeured luxury SUV vehicle is available. Please inquire.

The Twin Cities are filled with public art as well as natural beauty and we'll see it together.

Discover famous attractions and my hidden gems in the Twin Cities of Minnesota

Walking St. Paul Summit Ave. Victorian Homes Private 2-hour Tour

For 2 hours, I'll guide you on a private stroll along charming and historic Summit Ave. in St. Paul, Minnesota, past stately homes built during the Victorian era that are nearly perfectly preserved today. You'll hear stories about the barons and tycoons who built these homes and how their houses have survived 120 or more years of change. You'll also wind through a former back alley now transformed into a hidden city street that features modern residences in historic structures.

Residential architecture buffs will spot nearly every type of home style popular during the Victorian era - Queen Anne, Italianate, Georgian Revival, Neo-classical, Romanesque, Beaux Arts, Tudor and more.

Love grand, old homes that are pristinely preserved as active residences for today? Enjoy meandering outdoor sidewalks among mature trees, parks, fine landscapes and beautiful buildings? This tour is for you.

SUGGESTED OPTION: To complete your Summit Ave. experience, consider adding-on a 75-minute guided interior tour of the historic James J. Hill house before or after the walking tour. Tours are operated by the Minnesota Historical Society. Entry times and admission prices vary. Inquire to make advance arrangements.

You'll spot nearly every type of popular Victorian home style - Queen Anne, Italianate, Georgian Revival, Neo-classical, Romanesque, and more during this private walking tour.

There's an interesting story behind each home that will fascinate travelers of all ages.

During this private walking tour, you'll see many stately Victorian homes that are nearly perfectly preserved.

Our walk includes a stunning overlook from high above the Mississippi River.

On Summit Avenue, you'll see how yesterday's Gilded Age welcomes residents today.

The walking tour includes visits to several beloved neighborhood parks.

Learn about the fine mansions and colorful residents along a preserved grand boulevard

Step-on Guide Service for Minneapolis, St. Paul and Stillwater, Minnesota

As a longtime, professional Minnesota tour guide, I provide "step-on" service for all types of private groups numbering up to 50 who provide their own motorcoach with a commercially licensed driver. I will meet your group at your chosen location, step onboard, greet your participants and immediately begin a customized tour itinerary with continuous, engaging commentary while also providing detailed, turn-by-turn directions to your professional driver.

Twin Cities "highlights" tours are typically at least 3 hours in duration. Customized plans with specialized itineraries are easily available with 4-, 5- or 6-hour durations, as are multi-day engagements. Itineraries often include a lunch stop at a unique hotspot, or are tied to an evening dining location or other area attraction.

Is your group in town for a limited time? Have open days, full- or half-day in your itinerary? My professional, private step-on guide service is for you. Please inquire for tour ideas, itinerary planning and prices.

I'm Douglas K., your longtime, professional guide for Minneapolis, St. Paul, Stillwater and the Minnesota area.

Snap, send and post anywhere in the Twin Cities - welcoming travelers like you for 160 years.

Water-water everywhere in the Twin Cities. See it flowing in sparkling rivers, spilling over historic falls and shimmering in many beautiful lakes.

Engage an experienced, professional guide for your private group tour in Minnesota

"Crooked" St. Paul Gangsters Riding Tour with Private Transportation

We'll step back in time during this private, 2-hour tour and hear how St. Paul, Minnesota became a haven for the nation's most notorious gangsters during the first decades of the 20th Century, and the impact of that legacy on life today in the "Saintly City. "

Who knew that gangsters, bank robbers, and bootleggers could run their nationwide operations from St. Paul while "hiding in plain sight" from the FBI? On this tour, I'll show you the homes, nightclubs, hangouts - and even the courthouse - where these professional thugs lived, planned, played and were prosecuted.

During my entertaining tour, we'll re-live the bad deeds of John Dillinger and his girlfriend Evelyn Frechette, Alvin "Creepy" Karpis and Ma Barker's gang. In addition, we'll see other St. Paul sights as time allows.

Want to entertain locals or out-of-towners? Old enough to remember those lurid headlines or young enough to be amazed? Ready for a new twist on a town you thought you knew? This tour is for you.

This 1905 police revolver was used by St. Paul police to injure John Dillinger in a shootout at his home in 1934. You won't see this gun during the tour, but you'll see where the shootout happened and learn why.

Bootlegging, bank robberies and kidnapping were part of an open secret that thrived in St. Paul for 35 years. The heavy toll of that legacy will be explained during this tour.

Lurid headlines in 1934 helped expose St. Paul's gangster haven to the world. During this tour, learn why gangsters flocked to St. Paul and hear tales of their exploits.

I'll show you this genteel residence. But decades ago, it was a speakeasy, casino and haven for infamous gangsters as well as the city's elite.

We'll drive by downtown St. Paul's meticulously restored Landmark Center, the region's former federal courthouse and site of headline-grabbing court trials that ended the careers of some notable crooks.

Though the gangster era was a dark part of the city's past, my tour also includes a brighter look at how St. Paul appears today.

Encounter surprising sites & tales of St. Paul's past of glamorous, ruthless gangsters & crooked cops

Walking F. Scott Fitzgerald's St. Paul Life & Homes Private 2-hour Tour

For 2 hours, you'll enjoy my private, guided walk in a historic, charming neighborhood of St. Paul, Minnesota, as we stroll past the birthplace, homes and haunts of F. Scott Fitzgerald, the famous author of "The Great Gatsby" and other notable American novels.

While we walk, you'll learn about Fitzgerald's lively life and the Roaring '20s, and also hear anecdotes about his hometown shenanigans. In addition, while we amble, residential architecture buffs will be able to spot many types of popular Victorian home styles in this historically preserved area.

Are you a fan of the wild Jazz Age, Gatsby and Fitzgerald's novels? Like discovering how the everyday life of a local boy impacted his later celebrity status? Enjoy meandering outdoor sidewalks among mature trees, parks, and historic buildings? This tour is for you.

F. Scott Fitzgerald's boyhood neighborhood is today a charming and historic enclave.

This unique 1889 rowhouse, now a National Historic Landmark, is one of the interesting tour stops.

During this walking tour, you'll see the birthplace of F. Scott Fitzgerald, now a National Literary Landmark.

F. Scott Fitzgerald's complicated relationship with St. Paul is explained as you stroll the neighborhood.

Of Fitzgerald's many homes seen during the walking tour, a key location is where the author completed his first commercially successful novel "This Side of Paradise."

We'll visit a charming neighborhood park where Fitzgerald and generations of kids have played.

View homes of the famous "Great Gatsby" author & hear about his colorful life

Inside Mall of America & Nickelodeon Amusement Park

Before you dive into Mall of America in Bloomington, MN for the first time to explore its 500+ stores, 50+ restaurants, full-size indoor family amusement park, underwater sea aquarium, live entertainment & nightclubs, I'll guide you for 1 hour on a quick, private orientation. Your mega-mall adventure will be more fun and a better experience. . . especially if your time is limited at this busy and often crowded destination.

Visiting the Mall of America and Nickelodeon Universe amusement park for the first time? Traveling with a family or group whose varied interests can be a challenge to coordinate? Some want to shop, some want to dine, and some want to scream while riding an indoor roller-coaster? This 1-hour orientation will help you wrangle everyone, set a shopping itinerary and point you on your way with a plan.

Your tour may also include an orientation of the Twin Cities' popular light rail transit system. The train can whisk you in minutes from the mall to/from downtown Minneapolis or airport.

If desired, the Mall of America transit station can be included in the orientation tour. Using economical light rail trains from the mall, MSP International Airport and downtown Minneapolis are just minutes away.

Nickelodeon Universe, one of the largest indoor amusement theme parks in the U.S., is located in the center of Mall of America. Popular with families, the park features thrill rides for adults and delightful attractions for kids.

Sea Life at Mall of America, Minnesota's largest aquarium, brings you close to sea creatures including sharks, sea turtles, stingrays, jellyfish, seahorses and more.

Shop more than 500 stores at Mall of America, including department stores, trendy national chains and local, Minnesota-themed specialty retailers.

A quick overview of the nation's largest shopping mall and its indoor amusement park

Minneapolis & St. Paul Architecture Riding Tour with Private Transportation

During this private, 3-hour discovery, you'll see noted buildings designed by some of the world's past famous architects as well as those created by today's newest designers. Minneapolis & St. Paul, the "Twin Cities, " together share a broad, diverse collection of building designs including the Art Deco, Moderne, Beaux-Arts, Neoclassical, Postmodern, International, Deconstructed and Brutalist styles. In addition to the design of these public, cultural and commercial buildings, background and history will be provided to explain the structures' context for today.

Though this tour focuses on architecture and design, it also includes an overview of some of the metropolitan area's other attractions that are natural, historical and cultural. Upon request, the tour may include outside views of residential homes designed by noted architects.

Not your first trip to Twin Cities? Ready to see inside some of those buildings you've admired from afar? Want to see the design-side of the Twin Cities? This tour is for you.

A diverse collection of architectural styles will be seen during this tour, including Art Deco, Moderne, Beaux-Arts, Neoclassical, Postmodern, International, Deconstructed and Brutalist.

During this tour, we'll drive by the IDS Center in the heart of downtown Minneapolis and note its ground-breaking, Postmodern design.

The tour may include interior views of Minneapolis City Hall and its famous "Father of Waters" statue.

Marvel at dramatic buildings, both traditional & contemporary architectural styles

Charming Stillwater Riding & Walking Tour with Private Transportation

Our private riding tour begins on the outskirts of historic Stillwater, MN and winds among the steep river bluffs of an 1800s village filled with the grand Victorian homes built by past lumber barons and luminaries. You'll see exquisitely restored Queen Anne mansions as well as other styles of architecture, and hear about the colorful owners of these homes. Our history-filled adventure will explain why Stillwater is known as the "Birthplace of Minnesota, " and also brings-to-life the rollicking work of lumberjacks who flocked to the pristine St. Croix River area in the 1800s.

Our tour concludes with a walk down Stillwater's quaint Main Street of shops and restaurants, plus a visit to a famous candy store for treats (purchased on own).

Ready to ride and see the quiet Stillwater up "on the hill" before a lively walk on Main Street? Want a dose of history then shop for your Minnesota souvenir? How about some fresh caramel corn? This tour is for you.

"Absolutely wonderful. A++ & 5 stars!" Genny R, Maryland US

The transformation from a hard-working lumber town into a scenic enclave of welcoming B&Bs will be described during the tour.

Much of Stillwater is governed by a large district of historic preservation that insures authenticity during your tour.

The famous Lift Bridge across the St. Croix River is a beloved tradition for walking in downtown Stillwater.

Candyland, an optional stop on our tour, is a favorite sweet shop of Stillwater locals.

Inside Candyland, a colorful array of sweets, handmade chocolates, candy and flavored popcorn awaits you (purchase on own).

At the historic courthouse, you'll discover why Stillwater is referred to as the "Birthplace of Minnesota."

Lively Main Street in historic downtown Stillwater is brimming with clothing, gift, antique, souvenir, food and snack shops.

The pristine St. Croix River provides a lush backdrop for dramatic views from Stillwater.

Water and the St. Croix River has shaped the history of the Stillwater area for generations. This tour will explain why.

We'll see "Painted Ladies," Victorian homes painted in 5 or more colors, on the river bluffs above downtown Stillwater.

Minneapolis tours

Explore with 8 tours and 1 guides.

Douglas K.

$ 550 (USD)

Douglas K.

$ 195 (USD)

Douglas K.

$ 335 (USD)

Douglas K.

$ 480 (USD)

Douglas K.

$ 195 (USD)

Douglas K.

$ 100 (USD)

Douglas K.

$ 550 (USD)

Douglas K.

$ 525 (USD)

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